H.264 vs H.265 vs H.266

 H.264 vs H.265 vs H.266

The most popular video codec right now is the H.264 standard since almost all media devices support it. Even video platforms on the web can’t help but add support for this codec, and for good reasons. YouTube, despite having its own, is beholden to H.264, and this won’t change for years to come.

Now, we do not expect it to be the top dog forever as more competitors come on the scene in hopes to replace it. The most notable would likely be the upgraded version, H.265, also known as HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding).

There is also the H.266 codec, but it differs a great deal when compared to the others we’ve just mentioned. Worry not, however, because we are going to explain each for your deeper understanding.

1] What is H.264 codec

This codec has been around since 2009, and for quite some time, it has been the standard. The codec is also known as AVC, MPEG-4 Part 10, and VC-1.

It’s a video compression standard that is designed to playback high-quality video at a small size than RAW and previous standards. We understand the compression ratio is twice that of MPEG-2, which is quite astonishing. It promises to provide high-quality content with no quality loss when compared to other standards. H.264 is used by most modern mobiles and 2K cameras.

Basically, if your file size is 88GB, H.264 compression can bring it down to a little over 800MB. Additionally, when compared to other compression technologies, low-bit rate plays an important role. In the end, users will save time when having to download or stream video content at any time.

2] What is H.265/HEVC codec

As you might be able to tell from the name, H.265/HEVC is the upgraded version of the previous, and it is designed to replace it at some time in the future. The new standard was released back in 2013, but only now has been getting huge support due to the rise of 4K. HEVC is promising a massive 50% bandwidth reduction compared to H.264 for the same video quality.

This will no doubt continue in the years to come as 4K televisions and monitors become more affordable. However, the big question right now, is, what makes H.265 the future?

Well, if you watch 4K content on YouTube, you should realize that it doesn’t hold a candle to the same video on a Bu-Ray disc. That is due to H.264 compression for the most part, and that is something the newer codec wants to solve.

From what we’ve come to understand, HEVC uses more efficient compression methods, therefore, the end content will showcase more detail and fewer artifacts. We all want this, which is why we cannot wait for more hardware manufacturers to support the future standard. H.265 is used by most modern mobiles and 4K cameras, and almost all new hardware now provides HEVC GPU acceleration.

Now, there is one big problem with H.265/HEVC right now. You see, it is quite slow if Hardware Acceleration is not in play. If you want to decode in HEVC, then a powerful computer is required. Intel 6th generation or newer, and AMD 6th generation or newer, are the CPUs you should consider when purchasing a computer for HEVC.

3] What is H.266 codec

In 2020, Fraunhofer HHI (together with partners like Apple, Ericsson, Intel, Huawei, Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Sony) developed. The world has yet to fully accept H.265 as the new standard where video codecs are concerned, but already H.266 is being touted Fraunhofer HHI, the company behind all three codecs.

At the moment, we understand that this new codec, also known as Versatile Video Coding (VVC), won’t improve video quality over its predecessor, but is expected to reduce the size. So in a sense, it is the same as H.265, but with a smaller footprint. H.266 is promising a massive 50% bandwidth reduction compared to H.265 for the same video quality.

When the H.266 codec is adopted in the future, people from around the world may have little problems with streaming 8K content on their favourite platforms. H.266 is used by most modern mobiles and 8K cameras

H.266/VVC is supposed to support: 

• Picture resolutions from 4K to 16K as well as 360° videos
• YCbCr color spaces with 4:2:0 sampling, 10-bit
• YCbCr/RGB 4:4:4 and YCbCr 4:2:2
• Auxiliary channels (transparency, depth, etc.) 
• High dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut
• Bit depths up to 16 bits per component 
• Fixed and variable frame rates
• Progressive scanning 

How to Selecting the right CCTV video compression

If you are responsible for planning or designing a new CCTV video surveillance system, you have to make a technology choice regarding which video compression technique to use.

For sure, it will be digital. But which video compression scheme is the most suitable for your application?

