H.264 vs. H.265/HEVC
H.264 vs. H.265/HEVC
MP4 and MKV serve as containers, while the actual data inside varies based on the codec and encoding settings. If both files use the same codec and settings—like H.264 at quality level 18—they should be nearly identical in size. The key distinction lies in additional capabilities such as subtitle formats. I favor MKV for its richer features. When file sizes differ significantly (often exceeding a few MB), encoding methods likely change. H.265/HEVC offers better compression, especially for 4K content, but requires more processing power during playback since hardware support is still developing. For older formats like 1080p Blu-ray or 480p DVD, H.264 remains simpler and sufficient.