Video encoding compresses video files using a codec to save bandwidth and storage.
| Codec | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| H.264 | Best natively supported codec for hardware acceleration. | |
| H.265 | Higher compressionA method of storing data that reduces the amount of storage space it requires. See Texture Compression, Animation Compression, Audio Compression, Build Compression. See in Glossary. |
Limited to supported devices. |
| VP8 | Cross-platform support and comprehensive feature setA feature set is a collection of related packages that you can use to achieve specific results in the Unity Editor. You can manage feature sets directly in Unity’s Package Manager. More info See in Glossary. |
Consumes more resources compared to H.264. |
The Unity Editor supports the .ogv format, but it isn’t widely supported on other platforms. Transcode .ogv files into .mp4 (H.264) or .webm (VP8) depending on the target platform.
Note: Android supports VP8 using native libraries, so VP8 might be hardware-assisted on some Android devices.
If you use video files that the target platform supports, you can manage encoding with an external program for finer control. You can disable the Transcode property in the Video Clip Importer so Unity doesn’t modify the video files.
The following table lists key values in your encoding parameters:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Video Codec | H.264, H.265, or VP8. |
| Resolution | The resolution of your display. For example: 1280 × 720. |
| Profile | The profile is a set of capabilities and constraints, often specified by the vendor, such as Baseline or Main. Applies to H.264/H.265. See H.264 or H.265. |
| Profile Level | Applies for H.264/H.265. Within a given profile, the level specifies performance requirements, for example, Baseline 3.1. |
| Audio Codec | AAC (for .mp4 videos using H.264/H.265) or Vorbis (for .webm videos using VP8). |
| Audio Channels | Dependent on the platform. Refer to the developer guide for your platform. For example, the article on Supported media formats for Android. |
The following table provides platform-specific requirements and information for the H.265 codec:
| Platform | Requirements | Encoding/Decoding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| macOS | SDK 10.13+ |
Hardware encoding: 6th Generation Intel Core processor Software encoding: All Macs Hardware decoding: 6th Generation Intel Core processor Software decoding: All Macs |
|
| Windows | Windows 10 + HEVC extensions |
Encoder Decoder |
HEVC extension (Hardware only) HEVC extension (Hardware + software support) |
| UWP | Windows 10+ | If a device lists support for H.265, that might not apply to all devices within the device family. | |
| Android | 5.0+ | ||
| iOS | SDK 11.0+ |
Hardware decoding: A9 Chip Software decoding: All iOS Devices |
|
| tvOS | SDK 11.0+ |