1. Motion JPEG CCTV video compression
The JPEG standard was developed by the Joint Photographic Expert Group (part of ISO) for efficient storage of individual frames. Motion JPEG or M-JPEG is a series of separate JPEG images that form a video sequence. When 16 JPEG image frames or more are joined together per second, the result is an illusion of motion video. Video reproduction at 30 frames per second (FPS) for NTSC signals or 25 FPS for PAL signals is called full motion video or continuous-motion video.

Although Motion JPEG is an unlicensed standard it is widely compatible with many applications that require low frame rates or technologies such as Video Analytics where frame by frame analysis is crucial.

Advantages
1. Ability to support multi-mega pixel resolution.
2. Ideal for courtroom single frame evidence.
3. Clearer images at lower frame rates than MPEG-4.
4. Frame by frame playback offers more frames to view.
5. Technology is simpler; this can reduce the cost of a camera or video codec.
6. At low bandwidth priority is given to Image Resolution.
Disadvantages
1. High bit rate for scenes with little or no activity increases bandwidth and storage.
2. Video quality deteriorates at higher compression ratios.
3. No M-JPEG standard often means incompatibility issues.
4. Converting M-JPEG into another format reduces video quality.
5. Dated technology superseded by more bandwidth-efficient encoding techniques.

MPEG-4 CCTV video compression
MPEG-4 is a compression standard that was introduced in late 1998 by the Moving Picture Experts Group. In video surveillance applications MPEG-4 Part 2, also known as MPEG-4 Visual is the version of MPEG-4 most commonly used. MPEG-4 supports both low-bandwidth applications and those applications that require high quality images, with virtually unlimited bandwidth and no limitations in frame-rate. Typically most MPEG-4 based encoders and cameras support video up to DVD quality.

MPEG-4 is much more efficient than M-JPEG because video frames are analysed prior to being sent across the network. The first compressed image (I frame) is used as a reference point, the following images only contain information that differs to the initial I frame reference image. Periodically I frames are transmitted within the video sequence to ensure a recent reference point. The distance between these I frames is known as the GOP (Group of Pictures). The distance between I frames is usually user definable depending on the application and activity in the scene. For example a 25 FPS video stream with a GOP of 50 would mean a new I frame with GOP change information is sent every 2 seconds. The viewing application on the receiving end of the transmission then reconstructs all images based on this information and displays the video.

Advantages
1. MPEG-4 up to 5 times more efficient than M-JPEG at low bandwidths.
2. Increases the amount of time video can be stored compared with M-JPEG.
3. Uses less network bandwidth when compared with M-JPEG.
4. Very efficient at high frame rates.
Disadvantages
1. When the bit-rate is limited video quality suffers.
2. Low efficiency at very low frame-rates or extremely high scene activity.
3. Can be liable to “blurring” on freeze frame or very high motion.

H.264 CCTV video compression
H.264 is the latest MPEG standard for video encoding that is geared to take video beyond the realms of DVD quality by supporting Hi Definition CCTV video. H.264 can also reduce the size of digital video by more than 80% compared with M-JPEG and as much as 50% with MPEG-4, all without compromising image quality. This means that much less network bandwidth and storage space are required. Since the typical storage costs for surveillance projects represent between 20 and 30 percent of the project cost significant savings can be made.

Like many sectors of our industry, the devil is in the detail and system integrators and end-users who wish to see the benefits of an IP-based solution should look to someone who really knows the technology and can give an impartial view. It is common sense that manufacturers will only support their own hardware and will promise the earth for it, whereas a distributor will have evaluated a number of solutions from different vendors and be able to say that product A is the best for solution B because of XYZ whereas product Y is the best for solution C because of etc etc.

Advantage
1. H.264 cameras is that they reduce the amount of bandwidth needed.if your megapixel camera needed 10 Mb/s before (with MJPEG), it might now need only 1.5 Mb/s. So for each camera, you will save a lot of bandwidth.
2. Eliminates barriers: Enables many more networks to support megapixel cameras.
3. The bitstream is fully compatible with existing decoders with no error/drift.
Disadvantages
1. Using analytics with these cameras reduces the H.264 benefit.
2. Costs few hundred dollars more per camera.

