title: Convert videos from .264 to .265 (HEVC) with ffmpeg
body: <p>I see that there are a few questions on this subject but I am still getting errors.  All I want to do is convert videos in my library to HEVC so they take up less space.<br>
  I've tried this: </p>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx265 output.mp4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>ffmpeg seems to take a long time and the output seems to be about the right size.  The video will play with VLC but the icon is weird and when I try to open it with QuickTime, I get the error: 'The document “output.mov” could not be opened. The file isn’t compatible with QuickTime Player.'</p>
  
  <p>I don't want to change any of the fancy settings.  I just want the files to take up less space and with minimal or no quality loss.  </p>
  
  <p>Thanks! </p>
  
  <p>EDIT: 
  Having trouble keeping the time stamp that I put into the videos.<br>
  Originally I was using exiftool in terminal.  But, sometimes that doesn’t work with videos, so I would airdrop them to my iPhone, use an app called Metapho to change the dates, and then airdrop them back.  Exiftool was create but sometimes I just wouldn’t work.  It would change the date to something like 1109212 Aug 2nd.  Weird.  Bottom line is that when I do these conversions, I really don’t want lose the time stamps in them.  </p>
  
  <p>ORIGINAL FILE THAT I TIMESTAMPED, IN .264</p>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg version 4.2.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2019 the FFmpeg developers
    built with Apple clang version 11.0.0 (clang-1100.0.33.8)
    configuration: --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/4.2.1_2 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --enable-avresample --cc=clang --host-cflags='-I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-13.jdk/Contents/Home/include -I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-13.jdk/Contents/Home/include/darwin -fno-stack-check' --host-ldflags= --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libbluray --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librubberband --enable-libsnappy --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-libass --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librtmp --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-videotoolbox --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack
    libavutil      56. 31.100 / 56. 31.100
    libavcodec     58. 54.100 / 58. 54.100
    libavformat    58. 29.100 / 58. 29.100
    libavdevice    58.  8.100 / 58.  8.100
    libavfilter     7. 57.100 /  7. 57.100
    libavresample   4.  0.  0 /  4.  0.  0
    libswscale      5.  5.100 /  5.  5.100
    libswresample   3.  5.100 /  3.  5.100
    libpostproc    55.  5.100 / 55.  5.100
  Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'test_original.mov':
    Metadata:
      major_brand     : qt  
      minor_version   : 0
      compatible_brands: qt  
      creation_time   : 2019-10-22T18:48:43.000000Z
      encoder         : HandBrake 0.10.2 2015060900
      com.apple.quicktime.creationdate: 1994-12-25T18:00:00Z
    Duration: 00:01:21.27, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 800 kb/s
      Chapter #0:0: start 0.000000, end 81.265000
      Metadata:
        title           : Chapter 12
      Stream #0:0(und): Video: h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661), yuv420p(tv, smpte170m/smpte170m/bt709, progressive), 710x482 [SAR 58409:65535 DAR 1043348:794715], 634 kb/s, SAR 9172:10291 DAR 404229:307900, 29.95 fps, 29.97 tbr, 90k tbn, 180k tbc (default)
      Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2019-10-22T18:48:43.000000Z
        handler_name    : Core Media Video
        encoder         : 'avc1'
      Stream #0:1(und): Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 160 kb/s (default)
      Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2019-10-22T18:48:43.000000Z
        handler_name    : Core Media Audio
      Stream #0:2(und): Data: bin_data (text / 0x74786574), 0 kb/s
      Metadata:
        creation_time   : 2019-10-22T18:48:43.000000Z
        handler_name    : Core Media Text
  At least one output file must be specified
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>FILE CONVERTED TO HEVC, WITHOUT -COPYTS TAG</p>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg version 4.2.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2019 the FFmpeg developers
    built with Apple clang version 11.0.0 (clang-1100.0.33.8)
