Reduce the cost of HD video surveillance bandwidth

HD footage doesn’t have to slow down the network and load storage in minutes. Some people think that video surveillance bandwidth will require a lot of memory expansion and network strengthening. Is this the truth?

Further, we will analyze four ways that will help reduce the costs of video surveillance bandwidth.

What is bandwidth?

The developers distinguish two types of bandwidth:

• incoming is the maximum flow of materials that the camcorder can process during the recording process;
• outgoing is the top stream that the network recorder can issue for playback of archived recordings.

Consequently, if we combine these two terms, it turns out that bandwidth is the ultimate level of information that is simultaneously processed, reproduced, and issued over the network by the recorder. Usually, the bandwidth of IP cameras is declared in the region of 10-16 Mb / s.

And how to choose the suitable device for your surveillance purposes, read our article: “Real-time cameras equipment selection”.

Four easy ways to reduce your bandwidth costs

To prevent HD video surveillance from costing you a pretty penny, select cameras in advance according to the following steps.

And in addition, read the articles:

1. TOP-8 ways to save money on video surveillance installation in 2021.
2. How to save money on home video surveillance.
3. A complete list of costs for home video surveillance.

Correct file compression format

If you need to increase the storage space, choose the h.264 compression format. It does not save each frame separately but forms the key one (I). As a result, the image is a sample-based aggregated video stream.

This reduces the cost of network bandwidth but does not sacrifice the quality and detail of the shooting.

Resolution selection

You don’t always have to choose the best. Buy a camera that meets your needs to a minimum. Why is that? Higher resolution eats up the bandwidth.

Of course, if you want a broad view with high image quality, you need a megapixel camera. But if you need to observe the entrance, it is not necessary to purchase a professional device.

Reducing the number of frames/sec

There are very few areas where high-frequency shooting at 50 fps is required. Usually, 7-10 fps is enough for standard security. This observation speed shows everything that is happening at the facility and does not overload the video stream.

Motion recording

A versatile way to conserve bandwidth is to configure HD surveillance cameras to respond only to events. For example, you set up monitoring at a warehouse to track unauthorized people’s penetration. Why then load the memory store with frames with no motion?

To not overload the bandwidth, let the camera start shooting only when something happens in the frame. This will significantly save cloud storage space.

Conclusion

It is possible to reduce the costs of CCTV surveillance systems without significant financial investments. It is enough only at the system design stage to think over all the nuances and calculate the required resolution, compression format, and camera principles.