How to Set Your Recorder Bitrate for Smoother Streaming
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If your Swann cameras take a long time to load in the app or live video sometimes takes a while to appear, your recorder may be using more bandwidth than your internet connection can comfortably provide.
The first setting to check is the Substream bitrate. Lowering the Substream bitrate reduces the amount of data your recorder needs to send, which can help make remote viewing smoother.
What should I change for smoother streaming?
If you mainly view your cameras through the Swann app, start with Substream.
The app commonly uses Substream for remote viewing because it uses less bandwidth than Mainstream. This makes Substream the most useful bitrate setting to adjust when cameras are slow to load remotely.
For smoother app streaming:
- Check the upload speed of the internet connection where your recorder is connected.
- Work out how much bandwidth is available for each camera.
- Lower the Substream bitrate if needed.
- Keep increasing or decreasing the bitrate until you find a good balance between streaming speed and video quality.
To get more details relevant to your exact system, choose your recorder model number below.
Quick tip: If your cameras are slow to load in the Swann app, check Substream first.
How does bitrate affect streaming?
Bitrate determines how much video data is sent or recorded every second.
A higher bitrate can preserve more video detail, but it also uses more bandwidth and creates larger video files. A lower bitrate uses less bandwidth and creates smaller files, but image quality may decrease.
| Bitrate | Streaming speed | Video quality | File size |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | Uses more bandwidth and may take longer to load | Higher detail | Larger |
| Medium | Uses a moderate amount of bandwidth | Good balance | Medium |
| Low | Uses less bandwidth and can load more easily | Lower detail | Smaller |
For remote viewing, the goal is not simply to use the lowest bitrate possible. You want a setting that provides smooth streaming while maintaining enough detail for your needs.
How much upload speed can my cameras use?
Before adjusting the bitrate, check the upload speed of the internet connection where your recorder is connected.
Your recorder needs to upload camera video when you view it remotely. If you have multiple cameras, they share the available upload bandwidth.
To leave some bandwidth available for other network activity, use 80% of your upload speed as the amount available for your cameras.
The calculation
Upload speed × 80% ÷ number of cameras = available bandwidth per camera
For example, if your upload speed is 160 Mbps and you have 4 cameras:
160 Mbps × 80% = 128 Mbps
128 Mbps ÷ 4 cameras = 32 Mbps per camera
32 Mbps is equal to 32,000 Kbps per camera.
Important: This is the available bandwidth per camera, not necessarily the bitrate you should set on the recorder. Your actual bitrate setting may be much lower depending on your camera's resolution, frame rate, and the video quality you need.
No-math guide for 4 cameras
The table below assumes 4 cameras and uses 80% of the available upload speed for the cameras.
| Internet upload speed | Available for cameras | Available per camera |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 8 Mbps | 2,000 Kbps |
| 20 Mbps | 16 Mbps | 4,000 Kbps |
| 50 Mbps | 40 Mbps | 10,000 Kbps |
| 100 Mbps | 80 Mbps | 20,000 Kbps |
| 160 Mbps | 128 Mbps | 32,000 Kbps |
| 200 Mbps | 160 Mbps | 40,000 Kbps |
Have more or fewer than 4 cameras? Divide the 80% allocation by your actual number of cameras.
For example, with a 100 Mbps upload speed:
- 4 cameras = 20 Mbps / 20,000 Kbps per camera
- 8 cameras = 10 Mbps / 10,000 Kbps per camera
How do I change the Substream bitrate?
The location of the bitrate setting depends on your recorder.
DVR, NVR, SecureAlert™, AllSecure, MaxRanger4K™ Power Hub, and AdvancedX™
- Go to Menu > Record > Substream
- Set Bitrate Control to
CBR - Change the Bitrate in kbps.
- Select to save the changes.
EliteX™
- Go to Configuration > Record > Stream Settings
- Select Sub Stream.
- Set Bitrate Type to
Constant - Change the Bitrate in kbps.
- Select to save the changes.
Does resolution affect video file size?
Resolution and bitrate are related, but they are not the same thing.
Resolution tells you how many pixels are in the video.
Bitrate tells you how much data is used to represent the video over time.
A higher resolution will usually need a higher bitrate to maintain good image quality. However, two videos with the same resolution can have different file sizes if they use different bitrates.
This is why bitrate is important when managing both streaming bandwidth and recording storage.
What happens if I set the bitrate too low?
A lower bitrate uses less bandwidth, which can make remote streaming easier. However, setting it too low can reduce image quality and cause the video to lose detail.
If the image becomes too blurry after lowering the Substream bitrate, increase the bitrate gradually until you find a better balance between streaming performance and image quality.
The simple rule to remember
Slow streaming in the Swann Security app? Start with the Substream bitrate.
Check your recorder's upload speed, consider how many cameras are sharing that connection, and adjust the Substream bitrate to find the right balance between smooth streaming, video quality, and file size.