Overview

Advances in camera technologies have enabled surveillance video with higher resolutions and greater dynamic range. However, this enhanced quality entails increased bit rates, consuming network bandwidth and storage capacity. In many cases, users are forced to sacrifice optimal video quality in order to avoid excessive demands on limited network and storage resources.

Smart Codec

VIVOTEK developed Smart Stream to help users resolve this dilemma by reducing the bit rates of encoded video while preserving quality. It does this by intelligently compressing data in areas in the field of view or during periods of time in which no activity of interest is occurring, while maintaining full video quality where or when such activity is present. VIVOTEK's Smart Stream II, the new generation of this groundbreaking technology, enables cameras to optimize quality for desired regions while reducing network and storage consumption even more effectively than does the previous generation.  (please refer to Fig.1 above)

Intelligent Automatic Optimization

The key advance in Smart Stream II is the addition of Dynamic Intra Frame Period technology to adjust the I-frame interval, the length of time spanned by a defined set of successive images within an encoded video stream. With Dynamic Intra Frame Period enabled, the I-frame interval can be increased or decreased in response to actual state within the field of view. However, when Smart Stream II detects that the scene is essentially static, then it can draw on Dynamic Intra Frame Period technology to increase the I-frame interval. That leads to a longer time elapsing between data-heavy I frames, with the result being reduced average bit rates, while optimal video quality is maintained where and when it's needed.  (please refer to Fig.2 above)

Smart Stream II was developed for compatibility with H.265 and for new VIVOTEK cameras adopting this successor to H.264 video compression technology. Smart Stream II thus requires no further playback integration, and any browser (with a plug-in), surveillance software, or NVR can access Smart Stream II video and begin using it. With Smart Stream II enabled on VIVOTEK’s new H.265 network cameras, users can reduce network bandwidth consumption and storage requirements by up to 80% more than with H.264 cameras.   (please refer to Fig.3 above)

A camera combining both H.265 and VIVOTEK Smart Stream II can reduce bandwidth and storage consumption up to 80% more than can cameras using H.264.