Google Chrome, along with other browsers built on the Chromium framework, is set to enhance its media recording capabilities by incorporating support for the HEVC codec. This development promises to significantly improve video recording quality while also reducing file sizes, a welcome advancement for users engaged in web-based video conferencing on platforms like Zoom and Google Meet.
Transition to HEVC Codec
Historically, Google Chrome relied on codecs such as H.264, VP8, and VP9 for media recording. H.264 was favored for its broad compatibility across various platforms, but it often resulted in larger file sizes and did not match the efficiency of H.265, also known as HEVC. While VP8 and VP9 were Google’s proprietary codecs, they came with their own limitations—VP8 was less efficient, and VP9’s compatibility was not universal.
Recent observations from Windows Latest reveal that Google is transitioning to HEVC for all web recording tasks on Windows 11. This shift was highlighted by multiple code commits on Chromium Gerrit, including one specifically addressing “HEVC encode support for MediaRecorder API.” Although the integration process is ongoing, significant groundwork has already been laid, with HEVC support being gradually incorporated into Chrome.
The introduction of HEVC will allow Chrome to record videos in both MP4 and MKV formats, replacing the older codecs. Users interested in testing this new functionality can enable an experimental flag by using the following command:
--enable-features=MediaRecorderHEVCSupport
A Google developer noted in a Chromium Gerrit post that this addition includes the foundational support for the MKV/MP4 muxer associated with HEVC. However, it is important to note that this feature remains disabled by default and requires manual activation for testing purposes.
Currently, the code supports basic HEVC encoding but does not verify the hardware’s capability to encode HEVC. Consequently, even if the MediaRecorder.isTypeSupported() function indicates HEVC support, encoding may still fail on hardware that does not support it. Google advises developers to utilize tools such as MediaCapabilities.encodingInfo() or VideoEncoder.isConfigSupported() in conjunction with MediaRecorder.isTypeSupported() to ensure their devices can handle HEVC encoding prior to creating a MediaRecorder instance.
As the feature is still in the testing phase, it will not function automatically unless developers opt to switch to the new API endpoint. In addition to these enhancements, Windows Latest has also reported that Chrome is developing a modern Task Manager designed to manage extensions, web pages, processes, and other browser activities across Windows 11 and other platforms.
