Video archives

Investigating Archiver events

You can search for events related to archiving roles (Archiver and Auxiliary Archiver) using the Archiver events
report.

What you should know

You can check the status of an Archiver by selecting it, setting the time range to one week, and making sure
there are no critical events in the report. You can also troubleshoot an Archiver by searching for important
events, such as Disk load threshold exceeded or Cannot write to any drive, and see when those events occurred.
To investigate Archiver events:
1 From the Config Tool home page, open the Archiver events task.
2 Set up the query filters for the report. Choose from one or more of the following filters:
• Archiver: Select the archiving roles (Archiver and Auxiliary Archiver) you want to investigate.
• Event timestamp: Define the time range for the query. The range can be defined for a specific period
or for global time units, such as the previous week or the previous month.
• Events: Select the events of interest. The event types available depend on the task you are using.
• Custom fields: Restrict the search to a predefined custom field for the entity. This filter only appears
if custom fields are defined for the entity, and if the custom field was made visible to you when it was
created or last configured.

3 Click Generate report.

The Archiver events are listed in the report pane.

Report pane columns for the Archiver events task

After generating a report, the results of your query are listed in the report pane. This section lists the
columns available for the Archiver events task.
• Custom fields: Predefined custom fields for the entity. The columns only appear if custom fields are
defined for the entity and were made visible to you when they were created or last configured.
• Description: Description of the event, activity, entity, or incident.
IMPORTANT: To comply with State laws, if the Report generated option is used for an Activity trails
report that contains ALPR data, the reason for the ALPR search is included in the Description field.
• Event: Event name.
• Event timestamp: Date and time that the event occurred.
• Source (entity): The name of the system the camera belongs to.

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Searching video archives for motion events

You can search the video archives for video sequences that detect motion in specific areas of a camera's field
of view, using the Motion search report.
To search the video archives for motion events:
1 From the home page, open the Motion search task.
2 In the Filters tab, select a camera from the drop-down list.
When a camera is selected, a preview image based on the default time range appears. If the selected
camera does not support motion search, the message "Motion search not available for this camera" is
displayed instead of the preview image.
3 To refresh the preview image based on the new time range, click .
4 To view a video instead of a still image, click .
5 Set the time range for the motion search.
6 To define a motion detection zone over the preview image, draw motion detection blocks (blue
rectangles) on areas where motion is meaningful for the search, using the following tools:
• To cover the entire image with motion detection blocks, use the Fill ( ) tool.
• To draw a group of motion detection blocks, use the Rectangle ( ) tool.
• To draw single motion detection blocks, use the Pen ( ) tool.
• To interchange the area with motion detection blocks and the area without any selected blocks, use
the Invert ( ) tool.
• To erase all the motion detection blocks in the image, use the Clear all ( ) tool.
• To erase the motion detection blocks that are not needed, use the Eraser ( ) tool.
7 To influence the speed and accuracy of the motion query, configure the motion detection criteria options
as follows:
• Motion threshold: Sets the minimum number of blocks that must be activated for a motion detection
result to show up in the query. The total number of blocks in the motion detection zone is indicated
as the maximum value allowed for the threshold. A value of zero means any motion detected in the
defined zone would qualify for the search.
• Consecutive frame hits: Applies the motion threshold to a specified number of video frames. This
setting helps to avoid false-positive motion detection (for example, video noise in a single frame). It
ensures that motion is detected when the threshold is met over a specified number of consecutive
frames, not in a single frame.
• Minimum time between frames: Controls the sampling rate for the search by telling the system not
to examine every single video frame. The higher the value, the more frames the system skips during
the search, thus performing the search faster. To examine every frame, set the value to 33 ms or less.
The highest archiving frame rate is 30 frames/sec. At this rate, the time between two consecutive
frames is only 33 ms.
8 Click Generate report.
The motion events are listed in the report pane.
9 To show the corresponding video of a motion event in a tile, double-click or drag an item from the report
pane to the canvas.
The selected sequence immediately starts playing.
10 To control the video recording, use the camera widget.
11 To export an important video archive, select the item in the report pane, and then click Export ( ).

Example
If you want to see the activity that happened around a specific door, you can search for motion using the
camera that points at the door. In the following figure, a motion detection zone is defined by the entrance

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door. As a result, the search is targeted at the door and motion created by people walking farther down the
hallway is ignored.

Related Topics
Exporting video in G64x format on page 250
Exporting video in G64, ASF, and MP4 formats on page 255
Selecting date and time ranges for reports on page 73
Camera widget on page 39
Overview of the Motion search task on page 582

Report pane columns for the Motion search task

After generating a report, the results of your query are listed in the report pane. This section lists the
columns available for the Motion search task.
• Camera: Camera name.
• Custom fields: Predefined custom fields for the entity. The columns only appear if custom fields are
defined for the entity and were made visible to you when they were created or last configured.
• End time: End of the time range, playback sequence, or video sequence.
• Source (entity): The name of the system the camera belongs to.
• Start time: Beginning of the time range, playback sequence, or video sequence.

