Testing Bandwidth vs. Frame Rate

Author: IPVM Team, Published on Jan 23, 2019

Selecting frame rate has a major impact on surveillance bandwidth and storage consumption. But with smart codecs now common and cameras more efficient than ever, what is the "right" frame rate?

In this report, we tested 10 cameras from 3 manufacturers, testing framerates ranging from 1-30 FPS, with smart codecs on and off, using H.265 and H.264, in multiple varying complexity scenes.

Inside, we give our key findings and two key recommendations for optimizing surveillance framerates.

free image

************** ******* * ***** ****** ** ************ ********* *** ******* ***********. But ********* ********* ****** *** ******* **** ********* **** ****, **** ** the "*****" ***** ****?

** **** ******, ** ****** ** ******* **** * *************, testing ********** ******* **** *-** ***, **** ***** ****** ** and ***, ***** *.*** *** *.***, ** ******** ******* ********** scenes.

******, ** **** *** *** ******** *** *** *** *************** for ********** ************ **********.

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Key ********

***** *** ******* *** ********* **** *** *****:

  • **% ******* ******** **** *** ***** **** (*-* ***) ** average (**-** ***):** *******, ****** **** *** ***** **** ** **-** *** (******* ** ************) ******** ** * ~**% ******** **** ***** ***** ******, and ~**% *******, **** **** ********** ********* *****.
  • ****** ******** (~**%) **** ******* ***** **** ** ****:******** ********* **** ************* **** ****** **** **-** *** ** 30 ***, ***** **% **** ***** ****** *******, *** ******** higher (~**%) **** **** ********.
  • ***** ****** ************* ****** ******* ** *** ***** *****:***** ****** ******* ******** ************* **** *** ** ***** ** all *** ****** ******, ************* ~**% ** *** ******** ******* scenes *** **-**% ** **** ******* **** ******** ***** *****, consistent **** *** **** *****.
  • ***** ****** ****** ********* **** ****** ***** *****:** **** *** *** ***** ******, ** *** ***********, ***** codecs ******** *** ******* ********* **** **** ********** ***** ****.
  • *.*** ****** ********* ** *.***:** *** *****, *.*** ****** ******** ****** ************* ********* ** H.264, **** ***** ****** **** ** *** ***, ****** ******** were ******* ***** ** **-**%.
  • ** ******** ***** ** **** ***** *****:**/*** ****** ******** ********* **** ******* **** ***** *** *** cameras ** **** ******** ******, **** **** ******** ******* **** 1 ** ** ***, ***** ***** *********** ********* ** ~**-**%.

***** ** ***** ********, ** ******* *** *** ***************:

Recommendation *: *** ***** ******

*** ** ***** *********** ******** ** *** ***** ***** ******, we ********* **** ***** ********* ****** ***** ***** *** ***** codecs ******** ********. *** **** ** **** ******* ******* ***** bitrates ****** *** ***** ***** (~**-**% ***/*** ****** *** ~**% night/high ******), *** **** ****** *** ****** ** ********* ********, as ****. *** *******, ********** ***** **** **** * *** to **-** ******* ** * ~**% ******** ***** ***** ******, but **** **% *******.

Recommendation *: **-** *** ******* *** **** ************

***** ** ***** *****, **-** *** ** *********** *** "***** spot" ** *** ******** ******* ***** **** *** *********. ****** to **-** *** **** *-* *** ********* ******** ** ***** 10-15% **** ***** ***** ****** (**-**% *******) ******** ** *-* FPS. ** ********, ****** **** **-** *** ** ** *** is * **** **** ******* ********, ~**-**%, ****** ** * much **** ********* ******** *** *** ******* ***** ********** ****** provide ** **** ************.

30 ***: +**% ******* *** +***% ******

*******, **** **** ***** ** *** ******** ~**% **** ********* than **-** ***, **** ***** *** **** **** * ********** trade *** *** ***% **** ******, ** ***% **. ** FPS. **** *** ** **** ****** ** ************ **** **** movement, **** ** **** ************* ** **** ******** ***** ***** even ** ** ** *** *** **** ****** ********* ** for ***** **** ****** ******* ******* *** ****** **** ** capture *** **** ****** ****** ********.

