Improving video quality from DS-2CD2332-I (video of actual thief embedded)

electric

n3wb
May 17, 2015
13
0
Improving video quality from DS-2CD2332-I

The good news is that the Hikvision DS-2CD2332-I I installed a few months ago caught the guy who has been going through the cars on my street. The bad news is that I'm not sure the quality of the video is good enough for the police to track the guy down.

Would it help to install a secondary, stronger IR illuminator?
 
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You either have to add white light or an external ir. I chose to improve my driveway light bulbs instead of adding an external ir. The choice is yours.
 
It still amazes me how many people are gullible enough to think they can just leave their car doors unlocked in todays day and age.

Or maybe just forget for some reason. I know I have. Human frailty perhaps. Wish I could help with the image issue, I find that a small amount of white light has helped with my images. I've also been able to mount my camera lower which I think gives a better angle for recognition. Hope the footage helps you though.
 
Or maybe just forget for some reason. I know I have. Human frailty perhaps. Wish I could help with the image issue, I find that a small amount of white light has helped with my images. I've also been able to mount my camera lower which I think gives a better angle for recognition. Hope the footage helps you though.


I would almost believe that before seeing numerous video clips on this forum showing the same cars being entered multiple times by the same person on different days and times
 
I would almost believe that before seeing numerous video clips on this forum showing the same cars being entered multiple times by the same person on different days and times
That does not mean op did the same......lots of areas are safe and residence may feel like they dont need to lock their doors...he may not even have anything of value in there..we dont all live in Chicago.
As far as the image, more IR will likely wash the face out even more. More white light and trying the smart IR may help.
 
Re: Improving video quality from DS-2CD2332-I

stronger IR illuminator?
This will be the cheapest route to take. ~$15. None of the current budget cams are that great for night time viewing without some powerful IRs, unless you want to spend >$600.
 
I have two comments from my experience as a police detective.

1. First and foremost, your video clarity is without question enough for the police to ID this guy. They're not going to be simply picking someone out of random. A vast majority of crimes are committed by the same set of ass holes, time and time again. This isn't this long-haired pretty boy's first rodeo. Chances are that he's done a bunch of similar stuff before and is well known to your local cops. Just hope that it ends up on the desk of someone good and not a "zero" (this is a police term for a do-nothing).

2. Second, with respect, people who suggest adding IR illuminators have likely not been to court in support of video obtained by an install they have done.

I was in court EIGHT times last year in support of camera footage involving theft from a vehicle. Even if he has a public defender, the perp's attorney is likely going to request adjournment after adjournment, hoping that you no-show, allowing him to get the case dropped. Even if the police do find the right guy, he has likely sold your property already. You may get a conviction--and restitution--but it's going to cost you far more in days off of work to go to court. I've seen this countless times--both as a cop and an installer.

You want to take every opportunity to create deterrence. This means highly visible cameras and signs "this property is under video surveillance" (get a solar powered landscape light to illuminate one of them on the walk up the driveway). Finally, you want VISIBLE LIGHT, not invisible IR. I've seen 500W halogens turn a perp around in his tracks many a time.

The suggestion of IR illuminators is a common one, that drives me absolutely nuts. If you are adding IR illuminators, it's a tacit admission that the property you are trying to secure is dark enough to be inviting to criminals. Unlike motion lights, which also serve the primary function of deterrence, IR illuminators only help you capture video of crimes that have already occurred. Have fun spending 5x the value of the stolen item in court to secure a conviction--then getting $20/mo for the next to years to replace your phone.

The only time I would consider installing IR illuminators is when employing an LPF (low pass filter) camera in a setup specific to capture license plates at night. They basically have no other use in a well-designed security system. If you need additional IR illumination (or any IR at all), the problem in your security planning is lighting, not cameras.
 
More light on the subject would help but even if you had more light you probably would not have got a useful ID shot. He never really looked at the camera and he was wearing a hat. If you had a second camera at the other end of your driveway shooting back the way he came in, you might have.

Recorded image quality also depends on recorded bit rate as well. What bit rate are you recording at? Also, if you are using BI, what bit rate did you extract at?

