“What is the best H.265 (HEVC) encoder/decoder for Mac computer owners to encode/decode media files with H265(HEVC) on Mac? I have some Blu-ray movie files and some HD video files in WebM file format and would like to encode/decode them with H.265(HEVC) on my Macbook. But there seems to be quite few choices for me. I have tried some tools that claim themselves to be H.265/HEVC encoders/decoders for Mac, but none of them really worked. Please tell me what you use to encode/decode media files with H.265/HEVC on Mac. Any advice would be highly appreciated.”

We all know that H.265/HEVC often means high quality video enjoyment. Quite a few people would like to encode their media files with H.265/HEVC. This is quite easy on Windows computers since many video encoder/decoder tools have Windows version. However, for Mac users, it’s a little bit hard to find a proper H.265/HEVC encoder/decoder tool since most tools have no Mac version.

So, is there any tool to help you encode media files with H.265/HEVC or decode H.265/HEVC media files on Mac? Of course yes. In this guide, we would like to introduce you 5 best H.265(HEVC) encoder/decoder tools for Mac users to encode/decode media files with H.265/HEVC on Mac.

Part 1: 5 Best H.265 (HEVC) Encoder/Decoder for Mac

The above solutions show you different H.265/HEVC encoders/decoders for Mac users to encode/decode H.265/HEVC files on Mac in detail. Are there any ways that could handle both video and Blu-ray/DVD movies for H.265/HEVC encoding/decoding on Mac? We have collected 5 best H.265/HEVC encoder/decoder tools for Mac below.

No.1 Leawo Prof. Media

Actually, Leawo Prof. Media is an ultimate solution combo that includes multiple function modules, Leawo Video Converter and Leawo Blu-ray Ripper included. With Leawo Video Converter Ultimate, you could not only encode/decode H.264 videos from Blu-ray/DVD/video, but also burn videos to Blu-ray/DVD, turn photos into Blu-ray/DVD, download online videos, create 3D Blu-ray/videos, etc.

No. 2 HandBrake

HandBrake is also an encoding tool available for users who like to choose the best parts of other programs. It is open source, and the latest HandBrake supports H.265/HEVC encoding. In fact, it even supports x265 directly, as well as features from linbpx, VP8, and other sources- giving you the option to mix and match your open source cereals in the same big bowl. It is also worth noting that HandBrake is one of those useful options that can also work on Mac OS X and Ubuntu, so it’s a bit more cross-platform than other tools.
Note: HandBrake currently is not capable of processing encrypted DVD and Blu-ray content. You need to install disc decrypting tools like libdvdcss plugin for HandBrake to let it go.

No. 3 Cinemartin Cinec

Cinemartin Cinec is a multi video encoder for windows. It is proud to release a plugin for various NLE editors, initially for Adobe Premiere Pro, that allow users to export sequence timeline to all versions of prores and to HEVC H.265. You can convert videos from several video formats. Quality is the top of the software, that accommodates fast processing capabilities, featured in a software that allow multiple CPU cores to be dedicated to encode. With the highest quality as professionals demand, cinec also allows, in a simple way, Cut or split videos instantly with or without encode (no re-encode).

No. 4 VideoLAN

x265 from VideoLAN is a free software library and application for encoding video streams into the H.265/MPEG-H HEVC compression format, and is released under the terms of the GNU GPL. It is very fast software that will take minimal time to convert video while high quality is guaranteed after conversion.

No. 5 ffmpeg

The good news for Linux users is that the H.265 codec is available in the popular encoding suite “ffmpeg.” Although ‘ffmpeg’ probably exists in your distro’s repositories, it might be out of date or it might not have support for H.265 compiled in. Download either the 32-bit or 64-bit .tar.xz file. If you are unsure which one to download, then use the 32-bit one. In the directory where you downloaded the file, run the following command to unpack the archive file. However, based on our testing and our users’ feedback, this H.265/HEVC encoder/decoder is not so stable when working the H.265/HEVC videos. On the hand, the video quality seems to be a little influenced with the output ones.