Capturing Crystal Clear Images With Megapixel Technology

Megapixel surveillance is not a new concept — its applications and benefits are starkly clear. What has changed are smarter cameras, taking advantage of the added pixels and a better understanding of illumination in real life. In the first of a two-part report, A&S examines how smarter megapixel cameras are getting; the second part looks at best practices for optimal performance.

The big picture for megapixel surveillance cameras looks bright, in the wake of the recession. HD and megapixel cameras are expected to make up nearly 30 percent of network camera shipments in 2011, according to IMS Research. By 2015, it is forecast that more than 60 percent of network cameras shipped will be of megapixel resolution.

The resolution increase has a noted effect on the whole surveillance system. While a 2.1-megapixel or 1,080p HD image is six times larger than a D1 image, the additional pixels require a bigger pipe to transmit more data. The infrastructure and storage costs for megapixel are well-documented, with ROI and TCO being used as arguments in favor of bigger pictures. The fate of megapixel is linked to the future of IP networks, with HD forecast to make up most high-resolution cameras compared to megapixel, according to IMS.

Megapixel surveillance requires careful planning, but the benefits of added resolution boost the accuracy of analytics. Edge devices take advantage of faster processors, resulting in smarter use of pixels. Analytics can help reduce bandwidth, as an event will trigger video streaming, rather than constantly sending the same still images over the network. A more distributed architecture puts less strain on networks and makes life easier.

Clarity is the main driver for megapixel. “At the end of the day, you're putting in a security system to protect life and provide evidence in a court of law,” said Stephen Moody, Security Development Manager for ViS Security Solutions, an integrator in Ireland.

Cracking the Code
H.264 is the de facto standard compression for megapixel cameras, due to its efficiency in crunching large data files into smaller ones for transmission and storage. As compression evolved from M-JPEG's stills to MPEG-4 and now to H.264, a variety of profiles yield differences in performance. With 17 profiles in all, three are the most common: baseline, main and high, said Sachin Khanna, PM for CCTV, Bosch Security Systems.

By profile, the baseline is appropriate for video conferencing; the main profile is good for broadcast video; and high profile is most applicable for HD broadcast video. “H.264 requires a fair amount of processing power for encoding and decoding; this may limit the camera's frame rate and dictate the NVR platform to achieve the desired performance,” said Rich Pineau, CTO of Oncam Global.

Most H.264 profiles stem from 2-D applications, with not all profiles being capable of integration. “Even if both cameras are H.264 and the manufacturers are partners, the system could still not work,” said Patrick Lim, Director of Sales and Marketing for Ademco Far East. “The I/O and output are hard to integrate. Some engineers say it's easy to plug and play — there's no such thing.”

About all Video CODECS

Codecs work in two ways – using temporal and spatial compression. Both schemes generally work with "lossy" compression, which means information that is redundant or unnoticeable to the viewer gets discarded (and hence is not retrievable).

Temporal compression is a method of compression which looks for information that is not necessary for continuity to the human eye It looks at the video information on a frame-by-frame basis for changes between frames. For example, if you're working with video of a section of freeway, there's a lot of redundant information in the image. The background rarely changes and most of the motion involved is from vehicles passing through the scene. The compression algorithm compares the first frame (known as a key frame) with the next (called a delta frame) to find anything that changes. After the key frame, it only keeps the information that does change, thus deleting a large portion of image. It does this for each frame. If there is a scene change, it tags the first frame of the new scene as the next key frame and continues comparing the following frames with this new key frame. As the number of key frames increases, so does the amount of motion delay. This will happen if an operator is panning a camera from left to right.

Spatial compression uses a different method to delete information that is common to the entire file or an entire sequence within the file. It also looks for redundant information, but instead of specifying each pixel in an area, it defines that area using coordinates.

Both of these compression methods reduce the overall transmission bandwidth requirements. If this is not sufficient, one can make a larger reduction by reducing the frame rate (that is, how many frames of video go by in a given second). Depending on the degree of changes one makes in each of these areas, the final output can vary greatly in quality.

