The ITU has approved the new video format that could potentially bring 4k to future broadband networks and make streaming HD practical on low bandwidth mobile networks.

The H.265 format also informally known as (High Efficiency Video Coding or HEVC), is the successor to the H.264 codec, which has become as standard after the release of the iPad and several other connected devices. It is hoped that, through improved compression techniques, H.265 will allow streaming of 1080p with only about half as many bits as required today. This will make online HD streaming available in markets with poor connectivity, including mobile, and make 4K feasible where better connections are available.