Differences and selection suggestions between H.264, H.265 and H.265+

Release time:2026-08-13 00:00 Views:351 author:Xinlaida Security Technology Department source:technical knowledge
Comparing the compression efficiency, compatibility and hardware requirements of the three generations of video coding standards, it explains the compatibility pitfalls that need to be paid attention to when upgrading old projects.

Comparison of three generations of standards

StandardLaunch TimeSavings Relative to H.264CompatibilityHardware Requirements
H.2642003BenchmarkExcellent, supported by almost all devices and playersLow
H.265 (HEVC)2013About 40%~50%Better, old equipment/old software may not support itMedium
H.265+Manufacturer expansionAbout 60% to 70%Usually the same brand front-end and back-end support is requiredMedium

Why can H.265+ save another level

H.265+ is not an international standard, but an engineering optimization done by the manufacturer based on H.265, mainly through:

  • Scene Adaptive Coding: Static backgrounds use extremely low bit rates, and only moving foregrounds are encoded.
  • Long GOP structure: Reduce the number of I-frames (at the cost of slightly slower drag positioning).
  • Intelligent Noise Suppression: Noise reduction first and then encoding to avoid encoding noise as details.
  • Region of Interest (ROI) encoding: high quality in key areas and low bit rate in edge areas.

Compatibility risk (important)

  • H.265+ from different brands are usually incompatible with each other, and may fall back to H.265 or fail to be previewed when mixed.
  • Old NVRs may not support H.265 decoding and only support H.264. This needs to be confirmed before purchasing.
  • Some browsers and players do not natively support H.265, and remote preview may require special plug-ins or transcoding.
  • When connecting to a third-party platform (such as the GB/T 28181 upper-level platform), you need to confirm the encoding format supported by the other party.

Suggestions for selection

  1. Newly built and with the same brand of front-end and back-end: H.265+ is preferred, and the storage cost advantage is obvious.
  2. Newly created but needs to be connected to a third-party platform: select standard H.265, which is safe.
  3. Keep the old NVR in the renovation project: set the front end to H.264, or replace the back end in batches.
  4. Intelligent analysis scenarios: Note that high compression rates may lose details and affect recognition accuracy, so actual measurement and parameter adjustment are required.