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Need help?How to Convert Images to HEVC Video Online
- Upload Your Image Files: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select photos. Over 35 input formats are accepted: JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC/HEIF, GIF, BMP, TIFF, PSD, EPS, ICO, PPM, plus RAW camera files (CR2, CR3, CRW, NEF, ARW, DNG, ORF, PEF, RAF, RW2, 3FR, MOS, MRW, X3F, ERF, DCR). Batch upload is supported.
- Pick Merge Strategy and Image Duration: Choose Merge images to stitch every photo into one HEVC video, or Video per image to output a separate file per photo. Set Image Duration between 1/60s (single frame at 60 fps) and 10 seconds per image — 3-5 seconds works well for typical slideshows; 1/24s or 1/30s is correct for time-lapse sequences.
- Set Quality Preset, Resolution, and Background Color (Optional): Quality Preset defaults to Very High (Recommended); drop to High or Medium to halve the file size or push to Highest for archival masters. Video resolution can stay at Keep original, snap to a preset (4320p / 2160p / 1440p / 1080p / 720p / 480p / 240p / 144p), or accept exact width × height. Background Color (default White) fills letterbox/pillarbox bars when source aspect ratios differ from the chosen output.
- Convert and Download: Click Convert. Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared. The video codec defaults to H.265 (HEVC) and the audio track defaults to AAC (silent if no audio source is present); both can be swapped under Advanced Options.
Why Convert Images to HEVC?
HEVC (H.265, ISO/IEC 23008-2) is the successor to H.264/AVC and delivers roughly 25-50% better compression at the same visual quality — meaning a slideshow encoded as HEVC is typically half the size of the equivalent H.264 file. For still-image-to-video workflows that target Apple devices, 4K displays, or storage-constrained archives, HEVC is the pragmatic default.
- Apple-native slideshows — Since iOS 11, iPhones record video as HEVC by default (Settings > Camera > Formats > High Efficiency). HEVC slideshows play natively in Photos, Apple TV, Final Cut Pro, and QuickTime without re-encoding.
- 4K and 8K image walls — HEVC supports resolutions up to 8192×4320 in its Main 10 profile. Pair the 4320p preset with high-res photos for digital signage, museum installations, or 4K TV ambient displays where bandwidth is fixed but image detail matters.
- Time-lapse from RAW cameras — Drop a sequence of CR3, NEF, ARW, or DNG frames in directly. At 1/24s or 1/30s per image and a Highest quality preset, you get a master HEVC time-lapse without an intermediate JPG export step.
- Photo archives that fit on phones — A 500-photo HEVC slideshow at 1080p averages 30-60 MB versus 60-120 MB for the same H.264 output. That difference matters when the destination is iCloud Photos, AirDrop, or a phone's Camera Roll.
- Long-form portfolio reels — Professional photographers delivering 200+ image client galleries as a video can keep the file under 100 MB while staying at 1080p, suitable for email, WhatsApp, or Vimeo upload.
- Drone and dashcam stills — Convert burst-mode JPGs from drones or dashcam still exports into smooth HEVC playback for review without a video editor.
HEVC vs H.264 vs AV1 — Codec Comparison for Image-to-Video
| Property | HEVC (H.265) | H.264 (AVC) | AV1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ISO/IEC 23008-2 (2013) | ISO/IEC 14496-10 (2003) | AOMedia (2018) |
| Compression vs H.264 | ~25-50% smaller at same quality | Baseline | ~30% smaller than HEVC |
| Hardware decode | Most chips since 2015 (iPhone 6, Apple A8+; Intel 6th gen+) | Universal | Limited — newer devices only (iPhone 15 Pro+, Intel 11th gen+) |
| Apple device playback | Native, iOS 11+ / macOS 10.13+ | Native everywhere | iOS 17+ on supported hardware |
| Windows playback | Needs $0.99 HEVC Video Extensions from Microsoft Store, or use VLC | Native | Windows 11 with hardware support |
| Container | .mp4,.mov,.mkv,.hevc | .mp4,.mov,.mkv,.avi | .mp4,.mkv,.webm |
| License / royalty | Patent pool (MPEG LA, HEVC Advance, Velos) | Patent pool (MPEG LA) | Royalty-free |
| Best use | Apple ecosystem, 4K, archives | Universal compatibility | Streaming where decoders exist |
Quality Preset Quick Guide
| Preset | Approx CRF | Best for | 1080p slideshow size (5 min) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highest | ~CRF 15 | Master archives, print intermediates | ~150-220 MB |
| Very High (Recommended) | ~CRF 17 | Default — visually lossless to most viewers | ~70-110 MB |
| High | ~CRF 20 | Web sharing, social uploads | ~35-55 MB |
| Medium | ~CRF 26 | Email attachments under 25 MB | ~18-28 MB |
| Low / Very Low | ~CRF 34-38 | Preview reels, draft sends | ~8-15 MB |
| Lowest | ~CRF 36 | Smallest possible — visible artifacts | ~4-7 MB |
CRF (Constant Rate Factor) is x265's quality knob — lower numbers mean higher quality and bigger files. The presets above set sensible CRF defaults; results vary with image content (gradient-heavy photos compress harder than flat graphics).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is HEVC better than H.264 for image slideshows?