I have two comments from my experience as a police detective.

1. First and foremost, your video clarity is without question enough for the police to ID this guy. They're not going to be simply picking someone out of random. A vast majority of crimes are committed by the same set of ass holes, time and time again. This isn't this long-haired pretty boy's first rodeo. Chances are that he's done a bunch of similar stuff before and is well known to your local cops. Just hope that it ends up on the desk of someone good and not a "zero" (this is a police term for a do-nothing).

Ookie is right but that is only half the story. Just as you can pick out someone you know in average quality footage Police can do the same thing. What you need to remember is that at the other end of the story a magistrate or a jury will be looking at this footage and attempting to decide whether or not it is the person who has been charged with the offence. In the world of criminal law where reasonable doubt means they walk, having good quality footage with high pixel count and low motion blur could be the difference between a conviction and an acquittal. As Ookie also points out a trial may suck up a significant amount of your time. If it is going to do that you may as well make sure he gets convicted in the end because the quality of your footage leaves no doubt. You look like you have a 2.8mm lens on that camera. That gives you a great wide angle of view but your pixel density drops off very quickly. Your subject needs to be less than 3.5m (12 feet) from the camera and at that range the camera looks down at them. Simply wearing a hat defeats the camera. Get a longer lens like a 6mm or even a 12mm and you are able to get a much lower angle shot of their face and look under things like hats.

Finally, you want VISIBLE LIGHT, not invisible IR

I agree white light is going to be a winner for video quality every time, however, we live in a society where we have neighbours, and having your house lit up like a maximum security prison all night could cause issues with the neighbours fairly quickly. Sensor lights have their issues as well. I've had issues with cameras switching into day mode because there was too much light for them to work in night mode and the IR cut filter moving back into place chopped a piece of footage, and footage being over exposed because the the auto iris and shutter speed couldn't adjust quickly enough. Using white light can pay dividends but it is too complex an equation to simply say use white light not IR. They can and do work together in tandem.
 
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It still amazes me how many people are gullible enough to think they can just leave their car doors unlocked in todays day and age.
Don't be fast to throw stones at the victim calling him gullible. As an experienced cop, even I got burned a few years ago. Brand new car, lock button was on the opposite side of my old car on the remote. It took a while to train myself to push the button on the other side.
 
Re: Improving video quality from DS-2CD2332-I

The video will help the police investigate, especially if there is a pattern of more thefts (in the past or in the near future) or you got something like license # which police will use to further investigate, but its naïve to think its going to a DA to nail the guy ( why do people think this?). I don't think installing stronger IR equipment is worth it if your goal is to give the police slam dunk evidence. Only do it if you enjoy better quality video.
 
It still amazes me how many people are gullible enough to think they can just leave their car doors unlocked in todays day and age.

1) In my Canadian city, you really can for the most part. 2) I don't think the word 'gullible' means what you think it means. 3) In fact, there are a lot of places in the world where you DO leave the doors unlocked because otherwise you will be replacing your window as well as your radio. 4) The glove compartment was locked and there was nothing in the car.
 
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I have two comments from my experience as a police detective.

1. First and foremost, your video clarity is without question enough for the police to ID this guy.

Thanks for that. But I can't actually make out his face clearly from screen captures. Maybe it's not necessary.

Thanks also for the other comments about adding white light. I am going to install a lamp post beside the driveway with a daylight sensor so it is on all night.
 

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Recorded image quality also depends on recorded bit rate as well. What bit rate are you recording at?

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Also, if you are using BI, what bit rate did you extract at?

I just logged into the camera and used the export button. I used the screenshot button as well, and cropped using Lightroom.
 

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If your neighborhood has a Facebook page or Yahoo group post the video. Anyone who knows that guy can easily identify him.
 
Given your settings, I would change your I Frame Interval to 30 which will give you one Key Frame per second and reduce the possibility of poor images in the case of dropped or corrupt packets. Also I would switch to Variable Bit Rate as it is more efficient than Constant Bit Rate.