Testing Bandwidth Vs. Low Light

By Ethan Ace, Published on Jan 16, 2019

Nighttime bandwidth spikes are a major concern in video surveillance. Many calculate bandwidth as a single 24/7 number, but bit rates vary dramatically from day to night. But how much? 100% more? 500%? 1,000%?

day night

To find out we tested cameras from six manufacturers - Avigilon, Axis, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision, Uniview - to find out how each did, what was average, and who was worst and best and how much performance has improved in the past several years.

Key ********

***** *** * *** key ********* **** **** test:

  • ~***% ******* ********:****** ** ******* ******* from ***** ** **, bit **** ********* ** average ** ~***% **** day ** *****. ********* varied **** * *** of ~**% ** **** 400%.
  • ******* ******* ****** ***** past *****:*** ***% ******* **** in **** **** ** roughly **% ***** **** the ***% ******* ** our **** *****.
  • ** ******** ******:*** ******* ****** ** performance *********** ** **** vs. ******* ******* *** ********* ** integrated **, *** ***** in *** ******** ** cameras, ***** ** *** very ******* ******* ***** ago.
  • *** (*** **** * cap) ***********:** ****** ********* ******, we ********* ***** ******* bit **** ****, ** this ****** *** ***** to **** ** *** as ******** ****** **** complex *****, *** **** bandwidth ** * ********* limit ** ***** ****** network ******* *** *******, with ******* ****** ** video *******.

**** **** ***** **** no ********** ****** ** how ****** ****** ***** on ************ ** **********. Each ************ *** ********** varied ******, *** ****** sizes *** ***** ** make * **** *************.

145% ******** *******

****** ***** ** *******, the ******* (****) ********* increase **** *** ** night *** * ***%. Note **** *** ****** was "****" ~**%, **** the ***% ******* ****** higher *** ** ******** 400%+ ********* ** **** cameras.

**** *** *** ******* arranged ** **********:

2019

Much ******* ******** **** **** *****

** ******** ** *** 145% ******** **** ** current *****, ******* ** our **** **** ******** 498% ****** ********* ** night, **** *** ****** spiking ****** *,***% ******.

The **********: ********** ** *** **** *********

*** **** ********* ****** change ** ****** *********** between *** ******** **** in **** *** ****** tested ** **** ** the ********* ** ********** IR ** ****** ***** camera ******, ******** ** only * ****** ** 2014 **** *** ******* was ***** ****.

********** ****, ** ** look ** **** ***** integrated ** ****** **** 2014, *********** *** **** more ******* ** **** averages, * ***% ******* increase.

2014 only

***** ****** *********** *** improved, **** **** ********* encoders, ****** *** **** sensitive *******, *** ****** processing, *** ******** ** infrared ***** ** ********* surveillance *** *** ***** positive ****** ** ********.

Root ***** ** ********* ******: ******** *****

*** ****** ** ***** spikes ** *** ******* moving *****, *** ****, static, *******, ** **** that ** ********* *********** **** *******.

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

** ** *******, **** noise, **** *** **** contrast (***** *** ***** near **** *****) *** rapid ********* (******* ******), make ** ****** ** encode. ******,********* ******* *** ****** / ***** **** *** similar *** **********. ***** undermines **** ** *****.

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

*** *** ** ***** massive ********* ****** *** be ******* ** ******* *** **** * cap, **** ***** ** MBR(******* *** ****). **** method ****** ******** ** fluctuate ** ********* ** fit *** *****, *** only ** ** * specified *****, ** ***** point *** ****** ********* compression ** ****** ** drop ****** ** **** within *** *** (********* the ****** ** *********).

** *** *****, **** when **** ******************** ********* **** ** average ** ~** ** 35, ***** ******* *********** were *******, **** ****** bandwidth ***** ** **** 80%

bandwidth cap minimal impact on details

Constant *** **** *** ***********

******** *** **** *** also ** **** ** prevent ******, ***** ** locks *** ***** ** one ********* ***** ********** of ******** ** *** scene. *******, ****** *** day, **** ****** *** less *******, *** *** waste *********/******* ** *** camera ***** **** *********** encode *** ***** **** set ** ***. ******* of ****, *** ** not *********** ****** ** the **** ****** ***** does *** ******* ***.

Digital ***** ********* ******

******* ****** ********* ***** is **** ** ****** spikes *** ** ********* noise ** ******* ***** reduction (***), ***** ******** to ******* ***** ****** by ********* ** ****. There *** *** *** methods, ******* (***** ********** in * ****** *****) and ******** (***** ********* by *********** ******** ******), which *** ********* ******** in ******. ***** ***, spikes *** ** *********** cut, **** **-**% ********** in *** **** ******** *** *****.