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Searching video archives for camera events

You can find events related to selected cameras that were recorded by an Archiver, using the Camera events
report.

What you should know

This report is helpful if you already know the name of the camera that you are looking for. You can see
what events have been triggered from that camera. You can also investigate specific events. For example,
recording that was started due to an alarm.
To receive results in your report, the video and analytic metadata must be recorded by an Archiver.
To search the video archives for camera events:
1 From the home page, open the Camera events task.
2 Set up the query filters for the report. Choose from one or more of the following filters:
• Cameras: Select the camera to investigate.
• Custom fields: Restrict the search to a predefined custom field for the entity. This filter only appears
if custom fields are defined for the entity, and if the custom field was made visible to you when it was
created or last configured.
• Events: Select the events of interest. The event types available depend on the task you are using.
• Event timestamp: Define the time range for the query. The range can be defined for a specific period
or for global time units, such as the previous week or the previous month.

3 Click Generate report.

The camera events are listed in the report pane.
4 To show the corresponding video of an event in a tile, double-click or drag the item from the report pane
to the canvas.
5 To control the video recording, use the camera widget.

Related Topics
Camera widget on page 39

Report pane columns for the Camera events task

After generating a report, the results of your query are listed in the report pane. This section lists the
columns available for the Camera events task.
• Archiver: Archiver role name.
• Camera: Camera name.
• Custom fields: Predefined custom fields for the entity. The columns only appear if custom fields are
defined for the entity and were made visible to you when they were created or last configured.
• Description: Description of the event, activity, entity, or incident.
IMPORTANT: To comply with State laws, if the Report generated option is used for an Activity trails
report that contains ALPR data, the reason for the ALPR search is included in the Description field.
• Event: Event name.
• Event timestamp: Date and time that the event occurred.

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Managing the effects of Daylight Saving Time on video

archives
Annual time changes to or from Daylight Saving Time (DST) can affect the way video archives are viewed and
queried in Security Center.
Time changes do not prevent your cameras from recording video data. The Archiver always records using
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which does not timeshift for DST, and archive queries are always sent to
the server with UTC timestamps.
Using UTC isolates video archives from the effects of time changes. However, because Security Desk and
Config Tool can be configured to use, and display, a time zone other than UTC, side effects can be observed
when time is adjusted backward or forward.
NOTE: The Eastern Standard Time (EST) time zone is used as an example, however this applies to all time
zones that are subject to DST.

Effects of time adjusted backward

When time is adjusted backward, it changes from Daylight Saving Time (DST) to Eastern Standard Time (EST).
The timeshift from DST to EST occurs at 2:00 am. Before 2:00 am, Security Center uses the DST (UTC-4).
Starting from 2:00 am, it uses the EST (UTC-5), as shown in the following table:

DST Time change EST

Local time 12:00 am 1:00 am 2:00 am 2:00 am 3:00 am

= 1:00 am

Offset (hours) -4 -4 -5 -5 -5

UTC 4:00 am 5:00 am 6:00 am 7:00 am 8:00 am

Because the time was adjusted backward, the following behaviors can be observed when playing back video
or exporting archives:
• The time shifts back by one hour in the timeline. After 1:59:59 am, the displayed time falls back to 1:00:00
am.
• The end time of a video sequence can be earlier than the start time.
• Exporting archives between 1:00 am and 2:00 am always includes an additional hour of video. For
example, when exporting archives from 1:50 am - 2:00 am on the night of a timeshift, the exported
sequence includes 1 hour and 10 minutes of video because the query includes video from 5:50 am - 7:00
am UTC.
To prevent the time from shifting back by one hour during video playback, or to export video without an
extra hour of footage, you must configure Security Desk to use UTC. After exporting the sequence, you can
revert to the previously configured time zone to view the sequence relative to your local time reference.

Effects of time adjusted forward

When time is adjusted forward, it changes from Eastern Standard Time (EST) to Daylight Saving Time (DST).
The timeshift from EST to DST occurs at 2:00 am. Before 2:00 am, Security Center uses the EST (UTC-5).
Starting from 2:00 am, it uses the DST (UTC-4), as shown in the following table:

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EST Time change DST

Local time 12:00 am 1:00 am 2:00 am 4:00 am 5:00 am

= 3:00 am

Offset (hours) -5 -5 -4 -4 -4

UTC 5:00 am 6:00 am 7:00 am 8:00 am 9:00 am

Because the time was adjusted forward, the following behaviors can be observed when playing back video or
exporting archives:
• The time shifts forward by one hour in the timeline. At 1:59:59 am, the displayed time advances to 3:00
am.
• There are no archives to export between 2:00 am and 3:00 am, because this period was skipped.
To prevent the time from shifting forward by one hour during video playback, you must configure Security
Desk to use UTC.

