Blurry Security Camera on Your NVR? Check These Settings

Does your 4K or 2K security camera look blurry on your NVR monitor or computer? You may be watching the lower-resolution substream, or your NVR’s display output may be set below your monitor’s resolution. In this video, Ray Ansari from CCTV Camera World demonstrates the settings to check using an Avalonix Premium Series NVR. He shows how to select the main stream, adjust the HDMI display resolution, and view a camera’s higher-resolution stream through a web browser. Shop NVR Recorders: https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/netwo... Shop 4K Security Cameras: https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/4k-se... Shop PoE Security Cameras: https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/poe-c... MAIN STREAM VS. SUBSTREAM The main stream is the camera’s higher-resolution video stream. The substream is a lower-resolution stream used for viewing with fewer system resources. In the interface shown, “M” means main stream, while “S” or “S1” means substream. Ray demonstrates how the NVR switches to the main stream when a camera is opened in a single-camera view. He also explains why you should avoid forcing every camera into main stream in a multi-camera layout without checking your recorder’s decoding capacity. CHECK YOUR NVR’S DISPLAY RESOLUTION The NVR’s HDMI output resolution controls the picture sent to your monitor. In this demonstration, Ray changes the output from 720p to 1080p, the highest resolution supported by his monitor. This display setting is separate from the camera’s encoding and recording resolution. Selecting the main stream or changing the HDMI output does not increase the resolution at which the camera is configured to record. VIEWING THROUGH A COMPUTER Using Firefox, Ray shows how to open the NVR’s live view and select Main Stream from the camera’s dropdown menu. He also discusses viewing on Windows, Mac, and Linux, including the difference between displaying high-resolution video and displaying AI rule overlays on the system demonstrated. IN THIS VIDEO: • Identify whether you are viewing main stream or substream • Select the main stream on the NVR’s local display • Match the NVR’s output resolution to your monitor • Use substreams appropriately in multi-camera layouts • Find the camera’s encoding resolution settings • Switch to main stream in the browser’s live view Menu names, browser support, and simultaneous main-stream viewing capacity vary by recorder model and firmware. This demonstration uses an Avalonix Premium Series NVR. VIDEO CHAPTERS 0:00 Why Your 4K or 2K Camera May Look Blurry 0:25 NVR Monitor and Network Connections 0:48 Main Stream vs. Substream on the NVR 1:13 Checking Digital Zoom and Display Resolution 1:46 Stream Selection in Multi-Camera View 2:24 Checking the Camera’s Encoding Resolution 2:35 Viewing Your NVR Through a Computer 2:59 Identifying Substream in Browser Live View 3:22 Switching to Main Stream in the Browser 3:31 Windows, Mac, Linux, and AI Rule Overlays 4:05 Wrap-Up Need help with a system purchased from CCTV Camera World? Contact us with your recorder model and let us know whether you are viewing through an HDMI monitor or a computer: https://www.cctvcameraworld.com/conta... #SecurityCamera #NVR #4KSecurityCamera