Some of Your Old Videos Are Using 20-Year-Old Codecs

November 25, 2025 API: gemini2025 news

Some of Your Old Videos Are Using 20-Year-Old Codecs

If you’ve been recording video for more than a few years — whether on early smartphones, digital cameras, camcorders, or point-and-shoot cameras — there’s a good chance a large portion of your video library is encoded with 20-year-old technology.

That’s not an exaggeration. Many of the most common video formats still used today — especially H.264 — were created in the early 2000s. They were designed for DVD-quality video, not modern 4K or 8K footage. And these aging codecs are silently costing people storage space, cloud fees, and quality.

This is a wake-up call for anyone storing family videos, old travel footage, or early smartphone recordings.

1. The Video Formats in Your Library Are Older Than You Think

H.264 (AVC) — Released in 2003

This codec became the world standard for:
  • Early smartphones
  • Camcorders
  • DSLR video
  • Digital cameras
  • Early streaming platforms
Almost every video filmed between 2005 and 2018 is H.264.

H.263 (1996), MPEG-4 Part 2 (1999)

Even older devices — flip phones, early Nokia and Motorola phones — used these prehistoric codecs.

3GP video — Early 2000s

If you recorded video on a phone before the iPhone, it was likely 3GP.

Example: Early Digital Camcorder (Public Domain)

Old Camcorder Image: Canon MV1 MiniDV camcorder (Public Domain)

All of these formats were created long before:

  • 4K - HDR - High-bitrate footage - Large smartphone sensors - Social media video culture


So why are they still everywhere? Because most devices never automatically upgrade old videos. Whatever codec was used when you shot it — stays forever.

2. The Problem: These Old Codecs Are Terrible for Modern Needs

The biggest issue is inefficiency.

H.264 and older codecs waste massive amounts of storage.

Examples:

  • A 1-minute 4K clip in H.264: 350–600 MB
  • The same clip in AV1: 160–280 MB


Older codecs:
  • Struggle with sharp edges - Create motion artifacts - Lose color detail - Don’t support HDR well - Use outdated compression algorithms


Storage adds up fast.

Over a decade of smartphones, most users unknowingly store:

  • 100–300 GB of old footage - Dozens of outdated formats - Low-efficiency videos that cost money to store


3. Your Cloud Storage Bill Is Paying for the Past

When old video formats take up unnecessary space, you pay for it every month.

Typical cloud plans:

  • iCloud 2TB → $9.99/mo
  • Google One 2TB → $9.99/mo
  • OneDrive 1TB → $6.99/mo


If 30–50% of your video library is old H.264/H.263/3GP, then half of your cloud storage bill is going to outdated compression.

Cloud Storage Icon (Public Domain)

Cloud Icon Image: Cloud computing symbol (Public Domain)

This is why people feel their cloud fills up “too fast” — it’s not the number of videos, it’s the inefficiency of the codec.

4. Before 4K, These Codecs Were Fine — Today They’re Outmatched

H.264 was built for:

  • DVD resolution (480p)
  • Early HD (720p)
  • Slow internet speeds


Modern demands are nothing like 2003.

Today’s phones record:

  • 4K 60fps - 4K HDR - 8K video - ProRes / high-bitrate formats - Cinematic mode footage


Using a 22-year-old codec to store modern video is like using a floppy disk to back up a Netflix movie.

5. AV1 Is the Modern Solution We Should All Be Using

AV1 is the first major royalty-free codec designed for the modern world of ultra-high resolution.

Why AV1 crushes 20-year-old codecs:

  • 40–70% smaller file sizes - Better motion handling - Better color preservation - Better for HDR - Better for high-detail scenes - Better long-term archival stability

AV1 Logo (Public Domain)

AV1 Logo Image: AV1 Logo (Public Domain)

This is why:

  • YouTube is re-encoding billions of videos to AV1
  • Netflix streams AV1 by default on supported devices
  • TikTok and Instagram quietly integrate AV1


It’s the future — and you can bring your old videos into the future right now.

6. Should You Convert Your Old Videos?

Yes. Almost everyone should.

Ideal videos to convert:

  • Old phone recordings (3GP, MP4, MOV)
  • DSLR/point-and-shoot videos from 2010–2018
  • Early iPhone/iPad footage
  • Camcorder recordings
  • Saved social media videos
  • Travel videos shot in H.264
Even converting half your library can:
  • Cut your cloud bill - Reduce storage usage - Speed up uploads - Improve playback compatibility

7. Tools Like Tomyaya Make Conversion Easy

Tomyaya automates:

  • H.264 → AV1 video conversion
  • Metadata preservation - Batch processing of large libraries - Compression previews - Deduplication - Storage savings estimates


Perfect for shrinking:
  • 200GB video libraries - 10–20 years of smartphone footage - Old camera archives


This is especially valuable for anyone storing videos in cloud services.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Old Codecs Eat Your Storage

Old videos aren’t the problem — the codecs are. By converting outdated H.264/3GP footage to AV1, you future-proof your memories while cutting your storage needs nearly in half.

Your videos deserve modern compression. Your storage bill deserves a break.

It’s time to bring your 20-year-old codecs into 2025.

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