"Axis device" vs "Axis device firmware 5.x"

Rex

With "Axis device" vis-à-vis "Axis device firmware 5.x" in Video Device Settings, is there any difference in the encoding quality of the recordings — in terms of bits per pixel, at the various recording quality presets: low, medium, default, etc?

It may have been my imagination, but I thought the file sizes and bit rates were different — though the source material and quality settings were unchanged — the only change being the selection of firmware 5 [or not].

Both Device type settings allow camera control and recording, but the Format options are different. For example "Axis device" allows JPEG recording of video and audio, while "Axis device (firmare 5.x)" shows video only — and enables H.264 format in the format pop-up menu.

So I'm wondering if there's a different encoding quality set by each option: Axis device Vs firmware 5.x — not that one is "better" than the other, but that they may interpret "low," "high," etc. differently.

Ben

Hi Rex - H.264 support is the main thing that was new in Axis' firmware version 5.x, which is why H.264 is an option in the firmware 5.x profile and not the standard profile. Axis also allowed the client (SecuritySpy) to ask for different parameters for RTSP streams such as resolution, frame rate and quality, that were not available previously.

Apart from these changes, there is no difference in the quality of the stream, unless you have selected lower-quality options with the firmware 5.x profile than the camera would have chosen by default (i.e. a lower resolution, frame rate or encoding quality).

The firmware 5.x JPEG option should have audio enabled just like this standard profile - this is an omission that I'll make sure to fix for the next version. The main point of using the firmware 5.x profile is to get the full RTSP support and these options correctly have audio enabled.

Rex

Thanks for your comprehensive response, as always, Ben, and thanks for clearing things up.

While we're on the subject, the Axis 3367, for instance, has a View Options feature and, as you know, the different views are routed via discrete Input Numbers in Security Spy's Video Device Settings. When switching between (Axis) Device Types, the Input Number always goes back to 1. I was foxed for a while until I noticed this. A minor point, to be sure, but… just by the way!

Ben

Hi Rex - that's a good point, in the next update of SecuritySpy I will make sure the input numbers remain constant when switching between device profiles. Well spotted