Overview
Camera overlays, such as timestamps, camera names, location identifiers, and other metadata, add valuable context to your surveillance footage. While Coram currently only supports adding timestamps to your video clips at the moment of download, you can often leverage your camera’s own web interface to embed additional overlays directly onto the camera’s video feed. By enabling these overlays, you can ensure that essential information appears in your live feeds and recordings.
Best Practices for Using Overlays
Enable Timestamps in Downloads: When you download a clip using the Coram web or mobile app, opt to include a timestamp overlay to confirm the exact moment of captured events, aiding in investigations or regulatory compliance.
Tip: Timestamp overlays are available for all cameras connected to your Coram organization.
Note: If you opt to use Coram's timestamp feature, make sure that it does not interfere with any overlays you choose to enable from your camera's native web interface, and that no important video details are obscured by the timestamp.
Leverage Your Camera’s Web Interface: Many IP cameras provide their own overlay customization options through the camera’s native web interface. Check your camera’s documentation or settings to enable overlays such as camera names, location identifiers, or custom text fields.
Note: When activated, native camera overlays are permanently rendered over your video feed, meaning that when you view or download recordings through Coram, the additional metadata is indelible.
Standardize Overlay Formats Across Cameras: If you manage multiple cameras from different brands, aim for consistency. For example, include camera name and a location tag on all devices. This uniformity helps users quickly access and understand the context of any recorded event when reviewing footage later.
Keep Camera Time Accurate: Ensure that each camera’s internal clock is synchronized with a reliable time source, such as an NTP server. Accurate camera time is critical, especially if you rely on the camera’s native overlays to display timestamps or time-related metadata. Inaccurate times may cause confusion or complicate incident investigations.
Combine Overlays with Meaningful Naming Conventions: Even if your camera’s overlays are limited, reinforce their usefulness by using descriptive camera names and groups within your Coram organization. For example, a camera label like “Main Lobby - East Entrance” displayed as an overlay, combined with a corresponding naming structure within your organization, makes it easier to pinpoint where and when events occurred.
Test and Validate Your Overlays: After enabling overlays in your camera’s web interface, record and download a test clip through your Coram organization to confirm that the overlays appear as intended. Where possible, use the camera's web interface to adjust font sizes, positions, or color schemes, ensuring that the overlay information is legible without obscuring important details in the video.
Document Your Overlay Configuration: Keep a record of which overlays you enable on each camera. This documentation will help when troubleshooting or making changes later, especially if you operate many cameras.