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Changing the time zone to UTC

If you are working with archives that were recorded during a time change, and you want to remove the
associated impacts from the video timeline, you can set the time zone to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in
Security Desk before performing your task.

What you should know

Security Desk and Config Tool display time relative to the selected time zone. However, the server uses UTC,
and the client application converts the server's UTC timestamps to the selected time zone. You can set client
applications to use UTC to skip the time conversion and avoid the impacts when there is a time change.
NOTE: Time and date settings apply only to the client application you configure. Each application must be
configured separately.
To change the time zone to UTC:
1 From the home page, click Options > Date and time.
2 If required, select Display time zone abbreviations to show the selected time zone next to the time in
the notification tray.
3 Select Display time based on the following time zone, and then select (UTC) Coordinated Universal
Time.
4 Click Save.
The client application now displays current time and archive timestamps relative to the UTC time zone.

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Video export
This section includes the following topics:
• "Video export formats" on page 246
• "Configuring settings for exporting video" on page 248
• "Exporting video in G64x format" on page 250
• "Exporting video in G64, ASF, and MP4 formats" on page 255
• "The Export video dialog box" on page 258
• "Viewing exported video files" on page 260
• "Sharing exported video files" on page 263
• "Converting video files to ASF or MP4 format" on page 264
• "Re-exporting G64 and G64x video files" on page 266
• "Viewing video file properties" on page 270
• "Protecting video files from deletion" on page 272
• "Encrypting exported video files" on page 274

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Video export formats

The video export formats that are available in Security Desk determine the media player that is used to view
the exported video files. You can export video in G64x, G64, ASF, and MP4.

G64x and G64 formats

G64x and G64 are Security Center video formats that support audio, bookmarks, date-time information,
metadata overlays, and motion indicators. All event markers are included in the exported file, except
metadata markers. These formats also support variable frame rate and variable image resolution.
NOTE: The G64 format is deprecated and has been superseded by G64x. Only use G64 to ensure
compatibility with Security Center 5.2 and earlier, and Omnicast™ 4.8 and earlier.
If present, G64x files automatically inherit the digital signature from the original video. There can only be one
signature per file. If an exported video sequence has multiple signatures, a separate file is generated for
each signature. Additionally, G64x is the only format that can be re-exported, if that option is selected during
export.
When you export multiple video sequences from the canvas simultaneously, they can be combined into a
single G64x file. G64x files are also created when you export an incident package using incident recording in
a tile. Depending on how you export the video, the video sequences are either played back in the same tiles
that they were playing in when they were exported, or played back within a single tile, in the order that they
were recorded.
NOTE: Federated Omnicast™ cameras cannot be exported in G64x format. If you select G64x format, the
video sequences from federated Omnicast™ cameras are exported in multiple G64 files instead of the
packaged G64x file. These G64 files will carry a digital signature if the original video was signed.
You need Security Desk or the Genetec™ Video Player to view G64x and G64 files.

ASF format

Advanced Systems Format (ASF) is a Microsoft proprietary data format. This format supports audio
information and variable frame rate, but not metadata associated with the video sequence. Date and time
information is also not supported, but it can be overlaid on the video images during the exporting process.
If the video sequence that you want to export uses multiple image resolutions (CIF, 2CIF, 4CIF, and so on), the
exported video sequence follows the image resolution of the first frame rate in the source video sequence.
In addition, metadata associated with the video sequence and digital signatures are not exported. You can
use this format if you need to make a copy of a video recording to share with law enforcement, your legal
department, or other members of your security team.
When you export multiple ASF video sequences from the canvas simultaneously, a single ASX file is produced
so you can view the ASF files in the order they were recorded.
You need Windows Media Player to view ASF video files.

MP4 format

MP4 is a standard format that stores audio and video and can be played back on many media players such as
Windows Media Player and QuickTime.
When you export multiple MP4 video sequences from the canvas simultaneously, an ASX file is produced so
you can view the MP4 files in the order they were recorded.
Exporting to MP4 supports H.264 and MPEG-4 video, and AAC audio formats. Fusion stream encryption,
overlays, and digital signatures are not currently supported.

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Related Topics
Exporting video in G64x format on page 250
Exporting video in G64, ASF, and MP4 formats on page 255
Configuring settings for exporting video on page 248

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Configuring settings for exporting video

Before exporting video in Security Desk, you must choose where to save the exported video files and
configure the settings for each export format.

