Methods and apparatus are provided for encoding video, such as surveillance video. A video frame is encoded by evaluating a level of activity in video frame relative to one or more neighboring frames; encoding the video frame using an inter-coding technique if the evaluation satisfies one or more predefined inter-coding criteria, wherein said inter-coding technique is applied to said video frame without a Group of Picture structure having a maximum number of consecutive inter-coded frames; and encoding the video frame using an intra-coding technique if the evaluation satisfies one or more predefined intra-coding criteria. The evaluating step may comprise, for example, determining whether differences between the video frame and the one or more neighboring frames exceed a predefined threshold.