Video converter h 264 from camera. Programs for playing video.264 and H. Opening H.264 video
Today, surveillance cameras can be seen at almost every step. You may also be planning to install one or more cameras in your home. Such devices work with video files in .264 or H.264 formats. But we’ll look at how to watch the video and how to open the file in the article.
Differences and similarities between 264 and H.264 formats
Format.264– These are the raw elementary streams of H.264-ES video files (also called MPEG-4 temporary video file). In turn, H.264-ES is part of the H.264 format specification. Older DVR models record video in .264 format. Such video files cannot be used for direct viewing by conventional players and require processing with special programs.
Allows you to reduce video recording to a minimum size. After video recordings are fully compressed, the quality of video and audio is still high level. CCTV cameras and new type DVRs work with this format. H.264 files are also called MPEG-4 Part 10 AVC/H.264. Despite the long and scary name, it is very easy to find an H.264 file player online.
To open such files, you must use one of the following methods:
- use special programs and utilities;
- convert video files.
Opening H.264 video
Almost all popular programs and converters work with the H.264 format. Popular ones are:
Working with .264 format
Let's take a closer look at how to open a .264 file from a DVR or surveillance camera.
Special programs
To open video.264, the following programs will be useful:
.264 video files can be combined or separated. We will look at how to do this further.
Utilities
To play a .264 file, you need to put it in a container format that any media player can recognize. For this purpose, we recommend using one of the following utilities:
- Demuxer – can create dsm or mpc recordings. It is worth noting that dsm files can only be played in this utility.
- MKVcleaver – with its help you can cut videos into .MKV.
- Mkvmerge - can change, cut, merge or separate video files. After video processing, the video quality does not deteriorate, and the format changes to .MKV.
- Haali Muxer – can help in converting, merging or unmerging video files. After processing the video, it is assigned the .MKV format.
Files with the unusual H.264 extension are videos. Opening them on a computer is not difficult, but the format itself is not particularly convenient for everyday use. The best solution in this situation there will be conversion to the more common AVI.
The H.264 format is quite specific, so such videos can only be converted to AVI using specialized converter programs.
Method 1: Format Factory
The multifunctional Format Factory converter recognizes H.264 and is capable of converting such files to many other formats, including AVI.
- Run the program and in the block "Video" click on the button "AVI".
- A tool for uploading files to the program will open, in which you need to click the button "Add file".
- Take advantage "Conductor" to go to the folder with the target file, select it and click "Open".
After loading the clip, use the button "OK". - When you return to the main Format Factory window, select the added file in the task area on the right and click "Start".
- The conversion process will begin, the duration of which depends on the size of the file and the power of the computer. The program will notify you of the end of the procedure with a sound signal and a message in the notification area. You can view the result of the transformation by clicking the button "Destination Folder" in the toolbar.
The finished AVI file will appear in the selected directory.
Format Factory works quickly and efficiently, however, due to the peculiarities of the H.264 format, the conversion is not always correct. If you encounter such a problem, delete the resulting file and repeat the procedure.
Method 2: Any Video Converter Free
Another converter program, this time specializing exclusively in video. In Any Video Converter Free there is support for H.264, which the application allows you to convert to different versions of AVI.
Any Video Converter Free works with H.264 better than Format Factory, therefore it is the optimal solution to the problem we are considering.
Conclusion
To summarize, we note that the list of converters capable of converting H.264 to AVI is not limited to the programs mentioned above, so we recommend that you read our review of other video converters.
H.264 video file is very common now. It is a new video codec standard which can achieve high quality video in relatively low bitrates, which explains why H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec video is becoming more and more popular. The high-quality codec technology is widely used in surveillance camera, online streaming video and digital broadcasting, etc. However, sometimes you cannot play the surveillance video or other H.264 video on your computer. Under such circumstance, you are suggested to convert H.264 to AVI. As AVI is a popular audio video interlaced format supported by all popular players and systems, you can easily enjoy the H.264 video after converting it to AVI.
Part 1: Brief Introduction to H.264 Video File
Also known as AVC(Advanced Video Coding, MPEG-4 Part 10), H.264 is actually defined in an identical pair of standards maintained by different organizations, together known as the Joint Video Team (JVT). While MPEG-4 Part 10 is an ISO/IEC standard, it was developed in cooperation with the ITU, an organization heavily involved in broadcast television standards. Since the ITU designation for the standard is H.264, you may see MPEG-4 Part 10 video referred to as either AVC or H.264. Both are valid, and refer to the same standard.
Part 2: Best H.264 to AVI Converter – Leawo Video Converter
Quite naturally, you would definitely start to look for an eligible H.264 to AVI converter for converting H.264 to AVI. Here I strongly recommend, the best H.264 to AVI converter I ever encountered. Actually, this professional video converter is able to convert video and audio files between 180+ formats, of course including H.264 to AVI video conversion. Mac users need to switch to the Mac counterpart of Leawo Video Converter, namely .
Download and install Leawo Video Converter on your computer, and then kick off the program to enter the main interface for getting ready for the video conversion process.
Part 3: Convert H.264 to AVI with Leawo Video Converter
The step-by-step guide below is based on the Windows version of Leawo Video Converter. Mac users can follow suit to convert H.264 to AVI on Mac.
