A Quiet Revolution In Video Technology

InnovationA Quiet Revolution In Video TechnologyByFredrik Nilsson,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 18, 2026, 10:00am EDTFredrik Nilsson is Vice President of the Americas for Axis Communications, overseeing the company’s operations in North and South America. gettyEven as picture quality has improved and cameras have grown increasingly advanced, video compression technology has stayed more or less the same in the video surveillance industry for decades. The H.264 video codec has been the most common compression codec for nearly 20 years, with newer codecs like H.265 never achieving widespread adoption. H.264 has played an important role in security: Originally a popular consumer technology, H.264 made its way into the surveillance industry in 2008, accelerating the shift from analog to IP-based video. Organizations have relied on the codec for decades, and many have adopted an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, sticking with H.264 even as their video needs evolve.​That’s beginning to change, with a popular consumer technology once again making headway in the security industry. AV1 is replacing H.264 as the industry standard, emerging as the ideal codec to meet today’s video demands. Developed in 2018 by the Alliance for Open Media (AoM), AV1 is already being deployed at a massive scale by technology giants including Google, Netflix and Amazon. When you watch a video on YouTube, you’re engaging with AV1. When you binge a show on Netflix, you’re engaging with AV1 there, too. Once again, a codec commonly used by consumers is changing the landscape of video surveillance, expanding use cases and accelerating growth. ​Why Should You Care About Video Compression?​The advent of high-resolution video has pushed H.264 to its limits, and AV1 offers notable improvements specifically designed to meet moder...