A 264 file contains video data captured by an IP or closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera and recorded on a DVR device. It stores video data that can only be played back with the software delivered with the camera.

You most likely will encounter 264 files if you own a camera for security purposes and are trying to view or edit the video. You may also acquire a 264 video file from a client if you are a legal professional working on a case where video evidence is provided. Since 264 files are often meant to store sensitive video, they are typically encoded in a proprietary format only supported by software developed by the camera manufacturer. In this case, there may be software packaged with the camera that can play video on 264 files or there may be software available to download from the website of the camera developer. NOTE: You may also be able to view a 264 video file with VideoLAN VLC media player if it is encoded with the H.264 compression codec. If you are able to open it with VLC media player you can convert it to a more widely supported format, such as .MP4 or .MOV.