H.264, also known as AVC (Advanced Video Coding), is a video compression standard that is commonly used for recording, compressing, and distributing video content. It was developed by the Joint Video Team (JVT), a partnership between the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), and is widely used in a variety of applications, including streaming video over the internet, broadcasting television programs, and storing video on Blu-ray Discs and other digital media. H.264 offers high-quality video at relatively low bit rates, making it a popular choice for applications where bandwidth and storage space are limited. It is supported by many modern devices and software applications, and has been succeeded by the more efficient H.265/HEVC standard.