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Camera Guide

Bullet Cameras

Outdoor/Indoor IMAX-BL720IR-B High Resolution Color Bullet Camera 3.6mm fixed lens

The term Bullet Camera comes from its resemblance to a rifle bullet. Generally long and tapered like a cylinder, it looks like an oversized ammo cartridge.

Most bullet cameras come with a fixed 3.6mm lens that allows a 90 degree angle of view. This is the widest angle you can have with minimal distortion of the picture. A 4mm lens will allow you to see facial features out to about 35 feet. If infrared is included you can generally see 35 feet minimum with no external lighting, some can see up to 70-250+ feet.

Some devices capture images in color which is best for daytime lighting. For nighttime viewing, its best to choose an infrared camera, which captures images in black and white at night which is better. Many of the products will display color during the day and automatically switch to black and white infrared viewing when light levels are low. Resolution levels for black and white are usually about 500-600 lines, any higher resolution and the benefits are minimal. For color, the higher resolution the better the picture.

Used in closed circuit television applications, bullet cameras contain essentially the same electronic components as pro box c-mount cameras but have been modified to fit in a weatherproof casing for outdoor use. You can see from the image that some models allow the housing to be removed for installation indoors. Mounting brackets are included with each item. They can be installed on the ceiling or the wall. Voltage is 12V DC.

PRO C-Mount Cameras

600TVL Lines Professional High Resolution DAY/NIGHT Box Camera

The advantage to a c-mount camera is that the lens can be changed. If you need to see further than 35 or 40 ft then you'll need a c-mount camera with a special lens. C-Mount lenses are available from 4mm to 100mm. A 4mm lens provides facial detail and a 70 degree angle of view focused up to about 35 ft. An example of where you might use a fixed 4mm lens is in a small office, or at home to focus on your driveway. Refer to our LENS CHART HERE

A higher millimeter lens will provide further distance, but narrows the field of view. So, a 16mm lens would provide about a 15 to 20 degree angle of view at a focus distance of about 35 ft (or a 70 degree angle of view at about 140 feet). In general, a 8mm lens is like a 4mm lens zoomed in 2 times. Similarly, a 16mm lens is like the 4mm lens zoomed in 4 times.

Many times, the best option is to use a varifocal lens. This will allow you to vary the focus from 5 to 50mm. So when you install the camera you can fine tune the focal distance and angle of view. An example of where you might use a varifocal lens is outside (or inside) a large commercial building where you need more distance than 35 ft. and the varifocal lens will allow you to adjust the focal distance to your preference.

If you want to use c-mount cameras outside, you must put them in an outdoor camera housing. See Outdoor Housings HERE

CCTV lenses are available in two different lens mounts. "C-mount" lenses have a flange back distance of 17.5mm; "CS-mount" lenses have a flange back distance of 12.5mm. The flange back distance is the distance from the flange of the lens (beginning of the lens mount) to the focal plane. All of the C-Mount cameras we sell can be adjusted for installation of a CS-Mount lens as well as a C-Mount lens. See Varifocal Lenses HERE

CCTV System Maintenance

Maintenance of your CCTV system is vital to ensure the effectiveness of your security camera system. The type of maintenance required varies depending on whether you have an analog video system or a digital video system.

The most common problem for analog systems is the degradation of the videotapes. All too often this problem isn't recognized until a problem occurs and the tape is unusable. When a videotape degrades the picture becomes grainy and blurry - this can make it impossible to make out important details.

The effective life of a videotape depends on the time-lapse speed of the VCR. A general rule of thumb is to take the number 2000 and divide that by the speed of the recorder. For example, if the recorder is set to tape in 96-hour mode, then the videotape will start to degrade after only 20 uses. And the VCR itself should be overhauled every 10,000 hours. This is precisely why many business owners are switching to digital video recorders (DVR) instead of VCRs.

Since digital video recorders have very few moving parts they require less maintenance than a VCR. Also when there is a problem with the DVR it is usually more evident. For example, the system will start crashing a lot or it will stop working altogether.

Cameras can go bad over time as well. But again, these problems are usually fairly evident. Periodically take the time to review all of your cameras and make sure that the picture on each one is crisp and clear.

Experts say that the biggest problem with many security camera systems is that they are not well enough designed to begin with. Many times a business owner is so concerned with cost that they cut corners on their camera installation. As a result there may not be enough cameras used or they might not be the right kind of cameras or lenses. Your camera system should cover all of the vulnerable or important areas of your site. Don't overextend the camera by using lenses with a field of view that is too wide. Test out your cameras and recording equipment to ensure that it is effective for identification - not just verification that someone is there. If nighttime or low light is an issue make sure your infrared cameras are up to the task.

