What is x264?
x264 is a powerful open-source software library that enables the encoding of video streams into the widely-adopted H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format. With its extensive range of advanced features, x264 provides users with unparalleled flexibility and control over the video encoding process.
Highlights
- Supports a variety of adaptive spatial transformations, including 8x8 and 4x4, to optimize encoding efficiency
- Employs adaptive B-frame placement and allows for the use of B-frames as references, enabling arbitrary frame order
- Offers both CAVLC and CABAC entropy coding options, as well as the ability to customize quantization matrices
- Encompasses a comprehensive range of intra-frame and inter-frame encoding modes, including all macroblock types and partitions
- Provides support for interlaced video through MBAFF (Macroblock-Adaptive Frame-Field) encoding
- Utilizes multiple reference frames and advanced rate control methods, such as constant quantizer, constant quality, and single or multi-pass ABR
- Includes scene cut detection and spatial/temporal direct mode in B-frames, as well as adaptive mode selection
- Enables parallel encoding on multiple CPUs for improved performance
- Offers predictive lossless mode and psychovisual optimizations for enhanced detail retention