*******, *** *** **** introduce ******** *******, ** well, **** **** ****** of ******** ***** ********* causing **** ** ***** (shown *****), ********* ******* to *** ******* ** slow *******. ******* ** this, ***** ****** ** careful ** *** ******** DNR ** ******* ******.

*** **** ******* *** testing, *** *** ****** *** (******* ***** Reduction) ***** *** ****.

Test *******

** ****** ** ******* from *** ************* *** (~300 ***) *** ***** (~0.1 ***) ******** ****** scenes. *** ******* *********** levels **************** ***-** ****** ******* smart ****** **. ***** codecs **** ******* ** their ******* ******.

[****: **** **** *** originally ******** ** ****. We ********** ***** *** test ** **** *** republished *** ****** **** the *** ******* *** contrasting *** *** ****.]

Comments (8)

Undisclosed #1

01/17/19 04:49am

*** ******* ** *** "Day" *** "*****" ******* are ****, *******?

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 01/17/19 04:56am

******.

Jeff Gack

IPVMU Certified | 01/17/19 10:27am

* **** ***** **** turning *** ********* ******* on *** ****** **** a *** ***** **** the **** ********* *********.

Donald Gordon

IPVMU Certified | 01/18/19 02:11am

**'** *** ***** * bit ** ********** **** this ***** *** ********* bandwidth ******* *** ******** network ******** ** *****.  We *** ********* ******* and **** *** ********* settings:

- *** *** ** 25 (***** ** *..***, default ** **) - decreases ******* ***** ***********

- *** *** ** 75 (***** ** *..***, default ** **) - increases ***** *********

- ********* *** ** 25 (***** ** *..***, default ** **) - decreases *********

 

*** ** ***** ******** decrease *** ******* ** the ***** ********** ****** the ***.  *** ********* setting ***** *** ******** of *** ******* ***** signal *** ** **** cases ** * ****** by ****** ***** ** had ** **** **** value **** *** ** a ***** ****** ** the ******* *****.

*** ** ******* **** the ***** ********* *** nighttime ********* ********.  ** some *****, *** ****** ignored *** *** *** we *** ***** *** disappointing.  **** **** * few ******* *** *** blooming ******** *** ** saw ******* ********* ******** from * **** ****** the ******* ** ** mbps ** ***** *** occasionally ** **** ** 100 **** ** ******** by *** ********* ***** Client ****** *******.  *** bandwidth ********* **** *** constant *** ****** ************ between ******* ** *** System *******.  ** **** using *** *.***+ ***** on *** *** *******.

Undisclosed Manufacturer #2

01/21/19 10:43pm

*** *** ** ***** mpbs ****** **** ****+ codecs? ** * **********, it ***** **** ** interesting ** *** ** H265 ***** * ********** in **** ********.

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #2 | 01/22/19 03:38pm

***, **** ** *** H.264. ** ***** **** H.265 ***** ** ** interesting ******** ****, *** even ** **** ** significantly ******* *** ****** of ******* **'* ******* in *** ****. ** Avigilon, ****, *****, *** others *** **** *.*** models ********, **'** **** at **** *****.

Undisclosed Integrator #3

01/21/19 11:20pm

**** **** ** ** very **** ****, *** you ********* **** ** anything ** **********? 

Avatar

Ethan Ace

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 01/22/19 03:49pm

* ***** **'* * combination ** *******. ***** cameras *** ********* ***** the ****** ******* ****** we **** ** **** categories. **'* ****** **** in ****/**** **** **** don't **** ** ************* low ** *** *****, day ** *****.

**** *** ***** ***** own **** ****** ** the ******** ** ***** cameras (******), ***** **** competitors *** ***** ********* or *********. **** ** their ******* ******** *** both *** ****** **** plus ******* *** ** split **********. **, * believe **** ***** ****'** working **** ***** *** chip, ** ***** ****** be * ****** ** better "******" *** **** efficient ***********.

************, **** ******* **** to (*******, *** *** always) ** **** ** low *****. **** *** often, *****, ***** *** performers *** *** ***** imaging *** ***** ** coverage ** ********* **** even **** **** *********** cameras.

**** *** ******* *** of **, * ***** it *** ***** ** cut **** ******.

**** ** *** ** say **** **** ** hands **** ****. * number ** ********* ****** have **** ********** ****, too, ********** ** **** recent *********** *** **/** series *******. *** ***** Hanwha ****** **** ** not ***** ****** ** much ** ***** ******/******* cameras, ***** **** *********.

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