Much has been written about the significant bandwidth and storage savings H.264 provides when compared to MJPEG or MPEG4 Part 2. A related topic is the various ways H.264 can be configured and the resulting impact to image quality. Resolution, lighting, scene activity, bit rate, rate type, I-frame interval and compression all dramatically change how image quality is captured, transmitted and stored.

For Chris Hugman, it is both simple and complex. “You can better manage bandwidth. You can store security video more efficiently,” he says. But with any tech advance, complexities – some hidden while others are more visible – can make or break an installation.

Vicon’s 4-channel H.264 network encoder converts analog camera inputs (both NTSC/EIA and PAL/CCIR) into streamed IP video data.