The VMS  automatically optimizes compatible cameras to streamline your setup and deliver the best possible performance. For most deployments, we recommend keeping camera optimization enabled.

You can enable or disable optimization site-wide during the initial setup by selecting or clearing the Allow device setting optimization checkbox. 

You can also adjust this setting after installation in the Site Administration menu (Ctrl+Alt+A).

How camera optimization works

When optimization is enabled, the Media Server configures cameras the first time it opens a stream (such as when a user views the camera, recording begins, or an analytics engine attaches to it).

The Media Server configures optimized cameras to send two distinct streams:

• High-Resolution Stream: Uses the camera's maximum possible resolution and frame rate (FPS).

• Low-Resolution Stream: Targets approximately 640×480 pixels, selecting the closest resolution the camera supports. The VMS uses this stream for server-side motion detection analysis and adaptive scaling to minimize CPU and network loads.

Choosing the right strategy

Select the configuration strategy that best matches your scenario:

• New deployment with dedicated cameras: Leave optimization enabled site-wide.

• Replacing old software while keeping current camera settings: Clear the Allow device setting optimization checkbox before viewing the cameras for the first time. Nx Witness will adopt the cameras' existing network configurations without changing them.

• Optimizing most cameras, but configuring a few manually: Keep the site-wide optimization enabled, then manually override the setting on specific cameras.

Override optimization for individual devices

If you want to keep site-wide optimization active but need to adjust a specific device manually, you can lock that camera's settings.

• Right-click the camera in the resource tree and select Camera Settings.
• Click the Expert tab.
• Select Keep camera stream and profile settings.

• Open the camera's web page or proprietary configuration tool to adjust your stream settings. The VMS will now receive the incoming streams exactly as configured in the device configuration without modifying them.

Important considerations

Keep the following behaviors in mind when managing your optimization settings:

• Camera time synchronization: Camera clock synchronization is tied directly to the optimization flag. Disabling site-wide optimization stops the Server from correcting camera clocks and disables the camera time sync feature in Expert settings.

• Recording schedules: When optimization is enabled, any Quality or FPS selections you make in the Recording Schedule dialog are ignored.