.H264 File Extension

H.264 Encoded Video File

Developer ITU-T and MPEG
Popularity
3.4  |  165 Votes
 

What is an H264 file?

An H264 file is a video file encoded with H.264 compression, which is a popular format for high-definition video. It is often used as the video format for AVCHD camcorders, HDTV, Blu-ray, and HD DVD. H264 generally refers to a video file that is an .MP4 file.

More Information

Screenshot of a .h264 file in VideoLAN VLC media player
H264 file open in VideoLAN VLC media player

H.264 is a video compression codec that requires a video container to host the encoded video. Therefore, a file with the .h264 extension may be a misnamed .264, .MP4, .AVI, or .MKV file. Nevertheless, the .h264 extension is still sometimes used to describe the contents of H.264 encoded video files.

How to open an H264 file

You can play the video an H264 file contains in VideoLAN VLC media player (multiplatform) or File Viewer Plus (Windows). Note that, by default, VLC may not recognize H264 files as valid video files. Therefore, you may have to open your H264 file by selecting File → Open File... from VLC's menu bar, instead of just double-clicking the file.

How to convert an H264 file

You can use VideoLAN VLC media player (multiplatform) or File Viewer Plus (Windows) to convert H264 videos to other formats. For example, VLC can convert H264 files to:

  • .MP4 - MPEG-4 Video
  • .WEBM - WebM Video
  • .TS - Video Transport Stream
  • .ASF - Advanced Systems Format
Open and view .H264 files with File Viewer Plus.Free Download

Programs that open H264 files

Verified by FileInfo.com

The FileInfo.com team has independently researched the H.264 Encoded Video file format and Mac, Windows, and Linux apps listed on this page. Our goal is 100% accuracy and we only publish information about file types that we have verified.

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