Note: 4K HEVC (HDR10) versions are larger (6–12 GB per episode) but provide superior highlight retention in fire scenes.
| Metric | H.264 (8-bit, 8 Mbps) | HEVC (10-bit, 3.5 Mbps) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | ~300 MB | ~130 MB | | Shadow macroblocking | Minor in extreme darks | None | | Color banding (sky/fog) | Visible in gradients | Smooth | | Motion artifacts (running) | Slight ringing around figures | Clean | | Grain retention | Oversmoothed (plastic look) | Natural | yellowjackets s02 hevc
Before diving into the plot, it is important to understand the technical significance of the format, often labeled as H.265. Note: 4K HEVC (HDR10) versions are larger (6–12