Take few moments to ensure that your camera system is designed and working properly today - you'll be glad you did if you ever are in the situation to depend on it!

DVR - Digital Video Recorder - FAQ

Standalone DVRs

What features should I look for in a CCTV Digital Video Recorder (DVR)?

All DVRs are definitely not made equal!

There are several factors that are critical to consider when purchasing a DVR, especially when comparing price. The most important factors to look at are the number of cameras supported, RECORDING Resolution ( D1, CIF, QCIF ), frames per second (fps), compression technology, hard drive space, network connection / remote viewing capability, motion detection, scheduling, and ability to save video and audio to a CD/DVD or a flash drive. You should also look for easy and comprehensive search capabilities (check out our 'Smart Search' technology) and audio support. The setup and user interface should be intuitive and easy to operate. See DVR Comparison Chart HERE

What is frames per second?

The frames per second (fps) relates to how many pictures the DVR will record in a second. Real time recording is about 30 fps on each camera. To calculate the fps per camera take the total fps in the system and divide it by the number of video inputs. For example, a 60 fps digital video recorder with 4 video inputs would result in about 15 fps per camera. The technology has finally gotten to the point now where real time recording is affordable. If you are recording cash registers or something similar then you should definitely invest in real time recording.

How big a hard drive do I need?

The amount of hard drive space is very important because it will limit how many days of recording you can store before the system has to start recording over the oldest video. Each DVR will have its storage capacity listed in the specifications. But this calculation is just a rough estimate as there are many factors that affect hard drive use. The most critical factor being the compression format used by the DVR (for more info on compression formats click here). But also the type of cameras that are connected to the DVR make a difference (specifically the chip size and resolution) and also the features that are selected on the DVR. If you use the scheduling or motion detection features or tune down the frame rate that will extend the storage capacity of the unit. Even the field of view (what you are recording) will affect the storage capacity - the more complex the image, the more hard drive space it will take to capture the complexity. DVR Storage Calculator: Click Here

What is the difference between a PC-based DVR and an Embedded DVR?

A PC-based digital video recorder is basically a personal computer running Microsoft Windows that has been modified with hardware and software to work as a DVR. An embedded digital video recorder is a machine that has been manufactured specifically and designed specifically to work as a DVR Digital Video Recorder. In embedded DVRs there is typically one circuit board with software burned into the chip, in the event of a hard drive failure on a PC based DVR, your system will be down until you can get a new hard drive and re-install windows and the DVR recording software. In the event of a hard drive failure on an embedded Standalone DVR, the operating system OS is installed on the hardware chip on the motherboard itself which requires no software re-installation in the event of a hard drive failure. If the drive does fail in a standalone dvr, all you need to do is replace the hard drive and power back up the system, giving you a downtime of only a few minutes to power down the system to replace the hard drive.

There used to be significant differences in features between the PC-based and the embedded standalone machines. But with recent advancements in the embedded DVR technologies the differences has become more in favor of standalone embedded DVRs. The advantages of an embedded digital video recorder is that they are extremely stable and reliable since they contain fewer parts. The software is often written in basic machine code or Linux code which tends to be more stable than Windows software. The advantages of the PC-based digital video recorders is that they allow unlimited amount of users, vs our Intellipix DVRs which only allows a max connection of 10 simultaneous users. And you tend to have more features and options on the PC-based machines such as Advanced Video Analytics (Face Detection / People Counting / PTZ Tracking / Missing Object Detection / Unattended Objection Detection / LPR Car License Plate Recognition capabilities and Reporting). Our Geovision Line of DVRs are all capable of Advance Video Analytics. See Geovision DVRs here

How does a CCTV digital video recorder work?

A CCTV digital video recorder (or 'DVR' for short) is essentially a Linux server computer that saves security video images to a hard drive. Most security cameras in use today capture an analog picture. The DVR converts the analog signal to digital and then compresses it using various forms of compression such as H.264.

Many cameras can be connected to one DVR. DVRs generally come with 4, 8, 16, or 32 camera inputs. The DVR will allow you to view all of these images at once or one at a time, and all of the video is saved to the hard drive (s). Additional switches, quads, or multiplexers are not required since most DVRs now have these features built right in. We Highly recommend our HDMI 1080p Upconverting Bronze/Gold/Platinum line of DVRs. The up-converting technology up-converts any old analog signal into HD digital signal providing much cleaner and clearer picture.

