AV1 to HEVC Converter
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Supports: AV1
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Need help?How to Convert AV1 to HEVC Online
- Upload Your AV1 File: Drag and drop or click "Add Files" to select AV1 videos — typically
.mkvor.webmdownloads from YouTube, Twitch, or Netflix, or AV1 captures from OBS and modern phones. Batch conversion is supported. - Pick Quality and Bitrate Mode: Output codec is H.265 / HEVC. Set a quality preset (Highest → Lowest), pick constant quality with a CRF value (18 = visually lossless, 23 = default, 28 = noticeably smaller), or switch to a constant / variable bitrate target. Audio defaults to AAC — switch to AC3, MP3, or Opus from the Audio Codec dropdown.
- Resize or Trim (Optional): Pick a resolution preset (4K / 1440p / 1080p / 720p / 480p / 360p), enter custom width × height, scale by percentage, or trim a section using start time + duration in HH:MM:SS.sss format.
- Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files process in your browser session — no sign-up, no watermark.
Why Convert AV1 to HEVC?
AV1 is the royalty-free codec from the Alliance for Open Media — used by YouTube, Netflix, and Twitch because it cuts bandwidth roughly 30-50% versus H.264 at the same quality. The catch is hardware decode: AV1 silicon only landed in mainstream chips around 2022 (Intel Arc, NVIDIA RTX 30/40, Apple M3, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2). HEVC is a generation older but vastly more widespread — Apple has shipped a hardware HEVC decoder in every iPhone since the iPhone 6 (2017 with iOS 11), every iPad since the 2017 Pro, every Apple TV since the 4K, and every Mac since 2015. For viewers on iOS, Apple Silicon, or smart TVs from 2018+, HEVC plays through the silicon while AV1 falls back to software decode. Common reasons people convert AV1 → HEVC:
- iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV playback — HEVC decodes through the dedicated chip on iPhone 6+ and every iPad since 2017. AV1 hardware decode on Apple is limited to iPhone 15 Pro / 15 Pro Max and M3 Macs and newer; older Apple gear runs AV1 in software, which drains battery and stutters above 1080p.
- Smart TVs and set-top boxes — LG, Samsung, and Sony TVs from 2018+ ship with HEVC decoders for 4K HDR playback. Roku, Fire TV (older sticks), and pre-2022 Apple TV models lack AV1 silicon entirely. HEVC is the safer target for living-room playback over USB or DLNA.
- Photos / Files import on iOS — iOS Photos imports HEVC into its native HEIF/HEVC pipeline alongside camera roll. AV1 has to live in Files and won't show up next to your iPhone-shot videos.
- Editing in Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and DaVinci Resolve on macOS — Apple's editors decode HEVC natively without plugins. AV1 import is improving but still inconsistent and often requires a transcode step in Handbrake or Shutter Encoder first.
- Existing HEVC libraries — if your archive is already HEVC inside MP4 / MOV, dropping in an AV1 file from yt-dlp creates a mixed-codec mess. Converting to HEVC keeps the library uniform for Plex, Infuse, and VLC.
- Hardware-accelerated playback on older PCs — Intel 7th-gen+, AMD Polaris+, and NVIDIA Pascal+ all decode HEVC in hardware. Converting an AV1 download to HEVC lets a 2017-era laptop play it without pegging the CPU.
