Adaptive Scaling / Dual Streaming Adjustments
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I believe there needs to be adjustments to the adaptive scaling of the Client software. While we generally recommend that customers use a separate client machine to view their server, its quite difficult to get people to do. Our most popular servers have i5 or i3 processors and Intel Integrated Graphics. People often will only have a handful of cameras (especially with the smaller i3 servers) and frequently end up having their system crash when they want to view the cameras.
The documentation still reports that it will try to use the high resolution streams automatically up to 16 cameras. But in my experience, it seems like even getting up to 10 cameras can start to get quite resource heavy.
I think the adaptability should work in reverse: start in the low resolution and bring cameras up to a high resolution. This way there aren't scenarios where the CPU is immediately maxed out if a customer has a client that pulls up a saved layout configuration with less than 16 cameras.
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I totally feel where you are coming from with convincing users not to use the server to run as client.
Any reason they can't use their own PC? Or maybe adding a GPU Could help.
Maybe you could have 2 options on quote a client and server or a combo device which is higher spec.
I'm just an ex installer trying to fill the gap, not from NX :)
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The average end user has the expectation that a CCTV device should be an adequate central monitoring station. They don't necessarily understand why a $200 Lorax recorder from Costco can display all of the images without any issues but a server with say 6 cameras on it may struggle. Of course I explain that the software is far more adaptive and the Lorax is more or less doing the same thing but limited to whatever cameras it comes with and they get it by then, but having to defend the software is something that I feel can be avoided.
While we do have client machines that can be purchased, many of them see the situation as "I have a computer, the one that's right in front of me". And honestly, I'm not the one selling the equipment, I'm just the one that supports it. I'm not interested in trying to up-sell additional hardware, I'm interested in reducing the likelihood or having servers crashing and avoiding the call in the first place. (Its also tiresome to explain the adaptive scaling 10-20 times a week to people). Even if they did use their own PC, depending on its specs it could be susceptible to the same issues (just that the server itself doesn't stop working).
As far as using a dedicated GPU goes, the issue is far more common on the smaller and more cost-effective servers that do not have dedicated GPUs. These smaller servers naturally support less cameras, but that's where the issue is more prevalent: Less cameras to pull up on a layout = higher likelihood that the client will pull them up in the high resolution stream. I wouldn't even say that the issue is the hardware, since I can get it to work properly as long as I help them set up a layout with the configuration saved in low res. Even if we're talking about them using the client on the server for only the initial setup it still can and does happen if they pull up all of the cameras to view and verify that the images are proper. Our general rule of thumb is if they absolutely must use the server to view the client, to ensure that the CPU's passive usage is no higher than 65% to give the machine overhead. This tends to work just fine as long as the additional steps of creating the layout are done, but only if they continue to use the same layout. If they don't and decide that they want to view other cameras and pull over a new layout, they run the risk of the issue happening still.
Our larger servers do have dedicated GPUs, but they are also substantially more expensive than the smaller servers and would not be practical for people that only have a handful of cameras.
The way that I see it, by having it work in reverse, it can almost completely eliminate the problem. Clients on machines that have sufficient specs will still eventually be able to see what they need to in high res, and lower spec units won't crash the software/machine.
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Default to low res mode is possible:
You have the option to create an .ini file for the Desktop Client application, which will ensure that every device opens in the secondary stream.
Information about creating .ini files and the appropriate directories can be found in THIS support article. To implement this specific option, please, follow these steps:- Create a file named "desktop_client.ini" in the appropriate directory of the Desktop Client application.
- Within the "desktop_client.ini" file, add the following attribute:
defaultResolution=low
- After saving the .ini file, restart the Desktop Client application. All devices will automatically provide the secondary stream as the default setting.
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