Introduction to the Hardware Decoding on Reolink App/Client

If you are not sure what is hardware decoding and when to use it, this article will explain more for you.

Applies to: All Reolink cameras and NVRs.

There are two ways to decode the video (display the picture to the mobile phone/computer): hardware decoding and software decoding.

Hardware decoding refers to the use of the mobile phone/computer's own decoding chip for analysis. This method decodes faster, consumes less CPU, and generates less heat. However, due to the decoding provided by the hardware, different mobile phones/computers may have compatibility problems.

Software decoding refers to the use of programming algorithms to parse out and display video data. This method decodes slower, the CPU consumption is higher, and generates more heat. When decoding higher-resolution videos, poorly performing mobile phones may not be able to decode the videos. But there is no compatibility problem with this decoding method.

You may want to know: 

How to Enable/Disable Hardware Decoding on Reolink Android App

How to Enable Hardware Decoding via Reolink Client (New Client)