IP Camera FPS (Frames Per Second) Explained

What is the Frame Rate? Simply, frame rate is how many single still images are recorded in a unit of time. With IP surveillance we look at how many images we can see in one second. 30 FPS (30 recorded images per second) is considered real time video. The motion will look natural with no hesitation.

So now what? If you look at the NVRs you will see them rated by the FPS. Common FPS for NVRs are 120fps, 240fps ad 480fps. When you see an NVR rated 1080P@120FPS this tells you can have four 1080P cameras recording at 30 FPS. Even if this is a 16ch DVR once you use all the frame rate you can’t add any more cameras. Now the same NVR will also record 720P@240FPS so you could then use eight cameras recording at 720P set to 30 FPS. If we were to drop the Frame Rate to 15FPS, which is a commonly used recording rate for security, you could record 16 cameras at 720P. 720P is a very clear picture for surveillance.

Most NVRs can be tuned per channel so you could have a mix of cameras at 7.5fps, 15fps and 30fps. You might have a seldom used back door where 7.5 images every second would be quite adequate. The camera looking straight down on your cash register might need to be set at 1080P and 30FPS.

Knowing how many cameras and the quality you need for each camera in your system before purchasing will allow you to get the correct cameras and NVR for your installation.