Subscriber Discussion

How You Usually Record Audio?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
May 31, 2016

Hi everyone.

I'm doing a little research and would like to know how usually you would expect the audio to be recorded in a VMS when the camera is set to be recorded by MOTION DETECTION.

Would you expect that the audio track is continuously recorded regardless of motion detection, but the video track is only recorded on motion, which means there will be many parts in the video that will have only audio (because of no motion)?

Would you expect that audio track is recorded only when motion is detected in the video track, which means audio and video are always "synced" as gaps without video motion will also not have audio?

Please consider only MOTION DETECTION and not recording by event.

Thanks!

U
Undisclosed #2
May 31, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Would you expect that audio track is recorded only when motion is detected in the video track, which means audio and video are always "synced" as gaps without video motion will also not have audio?

^this

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(1)
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #1
May 31, 2016

Thanks!!

John, do you also have any input on this?

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Brian Karas
May 31, 2016
IPVM

I think that in the current market a VMS is about video 100% of the time, and audio maybe 10% of the time, and in those cases the audio is always subservient to the video.

To answer your question, I would expect that any kind of recording only happens when there is video motion. Audio would then only be recorded when/if there was video motion to trigger the recording.

In most cases, motion-only recording is done to conserve bandwidth and storage. While audio streaming should have lower bitrates than video, it's not "free". Recording audio continuously would likely consume enough network and storage resources that the customer could have recorded a reduced resolution (~CIF to D1) stream at a low framerate/bitrate, which I feel they would often prefer over continuous audio recording if given the option.

The only time I could see a customer reasonably expecting continuous audio recording was if audio was a major function in the security implementation. For example, a gunshot detection system might want continuous audio recording, so that if there was a missed event the user could go back and review the audio and possibly work with the manufacturer to determine why the event wasn't captured. However, in your case you describe video as the trigger component, and therefore presumably the primary use of the system.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #3
Jun 01, 2016

Dear John,

I request to please share the metrics of the bandwidth occupied if Audio is on during video motion and without video motion. It may happen that the subjects are not in the video but their discussions or deliberations which might give to clue to incidents may be useful to for investigations. In such case what are the storage requirements to have the audio on with motion detection only.

U
Undisclosed #2
Jun 01, 2016
IPVMU Certified

It may happen that the subjects are not in the video but their discussions or deliberations which might give to clue to incidents may be useful to for investigations...

In the U.S. at least, recording such discussions would be most likely tricky legally unless those discussing were fully aware they were being recorded.

What is the scenario you have in mind?

EP
Eddie Perry
Jun 01, 2016

normally most modern cameras that have built in audio and if they are using H.264 encode it into one H.264 stream.

that being said how the VMS/NVR writes this data depends on the VMS/NVR. some have options to record audio as a separate stream or as part of the channel.

Some Cameras have "audio detection" which will tell the VMS/NVR to record the same way motion detection will.

It really depends on the type of cameras and VMS/NVR you are using.

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