Recording & Playback Guide

Configure recording schedules and review recorded footage

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Recording Overview

Kalytera records video using H.264 passthrough, which copies the camera's original video stream directly to disk without re-encoding. This provides:

  • Minimal CPU usage — no transcoding overhead
  • Original quality — no quality loss from re-encoding
  • Segmented MP4 — recordings are stored in 60-minute segments for efficient access
  • Automatic thumbnail generation for quick visual browsing

Configure recording settings at Setup > Recording.

Recording Types

Kalytera supports four recording modes, configurable per device:

Continuous

Records 24/7 without interruption. Best for critical areas that require full coverage at all times.

Scheduled

Records during defined time windows. Create schedules for business hours, nighttime, or custom periods.

Motion

Records only when motion is detected. Configurable pre-event buffer (captures before motion) and post-event buffer (continues after motion stops).

Manual

Records only when manually triggered by a user. Useful for on-demand recording of specific events.

Recording Schedules

Create recording schedules to control when cameras record:

  1. Navigate to Setup > Recording and find the Schedules section.
  2. Click Add Schedule to create a new schedule.
  3. Configure the schedule:
    • Name — Give the schedule a descriptive name (e.g., "Business Hours")
    • Days — Select which days of the week the schedule applies
    • Time Range — Set the start and end times
  4. Click Save to create the schedule.
  5. Assign the schedule to devices in their per-device recording configuration.

A weekly timeline overview shows all active schedules visually, making it easy to verify coverage.

Storage Settings

Configure global storage settings in Setup > Recording:

Setting Description
Storage Type Local (server disk) or Synology NAS (SMB/CIFS network share with host, port, share name, path, and credentials)
Storage Path Folder where recording files are saved (e.g., D:\Recordings)
Retention Period How long to keep recordings before automatic deletion (days, hours, minutes)
Maximum Storage Size Maximum disk space to use for recordings (in GB). Oldest recordings are deleted when the limit is reached.
Maximum File Size Maximum size per recording segment file (default: 3900 MB, safe for FAT32 drives; set to 0 for unlimited on NTFS/ext4/exFAT)
Low Space Threshold Alert when available storage drops below this percentage (default: 10%)
Auto Delete Automatically delete the oldest recordings when storage limits are reached

Per-Device Configuration

Each camera can have individual recording settings that override the global configuration:

  1. Go to Setup > Devices and select a device.
  2. Open the Recording tab.
  3. Configure:
    • Recording Type — Disabled (Manual Only), Continuous (24/7), Scheduled, or Motion Detection
    • Stream Type — Main Stream (higher quality) or Sub Stream (lower bandwidth)
    • Schedule — Which recording schedule to follow (for Scheduled type)
  4. Click Save to apply.
Tip: Use sub stream recording to save significant storage space. Sub streams use much less bandwidth while still providing usable footage for most surveillance needs.

Playback

Review recorded footage using the Playback interface:

  1. Navigate to Operation > Playback.
  2. Select a camera from the device tree.
  3. Use the calendar to pick a date. Days with recordings are highlighted.
  4. Use the timeline bar at the bottom to navigate through the day's recordings. Colored segments indicate periods with recorded footage.
  5. Click anywhere on the timeline to jump to that time. Use playback controls to play, pause, and navigate.
Playback Controls
  • Play / Pause — Start or stop playback (Space or K)
  • Step Forward / Back — Move frame-by-frame (→ / ←)
  • Timeline Scrubbing — Click or drag on the timeline to jump to any point
  • Timeline Zoom — Zoom in/out on the timeline (+ / - or mouse wheel)
  • Speed Control — Adjust playback speed: 0.25×, 0.5×, 1× (default), 2×, 4×, 8×

Troubleshooting

  • Verify the device is online in the device list.
  • Check that the recording type is not set to Disabled.
  • For scheduled recording, confirm the schedule is active and the current time falls within the schedule.
  • Ensure the storage path exists and has adequate free space.
  • Check the Kalytera service is running (Get-Service Kalytera).

  • Check the retention period setting — increase the number of days if needed.
  • Check the maximum storage size — if the limit is reached, the oldest recordings are deleted automatically.
  • Consider using sub streams for recording to reduce storage consumption.
  • Add more disk space or use NAS storage for additional capacity.

  • Verify that recording was enabled and active on that date.
  • Check that the recordings haven't been deleted by the retention policy.
  • Confirm the correct camera is selected in the device tree.
  • Verify the server time and time zone are correct.