Quality Enhancement Video Quality

Introduction ● This section will bring you through the following concepts: 1. How lighting and camera positioning enhance video. 2. What are camera’s limitations? 3. The enhancements.

Agenda ● How Lighting and Camera Positioning Help to Enhance the View --Proper Lighting --Light VS. Camera Positioning ● Why the Camera Doesn't See the Way We Do? -- #1 Under Strong Sunlight & Dim Starlight -- #2 The Man from the Light -- #3 The Speckles--Image Noise -- Human Eyes VS. the Camera ● What Enhancements Can Be Done? -- Adapting to the Changing Light -- Dealing with Extreme Contrast Scenes -- Strengthening the Image Signals -- Eliminating the Noise -- The Ideal Camera

How Lighting and Camera Positioning Help to Enhance the View

Proper Lighting ●“More light, higher image clarity” ● Use of light source -- Environment light Outdoor : Daylight / Street lamp Indoor: Fluorescent -- Illuminators: White LED/ IR LED Light ● Measurement of visible light --Lux Visible Light IR Light Lux Meter

Light VS. Camera Positioning Tip #1 Don’t point the camera directly to a light source EX: Street lamp / Car headlight A good security light can be placed behind or beside the camera to illuminate the objects. Street Lamp GlareHeadlight Glare Camera Light

Tip #2 Avoid pointing the IR LED built-in camera at a glass window Try leaving as minimum space as possible between the lens and the glass surface. Tip #3 Don’t place the camera in a shaded place looking into a well-lit area Use a camera with BLC or WDR feature, or try shooting from the side. IR LED Glares Over-exposed Backlight

Why the Camera Doesn't See the Way We Do?

#1 Under Strong Sunlight & Dim Starlight

#2 The Man from the Light

#3 The Speckles--Image Noise

Function over A Vast Range of Brightness ● The eyes ● The camera Adapted to Changing Light ● The eyes ● The camera See Without Noise? ● The eyes ● The camera Human Eyes VS. the Camera Sensor Retina

What Enhancements Can Be Done?

Adapting to the Changing Light Exposure How long the camera takes to collect the light on the sensor. Exposure TimeShutter SpeedAmount of Light LongerSlowerMore ShorterFasterLess 1.3 SEC 4 SEC Still image Motion image

Auto Exposure analyzes the scene and chooses the best combination of aperture and exposure time to make a clear image. AE Off AE On Aperture ↑ Exposure time↑ Aperture ↑ Exposure time↑

Highlights (highly illuminated area) Shadows (dark area) Dynamic Range The amount of difference between the brightest and darkest parts of a scene. Dealing with Extreme Contrast Scenes

Average exposure increased Backlight overexposed BLC Off BLC On BLC (Back Light Compensation ) allows the area of interest to be reproduced properly by adjusting the iris or shutter according to the object in focus and ignoring the back light.

WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) increases the camera’s dynamic range by taking 2 frames: --One for the dark area, ignoring the backlight --The other for the bright area, ignoring the front Then it combines both! WDR Capturing Done Both well-exposed!! + =

Strengthening the Image Signals Auto Gain Control As the light level falls, the AGC automatically switches on, amplifying the video signals to make objects in the dark more visible; however, the noise also becomes more visible. AGC Off AGC On Visibility increased along with the noise

Eliminating the Noise DNR Off DNR On DNR (Digital Noise Reduction)eliminates noise and false colors from a singe frame. 3D DNR compares frame to frame and reduce the artifacts generated by motion blurs.

A smart camera can produce images close to what you see by: The Ideal Camera Adapting to changing light, giving you clear image no matter in day time, low light or night view Seeing both extreme bright and dark areas in the same scene Minimizing the noise to make clean images