Step 1: Import H.264 video file into Leawo H.264 to AVI Converter
Kick off Leawo Video Converter to enter the main interface, go to “Convert” module, and click on “Add Video” button to browse and choose source H.264 video file into Leawo H.264 to AVI Converter.
Step 2: Set AVI as output format
For advanced purposes, you can customize the video and audio parameters by reopening the drop-down box and then clicking “Edit” to enter the Profile Settings panel where video codec, quality, bit rate, frame rate, resolution, aspect ratio, channel, audio codec, etc. are adjustable.
Step 3: Start to convert H.264 to AVI
Click the green “Convert” button to set an output directory on a pop-up sidebar, and click the other “Convert” button at the bottom of the sidebar to start to convert H.264 to AVI.
After the conversion process, you can find the AVI output file in the output directory you just set, and then you can play the file on AVI player in a smooth way. Enjoy!
Developers of multimedia players try to make their products universal so that they play as many formats as possible. Unfortunately, even the best and most famous multimedia players cannot cover the entire range of video formats, which are often qualitatively different from each other even when using the same extension. The biggest problems arise with special or proprietary formats that require special software or at least special codecs to play.
What is the H264 format and where is it used?
An example of such “difficult” formats is H264, developed by specialists from the ITU Video Coding Experts Group and used to save video to a file from outdoor surveillance cameras and car DVRs. In addition to recording a video stream, the H264 format is used to transmit video in mobile networks. The use of h264 in surveillance cameras is determined, first of all, by excellent data compression, which makes even long videos compact and of sufficient quality.
Thus, video compressed using the H.264 codec will take up almost half as much disk space as MPEG-4 of the same quality. This allows you to save Internet traffic and space on physical media, but the format also has its drawbacks, in particular, it is more demanding on the resources of the recording device than DivX or XviD. Another drawback is its proprietary nature. Even though the files have the same H264 extension, their encoding algorithm may differ depending on the device on which they were recorded.
Programs for viewing files in H264 format
A reasonable question arises - how to open the h264 file and what programs are needed for this. Relevant software usually comes with recording devices, but if you found the video on the Internet, you can try opening the h264 format using third-party players. Try it, because you can’t give a 100% guarantee that the video will open.
H264 video file player from the developer Shenzhen VStarcam Technology. The player is equipped with the simplest file manager, h264 to AVI converter, supports video rewinding, audio playback, fast viewing, still frame capture and printing. Among the shortcomings of the current version, it should be noted that images with different proportions than standard ones are displayed incorrectly; the image can be stretched vertically.
One of the most popular and powerful media players that can play most well-known multimedia formats, which include H264/AVC. It can open an h264 file from surveillance cameras, but not all models, but the player opens H264/AVC encoded video with the MP4 extension without any problems. VLC Player has a built-in converter that can help you convert videos to a more common format. If you cannot immediately open h264 in VLC, it is recommended to install the ffdshow tryouts, AC3Filter and Haali Media Splitter decoders.
Datakam Player
How else can you view the h264 file from the DVR? Search the Internet for a special application called Datakam Player, also known as Registrator Viewer. It is an alternative to players supplied with car recorders; it supports playback of video recorded using DATAKAM, DOD, ProCam, CamBox, Papago, Digma, xDevice, AdvoCam and many other devices. The player's capabilities include working with maps, video scaling and frame-by-frame viewing, searching and grouping files.
Desktop programs for converting H264 to AVI
If an H264 video needs to be posted on the Internet for free access, it is advisable to convert it to AVI or MP4 so as not to create viewing difficulties for users who have downloaded it. To do this, you can use the following converter programs.
A free converter designed to convert different formats between each other. The program is designed for converting videos into supported formats mobile devices, but can also be used for H264 conversion. Relatively simple, convenient, allows you to configure bitrate, FPS and other video parameters, supports distributed encoding using servers local network. To work, it requires installation of ffdshow tryouts, Haali Media Splitter, AVisynth program and the Net Framework component.
Powerful video converter with built-in codecs and wide support for multimedia formats, including H264. It has flexible settings, allows you to change the parameters of the converted video, add menus, subtitles and other elements. The program is simple to use - drag an H264 video into the “Source file” field, select your preferred format on the “Formats” tab and click the “Start” button.
Online H264 to AVI converters
You can also convert video recorded by a surveillance camera or DVR using online services. The method is convenient because it does not require installing third-party programs or additional codecs on your computer.
Online-Convert.com
A popular online file converter in RuNet. It cannot be said that it was designed to work only with video, but it supports the H264 format and this is the main thing. Conversion can be done with default settings or with edit elements. The service allows you to change the video size, its bitrate, and supports deletion audio track, cropping, rotation vertically and horizontally. It is also possible to select a codec. The output format can be selected from AVI, MKV, MOV, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, FLV and MPEG.
A service similar in functionality, which can also be used as an H264 to AVI converter online. Supports changing video size, bitrate and FPS, cropping and reverse. Besides AVI, downloaded videos can be converted to GIF, WMV, OGG, MOV, MKV, MP4 and WEBM.
Filezigzag.com
And finally, another good online converter with support for the H264 format. Can convert to AVI, 3G2, 3GP, FLV, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG, WEBM and WMV. The service differs from the two previous ones in less functionality and a slightly different sequence of actions. The conversion is performed in Filezigzag.com with default settings (they cannot be changed), to get the result you need to specify mailbox, albeit not working. The processed file is saved to local computer or to cloud storage.