In the Image Control sub-menu you can view and configure the image settings of the compatible IP cameras connected to the recorder.
The main screen will show the current settings for each connected IP camera. To make changes to a camera click the cog icon to enter the Setup screen.
Settings available will differ depending on the camera model.
Camera
The Setup screen will display the camera selected in the Image Control sub-menu. You can configure a different camera by selecting it from the drop down list.
IR-Cut Mode
You can control the camera's day/night settings using the IR-Cut Mode drop down list. GPIO Auto will switch between colour and black and white IR modes depending on the available light. Colour Mode will force the camera to stay in colour for environment with a constant source. Black White Mode will force the camera to stay in black and white which is ideal for constant low light areas.
IR-Cut Delay
The IR-Cut Delay slider lets you adjust the amount of time the camera waits before switching to black and white when light levels drop below the minimum usable level.
The idea of a delay is to take into account things like passing clouds which may briefly cause light levels to drop. If light levels return to a usable level within the IR-Cut Delay time the camera will stay in Colour mode. This prevents the camera repeatedly switching from colour to black and white unnecessarily.
The slider can be set between 1 and 36 seconds.
IR-LED
There are 3 options to choose from for controlling the camera's night vision IR LEDs. Auto will turn the the IR LEDs on and off as and when they are required. On will force the IR LEDs to be switched on constantly. This is a handy in dark environments but will have adverse effects in bright environments as the cameras sensor will be over saturated with IR light. Off will make sure the camera's IR LEDs never switch on. This is useful in areas which have a constant light source to prevent over saturation.
Lens Flip
This option will flip the cameras image vertically.
Angle Flip
This option will flip the camera's image horizontally.
Rotate
The Rotate drop down list gives you options for rotating the camera's image.
Back Light (BLC)
When enabled Back Light adjusts the exposure of the entire image to properly expose a subject in the foreground when a bright light source, such as a window, is situated behind it.
BLC Level
The BLC Level slider allows you to specify the strength of the Back Light compensation. You can set the slider between 1 and 15 with 1 being the weakest and 15 being the strongest.
BLC Area
In the BLC Area drop down list you can set which area of the camera's image the back light compensation is applied to. You can set the area to Top, Left, Down, Right or Centre.
3D Noise Reduction
This applies a digital filter to reduce noise in the foreground and the background of the camera's image. You can choose Disable to turn off the filter, Auto to allow the camera to decide for itself the strength of the filter required or Manual. Choosing Manual will display a Level slider for you to set the strength of the filter applied between 1 and 255.
DWDR (Digital Wide Dynamic Range)
This option digitally adjusts the exposure in different parts of the image to maintain optimum light levels in both the dark and bright areas of the camera's image. When enabled you will see a Level slider for you to set the strength of the filter applied between 1 and 255.
HLC (Highlight Compensation)
Masks areas of intense light to properly expose other areas of the image. For example a car’s headlights would be masked reducing glare making the number plate visible.
When HLC is enabled the camera will automatically mask bright areas of the camera’s image. Additionally you can set the level of compensation between 1 and 255 using the Level slider.
AGC (Automatic Gain Control)
The AGC slider automatically adjusts the video amplitude to maintain a bright image. You can choose the level of amplitude however setting it to high could produce a noisy image in low light environments. You can set the AGC level between 1 and 128.
White Balance
White Balance is configured so that objects appear a natural colour. The are 3 options to choose from. Auto, Indoor and Manual. When set to Manual you will get 3 sliders for setting the Red, Green and Blue values individually between 1 and 255.
BLC Area
In the BLC Area drop down list you can set which area of the camera's image the back light compensation is applied to. You can set the area to Top, Left, Down, Right or Centre.
Shutter
The shutter mode controls the camera's iris. When set to Auto the iris will adjust to changing light levels by opening and closing automatically to take in the optimum amount of light. When set to Manual the iris will be fixed at its current position then the Exposure Time can be used to set the shutter speed.
Exposure Time
The exposure time is the shutter speed of the camera which controls how long the image sensor is exposed to light. It is measured in fractions of a second with 1/5 of a second being the slowest time and 1/20000 of a second being the fastest time.
When the Shutter Mode is set to Auto the Exposure Time won't have too much of an effect as the iris will adjust to compensate for it.
When the Shutter Mode is set to Manual the Exposure Time will have a massive effect on the brightness of the image. The lower the Exposure Time the slower the shutter speed therefore more light is captured by the image sensor. However with a slow shutter speed moving objects may look blurred as they have moved across the image while they are being captured. The higher the Exposure Time the faster the shutter speed reducing motion blur however less light is captured by the image sensor resulting in a darker image.
Defog Mode
The Defog Function is used to improve image clarity in foggy and misty conditions. The feature is usually disabled by default.
When set to Auto the camera will automatically adjust to improve image clarity. Auto, however, may have negative effects when used in clear weather conditions as the camera will still apply the filter to the image.
Manual mode will display a slider for setting the Defog Level. You can set the strength between 1 and 255. However, as with Auto mode this may have negative effects when used in clear weather conditions as the camera will still apply the filter to the image.
Defaulting Settings
To return the Image Control settings back to their default values just click the Default button.
Exiting
Once you have configured your camera right click the mouse to return to the Image Control sub-menu.