Baseline / Main / High Profiles

Published May 26, 2009 00:00 AM
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In a May Pelco seminar, Pelco advocacted of High Profile H.264. H.264 provides a variety of profiles and levels (H.264 is more like a family of specifications rather than a single specific one). Manufacturers may select from these profiles. Most IP camera companies are choosing baseline profile - the lowest of the options. Pelco says they have selected High. It is reported that high provides greater bandwidth and storage efficiency at the expense of increased processing power.

How much of a difference this makes will be interesting to see. I do, though, expect Pelco and a few other vendors to emphasize this difference in the marketplace. I am looking forward to testing the Pelco Sarix camera to investigate this aspect.

[Update 2012: Most manufacturers have moved up from baseline to main or high profile in their new releases.]