What is the 264 file format?
Files with the .264 extension contain raw H.264/AVC video data, typically exported by CCTV cameras, IP cameras, NVRs, or DVR devices. .264 files can also be produced as an intermediate output by video ripping or conversion tools; in those cases the files are typically temporary. Data in a .264 file is encoded using the H.264/AVC codec (MPEG-4 Part 10).
A .264 file is a raw elementary stream - it contains no container wrapper, no audio track, and no timing metadata. Each NAL unit is preceded by a start-code prefix (00 00 00 01). Because there is no container, many media players refuse to open .264 files directly or play them at incorrect frame rates.
.264 files can be transcoded and multiplexed - that is, converted into more widely supported formats such as AVI or MKV. FFmpeg handles this with: ffmpeg -i input.264 -c:v copy output.mp4. Files with the .264 extension can also be opened directly on the recording device or by using software supplied with the device by the manufacturer. The format is functionally identical to .h264 - DVR and NVR firmware simply tends to use .264 as the file extension.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA raw .264 stream is inert video data, not executable, so it's safe to play and remux. Two practical notes: crafted streams have occasionally triggered decoder bugs, so keep VLC/ffmpeg updated; and because surveillance exports can be evidence, remux with '-c copy' (lossless) rather than re-encoding if you need to preserve the original frames. Online converters upload your footage to a third party - for CCTV/private video, remux locally with ffmpeg.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open 264 files
Windows2 apps
VLC media player
Open-source Drag the .264/.h264 onto VLC; if it won't play, set Preferences → Input/Codecs → Demuxers → 'H264 video demuxer'. 
FFmpeg
Open-source Remux losslessly: 'ffmpeg -i in.264 -c copy out.mp4' (add '-r 25' if there's no timing). Use out.mkv if MP4 errors. 
macOS2 apps
FFmpeg
Open-source 'ffmpeg -i in.264 -c copy out.mp4' wraps the stream in a container without re-encoding. 
Linux2 apps
Technical details
deep spec| Container type | Raw elementary stream - no container wrapper, no audio, no duration metadata |
| Codec | H.264/AVC (MPEG-4 Part 10 / ITU-T H.264) |
| MIME type | video/h264 |
| File magic (offset 0) | 00 00 00 01 (4-byte NAL start code) or 00 00 01 (3-byte variant) |
| First NAL unit sequence | SPS (0x67) → PPS (0x68) → IDR slice (0x65) → non-IDR slices (0x41) |
| Audio | None - video only; audio must be added separately when muxing into a container |
| Timing metadata | Absent - frame rate must be supplied externally at mux or playback time |
| Supported profiles | Baseline, Main, High (High Profile most common in modern DVR/NVR hardware) |
| Typical export frame rates | 15, 25, or 30 fps (standard DVR/NVR recording rates) |
| Equivalent extension | .h264 - identical bitstream; .264 is the convention used by DVR/NVR firmware |
| Common recording resolutions | 720p (1280×720) to 4K (3840×2160), depending on the recording device |
| Primary origin | CCTV cameras, IP cameras, DVRs, NVRs, and hardware H.264 encoders |
| Released | H.264/AVC standard finalized 2003 (ITU-T Rec. H.264 / ISO/IEC 14496-10) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.itu.int |
264 conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about 264 files.
