HuffYUV

HuffYUV is a lossless video compression codec and format used primarily with AVI containers on Windows. It was designed to be fast enough for real-time capture and editing while preserving original image quality. The name reflects its use of Huffman coding in combination with simple run-length and predictive coding.

Encoding is frame-based and lossless, meaning no image data is discarded. The codec applies lightweight spatial prediction and then compresses the residuals with Huffman coding, often with run-length encoding for repeated values. It commonly handles 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 chroma formats, notably YUY2 (packed) and YV12 (planar).

History and usage: HuffYUV gained widespread adoption in the Windows video community, particularly with the VirtualDub tool, as a fast alternative to other lossless codecs for capturing, editing, and archiving. It is valued for very high encoding/decoding speeds and low CPU usage compared with other lossless schemes.

Limitations and status: It is largely tied to older AVI-based workflows and is less common in modern containers and players. Development has slowed, and support varies across software, with newer lossless codecs offering broader format support and features. Nevertheless, HuffYUV remains cited as a practical option for lossless video in archival and simple editing pipelines.