4K60 action-camera export: H.264 or HEVC for YouTube?

Question

I want good quality without creating enormous files. The source is 4K60 action-camera footage and the final destination is YouTube. Would you export H.264 for compatibility or HEVC for a smaller file?

ColorLab · Answer

I would choose based on the editor's encoder quality, hardware support and upload workflow rather than codec name alone. A poor low-bitrate encode will look bad in either format.

AVL Editor · Answer

We will publish tested export presets with bitrate ranges and upload results. For now, keep resolution/frame rate consistent with the project unless you have a reason to convert, and avoid judging quality before the platform finishes its higher-quality processing.

Action Video Lab Editorial Team