What you should know

When you export a G64x video, the system can include additional file information, such as camera name,
creation date, and camera coordinates, which can be useful for investigation. To view additional file
information, right-click a file in the Vault and select Show properties.
NOTE: The system only includes this additional file information if an administrator enables the feature in
your user settings.
IMPORTANT: Exported video files are saved in the same folder as snapshots, and are available from the
Vault. If you change the folder location, existing video and snapshots can no longer be viewed from the Vault.
To set default settings for exporting video:
1 From the home page, click Options > Video.
2 In the Vault section, configure the following options:
• Location: The Windows folder path where exported video files and snapshots are saved. The default
path is: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Genetec Inc\Vault.
• Automatic cleanup: When enabled, the retention period in days of exported video and snapshots in
the Vault. When disabled, exported video and snapshots in the Vault are never deleted automatically.

3 In the Export section, select a Default file format for exporting video:
• G64x: A file that contains multiple video sequences that can be played back in Security Desk or the
Genetec™ Video Player.
• G64 (compatibility mode): A Security Center format that can be played back in Security Desk or the
Genetec™ Video Player.
• ASF (Advanced Systems Format): A Microsoft proprietary data format that can be played back in
Windows Media Player.
• MP4: A standard format that stores audio and video and can be played back on multiple media players
such as Windows Media Player and QuickTime.

4 Click Advanced ( ) and set the following options:

NOTE: The options for G64x format can be overwritten at the time of export.

Option Description Applicable to

Add password protection Turn this option on to protect the exported video G64x
files, and enter a password in the Password field.
Anyone wishing to view the exported video files
will have to enter the same password.

Delete intermediary files Turn this option on if you want to delete the G64x
original files (non-protected files). If you are
not protecting the exported video files with a
password, this option has no effect.
NOTE: The password-protected filename is the
original filename with the suffix "_1" added.

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Option Description Applicable to

Allow the video file to be re- Select this option to allow the person viewing the G64x
exported exported video to re-export the video, either in
part or in full, in the same or a different format.
NOTE: Setting a password automatically disables
this option.

Use following profile Select the compression profile. The bit rate ASF
(shown in brackets) indicates the quality of the
exported video. The higher the bit rate, the
better the quality and the larger the file size. The
Description under the profile provides useful
information to guide your choice.

Export audio Turn this option on to include audio information in ASF, MP4
ASF and MP4 files.

Display date and time on video Turn this option on to have the date and time ASF
overlaid on the exported video image.

Delete intermediary files Turn this option on if you want to delete the ASF, MP4
original files after they are converted into ASF or
MP4 files.

5 Click Save.

Related Topics
Video export formats on page 246

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Exporting video in G64x format

To create stand-alone G64x video files that you can play without connecting to Security Center, you can
export from any task in Security Desk that displays live or playback video.

Before you begin

• Review the available video export formats.
• Configure the default settings for exporting video.
• Ensure that you have the Export video privilege.

What you should know

• When you export a G64x video, the system can include additional file information, such as camera name,
creation date, and camera coordinates, which can be useful for investigation. To view additional file
information, right-click a file in the Vault and select Show properties.
NOTE: The system only includes this additional file information if an administrator enables the feature in
your user settings.
• If you have video watermarking enabled, digital signatures and encryption in the video source are
excluded from your exported file.
To export video:
1 From the Security Desk home page, open any task that can display live or playback video.

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2 Select the video to export.

• After generating a report, select one or more items from the report pane, and click Export video ( ).
• Open video in a tile, right-click the tile, and click Camera > Export video.
• In the Camera widget, click Export video ( ).
You can export video from the selected tile or from all tiles.
NOTE: Privacy protection is not removed from video streams during export. To export protected streams
without blurring or anonymization, users with the Remove privacy protection privilege must remove privacy
protection from the required streams before they click Export video.

The Export settings dialog box opens:

3 Set the date, time, and duration of the selected video sequences:
a) Click the date, time, or duration setting.
b) Enter the date and time for the start and end of the sequence, or drag the time range markers ( ) to
the desired length of time.

NOTE: You can set a maximum time range of 24 hours.

4 (Optional) To export a video sequence from a specific source, click All sources and select the source to
export from.
5 If required, update the name of the video file in the Filename field.
By default, the file name includes the camera name, the date, and the duration of the video sequence.

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6 (Optional) To save the video file in a specific subfolder of the Vault, click Vault and create or select a
subfolder.
7 In the File format list, select G64x.
8 In the Description field, enter a description for the exported video if necessary.
The description is shown in the Audit trails and file properties in the Vault.
NOTE: A description is mandatory for users without the Single user export privilege.
For all other users, the field is only available if the G64x format is selected, and the Include additional
properties on export/snapshot option is enabled in the user configuration.

9 If you are exporting video from all tiles, do the following:

a) Select a Playback mode.
• All at once: Play back the sequences in the same tiles that they were displayed in when exported.
• Sequential: Play back the video in-sequence within a single tile.

b) To change the playback order of the video sequences, select a video sequence and use the and
buttons.

