To use NVIDIA encoding, it is necessary that a supported NVIDIA GPU is installed into the ibaCapture server PC. The support matrix can be found here https://developer.nvidia.com/video-encode-decode-gpu-support-matrix.

Important: Pay attention to the column "Max # of concurrent sessions" in the support matrix. If the value is 2, only 2 streams per system will be supported. This is also true if multiple NVIDIA GPUs are installed. Only GPUs from the Quadro series (value "Unrestricted") will allow more concurrent streams. For recording from GigE cameras in ibaCapture, one camera requires one stream.

So if you plan to record from more than 2 GigE cameras, it is necessary to install an appropriate GPU. Running ibaVision with video outputs via NVIDIA also counts into the number of sessions. In case you are not sure about your application, contact your local iba support for clarification.

Please note that when using an NVIDIA GPU, hardware accelerated Intel® Quick Sync Video encoding will be disabled. If a camera is configured to use Intel Quick Sync, ibaCapture Encoder will automatically switch to software-based Intel® Quick Sync Video encoding.

Device

GPU on which the encoding will be performed (in case multiple GPUs are installed)

Encoder preset

The NVIDIA encoder API provides different presets. Their names indicate their intended use. If a preset is not supported by the GPU, it reverts to the default preset.

Codec

ibaCapture supports H.264 and H.265 (or HEVC) encoding. The main benefit of H.265 encoding is a reduction of the required storage space compared to H.264 encoding. However, this comes at the cost of an increased demand for processing power (both during encoding and decoding). Select the encoding type in the dropdown menu:

  • H.264

  • HEVC (H.265) Device compatibility for HEVC can also be checked in the support matrix. (link at the top of this chapter).

GOP size

GOP (Group Of Pictures) defines the number of pictures after which a full picture, a so called keyframe will be stored. The pictures between the keyframes are derived from the previous keyframe, in between, only changes of the pictures are stored. With a high GOP, possible encoding errors exist longer, with a low GOP, the bitrate and hence the memory requirements of the video stream tend to grow. The default setting 30 is suitable for most of the cameras.

Bitrate control

  • VBR (Variable Bit Rate) With VBR, the bitrate is always set according to the complexity of the taken image. That means, that a high bandwidth is required for a high activity and a low bandwidth for low activity in the video.

  • CBR (Constant Bit Rate) If you select CBR, you can configure a fixed maximum bitrate and hence make sure that the demand for the bandwidth remains calculable. Thus, the maximum value will not be exceeded, no matter how much activity is in the video.

Bitrate

If VBR is configured for the bitrate control, you can configure here the average bitrate. If CBR is selected, you can configure the maximum bitrate here.