In the world of digital video, we are caught in an eternal tug-of-war: Quality vs. File Size . For archivists, Plex server owners, and torrent enthusiasts, the codec of choice for the last decade has been H.265 (HEVC), specifically its open-source implementation, x265 .
However, pushing the encoder too far leads to the dreaded "blocky artifacts," banding in gradients, and smearing during action scenes. So, how do we aggressively shrink x265 without ruining the cinematic experience? shrinking x265
This article is your deep dive into the science, art, and syntax of shrinking x265. Before we look at the "how," we need to look at the "why." In the world of digital video, we are