The H264 file format is used for video compression format which has become popular especially for high definition videos. The main purpose of H264 file format is to generate high quality videos with lower bit rates. It has been noted that H264 file has been misnamed but it was actually recognized as an MP4 file; people still call it as H264
How to Play H.264 on Windows and Mac??
H264 file can be termed as the successor of all the existing formats such as MPEG2, MPEG-4, DivX, XviD and much more. You can easily play MP4 / H264 files is by utilizing VLC (VideoLAN). VLC player can be used for playing most of your MP4 / H.264 but not always helpful as it may require codec installation.
If you are looking other options then you can opt for 5K Player which is free and easy to use multimedia player. Besides it is capable of playing any of your H.264, H.265, AVI, WMV, MP4, MOV, MKV and other video formats as well.
Note to Remember: ffdshow filter which needs to be installed and you can play H.264 in most video players.
At the same time you need to download 5K Player and VLC player. These media players can play H.264 without the requirement of codec or DirectShow filter. Apple QuickTime Player also supports H.264 but it is advisable that not to use for any generic purpose.
Here is the list of file extensions whose codec can be H.264
.avi- .avi is used for H.264 video as well
.mp4- This is advanced than .avi as you can store AAC audio
.m4v- iOS devices makes use of this file format
.mkv- Useful for all video and audio formats
.h264- This can be used for downloading video files from the internet wherein h264 repair can also be done
MPEG-4- This is the audio and video compression technique developed for low bandwidth audio / video encoding