Why H.264 Felt Slower: Decoder Buffering and the Efficiency-Latency Trade-off

Modern video codecs like H.264 can dramatically reduce bandwidth, but their default settings may introduce latency penalties that aren't obvious without careful instrumentation. This case study reveals how encoder configuration ripples through decoder behavior in ways that developers often overlook. Understanding these hidden costs is essential for any application requiring responsive low-latency streaming, from remote development tools to cloud gaming platforms.