---
updatedAt: 2025-06-18T12:11:30.000Z
agentTools:
projectIndex: https://api.encoding.com/llms.txt
---
# HEVC
H.265, or HEVC as it is better-known, is the MPEG group's follow-up to the ubiquitous H.264/AVC video codec. It offers significant improvements in reduction of file size for equivalent perceptual quality over its predecessor.
Encoding.com offers a number of implementations of HEVC, including x265 (the default described here), content-adaptive HEVC encoding via [Beamr CABR](https://api.encoding.com/reference/output-beamr), as well as [Dolby Vision](https://api.encoding.com/reference/output-hdr-dolbyvision).
x265's options frequently mirror those in its related project, x264, with some notable exceptions. The majority of users will not need to define these parameters in a job request, unless expressly required by your decoder, but they are documented here for those who need to modify them.
```xml
[UserID]
[UserKey]
[Action]
[SourceFile]
hevc
[Level]
1
20
2
4
1
[3]
64
1
1
1
2
60
2
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
```
```XML Multi-bitrate
[UserID]
[UserKey]
[Action]
[SourceFile]
hevc
[Level]
1
20
2
4
1
[3]
64
1
1
1
2
60
2
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
```
```json
{
"query": {
"userid": "[UserID]", // required
"userkey": "[UserKey]", // required
"action": "[Action]", // required
"source": "[SourceFile]", // required
"format": {
"output": "[mpeg_dash|mp4]", // required
"video_codec": "hevc",
"video_codec_parameters": {
"level": "[Level]",
"refresh": "1",
"rc-lookahead": "20",
"b-adapt": "2",
"bframes": "4",
"b-pyramid": "1",
"ref": "3",
"ctu": "64",
"tu-intra-depth": "1",
"tu-inter-depth": "1",
"me": "1",
"subme": "2",
"merange": "60",
"max-merge": "2",
"rect": "1",
"amp": "1",
"early-skip": "0",
"fast-cbf": "0",
"signhide": "1",
"lft": "1",
"tskip": "0",
"sao": "1",
"weightp": "1",
"tskip-fast": "0",
"vbv-end": 0,
"vbv-end-fr-adj": 0
}
// format params
}
}
}
```
```JSON Multi-bitrate
{
"query": {
"userid": "[UserID]", // required
"userkey": "[UserKey]", // required
"action": "[Action]", // required
"source": "[SourceFile]", // required
"format": {
"output": "[advanced_dash|fmp4_hls]", // required
"stream": [
{
"video_codec": "hevc",
"video_codec_parameters": {
"level": "[Level]",
"refresh": "1",
"rc-lookahead": "20",
"b-adapt": "2",
"bframes": "4",
"b-pyramid": "1",
"ref": "3",
"ctu": "64",
"tu-intra-depth": "1",
"tu-inter-depth": "1",
"me": "1",
"subme": "2",
"merange": "60",
"max-merge": "2",
"rect": "1",
"amp": "1",
"early-skip": "0",
"fast-cbf": "0",
"signhide": "1",
"lft": "1",
"tskip": "0",
"sao": "1",
"weightp": "1",
"tskip-fast": "0",
"vbv-end": 0,
"vbv-end-fr-adj": 0
}
},
{
// stream params
}
]
}
}
}
```
| Parameter | Definition | Allowed Values | Default Values |
| :--------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------- |
| **Slice Descision Options** | - | - | - |
| **refresh** | Specify the intra refresh type | 0 — none
1 — CDR
2 — IDR | 1 |
| **rc-lookahead** | Specify the number of frames for the frame-type lookahead. | An integer less than or equal to 250 and greater than the maximum consecutive bframes count. | 20 |
| **b-adapt** | Enable adaptive bframe scheduling. | 0 — none
1 — fast
2 — full (trellis) | 2 |
| **bframes**
| Specify the number of consecutive b-frames. | Positive integer from 0 to 16. | 4 |
| **b-pyramid** | Enable the use b-frames as references. | 0 — Disabled
1 — Enabled | 1 |
| **ref** | Specify the max number of L0 references to be allowed. | Positive integer from 0 to 16. | 3 |
| **weightp** | Enable the weighted prediction in P slices. | 0 — Disabled
1 — Enabled | 1 |
| **Quad-Tree Analisys Options** | | - | - |
| **ctu** | Specify the maximum CU size (width and height). | 16,32,64 | 64 |
| **tu-intra-depth** | Specify the maximum TU recursive depth for intra CUs. | 1,2,3,4 | 1 |
| **tu-inter-depth** | Specify the maximum TU recursive depth for inter CUs. | 1,2,3,4 | 1 |
| **Motion Search Options** | - | - | - |
| **me** | Specify the motion search method. | 0 — dia
1 — hex
2 — umh
3 — star
4 — full | 1 |
| **subme** | Specify the amount of subpel refinement to perform. | Positive integer from 0 to 7 (0: least … 7: most) | 2 |
| **merange** | Specify the motion search range. | Integer from 0 to 32768 | 60 |
| **max-merge** | Specify the maximum number of merge candidates. | Positive integer from 1 to 5 | 2 |
| **rect** | Specify the number of rectangular motion partitions Nx2N and 2NxN | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 1 |
| **amp** | Specify the asymmetric motion partitions (requires rect enabled) | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 1 |
| **early-skip** | Enable early SKIP detection. | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 0 |
| **fast**-cbf | Enable CBF fast mode. | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 0 |
| **Rate Control Options** | - | - | - |
| **rd** | Specify level of rate distortion in mode decision. | 0 — Least
1 — Lightweight RDO Analysis | 0 |
| **signhide** | Hide the sign bit of one coeff per TU. | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 1 |
| **vbv-end** | Final buffer fullness. The portion of the decode buffer that must be full after all the specified frames have been inserted into the decode buffer. For [Ludicrous Mode](https://api.encoding.com/reference/mainfields-ludicrous) this parameter is applied to each encoding chunk. | Fractional value between 0 and 1 | 0 |
| **vbv-end-fr-adj** | Frame from which qp has to be adjusted to achieve final decode buffer fullness. Specified as a fraction of the total frames. or [Ludicrous Mode](https://api.encoding.com/reference/mainfields-ludicrous) this parameter is applied to each encoding chunk | Fractional value between 0 and 1 | 0 |
| **Loop Filter Options** | - | - | - |
| **lft** | Enable the oop filter. | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 1 |
| **Intra Options** | - | - | - |
| **tskip** | Enable intra transform skipping. | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 0 |
| **tskip-fast** | Enable fast intra transform skipping | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 0 |
| **Sample Adaptive Offset Loop Filter Options** | - | - | |
| **sao** | Enable simple adaptive offset. | 0 — Disable
1 — Enable | 1 |
| **General Options** | - | - | - |
| **level** | Video Level | Positive integer number
**10** – 1.0,
**20** – 2.0,
**21** – 2.1,
**22** – 2.2,
**30** – 3.0,
**31** – 3.1,
**32** – 3.2,
**40** – 4.0,
**41** – 4.1,
**50** – 5.0,
**51** – 5.1,
**52** – 5.2,
**60** – 6.0,
**61** – 6.1,
**62** – 6.2 | *none* |