Hardware codecs are an efficient way to compress and decompress video files. Hardware codecs are expensive, but deliver high-quality results. Using a hardware-compression device will deliver high-quality source video, but requires viewers to have the same decompression device in order to watch it. Hardware codecs are used often in video conferencing, where the equipment of the audience and the broadcaster are configured in the same way. A number of standards have been developed for video compression – MPEG, JPEG, and video conferencing.

Video Compression

MPEG stands for the Moving Picture Experts Group. MPEG is an ISO/IEC working group, established in 1988 to develop standards for digital audio and video formats. There are five MPEG standards being used or in development. Each compression standard was designed with a specific application and bit rate in mind, although MPEG compression scales well with increased bit rates.

Following is a list of video compression standards:

•MPEG-1 – designed for transmission rates of up to 1.5 Mbit/sec – is a standard for the compression of moving pictures and audio. This was based on CD-ROM video applications, and is a popular standard for video on the Internet, transmitted as .mpg files. In addition, level 3 of MPEG-1 is the most popular standard for digital compression of audio—known as MP3. This standard is available in most of the video codec units supplied for FMS and traffic management systems.

•MPEG-2 – designed for transmission rates between 1.5 and 15 Mbit/sec – is a standard on which Digital Television set top boxes and DVD compression is based. It is based on MPEG-1, but designed for the compression and transmission of digital broadcast television. The most significant enhancement from MPEG-1 is its ability to efficiently compress interlaced video. MPEG-2 scales well to HDTV resolution and bit rates, obviating the need for an MPEG-3. This standard is also provided in many of the video codecs supplied for FMS.

•MPEG-4 – a standard for multimedia and Web compression - MPEG-4 is an object-based compression, similar in nature to the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML). Individual objects within a scene are tracked separately and compressed together to create an MPEG4 file. The files are sent as data packages and assembled at the viewer end. The result is a high quality motion picture. The more image data that is sent the greater the lag-time (or latency) before the video begins to play. Currently, this compression standard is not suited for real-time traffic observation systems that require pan-tilt-zoom capability. The "forward and store" scheme used in this system inhibits eye-hand coordination. However, this is an evolving standard. The latency factor between image capture and image viewing is being reduced. The latency factor can be reduced to a minimum if the image and motion quality do not have to meet commercial video production standards. Most surveillance systems can function without this quality and can use pan-tilt-zoom functions.

•MPEG-7 – this standard, currently under development, is also called the Multimedia Content Description Interface. When released, it is hoped that this standard will provide a framework for multimedia content that will include information on content manipulation, filtering and personalization, as well as the integrity and security of the content. Contrary to the previous MPEG standards, which described actual content, MPEG-7 will represent information about the content.

•MPEG-21 – work on this standard, also called the Multimedia Framework, has just begun. MPEG-21 will attempt to describe the elements needed to build an infrastructure for the delivery and consumption of multimedia content, and how they will relate to each other.

•JPEG – stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group. It is also an ISO/IEC working group, but works to build standards for continuous tone image coding. JPEG is a lossy compression technique used for full-color or gray-scale images, by exploiting the fact that the human eye will not notice small color changes. Motion JPEG is a standard that is used for compression of images transmitted from CCTV cameras. It provides compressed motion in the same manner as MPEG, but is based on the JPEG standard.

•H.261 – is an ITU standard designed for two-way communication over ISDN lines (video conferencing) and supports data rates which are multiples of 64Kbit/s.

•H.263 – is based on H.261 with enhancements that improve video quality over modems.

•H.264 – is the latest MPEG standard for video encoding that is geared to take video beyond the realms of DVD quality by supporting Hi Definition CCTV video. H.264 can also reduce the size of digital video by more than 80% compared with M-JPEG and as much as 50% with MPEG-4, all without compromising image quality. This means that much less network bandwidth and storage space are required. Since the typical storage costs for surveillance projects represent between 20 and 30 percent of the project cost significant savings can be made.

Advantage:-

 1. H.264 cameras is that they reduce the amount of bandwidth needed.if your megapixel camera needed 10 Mb/s before (with MJPEG), it might now need only 1.5 Mb/s. So for each camera, you will save a lot of bandwidth.

