Security camera bandwidth calculator
Bandwidth is the amount of data that a security camera transmits per second through an internet network.
For an IP video, it is sent via a stream of data containing images, audio, and control data from the camera.
If you are installing a security camera at your home or business and you need to monitor the premises remotely, you will need to know how to calculate the bandwidth of your security cam, to understand how much its likely to cost you.
The following security camera bandwidth calculator will be of much help.
What is the formula
The formula for calculating the approximate bandwidth for your security involves multiplying the resolution of the image with the number of frames of the object or moving image.
There are other factors such as protocols (communication and compression) overheads and audio, but these are not significant to affect the total bandwidth.
Bandwidth is measure in Bit Rate, and the basic formulae are:
· Frame size of the camera = Camera Resolution x Camera Color Depth
· Bandwidth (Bit rate) required = Frame size x Frame rate
Definition of each element of the calculation
· Resolution x color depth
These are the amount of detail that a camera is capable of capturing. Higher values mean that the camera is capable of capturing images with a lot of detail, and the vice versa is true.
For our case, will use 720 x 480 as the resolution and 24 as the color depth
· Frame size
This is the size of one image captured transmitted over the security camera network
· Frame rate (usually in frames per second-fps)
This is a way of measuring the number of frame sizes the camera captures per second.
If a camera is rated as 30fps, it means it records 30 frames per second.
The higher the number of frames, the smoother the recorded video will be.
· Bit rate
This is the calculated bandwidth of the security camera
How to do the calculation
Suppose we have a camera with a frame size of 720 x 480 and is capable of transmitting 30fps, what is the bandwidth required?
Solution
From the above formulae frame size = resolution x color depth
= (720 x 480) x 24
= 8294400 bits
Therefore, bandwidth will be given as bandwidth = frame size x fps
= 8294400 x 30
=24883200 bits
This can be expressed as approximately 250 Mbps
Tips when it comes to security camera bandwidth calculation
1. When using a security camera, it is always advisable to use a video compressor as it will help you reduce the amount of bandwidth you will need to record and send your videos. learn more here.
The most used video compression standards include H.264, MPEG4, and MJPEG.
2. The video quality you choose will affect the amount of bandwidth required.
Higher video qualities mean that you will need to use more bandwidth.
3. Always set up a motion detector recording system. You will only record when there are moving objects in the camera’s field of view.
Therefore, you will significantly reduce the recording time and thus the bandwidth
Conclusion
The above information will serve you well when selecting a security camera for your business or home.
Always check the resolution and frames per second of the camera as they will guide you on the amount of bandwidth you will require.
With the security camera bandwidth calculator, you will be able to choose just the right camera suitable for your needs.