Facebook supports uploading videos in a variety of formats, including h264. H264 is a popular video encoding format that allows videos to be compressed while maintaining high visual quality. Here is a quick overview of h264 and its requirements for use on Facebook:
What is h264?
H264, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding), is a video compression standard developed by the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group.
Some key advantages of h264 include:
- High compression ratio – h264 can compress video files to smaller sizes with less loss of quality.
- Good visual quality at low bitrates – Works well for streaming and sharing online videos.
- Wide device compatibility – h264 is supported by most modern browsers, devices, and platforms.
- Scalable – it can encode video for different bandwidths and device capabilities.
H264 allows you to take large, high quality video files and compress them for efficient storage and sharing online. It’s one of the most widely used video codecs today.
Facebook’s Requirements for h264 Videos
Facebook supports and recommends uploading videos in h264 format for the best performance. Here are Facebook’s specific requirements:
- File extension: .mp4 or .mov
- Video codec: h264
- Audio codec: AAC
- Recommended resolution: At least 720p HD (1280 x 720)
- Minimum resolution: 480p SD (854 x 480)
- Aspect ratio: 9:16 (vertical video) and 16:9 (horizontal video)
- Bitrate: 4-5 Mbps
- Max file size: 4GB
Meeting these technical specifications will help ensure your videos upload quickly and play back smoothly in Facebook’s video player. Bitrate specifically can impact video quality – the higher the bitrate within Facebook’s recommended range, the better the video quality.
How to Encode Videos in h264 Format
If you want to convert your videos to h264 format for Facebook, here are some options:
Online Converters
Many free online tools allow converting videos to mp4 with h264 codec. Some popular options include:
Just upload your video file and select h264 + AAC output format. The advantage is they are quick and easy to use, but may be limited on length of videos they can convert.
Desktop Software
Installing video encoding/conversion software on your computer gives you more control and customization options. Some good options:
- Handbrake (free) – Open source software, easy to use interface.
- FFmpeg (free) – Command line tool, very advanced capabilities.
- Adobe Media Encoder (paid) – Part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, easy to use, quick exports.
These tools allow setting specific resolution, bitrates, codecs and advanced encoding parameters. Helpful when optimizing videos for Facebook’s requirements.
Editing Software
Many video editing tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, iMovie have built-in export presets to convert videos to h264 format for Facebook. Just select the Facebook or YouTube export preset.
This ensures videos are encoded properly for uploading directly after editing.
Uploading h264 Videos to Facebook
Once you have your video encoded in h264 format meeting Facebook’s recommendations, uploading is easy:
- Go to your Facebook page and click “Photo/Video” to create a new post.
- Select your h264 video file from your computer files.
- Fill out a description and post privacy settings.
- Click “Post” to upload the video to Facebook.
The video will process after uploading, then be available for viewing in your Facebook feed at the highest quality.
Troubleshooting h264 Upload Issues
If you’re having problems uploading h264 videos to Facebook, here are some things to try:
| Issue | Solution |
| Video not playing | Ensure video meets minimum resolution of 480p and maximum file size of 4GB. |
| Video compressing or blurry | Try increasing the bitrate when encoding to improve video quality. |
| Video file not accepted | Check the file extension is .mp4 or .mov and the codec is set to h264. |
| Video not processing | Re-encode the video at Recommended 720p resolution and 4-5Mbps bitrate. |
| Audio missing | Set audio codec to AAC when encoding the video. |
| Can’t upload HD | Optimize your video for quick uploading by selecting a lower resolution like 720p. |
If issues persist, trying re-encoding the video with Facebook’s ideal rendering settings. This will maximize compatibility and quality.
Conclusion
To summarize, h264 is the recommended video format for Facebook due to its compression efficiency and visual quality. For best results, encode HD videos in h264 codec with AAC audio at 720p resolution, 4-5Mbps bitrate, and under 4GB file size. Properly formatted h264 videos will provide great viewing experience across all devices and broadband connections.