H.265/HEVC could enable IP-cameras with even larger megapixel counts The emergence last year of a new format for High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is poised to have a huge impact on IP video surveillance cameras over the next few years. Among the benefits of the new H.265/HEVC coding format over the legacy H.264/MPEG-4 is a 40 percent or more bit rate reduction at the same visual quality.

Therefore, a camera could provide either better visual quality than H.264 with existing network and storage requirements, or it could provide the same visual quality with 40 percent less network and storage needs.

H.265/HEVC could enable IP-cameras with even larger megapixel counts –20 megapixel cameras, for example– to operate more efficiently without overwhelming network infrastructures. H.265/HEVC also brings improvements in noise levels, color spaces, and most importantly for surveillance an enhanced dynamic range.

Implementation of the new standard in most IP video cameras, however, is still years away. As with other video standards, the security market inherits the H.265/HEVC format from the much larger consumer electronics market. Typically, after standards are developed, it takes several years for their use to make its way into various markets, starting with the consumer video market and later into security and other smaller markets.

Currently, the leading video coding format is H.264/MPEG-4, which was initially developed in 1999 and has only recently become the de facto standard in the security/surveillance market[…]