What are the H.264 and H.265 codecs?
H.264 and H.265 are video codecs that determine how recordings from security cameras are compressed. Choosing the right codec directly affects image quality, bitrate and required storage capacity.
What is the H.265 codec?
The H.265 format, also known as High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), is the successor to H.264. It encodes video at half the bitrate at the same image quality as its predecessor and supports a maximum resolution of 7,680 × 4,320 pixels.
What does it deliver in practice?
- Recording uses 50% less storage capacity.
- Watching streams over the internet requires half the bandwidth at the same resolution.
- Security-camera image can be up to 4K even at low bitrate.
The improved H.264+ and H.265+ codecs
As camera resolution rises, video-stream compression must improve too. PATRONUM IP cameras and recorders therefore use the improved H.265+ codec. This enhanced version delivers even lower bitrates while keeping the same sharpness and image quality as H.265. The savings show in lower transmission load and greater storage capacity — much more recording fits on the same medium. Compared to H.264, H.265+ can save up to 70% of storage at the same image quality.
The H.264 codec has been improved as well. The H.264+ version is an intermediate step between standard H.264 and H.265, and even so it noticeably reduces storage requirements.