High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265, makes it possible to use Shadow on a low-bandwidth connection. A low-bandwidth connection has a download speed that does not meet Shadow's minimum requirements of 15Mb/s. If your internet's download speeds are lower than 15Mb/s, it may be beneficial to enable High Efficiency Video Coding from the Shadow launcher.

Although H.265 is great for low-bandwidth connections, it will not resolve issues causing an unstable connection, such as packet loss or high jitter.

How do I enable High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265)?

You can enable High Efficiency Video Coding using one of two methods:

Method 1

Open the Shadow launcher → click Settings → click the checkbox next to High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265).

Method 2

Open the Quick Menu → click Streaming → click the checkbox next to High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265).

How does High Efficiency Video Coding work?

High Efficiency Video Coding is a common video compression standard of the same name, also known as H.265. This allows your local device to compress the files from Shadow's stream, improving its quality.

Is H.265 compatible with my Operating System?

H.265 is available on newer Windows and macOS operating systems, as well as the Shadow Ghost and Shadow Box. Most devices manufactured after 2014 are compatible with H.265.

I'm experiencing high latency after enabling H.265. How do I fix it?

H.265 is primarily intended for slow internet connections. If your speeds are greater than 15Mb/s, you may feel some latency. Consider disabling this feature.