> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.livespotting.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.livespotting.com/stream-adapter/en/stream.md).

# Stream

Under **Stream** you find everything to do with the picture and the connection: camera, picture quality, day & night, schedule and check connection.

*Found under: **Stream** in the navigation on the left.*

## Camera

![Camera](https://2278918606-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FP8ymyTQn1iAckTEFEpO0%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-d6cb78fab8bdb42470d4307442f588300410b9df%2Fkamera.png?alt=media)

| Field               | Meaning                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **User / password** | Access to the Axis camera the app uses to fetch the **video picture**. A user with viewer rights is enough. If you leave the password empty, the previous one is kept.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **Stream profile**  | The settings the app uses to fetch the picture – resolution, frames per second and bitrate. The app recommends a profile to match your connection, see [Picture quality](#picture-quality). Under **Camera profiles** are the stream profiles set up in the camera itself.                                                                                                                |
| **Transmit audio**  | **Off:** the stream gets a silent audio track. **On:** the sound from the camera's microphone goes along – the app detects mono or stereo itself. Audio must be switched on in the camera. Most Axis cameras have no microphone out of the box; without an audio input the switch stays off. The switch does not change the stream profile – if it contains `audio=0`, the app tells you. |

> **When to use a camera profile?** An Axis camera only delivers a few *different* streams at once; clients with identical settings share one. The livespotting profiles are always a stream of their own. If a video management system or a recording already runs on the camera, pick the profile that is used there too – then the app costs no additional stream. If the app reports “The camera has no free video stream”, that is exactly the way to go (see [Troubleshooting](/stream-adapter/en/fehlersuche.md#the-camera-has-no-free-video-stream)).

All other tasks on the camera – compass, resolutions, image settings – the app handles through its **own service account** in the camera. You do not need to enter administrator credentials for that.

## Picture quality

The app measures how much picture the stream carries and suggests what would be better on your connection. The measure is the **bitrate per pixel** – it makes different resolutions comparable. 4K at 12 Mbit/s gets only a third of the information per pixel of 1080p at 8 Mbit/s.

As a guide for moving outdoor scenes (water, leaves, people):

| Rating    | What you see                        |
| --------- | ----------------------------------- |
| weak      | smeared as soon as something moves  |
| adequate  | good for calm scenes                |
| good      | fine structures hold even in motion |
| very good | more brings no visible gain         |

![Picture quality](https://2278918606-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FP8ymyTQn1iAckTEFEpO0%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7108c753802e99dd3cd0091a5a27b41a969004c3%2Fbildqualitaet.jpg?alt=media)

At the top, the **Connection** bar shows how much of your connection the stream uses. Below are the **Picture** rating and the **Recommendation**. A suggestion changes **nothing by itself**: with **Apply**, the app only changes how it fetches the picture from the camera (resolution, frame rate, bitrate) – the camera's own settings stay unchanged. The stream restarts briefly for that. **Back** returns to the previous profile.

If the picture does not improve despite more bitrate, the cause is elsewhere: focus, light or the encoder settings.

## Day & night

The app knows from the position of the sun at the location whether it is day or night – not by the clock, but by twilight. For that it needs the camera's location, see [Location & info](/stream-adapter/en/standort.md).

Two things depend on it:

* **The event “livespotting Stream Adapter › Night”.** It is available in the camera's action rules. With it you can switch IR light, a scene or a recording, for example.
* **Adjust image settings at night** *(only for measured models)*. Axis has only one value for contrast and saturation around the clock. For models we have measured at night, the app can set its own values in the evening and restore them in the morning; only then does the card show the switch. The camera already controls gain and exposure itself.

> **Note:** Values from a different sensor would mean something else on your camera, so the app does not write foreign values. For most models there are no measured values yet; the event and the light/dark design of the overlays work anyway.

## Schedule

With **Stream only at certain times** the stream only runs on the chosen days within the time window **From – To**.

* The schedule **restricts a started stream**; it never starts a stopped one. **Start/Stop** in the overview remains the main switch.
* The camera's clock applies.
* If the window ends before it begins, it runs overnight and counts as the start day: **Fri 20:00–02:00** means Friday evening to Saturday morning.
* Same start and end means: the whole day.

## Check connection

![Check connection](https://2278918606-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FP8ymyTQn1iAckTEFEpO0%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-cd45cd1b6f9562941886507e3b3373ce3e1145bf%2Fleitung.png?alt=media)

**Start measurement** checks the internet connection **from the camera** – exactly the path the stream takes, with the network and firewall at the site. It measures **upload**, **download** and **response time**; the **Stream** tile shows what the stream currently needs. The other end is Cloudflare's public speed test. The measurement takes about 20 seconds and fully loads the connection during that time – a running stream may stutter briefly.

If the stream is running, it shares the connection with the measurement. The app factors that out and judges whether the connection carries the stream.

> **Tip:** For a stable stream, considerably more upload should be free than the stream needs. In the graph, the dashed line shows the recommended limit of 60 % – above that, peaks get tight.