Part 2: Convert DVD/Blu-ray to H.265 (HEVC) with Leawo Blu-ray Ripper for Mac

Leawo Blu-ray Ripper for Mac is a professional Blu-ray/DVD ripper to help you decrypt, rip and convert Blu-ray/DVD movies to videos in 200+ formats, with various encodings available like H.265, H.264, MPEG, etc. You could use this Blu-ray converter tool to easily rip, convert and encode Blu-ray/DVD movies to H.265/HEVC files. Similar to Leawo Video Converter, it also enables you to adjust settings of the output file including resolution, codec, bit rate, aspect ratio, frame rate and etc.    

Download and install Leawo Blu-ray Ripper on your computer (Note: Leawo Blu-ray Ripper is also a module of Leawo Prof. Media).

Below is the step by step guide on how to encode Blu-ray/DVD movies with H.265/HEVC:

Step 1. Add source Blu-ray/DVD movies

First of all, open the installed software and open it. Then hit the Convert option to continue the process. Then click on the Add Blu-ray/DVD option to load source Blu-ray file to the main interface of this program as showed in the below picture.

Note: While loading the file, you will be given three options: Full Movie, Main Movie and Custom Mode. Here, the Full Movie option means all detailed contents including subtitles will be loaded; Main Movie means the longest part of DVD file will be loaded and Custom Mode means that you are free to decide the clip that you want to convert.

Step 2. Choose output format

Then, click on the clickable button next to the “Add Photo” button, and then on the drop-down panel hit the “Change” option. You now come to the Profile panel, where you need to select a digital file format from either “Format” or “Device” group as output format. You are suggested to choose H.265 Video from Common Video group under the Format tab.

Step 3. Choose H.265 codec

After setting output format, you could also click the “Edit” option on the drop-down panel to adjust parameters of selected digital profile. You can then change the settings like video codec (make sure you choose H.265), channel, resolution and many more to your own preference. Once finished, hit the OK option to save the settings and continue the process.

Step 4. Set output directory and start encoding

After that, similar to Leawo Video Converter, on the main interface, click the big green “Convert” button, set output directory on the pop-up sidebar, and click the bottom “Convert” button to start converting and encoding.

It should be noted that Leawo Blu-ray Ripper for Mac handles both non-protected and copy-protected Blu-ray/DVD movie encoding with H.265/HEVC.

Part 3: Comparison between these 5 best H.265(HEVC) encoders/decoders for Mac

The below is a comparison between these 5 best H.265/HEVC encoders/decoders for Mac. You could get more information about these tools below.

 

Leawo Prof. Mdeia

HandBrake

Cinemartin Cinec

VideoLan

ffmpeg

Encode video with H.265/HEVC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Decode H.265/HEVC video files

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Encode Blu-ray/DVD with H.265/HEVC

Yes

Yes, only non-protected Blu-ray/DVD movies

No

No

No

Decrypt Blu-ray/DVD

Yes

No

No

No

No

Turn photos into slideshow video

Yes

No

No

No

No

Burn photos to Blu-ray/DVD

Yes

No

No

No

No

Edit Blu-ray/DVD/video

Yes

No

No

No

No

Adjust output file parameters

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Output video file formats

Over 200 formats

MP4, MKV

H.264

ASF, AVI, FLAC, FLV, etc.

AIFF, ASF, AVI, etc.

Create 3D movies

Yes

No

No

No

No

User interface

Extremely easy to use

Easy to use

Complicated

Easy to use

Complicated

Select subtitles

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Play back source Blu-ray/DVD/video

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Part4: Conclusion

You could use any one of the above mentioned H.265/HEVC encoders/decoders on Mac computers to encode media files with H.265/HEVC or decode H.265/HEVC files as you like. Among them, HandBrake and VideoLAN are free to use, but both of them doesn’t process encrypted Blu-ray/DVD movies. ffmpeg and Conemartin Cinec are a little bit complicated to use and they offer quite few custom features. Only with Leawo Video Converter can you get superb user experience and wonderful bonus features.