diff --git a/homeassistant/components/homekit/const.py b/homeassistant/components/homekit/const.py
index f660af9bba8ad0..7da73d4ebed9a1 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/homekit/const.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/homekit/const.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 CONF_SUPPORT_AUDIO = "support_audio"
 CONF_VIDEO_MAP = "video_map"
 CONF_VIDEO_PACKET_SIZE = "video_packet_size"
+CONF_VIDEO_CODEC = "video_codec"
 
 # #### Config Defaults ####
 DEFAULT_AUDIO_MAP = "0:a:0"
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@
 DEFAULT_ZEROCONF_DEFAULT_INTERFACE = False
 DEFAULT_VIDEO_MAP = "0:v:0"
 DEFAULT_VIDEO_PACKET_SIZE = 1316
+DEFAULT_VIDEO_CODEC = "libx264"
 
 # #### Features ####
 FEATURE_ON_OFF = "on_off"
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/homekit/type_cameras.py b/homeassistant/components/homekit/type_cameras.py
index e40f03d932e1e6..6486108f480fc1 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/homekit/type_cameras.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/homekit/type_cameras.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
     CONF_STREAM_ADDRESS,
     CONF_STREAM_SOURCE,
     CONF_SUPPORT_AUDIO,
+    CONF_VIDEO_CODEC,
     CONF_VIDEO_MAP,
     CONF_VIDEO_PACKET_SIZE,
 )
@@ -33,7 +34,9 @@
 
 VIDEO_OUTPUT = (
     "-map {v_map} -an "
-    "-c:v libx264 -profile:v {v_profile} -tune zerolatency -pix_fmt yuv420p "
+    "-c:v {v_codec} "
+    "{v_profile}"
+    "-tune zerolatency -pix_fmt yuv420p "
     "-r {fps} "
     "-b:v {v_max_bitrate}k -bufsize {v_bufsize}k -maxrate {v_max_bitrate}k "
     "-payload_type 99 "
@@ -171,15 +174,23 @@ async def start_stream(self, session_info, stream_config):
             return False
         if "-i " not in input_source:
             input_source = "-i " + input_source
+        video_profile = ""
+        if self.config[CONF_VIDEO_CODEC] != "copy":
+            video_profile = (
+                "-profile:v "
+                + VIDEO_PROFILE_NAMES[
+                    int.from_bytes(stream_config["v_profile_id"], byteorder="big")
+                ]
+                + " "
+            )
         output_vars = stream_config.copy()
         output_vars.update(
             {
-                "v_profile": VIDEO_PROFILE_NAMES[
-                    int.from_bytes(stream_config["v_profile_id"], byteorder="big")
-                ],
+                "v_profile": video_profile,
                 "v_bufsize": stream_config["v_max_bitrate"] * 2,
                 "v_map": self.config[CONF_VIDEO_MAP],
                 "v_pkt_size": self.config[CONF_VIDEO_PACKET_SIZE],
+                "v_codec": self.config[CONF_VIDEO_CODEC],
                 "a_bufsize": stream_config["a_max_bitrate"] * 2,
                 "a_map": self.config[CONF_AUDIO_MAP],
                 "a_pkt_size": self.config[CONF_AUDIO_PACKET_SIZE],
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/homekit/util.py b/homeassistant/components/homekit/util.py
index 20053b2507c023..da836eb74ae08e 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/homekit/util.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/homekit/util.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     CONF_STREAM_ADDRESS,
     CONF_STREAM_SOURCE,
     CONF_SUPPORT_AUDIO,
+    CONF_VIDEO_CODEC,
     CONF_VIDEO_MAP,
     CONF_VIDEO_PACKET_SIZE,
     DEFAULT_AUDIO_MAP,
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@
     DEFAULT_MAX_FPS,
     DEFAULT_MAX_HEIGHT,
     DEFAULT_MAX_WIDTH,
+    DEFAULT_VIDEO_CODEC,
     DEFAULT_VIDEO_MAP,
     DEFAULT_VIDEO_PACKET_SIZE,
     DOMAIN,
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@
         vol.Optional(CONF_MAX_FPS, default=DEFAULT_MAX_FPS): cv.positive_int,
         vol.Optional(CONF_AUDIO_MAP, default=DEFAULT_AUDIO_MAP): cv.string,
         vol.Optional(CONF_VIDEO_MAP, default=DEFAULT_VIDEO_MAP): cv.string,
+        vol.Optional(CONF_VIDEO_CODEC, default=DEFAULT_VIDEO_CODEC): cv.string,
         vol.Optional(
             CONF_AUDIO_PACKET_SIZE, default=DEFAULT_AUDIO_PACKET_SIZE
         ): cv.positive_int,