An up-converting HDMI DVR is designed to do two things well to help enhance picture quality: De-interlace the incoming source (the analog camera) and scale the image "up" to the higher resolution of the TV. Explaining how de-interlacing works, let's just say that an interlaced image (the i in 480i or 1080i stands for interlaced) is made up of odd and even lines of pixels that are alternately scanned or painted onto your television screen. The problem is, most of today's TVs--including LCD and plasma--are progressive-scan displays, so things can get mixed up in the exchange from DVR to TV; those mix-ups are exhibited as little tears in the image (jagged edges or jaggies) and dancing pixels. A good up-converting HDMI DVR properly processes those images and creates a smoother picture that can look sharper on your TV.

Are security digital video recorders hard to install?

Not at all. You simply plug the cameras into the back of the unit. For the PC-based: Plug in the power, monitor, keyboard and mouse - just like a regular computer. You will receive instructions on how to set up the machine with your shipment.

What comes with the DVR?

Most of our DVRs come standard with an 500 gig hard drive (unless otherwise noted). They also include the software (for setup, local, and remote viewing),mouse, remote control, power cord, and documentation. PC-based machines also come with the mouse and keyboard. You just need to add the cameras, whatever cable you need, and a monitor. For embedded machines you can use a TV set or security monitor. For PC-based machines you need a standard computer monitor. Also, we have on-site technical support available at no additional cost.

What is 'Smart Search'?

Our PC-based DVRs come standard with smart search capability. This allows you to highlight one area of a captured image and look for changes just to that area. For example, if an item is stolen off of a counter... you can go to a moment in the video where the item is still on the counter, then highlight the area around the item and search automatically through the video for the moment in time when that particular area changes, that is precisely when the item is removed and then view that part of the video. Pretty slick!

Dome Cameras

600 TVL, SONY 1/3" Super HAD II CCD, SONY Effio-E DSP, 35 pcs IR LED, 4-9mm vari-focus lens, Indoor & Outdoor application, White color aluminum housing, DC 12V input, Vandal proof

The dome camera is obviously named for its dome shape. Everyone has seen these security cameras in businesses and stores. Because of its shape, its difficult to tell exactly where the camera is aiming unless you see it up close. Dome cameras are generally used inside buildings, although the armor domes can be used outside as well (more about the armor dome below). You can mount them on the ceiling or on a wall. They are available in black and white (b/w) and color, and the basic unit has good video resolution (400 lines for b/w, 380 for color).

Security Cameras

Which type of Security Camera should I use?

A security camera can come in many different styles including dome, bullet, infrared and c-mount. The security camera that will work best for your application will depend on several factors such as whether you will use the security cameras inside or out, during the day, nighttime, or both.

Bullet style security cameras are the most popular. They can be used inside or out. These security cameras come in black and white or color and come with all of the required mounting hardware. The security camera casings are weather resistant and don't require added external protection. Most security cameras have a fixed 4mm lens that allows you to see facial features out to about 35 feet and provides a 70 degree angle of view. This is the widest angle you can have without distorting the picture. Click here for more information about bullet security cameras.

Resolution levels for black and white security cameras are about 400 lines, any higher and the benefits are minimal. For color cameras, the higher the resolution the better.

Infrared security cameras are also very popular as they allow an image to be seen in little or no lighting conditions. Most infrared security cameras are bullet style and can be used inside or out. The cameras have infrared lighting installed around the outer edge of the lens which allows the security camera to see in no light for up to 25 feet - even further with a little bit of light (like street lighting or an outside light.) Click here for more information about infrared security cameras.

A relatively new type of security camera to the market is the day / night security camera. These types of security cameras have an extra sensitive imaging chip which allows it to capture a good picture in low light situations without using infrared leds. This is especially handy in outdoor applications because infrared security cameras do not do well in outdoor housings. Unless the infrared security camera is installed flush up to the glass of the housing, the infrared lights can reflect off of the glass of the housing which degrades the image.

The advantage to c-mount security cameras is that the lens can be changed. You'll want a special camera lens if you need to see further than 35 ft. The color c-mount security camera allows you to change lenses on the camera giving you the ability to zoom into a particular area. Varifocal camera lenses allow you to adjust the focus from 5 to 50 mm. These lenses can be used inside only unless you put it in special housing for outdoor use. Click here for more details about C-Mount security cameras or Security Camera Lenses.