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10 If required, click Show advanced settings and configure as needed:

a) If you have a KiwiVision™ Privacy Protector™ license, select Add privacy protection to pixelate motion
in the exported video. This privacy protection is always applied using default settings.
b) Select Add password protection and enter a password to encrypt the video file. The password must
be entered to open the exported video.
NOTE: Password protected video files cannot be re-exported.

c) Select Allow the exported video file to be re-exported to enable all or part of the exported video to
be reexported in the same or a different format.
Video files can be re-exported in Security Desk or the Genetec™ Video Player.
11 Click Export.
If you do not have the Single user export privilege, the Authorization window opens, and a second user with
the Export video privilege must enter their credentials to authorize the export.
The export progress is shown in the notification tray ( ). To view the current progress or troubleshoot
exporting errors, click More or Show details to open the Export dialog box.
If another export process is running, your export is queued and starts when the previous export has
finished. When your export is complete, the video files are created in the export folder that you specified,
and the files are available in the Vault.

Example

Watch this video to learn more. Click the Captions icon (CC) to turn on video captions in one of the available
languages.

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After you finish

Do one of the following:
• Play the exported video files on your local computer.
• Copy the exported video files so that you can share them on another computer.

Related Topics
Video export formats on page 246
Encrypting exported video files on page 274

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Exporting video in G64, ASF, and MP4 formats

To create stand-alone G64, ASF, and MP4 video files that you can play without connecting to Security Center,
you can export from any task in Security Desk that displays live or playback video.

Before you begin

• Review the available video export formats.
• Configure the default settings for exporting video.
• Ensure that you have the Export video privilege.

What you should know

• When you export a G64, ASF, or MP4 video, the system does not include additional file information, such
as camera name, creation date, and camera coordinates, which can be useful for investigation. To include
additional file information, export the file as G64x.
• If you lack the Single user export privilege, a second user with the Export video privilege must authorize the
export.
• If another export process is running, your export is queued and starts when the current export has
finished.
To export video:
1 From the Security Desk home page, open any task that can display live or playback video.

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2 Select the video to export.

• After generating a report, select one or more items from the report pane, and click Export video ( ).
• Open video in a tile, right-click the tile, and click Camera > Export video.
• In the Camera widget, click Export video ( ).
You can export video from the selected tile or from all tiles.
NOTE: Privacy protection is not removed from video streams during export. To export protected streams
without blurring or anonymization, users with the Remove privacy protection privilege must remove privacy
protection from the required streams before they click Export video.

The Export settings dialog box opens:

3 Set the date, time, and duration of the selected video sequences:
a) Click the date, time, or duration setting.
b) Enter the date and time for the start and end of the sequence, or drag the time range markers ( ) to
the desired length of time.

NOTE: You can set a maximum time range of 24 hours.

4 (Optional) To export a video sequence from a specific source, click All sources and select the source to
export from.

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5 If required, update the name of the video file in the Filename field.
By default, the file name includes the camera name, the date, and the duration of the video sequence.
NOTE: Multiple video sequences exported at the same time are each saved as a separate file with a
unique file name.

6 (Optional) To save the video file in a specific subfolder of the Vault, click Vault and create or select a
subfolder.
7 In the File format list, select G64 (compatibility mode), ASF, or MP4.
8 (Optional) If you have a KiwiVision™ Privacy Protector™ license, select Add privacy protection to pixelate
motion in the exported video. This privacy protection is always applied using default settings.
9 Click Export.
If you do not have the Single user export privilege, the Authorization window opens, and a second user with
the Export video privilege must enter their credentials to authorize the export.
The export progress is shown in the notification tray ( ). To view the current progress or troubleshoot
exporting errors, click More or Show details to open the Export dialog box.
If another export process is running, your export is queued and starts when the previous export has
finished. When your export is complete, the video files are created in the export folder that you specified,
and the files are available in the Vault.

After you finish

Do one of the following:
• Play the exported video files on your local computer.
• Copy the exported video files so that you can share them on another computer.

Related Topics
Video export formats on page 246

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The Export video dialog box

The Export video dialog box opens when you are exporting video from any task in Security Desk that is
displaying a playback video sequence in the canvas.
The figure that follows shows the Export video dialog box during the exporting video process.