HEVC's coding tree units (up to 64×64 pixels) and improved intra-prediction modes compress large flat regions — like skies, walls, or solid backgrounds typical in photos — much more efficiently than H.264's fixed 16×16 macroblocks. For a slideshow where each frame is held for several seconds, the encoder can drop bitrate dramatically between scene changes. The same content at the same perceptual quality is typically 40-50% smaller in HEVC.
What image formats can I drop in?
Over 35 formats: JPG/JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, HEIF, GIF, BMP, TIFF/TIF, PSD, EPS, ICO, PPM, JFIF, plus RAW files from Canon (CR2, CR3, CRW), Nikon (NEF), Sony (ARW), Adobe (DNG), Olympus (ORF), Pentax (PEF), Fujifilm (RAF), Panasonic (RW2), Hasselblad (3FR), Leaf/Mamiya (MOS), Minolta (MRW), Sigma (X3F), Epson (ERF), and Kodak (DCR). For HEIC photos straight from an iPhone, see HEIC to HEVC for the same workflow. JPG users can use JPG to HEVC; PNG users PNG to HEVC.
Will HEVC play on Windows?
Windows 10 and 11 don't ship with an HEVC decoder. You have two options: install Microsoft's HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store ($0.99 — Microsoft removed the free OEM-channel version in 2023), or play the file in VLC, which bundles its own HEVC decoder for free. If your audience is mixed Apple + Windows, consider exporting in H.264 instead via Image to MP4 for hassle-free playback.
How long should each image display?
For a typical photo slideshow, 3-5 seconds per frame reads naturally — long enough to register the image without dragging. Wedding/portfolio reels often use 4-6 seconds. For time-lapse, set 1/24s (one frame at 24 fps) or 1/30s. For stop-motion or burst-frame review, 1/60s gives smooth motion. The Image Duration dropdown ranges from 1/60s up to 10 seconds.
Can I mix HEIC, RAW, and JPG in one slideshow?
Yes. The merge pipeline normalizes each source frame to the chosen output resolution before encoding, so a folder containing HEIC photos from an iPhone, NEF RAW from a Nikon, and JPGs from a phone screenshot will all merge into one HEVC video. Different aspect ratios get letterbox/pillarbox bars in the chosen Background Color (default white).
Does HEVC support 4K and 8K resolutions?
Yes. HEVC's Main profile handles up to 8192×4320, comfortably covering 4K UHD (3840×2160) and 8K UHD (7680×4320). Pick the 2160p preset for 4K or 4320p for 8K. Note that 8K HEVC decoding requires recent hardware — Apple Silicon, current Intel/AMD CPUs, or a discrete GPU with HEVC 8K support. For older playback targets, 1080p or 1440p is safer.
What's the difference between Merge images and Video per image?
Merge images (default for slideshows) outputs one HEVC file containing every input frame in order, separated by Image Duration. Video per image outputs N separate HEVC files — one per input photo — each lasting the chosen Image Duration. Use Video per image when you need standalone clips for a video editor's bin or to drop into editing timelines individually.
Can the output HEVC file be played on Android?
Android 5.0+ supports HEVC decode at the OS level, but actual playback depends on the device's video chip. Most Android phones from 2017 onward (Snapdragon 660+, Exynos 8895+, Mediatek Helio P25+) handle 1080p HEVC fine; 4K HEVC requires flagship-class chips. If a target Android device struggles, transcode to H.264 instead with Image to MP4.
Why is my HEVC slideshow larger than I expected?
Three common causes: (1) high-resolution source photos at the Highest preset can push CRF below 18 — drop to Very High or High for a major size cut; (2) very long Image Duration with detailed photos still encodes every frame group, so a 10-second-per-image slideshow has more keyframes than a 3-second one; (3) the chosen output resolution is higher than necessary — 1080p is usually enough for phone/tablet viewing. To reverse the conversion or extract frames later, see HEVC to MP4.