Video - Formats (h.264, h.265, hevc)
H.264 and H.265 (HEVC)
This guide discusses which iPhones are compatible with which settings.
NOTE: Also as of 3.5.9, all 4K footage is shot in HEVC. This will be fixed in a future update.
H.264
H.264 has been around since around 2014, and has been the standard for all HD recording and playback.
For iPhones 6s or newer, they support H.264, High Profile 5.1 with AAC-LC audio. A full list of all levels and what they support is available here.
Support matrix:
H.264 is supported by all iPhones at the following settings (High Profile 4.2):
- 720p @ 24, 30, 48, 60, and 120 fps (NTSC)
- 720p @ 25, 30, 50, 60, and 120 fps (PAL)
- 1080p @ 24, 30, 48, 60 fps (NTSC)
- 1080p @ 25, 30, 50, 60 fps (PAL)
H.264 is supported by iPhones 6s and newer at the following additional settings (High Profile 5.1):
- 720p @ 240 fps
- 1080p @ 120 fps
- 4K @ 30 fps
HEVC / H.265
HEVC is the successor to H.264. It was introduced with iOS 11 and Mac OS High Sierra in the fall of 2017.
HEVC is supported by the following devices:
- iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus or newer
- iPad (6th Generation)
- iPad Pro (10.5 inch)
- iPad Pro (11 inch)
- iPad Pro 12.9 inch (2nd generation) or later
It supports all of the H.264 resolutions and frame rates. However certain frame rates require HEVC:
- 1080p @ 240 fps
- 4K @ 60 fps
Links
(Apple) Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices
(Wikipedia) List of H.264 Levels
(Apple) Authoring Guidelines for Video
Proof that iPhone 6s is using level 5.1, not 4.2
FAQ
Q: Why am I seeing a blank video when playing it on my Mac / Windows machine?
A: On Mac it requires that you upgrade to High Sierra. On Windows it requires purchasing HEVC as a plug-in: Microsoft Store link
Q: I set the Moment app to H.264, but I can't see the video, or it is coming through as the wrong format. What's wrong?
A: If you recorded a video at a setting that H.264 does not support, we will force the video to be recorded in HEVC. Also as of 3.5.9, all 4k footage is shot in HEVC. This will be fixed in a future update.
Q: Why is my footage not playing back correctly in Adobe Premiere?
A: Make sure you are on the latest version of Adobe Premiere, and are using Mac OS Sierra or higher.