PTZ425DB-AT cannot detect vehicles with IVS at night

blocksog

Getting the hang of it
Jul 4, 2024
109
36
Northeast
This one is driving me crazy for months. As soon as we hit night hours, the IVS has serious problems to detect vehicles. The same tripwires work fine during the day (mostly), but at night it's like vehicles are invisble. Not sure if there are my night settings which are currently a bit noisy. I have already put sensitivity to 10 and Global Sensitivity to higher.

I need this camera to spot vehicles going a certain direction to mark the LP camera timeline so I can find license plates easy. For some reason, the IPC-Color4M and the IPC-T54IR do a much better job at detecting vehicles at night with IVS, while this PTZ which has a much better view cannot detect anything. I can post videos later, but here is a screenshot of a vehicle this morning, which the Color4M detected in a small corner of the view while the PTZ does not see right in the middle of the field.

1755268878605.png

The only thing left to do is reset the night settings, have the default less noise and more blur, and see what happens. Anybody has experience with this problem?
 
Yeah the AI is designed to see more of the car than head and tail lights and that is mainly what you see there. You need more IR as the vehicle blends in with the street. You can only slow the shutter so much before it is a blur and not recognized either.

As we have said, between the wrong MP/sensor size and weak IR, this cam can struggle. Your other two cameras are on ideal MP/sensor ratios and can see more light.
 
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But on the picture You showed It's hard to tell it's a car. Its outline is completely invisible; the only thing that gives it away are the lights.

So AI can't detect it...

Start working at image settings / config for night - to show more details / outline for the cars... Or use stronger IRs (external emitter or other cams)...
 
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Doubtful that’s it.(noise)

May try brightening it up a bit. Mebbe just adjust brightness or gamma up just to test

Can you show your IVS lines?
 
Doubtful that’s it.(noise)

May try brightening it up a bit. Mebbe just adjust brightness or gamma up just to test

Can you show your IVS lines?


IVS lines, the line supposed to capture it is on the left. I played with that line too, had it further right and thought there isn't enough time for IVS to know it's a car before knowing is crossing the line, so I moved it to the left.

The current line on the right is my trigger to rotate and zoom to get the license plate
 

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lay that line down on the opposite drive. It could well be passing “underneath” it

Try to make the line cross the car in the middle, like you’re slicing it in 1/2 horizontally
 
Same car detected by Color4M with a small tripwire in the upper right corner.

View attachment 226613

34PRO (Color4M) is much better camera that MiniPTZ.. with bigger/better image sensor (1/1.8") and newer processor.

But also even 34PRO see almost zero car details here.

You should put there some external IR emitter which will solve Your problems on all cams..
 
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lay that line down on the opposite drive. It could well be passing “underneath” it

Try to make the line cross the car in the middle, like you’re slicing it in 1/2 horizontally

I can try that. Just fyi, it can pick up cars when the schedule hits my old Night Settings I used to have for license plate pickup:

1755270436756.png

1755270128234.png


And here is the current night setting (General) that does not pick up the cars (I may need to work on this as you guys are suggesting here).
1755270512269.png
 
As @steve1225 says, the mini ptz is an under powered camera with under powered IR. Add a $25-50 IR blaster illuminator to put more IR on the veihicle
 
We all 3 posted within like a minute of each other, didnt see ya there :rofl:
 
As @steve1225 says, the mini ptz is an under powered camera with under powered IR. Add a $25-50 IR blaster illuminator to put more IR on the veihicle
Thanks @bigredfish . I will have other cameras to pick up those cars, but was just wondering if there is a trick I am missing on this PTZ. The picture is not entirely bad, it's just that IVS of this camera seems not well trained at night.
Something isn't right there.

There is NO WAY that 0-0.8ms is as bright as a 1/50 (20ms) image.

@wittaj , the 0-0.8 was taken with the sun out, the 1/50 is in total darkness.
 
Thanks @bigredfish . I will have other cameras to pick up those cars, but was just wondering if there is a trick I am missing on this PTZ. The picture is not entirely bad, it's just that IVS of this camera seems not well trained at night.


@wittaj , the 0-0.8 was taken with the sun out, the 1/50 is in total darkness.

Id try just a little brightening to see the outline of the car better and try my Tripwire placement.

Then if you still have the problem you'll need to add IR
 
@wittaj , the 0-0.8 was taken with the sun out, the 1/50 is in total darkness.

You mentioned "Just fyi, it can pick up cars when the schedule hits my old Night Settings I used to have for license plate pickup" and then post a picture showing an image that is brighter than the 1/50. Now I realize a timestamp was on there, but I don't know how much sun is on your property during the 5am and 6am time.

So basically you are not comparing the same thing. Of course the IVS is going to work better with the sun coming out.

And NO WAY would your 0-0.8ms setting work in total darkness...so going back to your old night settings wouldn't work....
 
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And NO WAY would your 0-0.8ms setting work in total darkness...so going back to your old night settings wouldn't work....

Oh, I have learned that lesson. The 0-0.8 used to be my LPR attempt at night which does not work on the PTZ. Now I have a dedicated Z12E for LPR but kept the night LPR on the PTZ lingering at twilight hours, to keep getting some plates with the PTZ. Btw, all cars pass in front of the LPR cam (cul de sac situation) but I still use the PTZ to zoom in for LPR in the other direction, just as backup LPR.