 2. Eliminates barriers: Enables many more networks to support megapixel cameras.

 3. The bitstream is fully compatible with existing decoders with no error/drift.

 Disadvantages:-

 1. Using analytics with these cameras reduces the H.264 benefit.

 2. Costs few hundred dollars more per camera.

CCTV IP Camera
IP cameras are Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that use Internet Protocol to transmit image data and control signals over a Fast Ethernet link. As such, IP cameras are also commonly referred to as network cameras. IP cameras are primarily used for surveillance in the same manner as analog closed-circuit television. A number of IP cameras are normally deployed together with a digital video recorder (DVR) or a network video recorder (NVR) to form a video surveillance system.
A Network IP Camera is a stand-alone device which allows a user to view live, full motion video from anywhere on a computer network, even over the Internet, using a standard web-browser.
A network camera can be configured to send video over an IP network for live viewing and/or recording either continuously, at scheduled times, on an event or on request from authorized users. Captured images can be streamed as Motion JPEG, MPEG-4 or H.264 video using various networking protocols, or uploaded as individual JPEG images using FTP, e-mail or HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

Until very recently, video security and surveillance was accomplished using Closed Circuit Television or CCTV. This technology included analog cameras, coaxial cable and video tape recorders. Video security and surveillance started entering the digital age with the advent of CCD sensors which digitized image capture in the camera. However, transmission was still analog via coax to analog VCR's. The next step was the introduction of Digital Video Recorders (DVR's) connected directly to analog cameras, which made storing, searching and retrieving video much more efficient. PC's were then introduced for display of the images through a modem or network connection to the DVR.

The entire system has now been digitized with the introduction of Network Cameras incorporating onboard processors and web server software. These Network Cameras can be connected directly to existing IP networks, eliminating the need for separate and expensive coaxial cable networks. Images can be viewed and cameras managed from anywhere via a web browser, plus any hard disk on the network can be set up to record the video output.

Another significant technology called Video Servers, allow existing CCTV installations to gain the benefit of Network Video, while protecting investments in analog cameras. Video Servers connect to IP Networks and convert the signal from analog cameras to digital format. Like Network Cameras, Video Servers contain onboard processors and web server software that makes each camera IP addressable. Essentially, Video Servers turn CCTV cameras into IP Network Cameras.
When you’re shopping around for an IP-based video surveillance system, you will need to be particularly cautious about what exactly you’re looking at and what the individual terms mean. How IP-based video surveillance works is open to interpretation as far as some video surveillance and security salespeople are concerned -- not because they are trying to confuse the issues, but because there is no genuine consensus on what the term “IP-based” or related ones such as “networked” or “web-based” means.

In addition to capturing video, Axis network cameras provide event management and intelligent video functionalities such as video motion detection, audio detection, active tampering alarm and auto-tracking. Most network cameras also offer input/output (I/O) ports that enable connections to external devices such as sensors and relays. Other features may include audio capabilities and built-in support for Power over Ethernet (PoE). Axis network cameras also support advanced security and network management features.

If you are considering a network-based IP CCTV solution, we are able to offer the following three levels of service through our specialist IP CCTV Partner company:

1. Simply sales and supply of selected 'Best of Breed' IP CCTV hardware and software. You will be able to see the equipment and software solutions on the web, check the specifications, read the reviews and buy online. Our Partner offers Free Delivery, a Price Match Promise, and a 14-day 'Buy & Try' Scheme, so you can rest assured with these rock solid offers that you can select and prove your new IP CCTV solution in total confidence.
2. Expert professional advice and guidance; based upon years of CCTV design & application experience, our specialist IP CCTV Partner will discuss your application with you by phone or email and develop the optimum IP CCTV solution to meet your Operational Requirement. You can then revert to option 1 above and progress to build your solution in-house by purchasing IP CCTV components and software online OR you may opt to choose option 3 below and progress to have us manage a fully turnkey solution (including installation) for you.
3. Complete design service. Our Partner company will take a full brief from you, visit your site to fully understand your Operational Requirements and produce a professional specification which will be submited to three proven installation companies. Each company will then submit a tender directly to you. In the majority of cases this service is free of charge.