End-to-end encryption means data is encrypted by the sender and decrypted only by the intended recipient, so intermediate systems that carry it cannot read it. For video, that usually means the camera or its app holds the keys. It protects content but can limit recording, analytics and vendor support.
Encryption is often described as if it were one thing. What matters is where the keys live and who is able to use them.
How the key path works
With end-to-end encryption, only the endpoints hold the keys that decrypt the payload. A server in the middle can route the traffic but not read it. In a camera system the endpoints might be the camera and a viewing app, which means a recorder in the path receives encrypted data.
Trade-offs for video systems
If a recorder cannot decrypt, it cannot record, index or analyze, so most surveillance platforms encrypt in transit and at rest rather than end to end. Where true end-to-end encryption is used, expect limits on shared viewing, analytics and support access, and plan evidence handling around them.