AV1 vs HEVC — Codec Comparison
| Property | AV1 | HEVC (H.265) |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2018 | 2013 |
| Compression vs H.264 | ~50% smaller | ~50% smaller |
| Compression vs HEVC | ~20% smaller | baseline |
| Hardware decode (Apple) | iPhone 15 Pro+, M3+ Macs | iPhone 6+, every Mac since 2015 |
| Hardware decode (Android) | Pixel 6+, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2+ | Snapdragon 820+, most 2016+ phones |
| Hardware decode (PC) | Intel Arc, RTX 30/40, AMD RDNA3 | Intel 7th-gen+, Pascal+, Polaris+ |
| Hardware decode (TV) | 2022+ flagships only | 2018+ smart TVs, Apple TV 4K, Fire TV 4K |
| Royalty status | Royalty-free (AOMedia) | Multiple patent pools, license fees |
| Editor support | Improving but inconsistent | Wide — native in Final Cut, Premiere, Resolve |
| Best for | Streaming, future-proofing | Apple ecosystem, broad hardware playback |
CRF Quick Guide for HEVC Output
| CRF | Visual quality | File size (relative to source AV1) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Visually lossless | Largest — typically 1.5-2× source | Master copies, archive |
| 23 | Default — high quality | ~1.2-1.4× source | Sharing, AirDrop, Plex libraries |
| 28 | Noticeably smaller | ~0.7-0.9× source | Mobile playback, email |
| 32+ | Visible artifacts | Smallest | Quick previews only |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my HEVC file be larger than the AV1 source?
Usually yes. AV1 is roughly 20% more efficient than HEVC at the same visual quality, so re-encoding from AV1 to HEVC at CRF 23 typically produces a file 20-40% larger than the source. To keep size close to the original, raise CRF to 26-28 — the quality drop is minor on phone and tablet screens, and the file stays compact. If size matters more than universal playback, reconsider whether HEVC is the right target; for raw bytes-on-disk efficiency, AV1 wins. For raw playback compatibility, HEVC wins.
Why pick HEVC instead of H.264 when converting from AV1?
HEVC files are roughly 40% smaller than H.264 at the same quality, so the bloat from leaving AV1 is far less painful with HEVC than with H.264. HEVC also has hardware decode on every iPhone since 2014 and every Mac since 2015 — coverage is broad enough for most modern audiences. Pick H.264 only when you need to play on a pre-2017 work laptop, a smart TV from 2015 or earlier, or a generic recipient where you can't predict the device.
My AV1 file is in a .mkv or .webm container — does that work?
Yes. AV1 is a video codec, not a container — it ships inside MKV (yt-dlp default), WebM (web streaming), or sometimes IVF. XConvert detects the AV1 video stream regardless of the wrapper and re-encodes it to HEVC. The output is a raw .hevc elementary stream; if you want HEVC inside an MP4 container instead, use AV1 to MP4 and pick H.265 as the output codec.
What is a .hevc file and how do I play it?
.hevc is a raw HEVC (H.265) elementary bitstream — no container, no audio track, just the encoded video. VLC and MPV can play it directly. Most other players (QuickTime, Windows Media Player, mobile photo apps) expect HEVC inside an MP4 / MOV container with a separate audio track. If you want to AirDrop, share, or play on iOS, convert to MP4 with H.265 instead — see AV1 to MP4.
Will the audio survive the conversion?
The default re-encodes audio to AAC, which is what HEVC-aware players (iOS, macOS QuickTime, smart TVs) expect when HEVC is wrapped into MP4. You can pick AC3, MP3, Opus, or FLAC from the Audio Codec dropdown, or strip audio entirely. A raw .hevc bitstream does not carry audio at all — the audio track is dropped unless you mux it back in afterward, which is another reason most users want HEVC inside MP4 rather than the raw stream.
Should I lower the resolution before converting?
Only if your target device's screen is smaller than the source. A 1920×1080 AV1 played back on an iPhone 14 (2532×1170) doesn't benefit from upscaling, but downscaling 4K to 1080p is sensible if you only watch on a phone — it cuts the encode time and file size by roughly 4×. The resolution preset dropdown covers 360p / 480p / 720p / 1080p / 1440p / 4K / 8K, plus custom dimensions and percentage scaling.
Can I trim before encoding to save time?
Yes. The trim section accepts start time + duration in seconds (12.5) or HH:MM:SS.sss format (00:01:30.500). Trimming first cuts the encode time proportionally — converting only the middle 2 minutes of a 30-minute Twitch VOD is roughly 15× faster than encoding the whole thing.
What's the file size limit?
XConvert handles large AV1 files including multi-GB 4K and 8K downloads. Conversion happens in your browser session, so the practical limit is your device's available memory rather than a fixed cap. There's no 100 MB ceiling like Convertio's free tier and no quantity limit on batch jobs.