Dome security cameras basically provide a different look. Also, if you have any concerns about tampering, check out our Infrared Armor Dome Security Camera. It will withstand a 10 lb sledgehammer blow and can be used inside or out, daytime or nighttime. Click here for more facts about dome security cameras.

Security Camera Cable and Wiring FAQ

Cable Diagram using Plug/Play Kits and cables

There are two basic approaches to hooking up security cameras and digital video recorders (DVRs). You can use Plug and Play cable or RG59 Siamese cable.

Using Plug and Play Cable

The advantage of plug and play cable is that it is very easy to use. The connectors for power, video and audio are all pre-attached. All you need to decide is what length of cable you need. The downside to plug and play cable is that it is not heavily shielded so you can get interference on the line if run over long distances. Its recommended that you do not go over 150 feet with plug and play cable and even shorter distances if florescent lighting is used at the installation site.

The video and audio connections on the plug and play cables are RCA male (this is typical). All of the DVRs and cameras on our site have BNC male connections. Therefore, when using plug and play cables with our cameras and DVRs you will also need to use our RCA to BNC connectors. If you purchase cameras or DVRs and plug and play cable from us we will do our best to make sure you have the required connectors in your order.

Note: If using the plug and play cable to connect directly to a TV you probably wont need any connectors as most TVs provide a simple RCA (female) input so the cable can plug directly into it.

Using RG59 Siamese Cable

RG59 Siamese cable is a heavily shielded cable which contains both the video (COAX) cable and the power cable (18 gauge 2 conductor) in one jacket. The advantages to using this cable is that its more durable, and you can run it long distances without interference. Also, you can cut each camera run for the exact length that you need. The disadvantages are that it doesn't contain an audio cable (so you have to run that separate if you need it) and its a little more involved to use.

We have 500 ft. rolls and 1000 ft. rolls of RG59 Siamese available (click for details).

The diagram is an overview of the process required to use RG59 cable for camera installations.

Step 1:

Use a stripping tool to strip the shielding from the coax part of the cable. You can order a good quality stripping tool here. In order for the connector to go on smoothly you will want about 3/4" of the center conductor showing and about the same amount of the copper wire braid showing (see figure 2).

Step 2:

Make sure that none of the strands of copper wire braid touches the middle conductor wire when you twist on the BNC connector. If they accidentally touch, this will not damage the camera but can result in a black (shorted out) image from the camera.

Step 3:

Twist on the BNC Connector onto the wire until it is snug. You will repeat Steps 1 - 3 for the DVR end of the COAX cable as well as the camera end (see figure 5).

Step 4:

Cut the wire on the camera power supply about 6 to 12 inches from the camera connector. Strip back the wire (on both parts) 1/2 inch or so to expose the white (positive) and black (ground) wires.

Step 5:

Using wire nuts, connect the white wire of the power supply to the red wire of the RG59 2 conductor, and the black (ground) wire of the power supply to the black wire of the 2 conductor.

On the camera end, a preferred method is to use a 2.1mm pigtail connector. This provides a cleaner connection on the camera end. You simply use pliers to crimp down the power wires to the connector, and the other end plugs into the camera.

On the DVR end (the power strip or box is usually installed near the DVR), a preferred method is to use one of our professional power boxes. The 2 conductor power wires from the RG59 will connect directly to the power box. This method is recommended because the installation is cleaner and more robust.

Security Camera Lens

Which Security Camera Lens Should I Use?

How far you need to see will determine what security camera lens you should use to best fit your application. A 4mm lens will give a 70 degree angle of view with 35 feet of facial detail. This works great for residential or small office security camera applications. If you need to see further you would go with a higher powered lens. Keep in mind that the further you want to see will narrow the field of view of your picture.

A rule of thumb is that a 8mm lens is like a 4mm lens zoomed in 2 times. Similarly, a 16mm lens is like the 4mm lens zoomed in 4 times. For example, a 16mm lens would give you about a 15 degree angle of view focused at 35 ft.

[Click here to view our Lens Chart]

What If I Do Not Know Exactly How Far I Need To See?

Instead of going with a fixed focus lens you can go with a varifocal lens. With a simple adjustment you can manually zoom in or zoom out and focus the camera to the exact distance needed to get a clear picture. Varifocal lenses come in all different sizes: (3.5-8mm; 9-22mm; and 5-50mm) just to name a few. This is the best option for large commercial applications because you can adjust the focal distance to what works just right.

