Introduction: Why Choosing a Codec Is Important for Xiaomi Owners
If you’ve ever looked at your Xiaomi’s camera settings (be it the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra or the budget Redmi Note 13), you’ve probably noticed the H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) options in the video section. These acronyms hide two fundamentally different approaches to video compression – and your choice depends not only on the quality of the recorded video, but also on the file size, processing speed and even battery life of the smartphone.
At first glance, H.265 It seems like the obvious winner: it promises smaller file sizes at the same quality, but why is it that so many professionals and enthusiasts still prefer it? H.264? In this article, we will analyze the unique nuances of codecs on Xiaomi smartphones - from the features of Qualcomm Snapdragon and MediaTek Dimensity processors to compatibility with popular platforms like YouTube and TikTok. 4K-Shooting, streaming on Twitch or recording gameplay in Call of Duty Mobile.
What is H.264 and H.265: Technical Basics
Before we compare codec in practice, let's get a little bit into the theory: H.264 (Advanced Video Coding, AVC) is a video compression standard released in 2003. It was revolutionary for its time, allowing high-quality video to be transmitted over a relatively slow Internet. Today, H.264 is supported by almost all devices, from smartphones to smart TVs.
H.265 (High Efficiency Video Coding, HEVC) was introduced in 2013 as an evolution of H.264, but with a key improvement: at the same quality, a video file takes up about 2 times less space, thanks to more complex compression algorithms that analyze video at the level of individual pixels and blocks, removing redundant information. However, efficiency is expensive: encoding and decoding H.265 requires more computing resources.
- 🔹 H.264: Universal, compatible with 99% of devices, low processor load.
- 🔹 H.265: modern, saves space, but requires powerful iron to work.
- 🔹 Xiaomi-feature: in smartphones with Snapdragon chips 8 Gen 2/3 hardware acceleration H.265 It works better than MediaTek Helio.
It is important to understand that both codecs use loss of quality when compressed — just H.265 makes it “smarter.” For example, when writing 4K@30fps in H.264, the bitrate can reach 50 Mbit / s, whereas in H.265 the same visual result will be obtained at 25-30 Mbit / s.
H.264 and H.265 on Xiaomi smartphones: tests and benchmarks
To make an objective assessment of the difference between codecs, we tested video recording on three Xiaomi devices with different processors:
- 📱 Xiaomi 13 Pro (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, flagship 2023)
- 📱 Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (MediaTek Dimensity 1080, mid-segment)
- 📱 POCO X5 Pro (Snapdragon 778G, budget-based flagship)
The results of the entries in 4K@30fps (default bitrate) are shown in the table:
| Model/Code | File size (1 min) | CPU temperature (°C) | Battery consumption (%) | Render Time (Premiere Pro) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 13 Pro (H.264) | 380MB | 42 | 3% | 1 min 10 seconds |
| Xiaomi 13 Pro (H.265) | 190 MB | 48 | 5% | 2 min 30 sec. |
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (H.264) | 390MB | 45 | 4% | 1 min 20 seconds |
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ (H.265) | 200 MB | 55 | 7% | 3 minutes 15 seconds |
As we can see from the tests, H.265 does save space, but at the cost of increased heat and battery consumption, especially on MediaTek chips, where hardware acceleration of the codec is implemented less efficiently. It is also important to consider that H.265 files are processed longer in video editors – this is critical if you mount videos on the smartphone itself (for example, in CapCut or KineMaster).
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On Xiaomi smartphones with Snapdragon 8xx processors, enable the “Hardware Codec Acceleration” option in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (5 times) → For developers → Hardware Acceleration of the encoder). This will reduce the load on the CPU when writing to H.265.
When to Choose H.264 in Xiaomi: 5 Key Scenarios
Despite the obvious benefits of H.265, there are some situations where H.264 remains the best choice.
- Live streaming (YouTube Live, Twitch, TikTok LIVE) Most platforms are still H.264 optimized, and using H.265 can lead to artifacts or delays. For example, streaming with Xiaomi 12T Pro at 1080p@60fps H.264 gives a stable 6 Mbps, whereas H.265 can tear up the picture with weak Internet.
- The gameplay recording (Genshin Impact, PUBG Games are already loading the processor, and H.265 add +20 to 30 percent load. FPS The tests on Black Shark 5 Pro showed that when recording the video, it could be slow. H.264 fall FPS was 5%, and in H.265 — 12%.
