In fact I have tried to make several encoding changes within smart pss and it has caused all sorts of trouble. They were always changes to reduce data but the NVR didn't like it and the image turned black or smart pss would get a stream time out error.
1. I highly recommend going with the default camera settings (video>default) within the camera web browser menu. Adjust any other values having to do with exposure or backlighting control. Then DO NOT TOUCH any camera settings from the remote apps or smart pss. This took me countless wasted hours to realize it was causing tons of issues. You can easily log into each camera's web browser by plugging your macbook into the back of the NVR and into an open camera port. That way the camera is powered through POE and you don't have to unplug wires over and over.
2. DO NOT EVEN TRY TO USE IDMSS LITE OR PLUS apps for the IPhone. They work and then they don't and then they crash constantly. They must have given up supporting them. The reviews are terrible and they don't work for me. There is a n
ew app Easy4Ip that works significantly better. If the app is crashing (even the easyip) then you need to make sure your camera sub stream is back to the default. If you adjust it in anyway up or down or vbr vs. cbr the app can't handle loading the stream and it will crash the whole app. Which is a huge pain bc you could have one bad camera stream that takes down the entire app and you cant see the other 3 cameras.