What Is Video Encoding and Decoding? — Understanding How ITVDesk Streams Work

Introduction

If you’ve ever watched a video stream from your computer or camera inside a Video Management System (VMS), you’ve already relied on encoding and decoding — two essential processes that make modern video transmission possible.

In simple terms:

• Encoding is the process of converting raw video into a compressed digital format for efficient transmission.

• Decoding is the reverse process — converting that compressed stream back into viewable video.

What Is Video Encoding?

Video encoding (or video compression) transforms raw video data — captured by a screen, camera, or webcam — into a standardized format like H.264, H.265 (HEVC), or MJPEG.

This process reduces file size and bandwidth usage without significantly affecting image quality.
Encoding allows high-resolution video to be streamed smoothly over a network, even with limited bandwidth.

Example:
When ITVDesk captures your PC screen, it uses FFmpeg-based hardware-accelerated encoding (GPU, Intel QuickSync, or NVENC) to compress the video into a real-time RTSP/ONVIF stream that your VMS can understand.

What Is Video Decoding?

Decoding is the opposite of encoding.
It takes the compressed video stream (for example, an RTSP feed encoded in H.264) and decompresses it so it can be viewed on your screen.

Your VMS software, such as Milestone XProtect, performs this decoding to display live video and recordings.

So, while ITVDesk encodes, your VMS decodes — working together to create a complete real-time video workflow.

Why Encoding and Decoding Matter

The quality, speed, and stability of video transmission depend heavily on how efficiently encoding and decoding are handled.

Key factors include:

• 🎞️ Codec type (H.264, H.265, MJPEG)

• ⚙️ Bitrate control and compression level

• 🧠 Hardware acceleration (GPU vs. CPU encoding)

• 🔐 Transmission protocol (RTSP, RTSPS, SRTP, HTTPS)

ITVDesk optimizes all of these automatically to deliver:

• Smooth, low-latency video streams

• Minimal CPU usage

• Stable operation 24/7

• Full compatibility with ONVIF-compliant systems

Encoding & Decoding in ITVDesk

When you start a stream with ITVDesk:

1. The screen, camera, or audio source is captured in real time.

2. The raw frames are encoded using FFmpeg with your selected codec.

3. The encoded video is transmitted using RTSP / SRTP / RTSPS / RTSP-over-HTTPS.

4. Your VMS receives and decodes the stream for display and recording.

This approach is identical to how professional IP cameras work — meaning ITVDesk turns any PC into a virtual ONVIF IP camera.

Summary

Conclusion

Understanding encoding and decoding helps you optimize your video workflows and get the best performance from your surveillance systems.
With ITVDesk, both processes are handled efficiently, providing professional-grade video streaming that’s secure, reliable, and fully ONVIF-compatible.