<p><a href="http://www.axis.com/learning/web-articles/technical-guide-to-network-video/video-compression" rel="nofollow">Here</a> is a good guide to help you understand the <a href="http://www.axis.com/learning/web-articles/technical-guide-to-network-video/video-compression" rel="nofollow">compression</a>.</p>

<p>Go <a href="http://www.axis.com/learning/web-articles/technical-guide-to-network-video/overview" rel="nofollow">Digital</a>, scrap analog. You won't need a computer to handle the cameras or a video encoder.</p>

<p>Buy a cheap <a href="http://www.axis.com/" rel="nofollow">Axis</a> camera and download <a href="http://www.axiscompanion.com/" rel="nofollow">Axis Companion</a> software, then the camera just needs access to the internet and you can view it from anywhere in your smartphone.</p>

<p>You could also buy any other IP camera and get their dedicated software.</p>

<p>I work at Axis, so I do recommend our product line for stability, availability and quality.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-26T08:45:51.217Z
2016-10-26T08:45:51.217Z
Anuga
<p>If you consider purchasing a new camera then you can buy an IP camera that has native mpeg-4 support. There are plenty of models around and prices are very low. This way you won't need the USB device and your overall configuration will be more robust (less components = less points of potential failure). </p>

<p>Another option of course is to buy an H.264 cam and move from Vitamin D to something that supports H.264. H.264 will usually provide much better video quality per bandwidth.</p>

<p>Yet another option, if the camera is not too far away from the computer and has a fixed lens, is to buy a good USB camera, AFAIU Vitamin D supports web cams, and this too can save you the need for a USB dongle.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-28T15:31:36.607Z
2015-12-28T15:31:36.607Z
avnr
<p>Years ago I bought Vitamin D Video software for videosurveillance, which doesn' support H.264, but only mpeg-4. </p>

<p>Currently I'm using two cheap analog cameras (RCA, PAL) connected to pc through 1 usb Easycap and another usb cheap pinnacle (I could't have 2 Easycap connected at the same time) and cameras transmit video at resolution of 640x480 pixels.</p>

<p>Now that one camera stopped working, I'm looking for a cheap but little better camera. Lot of the cameras I found have these specifications:
Resolution: 1200 TV Lines, Pal: 960x860 pixels
Video Compression Format: H.264</p>

<p>Some are cameras have Resolution: 2MP 1920*1080 (always PAL)</p>

<p>When I add a new camera in Vitamin D Video, I can choose between these resolutions:
QVGA 320x240
VGA 640x480
XGA 1024x768
SXGA 1280x1024</p>

<p>My first doubt is: can also analog camera use H.264 codecs? Isn't it a codec for digital transmission?</p>

<p>Also, having an usb device in the middle, do I have to worry if usb devices support h.264 or do I have to check if Vitamin D Video supports it, or both? </p>

<p>Any links / tutorials are welcome.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-26T00:44:36.987Z
h.264is a digital video codec . Analogue video must be digitised to use h.264. It's a little unclear what you're asking.
stib
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-26T08:11:22.213Z
if they are camera with rca connector, is it possible that they use h.264 codec?
WoutVanAertTheBest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-26T10:00:16.650Z
The OP has camera(s) feeding an analog signal to a USB capture device which transcodes to MPEG-4 Part 2 video. That transcoded stream is ingested by the surveillance app and processed for security purposes. Apparently, their version doesn't support H.264.
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-26T10:04:37.507Z
To the OP, looks like Vitamin D, since renamed to Sighthound, supports H.264 since version 2 (and many more cameras). H.264 is not an analog signal standard, so any camera which advertises H.264 will output over HDMI or possibly USB. In which case, the USB adapters aren't required.
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-28T12:55:23.987Z
Thank you @Mulvya, you solved my doubt about H.264 over analog signals. Unlukily, I bought Vitamin D video licence and this isn't valid for Sighthound, for this reason I'm still using Vitamin.
WoutVanAertTheBest
<video><h.264><analog><pinnacle>
H.264 on analog camera
WoutVanAertTheBest
# H.264 on analog camera

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-12-25)

Years ago I bought Vitamin D Video software for videosurveillance, which doesn' support H.264, but only mpeg-4.

Currently I'm using two cheap analog cameras (RCA, PAL) connected to pc through 1 usb Easycap and another usb cheap pinnacle (I could't have 2 Easycap connected at the same time) and cameras transmit video at resolution of 640x480 pixels.

Now that one camera stopped working, I'm looking for a cheap but little better camera. Lot of the cameras I found have these specifications:
Resolution: 1200 TV Lines, Pal: 960x860 pixels
Video Compression Format: H.264

Some are cameras have Resolution: 2MP 1920\*1080 (always PAL)

When I add a new camera in Vitamin D Video, I can choose between these resolutions:
QVGA 320x240
VGA 640x480
XGA 1024x768
SXGA 1280x1024

My first doubt is: can also analog camera use H.264 codecs? Isn't it a codec for digital transmission?

Also, having an usb device in the middle, do I have to worry if usb devices support h.264 or do I have to check if Vitamin D Video supports it, or both?

Any links / tutorials are welcome.

Thanks

**Tags:** video, h.264, analog, pinnacle

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: h.264is a digital video codec . Analogue video must be digitised to use h.264. It's a little unclear what you're asking.  
> **username_0**: if they are camera with rca connector, is it possible that they use h.264 codec?  
> **username_2**: The OP has camera(s) feeding an analog signal to a USB capture device which transcodes to MPEG-4 Part 2 video. That transcoded stream is ingested by the surveillance app and processed for security purposes. Apparently, their version doesn't support H.264.  
> **username_2**: To the OP, looks like Vitamin D, since renamed to Sighthound, supports H.264 since version 2 (and many more cameras). H.264 is not an analog signal standard, so any camera which advertises H.264 will output over HDMI or possibly USB. In which case, the USB adapters aren't required.  
> **username_0**: Thank you @Mulvya, you solved my doubt about H.264 over analog signals. Unlukily, I bought Vitamin D video licence and this isn't valid for Sighthound, for this reason I'm still using Vitamin.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-10-26. Score: 1

[Here](http://www.axis.com/learning/web-articles/technical-guide-to-network-video/video-compression) is a good guide to help you understand the [compression](http://www.axis.com/learning/web-articles/technical-guide-to-network-video/video-compression).

Go [Digital](http://www.axis.com/learning/web-articles/technical-guide-to-network-video/overview), scrap analog. You won't need a computer to handle the cameras or a video encoder.

Buy a cheap [Axis](http://www.axis.com/) camera and download [Axis Companion](http://www.axiscompanion.com/) software, then the camera just needs access to the internet and you can view it from anywhere in your smartphone.

You could also buy any other IP camera and get their dedicated software.

I work at Axis, so I do recommend our product line for stability, availability and quality.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-12-28. Score: 0

If you consider purchasing a new camera then you can buy an IP camera that has native mpeg-4 support. There are plenty of models around and prices are very low. This way you won't need the USB device and your overall configuration will be more robust (less components = less points of potential failure).

Another option of course is to buy an H.264 cam and move from Vitamin D to something that supports H.264. H.264 will usually provide much better video quality per bandwidth.

Yet another option, if the camera is not too far away from the computer and has a fixed lens, is to buy a good USB camera, AFAIU Vitamin D supports web cams, and this too can save you the need for a USB dongle.


---

