h264ify

h264ify

Makes YouTube stream H.264 videos instead of VP8/VP9 videos

What is h264ify?
"h264ify" is a Firefox extension specifically designed for improving your YouTube video watching experience. By default, YouTube uses VP8/VP9 encoding for its videos, which can put undue stress on less potent machines leading to stuttering videos and high CPU usage. The h264ify add-on intervenes to make YouTube stream H.264 encoded videos, a format more often hardware-accelerated by GPUs, thereby enabling smooth playback and lower CPU usage.
Stats
Rating: 4.42 (200)
Version: 1.1.0 (Last updated: 2019-09-09)
Creation date: 2015-02-17
Weekly download count: 847
Firefox on Android: Yes
Risk impact: High risk impact
Risk likelihood: Low risk likelihood
Manifest version: 2
Permissions:
  • storage
Size: 35.79K
URLs: Website
Stats date:

Other platforms

h264ify
h264ify (v1.1.0)
4.56 (1,116) 1,000,000
h264ify
h264ify (v1.1.0)
4.60 (24) 143,888
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Summary

Try h264ify if YouTube videos stutter, take up too much CPU, eat battery life, or make your laptop hot.

By default, YouTube streams VP8/VP9 encoded video. However, this can cause problems with less powerful machines because VP8/VP9 is not typically hardware accelerated.

In contrast, H.264 is commonly hardware accelerated by GPUs, which usually means smoother video playback and reduced CPU usage. h264ify makes YouTube stream H.264 videos instead of VP8/VP9 videos.

Github: https://github.com/erkserkserks/h264ify

User reviews
User reviews summary
These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Firefox Browser Add-ons does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.
Pros
  • Makes videos play smoothly and reduces lag
  • Allows for high quality streaming on less powerful PCs
  • Helps in blocking 60fps for smoother playback on some systems
Cons
  • May block videos from playing above 1080p
  • Could result in videos being played in AV1, which may use more resources than VP9
  • Some users report that it does not work or fails to alleviate lag
Most mentioned
  • Prevents lag and provides smooth video playback
  • Issues with playing videos above 1080p when enabled
  • Concerns about security and privacy due to permissions
Recent reviews
Currently seems to not be working as blocking VP8/VP9 means videos are played in AV1. Even when AV1 playback is technically disabled in Youtube settings. For me this is overall worse as AV1 seems to use more resources than VP9.
by Paul, 2024-03-11
View all user reviews
Safety
Risk impact

h264ify is risky to use as it requires a number of sensitive permissions that can potentially harm your browser and steal your data. Exercise caution when installing this add-on. Review carefully before installing. We recommend that you only install h264ify if you trust the publisher.

Risk likelihood

h264ify has earned a fairly good reputation and likely can be trusted.

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Screenshots