Note: *** * ********

**** **** ******* ** **** **** **** **** ** ****** trends ** ***** **** ***************. ******** ***************** ************ ************, ****** ** **** *** ***** ******** ****** ***** models. ******* ** ****, ******* ****** *** *** ***** ************ to ******* ** ******* ******* ******** ******* ** ***********. ** plan ** ******* ************ ******* ** **** ******* ** ******* scenarios ** *** ****** ****** ** ****** **** ********.

Low ****** *******

** ******* *** ***** ** * ****** ******* ******** *****, with *** ******, *** ****** ***** **** **** * ** 30 *** ** **** ******.

**** ***** ***** ******, ******** ********* ** ******* ** ~**% when ******** **** * *** ** **-** ***, **** ******* for ************. ** ********, ********** **** ** *** ** ** FPS ********* ******** ** ~**%, * **** *********** ******.

**** **** ***** *** *** ***/** *********** ****** ****** ********* in **** *****, ***** ******* ****** ** ******** **** ******** from *-** ***, **** * **** ******* **** ** ** FPS.

low activity day comparison smart codec

********* ******* ***** ****** ******* **** ******, ~**% **** ******** from * ** ** ***. ** ***** *******, ******* ********* faster ** ****** *** ********, **** ******* ********* **** ****** from * ** * ** ** ***, ******* ** **** smart ****** **** *******. **** *******, ** ****** ***********, ******** increased ****** ** ***** ********, **** * ** * *** the ******* ********** ********.

low activity day comparison no smart codec

Note: **** ***** ****** ***** **** ** ****

**** **** ** **** *******, ***** ****** ******** ** ***** down/not **** **** ***** * *** ***** *****, **** ******** much ****** **** ***** ********. *** *******, ** ************ **-**********-*, ******** **** ******** ******* ** * *** **** ***** codecs *******.

smart codec bitrate higher at 1 fps

*******, ******* ** * ****** ********, ** ******* **** ******* GOP *** ******** **** *** ****** *** *** ** * FPS **** *.***+ ****** **, ***** ** ***** ***** ***** it ****** ** ~** *******.

High ********** *********

** *** *** ******** ********* ** **** ******* ******, ** tested ** * **** ***** (~*.* ***) **** ** **, with ***** ****** ****** ********** *** *****.

***** ****** **** ******* **** ********* ** *****, **** ******** ~20% ***** **** ***-***** ***** *********, **** **** *** ~**% reductions **** ** *** ******* ***** *****.

**** ******* ** **** *****, ***/** ****** ******** ********* **** more ******* **** *** ** ***** ******* **** ********** *******. While ***** ***** ***** *** *** ******* ********* **** ~**% on ******* **** ****** **** * ** ** ******** ** ** ***, ******* ******** ** ***/** ******* **** than ****** **** ******** **** * ** ** ***, *** increase ** **** **% **** ****** **** ** ** ** FPS.

high activity night comparison

*** **** *** **** **** ***** ****** ********. ***** *** 4MP ******* **** ********* ********, *** **** **** ******, ***** 8MP/4K ****** ******** **** **** ******. **** **** *****/*** ********* were **** *********** **** **** ***** ****** *******, ~**-**% **** moving **** *-** *** (**. ~**%) *** **-**% **** ******** from ** ** ** *** (**** **. ~**%)

high activity night comparison 0 1lx

H.265 ****** ********* ** *.***

****** *** ****** ******, *.*** ****** ********* ** *.***, **** moderately ***** ******* ********. ***** *.*** ****** **** ******, ****** because ***** ****** *** *********, *** ****** ******** ******* *******.

*** *******, ** *** ********* **** ********** *****, **** *.*** and *.*** ******* ******* ** ******* *****. *.*** ******** ******** about **% ***** ** **** *****.

h 265 scales similary to h 264

**** *** **** ** *** ****** ******, *******, *********, **** and ******* ***** ******.

Cameras ******

*** ********* ******* **** **** ** **** ****:

  • **** *****-*** ** **
  • **** *****-***
  • **** *****-***
  • **** *****-*** ** **
  • ********* **-**********-*
  • ********* **-**********-*
  • ********* **-*********-***
  • ****** ***-*****
  • ****** ***-*****
  • ****** ***-*****

Comments (9)

Avatar

Sergey Bystrov

NetworkOptix | 01/23/19 09:02pm

****(*.***, *.***) *********** ** *****(***** ***** ******) ** ***** *********** between ******. **** ***** => **** *********** ******* ****** => less ***********.

