Replacing cameras

If you need to replace or upgrade a camera in an existing Stratocast™ account, you can replace the camera and keep the same camera name, plan, and video quality settings. When replacing cameras, you do not incur additional charges.

1. Power on the new video unit, connect it to your network, and wait until it is online.
2. Click Clients, and then select a client account from the Number of devices column.
3. On the client's Devices page, find the camera you want to replace, click the camera menu button (), and then click Replace.
4. In the confirmation dialog, type the name of the camera in the box, and then click Next.
5. From the Manufacturer list, select the manufacturer of the new camera, and then click Next.
6. Enter the serial number and owner authentication key (OAK) of the new camera, and then click Next.
7. If an error message is displayed indicating that the resolutions available in the current plan are not supported by the camera, cancel the camera replacement and choose one of the following:
   • Start again using a camera that has the supported resolutions.
   • Change the plan to one that supports the resolutions of the new camera, and then retry the camera replacement.
8. If an error message is displayed indicating that the new camera is not supported by the current Edge plan, cancel the camera replacement, ensure that the SD card is inserted properly in the new camera, and then retry the camera replacement.
9. In the Video and audio configuration section, set the following, and then click Next.

   Recording type

   The storage medium (cloud, video unit, or NAS volume) and recording mode (continuous or on motion) for your video recordings. If you choose a recording type for video unit storage (for example, Camera continuous), make sure that your video unit has an SD memory card.

   Note: If the Cloud on motion recording type is used and Dual recording is enabled, the following occurs:

   • Video recordings that are triggered when movement occurs are stored in the cloud.
   • Continuous recording is stored on the SD card.

   For sites with limited bandwidth, users can select the Edge Recording plan, so that they can record video from any camera to a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, or directly onto the camera’s SD card storage. As video is stored to devices on the local network, no bandwidth is used to record video in the cloud. This plan requires cameras that support NAS devices or Edge Recording.

   On average, a 64GB SD card can typically store more than a month of video. Stratocast™ cannot see the SD card's storage usage, and no defined retention period can be chosen. The camera will record until the card is full and then overwrite the oldest footage.

   Resolution

   The image resolution of your video recordings. The available choices depend on your camera model and your plan.

   Average bit rate

   The average amount of data that is transferred per unit of time (Kilobits per second). Higher configuration presets (resolution, frame rate, and so on) require a higher bitrate to stream video, so it requires more bandwidth. You can refer to this field when planning the Internet connection speed and bandwidth requirements of your recordings.

   Frame rate

   The number of frames per second (fps) that you can obtain when recording video. A high frame rate (10 fps or more) produces fluid video and is essential for accurate motion detection.

   Audio

   The audio mode (Disabled, Enabled for live stream, Enabled for live stream and recordings) for your video recordings.

   • The Enabled for livestream audio option is only available for Axis cameras that support audio when used with the Cloud continuous, Camera continuous, or NAS Continuous recording type.
   • The Enabled for livestream audio and recording option is only available for Axis cameras that support audio when used with the Cloud continuous recording type.

   The sound quality and bandwidth usage vary depending on the camera specification and settings. The audio format is AAC by default.

   Important: You must federate the Stratocast™ client account to a Security Center system to ensure that you can listen to live or playback audio through the Security Desk Monitoring page or from Archive search results.

   For information about monitoring cameras with live or playback audio using the Security Desk Monitoring page, see Camera widget in the Security Center User Guide.

   Dual recording

   The dual recording mode (Enabled or Disabled) for your video recordings.

   • The Enabled option specifies that recordings are stored in the cloud and on the camera's SD card.
   • The Disabled option specifies that recordings are only stored in the cloud.

   Important: Dual recording is enabled by default (and cannot be turned off) for all end user accounts when new Axis cameras are enrolled that have SD cards in the ready state.

   The dual recording option is not available on the Edge plan. Recorded video on the SD card can only be accessed from the camera manufacturer's configuration web page or physically from the SD card.

   Note: If you do not want dual recording, contact Stratocast™ support to disable this function for your account.

10. Select the Go to camera's edit page after enrolling this camera check box so that you can view and, if necessary, change the settings for the new camera.
11. Click Replace.