What is a PTZ camera?

A Pan Tilt Zoom camera (PTZ) allows you to pan (back and forth), tilt (up and down), and zoom (focus in and out) your camera remotely. The PTZ is controlled using a remote PTZ controller or you can control it through most DVRs (look for PTZ support). The disadvantages of a PTZ camera is that they are very expensive (usually around $1000 without the controller). And all the moving parts make it susceptible to wear and breakdown. There are some new digital versions of PTZ cameras just coming on the market that have no mechanical parts. These PTZs are very promising but are still a little too expensive to be practical for most uses. PTZ cameras require a data cable to be run to the camera in addition to the video and power cables. Unless you have a person who is watching the scene and adjusting the field of view of the camera based on what's going on its not as useful. Most times you are better off buying more of the non-PTZ cameras to continuously cover the area rather than a PTZ.

What is the difference between no iris and auto iris?

The iris controls how much light is let into the camera lens. In the old days, cameras came with no iris control. If you needed to control the light levels you would have to purchase a special lens. Nowadays, most cameras come with automatic shutters which perform the same function as the iris - controlling how much light is let into the camera. Unless you have an application with extreme light levels (like at a beach) you probably won't need a special lens with iris control.

Video Compression and Transmission Terms

Term	Definition
bandwidth	Its popular meaning refers to the amount of data that can be transmitted per second over a wire or network. When it comes to video surveillance applications you need a high amount of bandwidth to transmit the large files. For remote viewing, 56K modems will not work well. DHL is OK, and cable modems or T1s (or better) are best. And you also want the best video compression you can afford to make the files as small as possible.
CIF	Common Intermediate Format - a set of resolution standards used in video applications, defined as follows: FCIF = 352 x 288 ('Full CIF' or just 'CIF') QCIF = 176 x 144 ('Quarter CIF') SQCIF = 128 x 96 ('Sub-quarter CIF') 4CIF = 704 x 576 ('4 times CIF')
CODEC (aka "Code-Decode" or "Compression-Decompression")	A term referring to any technology used to compress and decompress large files such as audio and video files for efficient data transfer.
compression standard (or compression algorithm)	A standard approach or 'formula' for compressing (and decompressing) data (in our case, video and audio data). There are many standard image or video compression algorithms available today (many are described below) and new ones come out each year.
D1	D1 is a video resolution standard. In NTSC it is 720 x 480 pixels. Its affect on video compression and transmission is due to the fact that the excellent resolution of a D1 image produces larger files to be compressed and transferred.
H.264 Compression (aka MPEG4+ or MPEG4-Part 10 or AVC (Advanced Video Coding))	The latest MPEG4 compression technology, released in 2003. H.264 provides excellent video compression. You get the same quality image as MPEG4 even at the higher resolutions like full screen D1.
ISO (aka International Organization for Standardization)	ISO is an international organization founded in 1946 that organized and reviews standards worldwide. Their members such as ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) create the standards and they review them for completeness and other criteria. ISO is not an acronym; the name derives from the Greek word iso, which means equal.
lossy compression	Sometimes a compression algorithm will lose some detail of the original image in its compression of that image. An algorithm that loses some detail of the original image is called a 'lossy compression' algorithm. JPEG, for example, is considered to be a 'lossy' compression.
NTSC	National Television Standards Committee - the analog video representation standard used in the US and South America. Compare to PAL.
PAL	Phase Alternating Line - the analog video representation standard used in Australia, and most of Europe and Asia. Compare to NTSC.
JPEG compression (aka Joint Photographic Experts Group)	A standard format for image compression (defined by the group who gave it its name) It was first introduced around 1986 and is a very common image format used on the web. JPEG is only used for photo (single frame) images (not video). JPEG is a 'lossy' image format - some of the detail of the image may be lost in its compression.
MPEG compression (aka M-JPEG or "Moving Picture Experts Group")	A standard format for video compression first introduced around 1988. MPEG achieves high compression rate by storing only the changes from one frame to another, instead of each entire frame. Although MPEG is lossy compression, the loss of image detail is generally imperceptible to the human eye except at the highest resolutions. MPEG has gone through several revisions as follows: MPEG or MPEG-1 - The original MPEG, produces image quality similar to a conventional VCR MPEG-2 - used in DVDs MPEG-3 - there wasn't one MPEG-4 - combines MPEG-2 and Apple's QuickTime technology (see below for more details)
MPEG4 compression (aka MPEG-4 or H.263)	MPEG4 was standardized in 1998 by the ISO and combines MPEG-2 and Apple's QuickTime technology. This resulted in a nice clear picture but also compressed much better than previous technologies.
MPEG4+ compression (aka H.264)	The latest MPEG4 video compression technology. See H.264 compression for more information.
proprietary compression algorithm	This refers to a compression algorithm that does not follow one of the compression standards such as MPEG4. Many times a proprietary algorithm will follow a standard mostly but then tweak it in some specific way. The result may be a better (more efficient or better quality) compression but the downside is that since it uses a proprietary formula it may not be compatible with other products. Many DVRs and IP systems will use a proprietary algorithm within their product (for example to store the images to the hard drive) but provide interfaces in standard formats to communicate with other systems (for example when backing up a particular video event to a DVD).
Resolution (or Resolution Standard)	Resolution is a measurement of the quality or level of detail of an image. Usually expressed in terms of pixels, dots, or lines per inch. CIF and D1 are examples of some standard resolutions. The higher the resolution is, the greater the detail and number of pixels in the image will be, and also the larger the resulting video file will be.
Run Length Encoding (RLE)	This is a very simple form of data compression in which sequences of the same data value which occurs in many consecutive data elements are stored as a single data value and count, rather than as the original sequence.

