H264 tends to be better when you need a lot of bitrate
We have got to find a way to definitively end this forever debate.H265 should be be better video with the same bitrate,
But not running "Maximum" quality/bitrate will save you even more!Based on my testing with Viofo dash cams the "secret" unapproved, unofficial, unlicensed, patent infringing HEVC H.265 Codec saves 15% more recorded video footage to the SD Card.
My claim of the 15% improvement was with the WM1 & A139 Pro.Note that this is about the A129 some years ago, it is possible that the H265 codec has improved in the recent cameras, maybe time for a careful reanalysis.
I will keep it down to a loud whisper. lolKeep H265 quiet, I don't want it getting removed haha
I currently have the following Viofo cameras to test this on;
2019 A129 Pro
2020 A129 Plus
2022 A119 Mini
2022 A229
2022 A139 Pro
2023 WM1
2023 A119 Mini 2
I suggest you limit your testing to the A229 Pro, the answer is going to be very similar for all the recent cameras, so it is not worth the effort of testing all of them, the older cameras may be using an inferior codec so may have some differences.I’m having second thoughts about committing hours of testing to have the results washed away by Viofo “deleting” H.265 in certain, or all models with a future firmware update.
The last time I research the benefits of H.265 my takeaway was the two groups the benefit the most from using it was;Easier just to say that H265 does not give noticeable improvements for moving dashcam footage when used at the same bitrate, and if your aim is to reduce the bitrate and thus save space/increase recording time, just change the quality/bitrate setting instead, not the codec setting.
On my FW mod for A229 Duo for H265 codec bitrate is same as for H264 codec.It is very difficult to do a proper test, since you should compare the codecs at the same bitrate to understand what is happening, but when you switch to H265, all the cameras reduce the bitrate