The Export dialog box displays the following information about the export progress:
• Camera: Camera name.
• File name: Name of the file being exported.
• Status: The export status, which can be one of the following:
• Queued: The export operation is queued, but has not started.
• Exporting: The export is in progress. The progress is indicated by the number of bytes transferred.
• Converting: If you chose to encrypt the video file or export in ASF format, this step comes after the
Exporting step. The progress is indicated by the percentage of work completed.
• No video: There is no recorded video from that camera for the selected time period.
• Partial export: The export has to be aborted due to some unexpected problem. Click on the sequence
to see a description of the problem in the Status field found at the bottom of the dialog box. When this
happens, the remainder of the video is exported to a separate video file.
• Archiver server not running: The Archiver that manages the selected video sequence is not running.
• Canceled: The export operation has been canceled by the user.
• Successful: The complete video sequence has been exported successfully.
• Error occurred: The export operation failed. Click the sequence to see why the export failed in the
Error field found at the bottom of the dialog box.
• Progress: The export progress
• Length: Total length of the video file.
• Start: Start time of the video sequence contained in the file.
• End: End time of the video sequence contained in the file.
• Source: The archiving source of the video sequence.
• Elapsed time: The total elapsed time since the export operation started.
• File name: Name of the file being exported. You can click Rename ( ) to edit the filename.

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• Error: The error message explaining why the selected export failed or was aborted (partial export).
• Cancel: Interrupt the export before it completes. If the operation already started, the partial sequences
that were already exported are saved as video files.
• Cancel all: Interrupt the export of all remaining video files. The sequences that were already exported
(marked as Successful) are saved as video files.

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Viewing exported video files

You can use the Vault tool in Security Desk to play back your exported video files on your local computer.

What you should know

• If you exported multiple video sequences simultaneously as a G64x file, they are either played back in
the same tiles that they were displayed in when they were exported, or played back sequentially within a
single tile.
• If you changed the save location of exported video files, files that were exported to the original location
can no longer be viewed from the Vault. You cannot drag a video file from Windows into the Vault.
• ASF files can only be viewed in Windows Media Player.
• MP4 files can be viewed in many media players such as Windows Media Player and QuickTime.
NOTE: Some media players require a specific codec to be installed to play the file correctly.
• When you export a G64x video, the system can include additional file information, such as camera name,
creation date, and camera coordinates, which can be useful for investigation. To view additional file
information, right-click a file in the Vault and select Show properties.
NOTE: The system only includes this additional file information if an administrator enables the feature in
your user settings.
To view an exported video file from the Vault:
1 From the home page, click Tools > Vault.

The Vault displays all exported files.

2 Double-click the file you want to view.
(G64x only) If the file is password-protected, enter the password.
One of the following happens:
• If it is a G64x file, the file opens in Security Desk and plays in the canvas of the Monitoring task.
• If it is an ASF or MP4 file, the file opens in the media player you have installed on your system.
To view exported video files from the Genetec™ Video Player:
1 From the home page, click Tools > Genetec™ Video Player .
2 Click File > Open file, and then select the video file to view.
The video starts playing. You can control the playback using the commands at the bottom of the window.

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Example

Watch this video to learn more. Click the Captions icon (CC) to turn on video captions in one of the available
languages.

Related Topics
Camera widget on page 39

Viewing exported files in the Video file explorer

Using the Video file explorer task, you can search for and play exported G64 and G64x video files and check if
they are authentic.

What you should know

You do not have to be logged on to Security Center to use the Video file explorer task. This is helpful if you
need to view an important video file but cannot log on.
TIP: Double-clicking an exported file in Windows Explorer automatically opens a new Video file explorer task
in Security Desk. You can also drag a file from Windows Explorer directly to a tile in Security Desk.
To view an exported video file in the Video file explorer:
1 From the home page, open the Video file explorer task.
2 In the Selector, select a folder.
If the folder contains video files, they are listed in the report pane with the following information:
• File name: Name of the video file.
• Camera: Name of camera the video was taken from.
• Start: Start time of the video sequence contained in the file.
• End: End time of the video sequence contained in the file.
• Time zone: Time zone of the camera.
• Length: Length of the video sequence (End time minus Start time).
• File size: Size of the video file.
• Digital signature: Indicates whether or not the video file is digitally signed.
• Encryption: Indicates whether the video file is encrypted. If the file is encrypted, you must decrypt it
before you can view it.
• Date modified: Date the video file was last modified.

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3 Double-click or drag a video file from the report pane to the canvas.
The selected sequence starts playing immediately, and the file name and playback timestamp are
displayed. The time in the timeline always represents the local time of the recorded video.
NOTE: You cannot switch to live video when you are viewing an exported file, because Security Desk does
not know which camera the file is associated with.

Related Topics
Overview of the Video file explorer task on page 584

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Sharing exported video files

To share your exported G64 and G64x video files with someone who does not have Security Desk installed,
you can package the files with the Genetec™ Video Player, and then copy them to a CD, DVD, or USB.

What you should know

To share ASF or MP4 files, you copy the files onto a CD or DVD.
To share an exported video file:
1 From the home page, click Tools > Vault.
2 Select the video file, and click Package with Genetec Video Player ( ).
3 In the Destination field, select where to save the files and the Genetec Video Player.exe.
4 Click Package.
5 Navigate to the folder where you saved the files, and then copy all the files onto a CD, DVD or USB.

Example

Watch this video to learn more. Click the Captions icon (CC) to turn on video captions in one of the available
languages.