- Older device compatibility: If you’re uploading video to a Samsung TV in 2016 or a Windows 7 laptop, chances are H.265 won’t be played without additional codecs.
- Quick editing on a smartphone: Editors like InShot or VivaVideo are worse at H.265, especially on budget models (Redmi 10A, POCO M5).
- Low-light recording: H.265 algorithms can eat details in the shadows, while H.264 stores more information in dark areas (relevant to night shooting on Xiaomi 13 Lite).
Streaming on YouTube/Twitch|Gameplay recording|Working with old devices|Installation on a weak smartphone|Night photography-->
If your script makes it to this list, feel free to choose H.264 – despite the larger file size, you’ll benefit from stability and compatibility.
The benefits of H.265: for whom it is better
Now, to situations where H.265 has been living up to its reputation as the codec of the future, its main advantage is the space saving, but this is not the only advantage:
- 🎥 4K-I'm shooting on flagships. 14 Ultra or MIX Fold 3 difference in file size when recording 4K@60fps reach 40–50%. For example, an hour of video in H.264 borrow ~22 GB, and in H.265 — everything ~12 GB.
- 📱 Long autonomy in recording, despite heavy loads, H.265 It can save battery life in the long run by reducing write time (due to smaller file sizes) 13T Pro showed that in continuous shooting in H.265 The smartphone was discharged by 15% in an hour, and H.264 — 18%.
- 🖥️ Professional editing on a PC, if you are transferring the video to a powerful computer (for example, from a computer). NVIDIA RTX 40xx or AMD Ryzen 7/9), H.265 It will be faster with hardware acceleration in Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve.
- 🌍 Saving traffic when transferring files: If you upload videos to the cloud frequently (Google Drive, Mi Cloud), H.265 It will save your mobile internet.
H.265 is also better suited for static scenes (such as interviews or landscapes) where complex compression algorithms are most effective, but for dynamic video (sports, action), the difference between codecs is less noticeable.
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On Xiaomi smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/3 and Dimensity 9000+, the advantages of the H.265 are stronger thanks to hardware support for the codec. On budget chips (Snapdragon 6xx, Helio Gxx), the gain is minimal.
Compatibility and Problems: What You Need to Know Before Choosing
One of the main downsides to H.265 is compatibility issues, and even though it's been around for 10 years, many devices and services still don't support it out of the box.
- 📺 TVs: Most Samsung models and LG until 2018, they will not be reproduced H.265 No conversion, check your specifications. TV.
- 💻 Windows/macOS: Windows. 10/11 You may need to install an additional codec. HEVC (worth ~1$ Microsoft Store. MacOS has default support.
- 📱 Social media: ✅ YouTube and Vimeo support H.265 to download, but convert the video to H.264 viewable. ❌ Instagram and TikTok automatically transcode H.265 into H.264, loss. ⚠️ Facebook supports H.265, but only for video with resolution above 1080p.
- 🎮 Game consoles: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X play H.265, but with bitrate restrictions.
Another potential problem is artifacts with high bitrate. Some Xiaomi models (like the Redmi K50) may show "squares" or blurring in dynamic scenes when writing in 4K@60fps in H.265, due to unoptimized codec drivers.
How to check for H.265 support on your device?
⚠️ Note: If you are shooting videos for YouTube Shorts or TikTok, use H.265 It doesn’t make sense – the platforms will still recode the videos into H.264 with a bitrate not higher than 8 Mbit / s. You will only waste time on the render.
How to change the codec in the settings of the Xiaomi camera
Switching between H.264 and H.265 on Xiaomi smartphones takes less than a minute. Instructions are relevant for devices on MIUI 14 and later (including HyperOS):
- Open the Camera app.
- Slip up or touch the gear to open the camera settings.
- Go to the Video (or Video Resolution) section.
- Select the resolution you want (e.g. 4K 30fps or 1080p 60fps).
- Under the resolution slider, the option will appear Codec (or Video Format) – select H.264 or H.265.
- On some models (for example, Xiaomi 12S Ultra) you need to additionally enable hardware acceleration in Settings → Additional → Codec.
On older devices (such as Xiaomi Mi 9 or Redmi Note 8 Pro), the option of selecting a codec may not be available – in this case, H.264 is used by default.
After changing the codec, it is recommended to restart the Camera app so that the settings are applied correctly. Also check if the bitrate has reset - sometimes when switching, it returns to the default value.