Remote Video Surveillance

With the Optiview DVR there are two ways to perform remote video surveillance.

The DVR Client is a Windows based program (installed on a remote computer) that is designed for administrators to do everything they need to do to manage the DVR system including checking the system status, searching the stored data, and even changing the user settings and the recording schedule. This is a huge step forward from the days when an administrator had to physically sit in front of the specific computer that the DVR was installed on to perform these functions.

The second way to view the cameras remotely is through an internet browser such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer. This approach is designed for other users of the system - who just want to see what is going on in real-time at the site but don't need to perform administrative functions on the system. To access this view simply type in the ip address into your internet browser, for example http://208.57.226.47. This browser approach does not require any specific software on the client's machine however since it uses an ActiveX control that is not yet a certified application program (see info on certification at http://www.thawte.com) you must have your Security Settings set to enable this type of ActiveX control.

Both of these options allow you to connect to your cameras via internet or modem. However, if you want to connect remotely via modem you must set up your DVR system specifically for modem and similarly for access via internet. It is strongly recommended that you connect via internet - specifically using a high speed connection such as DSL or cable modem.

When you set up your DVR system for remote connection over the internet - you must be sure to get a static IP address and it must not be behind a firewall. In some cases more than one computer are attached to one Internet connection. In this case you would need to contact whoever supports your router or cable modem, and let them know that you need to have one of the computers directly on the Internet. Typically this is done by a setting in the router.

There are several items to consider in your setup of the cameras to make the best use of the disk and data transmission resources (called bandwidth). In general, the better the quality of the captured image, the larger the file size will be - so it will take up more disk space to store and take longer to transmit remotely. You need to find the best balance between quality of the image and size of the image file that works for you.

Disable any cameras that you are not using. For example, if you have a 16 camera system but you only have 10 cameras connected to it, make sure the 6 camera inputs that are unused are disabled.
For each camera, set the Camera Resolution. Currently your choices are 320 by 240 or 640 by 480. We recommend setting it at 320*240, since setting it at 640*480 will more than double the space requirements for recording video.
For each camera, choose the Compression recording format (jpeg or mpeg), and change the compression rate. (Positioning the knob left will reduce both the image size and picture quality). When recorded in mpeg format the files cannot be played in reverse while searching. However, we highly recommend using the mpeg format to save space.
For each camera, choose the transmission format (jpeg or mpeg) and compression rate for the images transmitted on the network. Mpeg files are smaller and faster on a network. Jpeg files are larger but are better quality.

When it comes to conserving resources, motion-detection should also be mentioned. Each camera can be set up to only store images when motion is detected in the image. This keeps you from storing hours of video of the same thing, for example, when a store is closed at night. Keep in mind that you can still view the cameras in real-time - its just that the images are not being stored on the hard drive (and cannot be played back). Motion detection is a great feature and can save tons of disk space. This doesn't affect the performance of remote viewing except when you are remotely searching through historical video - it can save lots of bandwidth (and time!) because you only transmit the parts of video that contain movement.

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