8.4. Image quality and performance
Why is the camera image low quality?
Modern cameras simultaneously broadcast several streams with different quality levels (e.g., a high-resolution main stream and a lower-resolution sub-stream). AnyCam may automatically connect to the low-quality sub-stream. To fix this, check your camera's available streams and connect using the main stream URL.
You can also improve quality by enabling the video conversion option in the application settings and adjusting the quality level in the camera's settings panel.
How do I set the recording resolution and bitrate?
The image resolution itself cannot be changed from within AnyCam — it is determined by the camera's stream. However, you can change the frame rate and bit rate of the recording. To do this:
Enable the video conversion option in the application settings.
Open the camera's settings panel and go to the Recording tab.
Adjust the recording quality level.
Note that reducing the display quality does not affect the recording quality if conversion is enabled.
Cameras disconnect at high resolution — what can I do?
If cameras disconnect when streaming at high resolution, the issue is likely that your PC's CPU cannot handle multiple high-resolution streams simultaneously. To resolve this:
Reduce the resolution of the displayed image by switching to a lower-quality stream.
Check if your camera offers an alternative stream URL with lower resolution.
Consider upgrading to a PC with a more powerful processor.
Reducing the display resolution does not necessarily reduce the recording quality if video conversion is configured properly.
What are the system requirements (CPU/RAM)?
System requirements depend on the number of cameras and their stream parameters (bitrate, framerate, resolution, audio). A typical mid-range PC can handle constant recording from approximately 4 cameras at standard resolution. For more cameras or higher resolutions, you may need to customize playback and recording parameters to reduce CPU load.
What video codecs are supported?
AnyCam supports standard video codecs used by IP cameras, including H.264 and H.265. If a camera uses a non-standard or uncommon codec, the stream may not display correctly. In that case, try switching to a different profile in the ONVIF panel or connect using RTSP with a specific codec parameter.
The archive won't play — do I need to install codecs?
If you cannot play back recorded video files, you may need to install a codec pack. The K-Lite Codec Pack (Mega version) is recommended:
https://codecguide.com/download_k-lite_codec_pack_mega.htm
Alternatively, you can enable the video conversion option in the application settings — this will re-encode recordings into a standard format that is playable without additional codecs.