Mainstream vs Substream: What's the Difference
Mainstream and substream are two video streams generated by your Swann recorder at the same time. Each stream serves a different purpose to provide the best balance of video quality and remote viewing performance.
Things to Know
- Both streams are created simultaneously by the recorder.
- You do not need to switch between them manually in normal use.
Mainstream vs Substream
Mainstream is the high-quality video stream used for recording and exporting video clips. It provides the best image quality but requires more bandwidth and storage.
Substream is a lower-quality video stream used for live viewing and playback in the Swann Security app. Because it uses less bandwidth, videos load faster and stream more smoothly when viewing remotely.
Depending on your Swann model, you may be able to customize settings for both mainstream and substream. The available options can vary based on your recorder or camera model.
Why It Matters
Using both streams at the same time allows your recorder to save high-quality recordings while providing a faster, smoother remote viewing experience.
Summary
Your Swann recorder creates both streams automatically. Substream is used for quick remote viewing and playback, while mainstream is used when you download or export recordings to preserve the highest video quality.
Related article: How Much Bandwidth Your Recorder Needs When Streaming