h264ify
Makes YouTube stream H.264 videos instead of VP8/VP9 videos
What is h264ify?
h264ify is a unique Chrome extension designed to optimize YouTube streaming. By default, YouTube uses VP8/VP9 encoded videos, which can slow down performance on less powerful devices due to lack of hardware acceleration. h264ify solves this by making YouTube stream H.264 videos, a format commonly hardware-accelerated by GPUs for smoother playback and reduced CPU usage. A must-have for seamless, energy-efficient viewing.

Stats
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Chrome-Stats Rank

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.
User reviews
User reviews summary
Pros
- Reduces CPU usage and shifts workload to GPU for better performance.
- Improves video quality, enabling users to watch videos up to 1080p without stutter or lag.
- Helps old/less powerful devices in running videos smoothly.
- Reduces laptop overheating while running YouTube.
Cons
- Blocks options to select any quality above 1080p.
- Extension settings are synchronized across all devices, creating inconvenience for users with both high-end and low-end devices.
- Some users experienced lag and freezing in videos.
- Inability to support newer video formats like AV1 and WEBM.
Most mentioned
- Significantly improves video playback on old or weak systems.
- Blocks higher video resolutions like 2K and 4K.
- Helps reduce CPU usage and laptop overheating.
Safety
Risk impact
h264ify may not be safe to use and it requires some risky permissions. Exercise caution when installing this extension. Review carefully before installing.
Risk likelihood
h264ify has earned a good reputation and can be trusted.
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