# x265

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/x265/

5 people recommended x265 in Hacker News comments, 2 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 12 months, in 4 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free, open-source HEVC video encoder that makes much smaller files than older codecs, though patent royalties and patent pool claims can apply to commercial use.

Summary written by Claude from 7 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Efficient compression, smaller video files (4 comments in the sample): "x264 (and x265!) beat the pants off of them if one can spare the time and electricity" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50300270)) "you can ideally encode in a modern, efficient codec like x265 or AV1" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46471159)) "fast CPU method saves closer to 60-70% file size" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47030046))

## Other video encoders people recommend

- [AV1](https://hackerapproved.com/p/av1-video-codec/): 38 recommend, 8 mixed, 20 criticize
- [VP9](https://hackerapproved.com/p/vp9/): 11 recommend, 1 mixed, 4 criticize
- [x264](https://hackerapproved.com/p/x264/): 10 recommend, 1 mixed, 3 criticize
- [SVT-AV1 encoder](https://hackerapproved.com/p/svt-av1/): 7 recommend, 3 mixed, 1 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "x265", https://hackerapproved.com/p/x265/ (5 recommend, 2 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 3 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.