Educational Guide

H.264 vs H.265 for RTSP Security Cameras

A complete comparison of H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) video codecs for IP security cameras — covering compression efficiency, compatibility, and hardware acceleration on Apple devices.

H.264 (AVC) and H.265 (HEVC) are the two most common video codecs used by IP security cameras for RTSP streaming. H.265 offers approximately 50% better compression than H.264 at the same quality, reducing storage and bandwidth requirements — at the cost of higher processing power to encode and decode.

For most modern setups, H.265 is the better choice for recording and storage, while H.264 remains the most universally compatible option for legacy NVRs and older viewer software. On Apple devices running SmartRTSP, both codecs are decoded in hardware, making the battery impact of H.265 negligible.

H.264 vs H.265 — Comparison

A side-by-side breakdown of the two codecs across the criteria that matter most for IP camera deployments.

Feature H.264 (AVC) H.265 (HEVC)
Standard ITU-T H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC (2003) ITU-T H.265 / MPEG-H HEVC (2013)
Compression efficiency Baseline ~50% better than H.264
Bandwidth usage Higher (e.g. 4 Mbps for 1080p) Lower (e.g. 2 Mbps for same quality)
Storage requirements ~2× more space per hour ~50% less storage vs H.264
Encode CPU load (camera) Low — supported by all cameras Higher — requires modern camera SoC
Decode on Apple devices Hardware (VideoToolbox) — all devices Hardware (VideoToolbox) — iPhone 7+, A9+ chip
Compatibility Universal — all NVRs and viewers Modern NVRs and apps only
Best use case Legacy systems, universal compatibility 4K cameras, 24/7 recording, storage savings

Which Cameras Use H.265?

H.265 support is common in mid-range and high-end IP cameras released after 2016. Most modern 4MP, 5MP, and 4K cameras support H.265 as their primary codec, though they almost always retain an H.264 fallback option in the web interface. Here are the major brands with H.265 support:

Hikvision H.265+

DS-2CD3xxx and DS-2CD7xxx series. Hikvision brands it "H.265+" (their smart codec variant). Enable via web UI: Configuration → Video → Video Encoding → Video Type.

Reolink H.265

RLC-810A, RLC-820A, RLC-823A, and most newer 4K/8MP models. Configurable in the Reolink app or web UI under Video Settings.

Dahua H.265+

IPC-HFW5xxx, IPC-HDW5xxx, and most Starlight/WizMind series. Dahua also uses "H.265+" branding for their smart codec.

Amcrest H.264 / H.265

Newer 4K Ultra HD models (IP8M series and above) support H.265. Most 1080p models are H.264 only. Check product specs before purchasing.

Uniview (UNV) H.265

Most IPC3xxx and IPC5xxx series support H.265 encoding. Professional-grade cameras with H.265 enabled by default.

Even on H.265 cameras, an H.264 fallback is almost always available. Switch to H.264 if you encounter compatibility issues with legacy NVR or recording software.

Hardware Acceleration on Apple Devices

Apple's VideoToolbox framework provides hardware-accelerated video decoding for both H.264 and H.265 on all modern Apple Silicon Macs, Intel Macs (2016 and later), iPhone 7 and later (A10 chip and newer), and iPad models with A9X chip and newer.

SmartRTSP uses VideoToolbox for all RTSP stream decoding. This means the encoded H.264 or H.265 video frames from your IP camera are decoded by dedicated hardware blocks on the chip — not by the CPU. The practical result is that running an H.265 stream in SmartRTSP consumes barely more battery than running an H.264 stream of the same resolution.

H.264 Decode
Hardware on all Apple devices. Fully supported since iPhone 4.
H.265 Decode
Hardware on iPhone 7+ (A10), iPad Pro (2016+), all Apple Silicon Macs.
Battery Impact
Minimal for both codecs — VideoToolbox offloads decode from the CPU entirely.

On Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4 and later) and recent iPhone models, VideoToolbox can decode multiple simultaneous H.265 streams with negligible CPU usage, making SmartRTSP's multi-view mode highly efficient even when all cameras are streaming at 4K H.265.

How to Switch Between H.264 and H.265

The codec setting is configured on the camera itself, not in SmartRTSP. The location in the web interface varies by brand, but the path is typically:

Camera Web Interface Path
Hikvision: Configuration → Video/Audio → Video → Video Type
Reolink: Device Settings → Display → Video Encoding → Encoding Format
Dahua: Setting → Camera → Video → Encode → Compression
Amcrest: Setup → Camera → Video → Encode → Compression
Generic: Video → Encoding → Video Type (or "Compression Type")

After switching codecs, the camera will typically apply the change immediately without rebooting. SmartRTSP will automatically detect and decode the new codec on the next connection. No settings change is needed in the app.

Main Stream vs Sub-Stream Codec

IP cameras typically expose two RTSP streams: a main stream (high quality) and a sub-stream (lower resolution/bitrate). The codec used for each stream can be configured independently:

Main Stream
  • • Full resolution (1080p, 4MP, 4K)
  • • H.264 or H.265 depending on camera setting
  • • Higher bitrate — best for recording and archiving
  • • Use H.265 here for maximum storage savings
Sub-Stream
  • • Lower resolution (typically 640×480 or 1280×720)
  • • Usually H.264 even on H.265 cameras
  • • Very low bitrate — ideal for multi-view on mobile
  • • Good choice for SmartRTSP's 4-camera grid view

A common approach: record the main stream in H.265 on your NVR for storage efficiency, and view the sub-stream in H.264 via SmartRTSP when monitoring multiple cameras simultaneously.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SmartRTSP support H.265?
Yes. SmartRTSP supports full H.265/HEVC decoding via Apple VideoToolbox hardware acceleration. H.265 streams from Hikvision, Reolink, Dahua, and other cameras are decoded in hardware on iPhone 7 and later, all iPad Pro models, and all Apple Silicon and modern Intel Macs. No special configuration is needed — SmartRTSP detects the codec automatically.
Which is better for recording: H.264 or H.265?
H.265 is significantly better for recording. It achieves approximately 50% smaller file sizes compared to H.264 at the same video quality. For a camera recording 24/7 at 4MP, switching from H.264 to H.265 can halve your NVR or SD card storage consumption. If your NVR supports H.265 playback, it is worth enabling on all cameras.
Is there a latency difference between H.264 and H.265?
Viewing latency for live RTSP streams is very similar between H.264 and H.265. Both achieve sub-second latency on a local network when decoded with hardware acceleration. Some budget cameras with limited H.265 encoding hardware may introduce slightly higher encode latency at the camera end, but this is a camera hardware limitation rather than a codec protocol difference.
Should I use H.265 on iPhone with SmartRTSP?
Yes — if your camera supports H.265, it is worth enabling. SmartRTSP uses Apple VideoToolbox to decode H.265 in hardware on all modern iPhones and iPads, so battery usage is minimal. The main benefit is reduced network bandwidth: an H.265 stream uses roughly half the Wi-Fi capacity of an equivalent H.264 stream, which matters when viewing multiple cameras simultaneously in SmartRTSP's grid mode.