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Converting video files to ASF or MP4 format

Security Desk enables you to convert previously exported G64 or G64x video files to ASF or MP4 format so
they can be viewed using Windows media players.

Before you begin

Configure your video export settings

What you should know

Video files exported in ASF or MP4 format can be viewed using software such as Windows Media Player. You
do not need Security Desk installed. This is helpful if you need to make a copy of a video recording to share
with law enforcement, your legal department, or other members of your security team.
To convert a video file to ASF or MP4 format:
1 From the home page, do one of the following:
• Click Tools > Vault.
• Open the Video file explorer task, and select the folder that contains the video file to convert.
2 Select the video file, and click the Save as button ( ).
NOTE: To select multiple video files, hold the Ctrl or Shift key.

3 In the Save as dialog box, you can type a new File name, or leave the existing one.
4 From the File format field, choose ASF or MP4.
5 Click Save to start the conversion.
TIP: You can check the progress of the conversion at any time by double-clicking the Video conversion
( ) icon in the notification tray.

Related Topics
Video export formats on page 246

Conversion dialog box

In Security Desk, you can monitor the conversion status of G64 and G64x video files to ASF or MP4 formats
from the Conversion dialog box.
You can open the Conversion dialog box by double-clicking the Video conversion ( ) icon in the notification
tray.

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The dialog box shows both the conversion queue (files waiting to be converted) and the conversion log (files
that have already been converted). Each file is identified by its File name, the conversion Status, a Progress
indicator, the Duration of the conversion, the original File size, the file Path, and the Destination folder for
the converted file. The converted file keeps the name of the original file, but uses the ASF extension.
The possible conversion statuses are the following:
• Queued: The file is waiting to be converted.
• Converting: The conversion is in progress. The progress of the conversion is indicated in the Progress
column.
• Successful: The conversion has been completed successfully. The time the conversion took is indicated in
the Duration column.
• Error occurred: The conversion failed. Select the file to see the reason of the failure in the Error field
below.
• Canceled: The conversion has been canceled by the user. If the conversion was canceled after it started,
the conversion time is indicated in the Duration.
The action buttons found in the dialog box are the following:
• Clear selected items: Deletes the selected items from the conversion log. Only conversions that are
Successful, Failed, and Canceled can be removed from the log. The conversion log is lost when you exit
Security Desk.
• Cancel selections: Cancels the selected items from the conversion queue. Only conversions that are
Queued or Converting can be canceled. When you cancel a conversion that has already started, the portion
that has already been converted is saved.
• Close: Closes the conversion monitoring dialog box. The conversion process continues in the background.
Closing this dialog box allows you to add more files to the conversion.

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Re-exporting G64 and G64x video files

G64 and G64x files can be re-exported to create new files in Security Desk or the Genetec™ Video Player. Re-
export a file to isolate a video segment, adjust settings, and save the file in a different format.

Before you begin

• Review the available video export formats.
• Configure the default settings for exporting video.
• Ensure that you have the Export video privilege.

What you should know

• Only G64 files and 64x files exported with the Allow the exported video file to be re-exported option
can be re-exported.
• Starting with Security Center 5.8 GA, GEK files are no longer used to store encrypted video. Both encrypted
and non-encrypted videos are now saved in G64x files.
NOTE: Security Center applications at 5.8 GA and later can read the GEK files created in earlier versions.
Earlier versions of the applications cannot read the password-protected G64x files created in 5.8 GA and
later.
• If a G64x file includes multiple video sequences, only one sequence can be re-exported at a time.
To re-export a video file:
1 If you are re-exporting a video file from Security Desk:
• Open the file in a tile, right-click the tile, and click Camera > Save as.
• In the Camera widget, click Save as ( ).
• Navigate to the video file in the Video file explorer task, select it from the report pane, and click Save as
( ).
2 If you are re-exporting the file from the Vault, select the file and click Save as ( ).
3 If you are re-exporting the file from the Genetec™ Video Player, open the file and click File > Save as.

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4 In the Save as dialog box, set the date, time, and duration of the video sequence to re-export
a) Click the date, time, or duration.

b) Enter the date and time for the start and end of the sequence, or drag the time range markers ( ) to
the desired length of time.

5 If required, update the name of the video file in the Filename field.
By default, the file name includes the camera name, the date, and the duration of the video sequence.
6 From the File format field, select the required export format.
NOTE: G64x files cannot be re-exported to the G64 format.

7 In the Description field, enter a description for the exported video if necessary.
The description is shown in the Audit trails and file properties in the Vault.
NOTE: A description is mandatory for users without the Single user export privilege.
For all other users, the field is only available if the G64x format is selected, and the Include additional
properties on export/snapshot option is enabled in the user configuration.

