Compression Efficiency Explained
Streaming 4K video requires massive data. Codecs compress this data.
- H.264 (AVC): The old standard. Good compatibility, but large file sizes. Requires 30Mbps for 4K.
- H.265 (HEVC): The current standard for IPTV. Twice as efficient. Requires only 15Mbps for 4K.
- AV1: The future. Open source and royalty-free. It is 30% more efficient than HEVC, but requires new hardware to decode smoothly (e.g., Firestick 4K Max, Nvidia Shield).
UltraStream streams primarily in HEVC for the best balance of quality and compatibility.