    configuration: --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/4.2.1_2 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --enable-avresample --cc=clang --host-cflags='-I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-13.jdk/Contents/Home/include -I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-13.jdk/Contents/Home/include/darwin -fno-stack-check' --host-ldflags= --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libbluray --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librubberband --enable-libsnappy --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-libass --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librtmp --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-videotoolbox --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack
    libavutil      56. 31.100 / 56. 31.100
    libavcodec     58. 54.100 / 58. 54.100
    libavformat    58. 29.100 / 58. 29.100
    libavdevice    58.  8.100 / 58.  8.100
    libavfilter     7. 57.100 /  7. 57.100
    libavresample   4.  0.  0 /  4.  0.  0
    libswscale      5.  5.100 /  5.  5.100
    libswresample   3.  5.100 /  3.  5.100
    libpostproc    55.  5.100 / 55.  5.100
  Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'test_original_HEVC.mov':
    Metadata:
      major_brand     : qt  
      minor_version   : 512
      compatible_brands: qt  
      encoder         : Lavf58.29.100
    Duration: 00:01:21.30, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 494 kb/s
      Chapter #0:0: start 0.000000, end 81.265000
      Metadata:
        title           : Chapter 12
      Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main) (hvc1 / 0x31637668), yuv420p(tv, progressive), 710x482 [SAR 9172:10291 DAR 404229:307900], 356 kb/s, 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 30k tbn, 29.97 tbc (default)
      Metadata:
        handler_name    : Core Media Video
        encoder         : Lavc58.54.100 libx265
      Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default)
      Metadata:
        handler_name    : Core Media Audio
      Stream #0:2(eng): Data: bin_data (text / 0x74786574), 0 kb/s
      Metadata:
        handler_name    : SubtitleHandler
  At least one output file must be specified
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>FILE CONVERTED TO HEVC, WITH -COPYTS TAG</p>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg version 4.2.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2019 the FFmpeg developers
    built with Apple clang version 11.0.0 (clang-1100.0.33.8)
    configuration: --prefix=/usr/local/Cellar/ffmpeg/4.2.1_2 --enable-shared --enable-pthreads --enable-version3 --enable-avresample --cc=clang --host-cflags='-I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-13.jdk/Contents/Home/include -I/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/adoptopenjdk-13.jdk/Contents/Home/include/darwin -fno-stack-check' --host-ldflags= --enable-ffplay --enable-gnutls --enable-gpl --enable-libaom --enable-libbluray --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopus --enable-librubberband --enable-libsnappy --enable-libtesseract --enable-libtheora --enable-libvidstab --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libx265 --enable-libxvid --enable-lzma --enable-libfontconfig --enable-libfreetype --enable-frei0r --enable-libass --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-librtmp --enable-libspeex --enable-libsoxr --enable-videotoolbox --disable-libjack --disable-indev=jack
    libavutil      56. 31.100 / 56. 31.100
    libavcodec     58. 54.100 / 58. 54.100
    libavformat    58. 29.100 / 58. 29.100
    libavdevice    58.  8.100 / 58.  8.100
    libavfilter     7. 57.100 /  7. 57.100
    libavresample   4.  0.  0 /  4.  0.  0
    libswscale      5.  5.100 /  5.  5.100
    libswresample   3.  5.100 /  3.  5.100
    libpostproc    55.  5.100 / 55.  5.100
  Input #0, mov,mp4,m4a,3gp,3g2,mj2, from 'test_original_HEVC_keepts.mov':
    Metadata:
      major_brand     : qt  
      minor_version   : 512
      compatible_brands: qt  
      encoder         : Lavf58.29.100
    Duration: 00:01:21.30, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 494 kb/s
      Chapter #0:0: start 0.000000, end 81.265000
      Metadata:
        title           : Chapter 12
      Stream #0:0: Video: hevc (Main) (hvc1 / 0x31637668), yuv420p(tv, progressive), 710x482 [SAR 9172:10291 DAR 404229:307900], 356 kb/s, 29.97 fps, 29.97 tbr, 30k tbn, 29.97 tbc (default)
      Metadata:
        handler_name    : Core Media Video
        encoder         : Lavc58.54.100 libx265
      Stream #0:1: Audio: aac (LC) (mp4a / 0x6134706D), 48000 Hz, stereo, fltp, 128 kb/s (default)
      Metadata:
        handler_name    : Core Media Audio
      Stream #0:2(eng): Data: bin_data (text / 0x74786574), 0 kb/s
      Metadata:
        handler_name    : SubtitleHandler
  At least one output file must be specified
  </code></pre>