*** ******* => ***** ***** **** => **** *****(********** ** night) => **** *********** ******* ****** => **** ***********.

*** ***** ********* *** *** ** **** ********* ** *****.
***** **** **** ******* ********** ****** ** **** **** * lower ********** ****** *** *****. ** ***'* *** * ****** downscaled ** *(***** * ******* ****** ****** **** ** *** smaller ***** **** ** *********, **'* ******* ******* ****** ** itself ).

* ****** *** **** *** ******* ***** ****** ** ***** if **** ** *** ******. *** *** *** ******* ********** across ******* ** **** ****?

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Sergey Bystrov | 01/24/19 05:17am

*** ******* **** ****** ********** ****** *** *******. **** *** differed ********** ** *******, *** *** ****** **** *******, **** higher ********** ******* ******.

Avatar

Sergey Bystrov

NetworkOptix | In reply to Ethan Ace | 01/24/19 10:23am

*****, *'* ***** ** * *** *** **** ****** *****...

*'* ********** ** *** *** *** ******* ****** ** **** as * ** ******* *** ** ******* *** ********** ****** camerasunder **** ********.

*** ** **** *********?

* ****** **** ***** *** ******* *****, ******** ***** **.
********** (***** ** **** *****) **'* ********* ** ***** **** storage *****...


*** ******* ** ** *** *** ******* ** *** ** night.

*******, **'* ***** ** **** ** **** ** ** ***** sense.

Avatar

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | In reply to Sergey Bystrov | 01/27/19 04:20pm

* ***** **** ***** ****** ** ******* *** ****** ***** to *** ** ** ** **** ******* ** ***. * have **** **** ******.

Avatar

Sergey Bystrov

NetworkOptix | In reply to Jon Dillabaugh | 01/28/19 11:08am

***,

* ******* ******** ** **** ** * ******** ** ************. ( *** ****, ** ** **** ********* *** ***** ** view ********* *****.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to Sergey Bystrov | 01/24/19 09:23am

*** ******* => ***** ***** **** => **** *****(********** ** night) => **** *********** ******* ****** => **** ***********.

*** ******* => ***** ***** ****, **?

** *** ****

**** *** ******* => ***** ***** **** ?

* ****** *** **** *** ******* ***** ****** ** ***** if **** ** *** ******.

****, *** *** ****** “**********” ** *** ***** ** ******** to **** **** *** ***** ** *** ******** ***, *** still ***** **** ** *** ***** ** * ****** *** sensor, ******** * **** ******.

Avatar

Sergey Bystrov

NetworkOptix | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 01/24/19 10:10am

**** *** ******* => ***** ********* ?

***, **** ** **** * *****, ******.

*** **** ***** *** *******. * **** ** *** **** physics ** ******* ******, ***** *** *** *****. * ***** it **** ***** ****** ** ***** ***** ********* ******* *** are ********* **** ** *******. *** **** ******, * ********** IPVM ** **** **.

Donald Gordon

IPVMU Certified | 01/24/19 12:06am

***** *******. **** ******** ********* **** **** **** ** **** identified ****** *** *** *** ***** ******* **** ***** ******* and *** *******. ** * **** **** ******* ******* *******, we ****** *** * ******* ** *** ******* **** ******** their ********* ********* **** ****** *** ***** ******* (****** ** 100mbps). ***** ******* ********* **** **** **** ******* ***** ****** by * ****** ** ******* ********* ***** ******, ** *********** energy ********** *** ** ******** **********, ** *********** ****** **** other ******** ******* ************ *** ******* ******, ****** *** ******** lights ******* **** *** *******, ******** ****** ** *** *** (dust *** ****), *** ******* ****** ****** *** *******.

Vin Imbesi

01/24/19 05:01pm

***** *******! ** ***** ** **** ** *** * ******* regarding *** ******* **** ***** ************ **** ** ****** *** workstation ****** ************.

******* ************ ** **********, *** *******, *** *** ** ***** the ********** ********** **** ***** ** ********* ** ***** *********.

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