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8 If you are re-exporting in G64x format, click Show advanced settings and configure as needed:

a) If you have a KiwiVision™ Privacy Protector™ license, select Add privacy protection to pixelate motion
in the exported video. This privacy protection is always applied using default settings.
NOTE: Privacy protection can only be added from Security Desk or the Vault.

b) Select Add password protection and enter a password to encrypt the video file. The password must
be entered to open the video.
NOTE: Password protected video files cannot be re-exported.

c) Select Allow the exported video file to be re-exported to enable all or part of the video to be re-
exported again in the same or a different format.
9 (Optional) If you are re-exporting in G64, ASF, or MP4 format and you have a KiwiVision™ Privacy
Protector™ license, select Add privacy protection to pixelate motion in the exported video. This privacy
protection is always applied using default settings.
NOTE: Privacy protection can only be added from Security Desk or the Vault.

10 Click Save.
The export progress is shown in the notification tray ( ). To view the current progress or troubleshoot
exporting errors, click More or Show details to open the Export dialog box.
If another export process is running, your export is queued and starts when the previous export has
finished. When your export is complete, the video files are created in the export folder that you specified,
and the files are available in the Vault.
NOTE: Files re-exported from the Genetec™ Video Player are only available in the Vault if they are saved to
that folder location.

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After you finish

Do one of the following:
• Play the exported video files on your local computer.
• Copy the exported video files so that you can share them on another computer.

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 Video export

Viewing video file properties

You can view the file properties for video archives in local storage, such as file name, start and end time, file
size, protection status, and so on, in the Archive storage details report. You can also change the protection
status of the video files.
To view the properties of a video file:
1 From the home page, open the Archive storage details task.
2 Set up the query filters for the report. Select one or more of the following filters:
• Cameras: Select the camera to investigate.
• Custom fields: Restrict the search to a predefined custom field for the entity. This filter only appears
if custom fields are defined for the entity, and if the custom field was made visible to you when it was
created or last configured.
• Event timestamp: Define the time range for the query. The range can be defined for a specific period
or for global time units, such as the previous week or the previous month.
• Media type:
Select the type of media you are looking for:
• Video: Files that contain video recordings.
• Audio: Files that contain audio recordings.
• Metadata: Files that contain metadata, such as overlays.
• Origin type:
Refine your search by selecting the origin of the files:
• Downloaded from the unit's internal storage: Files created by the camera, downloaded from it
by an Archiver, and currently stored on the Archiver's disk.
• Duplicated from another Archiver: Files created by an Archiver and transferred to another one.
• On the unit's internal storage: Files created by the camera and currently stored on it.
• Recorded by the Archiver: Files created and currently stored by an Archiver.
• Restored from a backup: Files restored from an offline backup set; that is, a backup file containing
archives that were not accessible from Security Center prior to restoring them.
• Source: The name of the system the camera belongs to.
• Status:
Select the video file status you want to investigate:
• Unprotected: Video files that are not protected against the Archiver’s routine cleanup. These files
can be deleted once their retention period expires, or when the Archiver runs out of disk space,
depending on your Archiver role settings.
• Protection ending: Video files that you unprotected less than 24 hours ago.
• Protected: Video files that are protected. They are not deleted even when the disk is full. For these
files, you can also specify a protection end date.

3 Click Generate report.

The video files associated with the selected cameras are listed in the report pane, along with their file
properties.
4 To view a video sequence in a tile, double-click or drag a video file from the report pane to the canvas.
The selected sequence immediately starts playing.

After you finish

• To export a video archive in Security Desk, select the item in the report pane, and then click Export video
( ).

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• To remove a video file, select the item in the report pane, and then click Delete ( ).
• To protect a video archive from automatic deletion, select the item in the report pane, and then click
Protect ( ).
• To unprotect a video archive, select the item in the report pane, and then click Unprotect ( ).

Related Topics
Protecting video files from deletion on page 272
Overview of the Archive storage details task on page 586

Report pane columns for the Archive storage details task

After generating a report, the results of your query are listed in the report pane. This section lists the
columns available for the Archive storage details task.
• Camera: Camera name.
• Custom fields: Predefined custom fields for the entity. The columns only appear if custom fields are
defined for the entity and were made visible to you when they were created or last configured.
• Drive: The drive on the server where the Archiver role is running.
• End time: End of the time range, playback sequence, or video sequence.
• File name: Name of the video file.
• File size: Size of the video file.
• Length: Length of the video sequence contained in the video file, in hours, minutes, and seconds.
• Media type: Type of media (video, confidential video, audio, metadata) contained in the file.
• Origin type: The origin of the file:
• Downloaded from the unit's internal storage: Files created by the camera, downloaded from it by an
Archiver, and currently stored on the Archiver's disk.
• Duplicated from another Archiver: Files created by an Archiver and transferred to another one.
• On the unit's internal storage: Files created by the camera and currently stored on it.
• Recorded by the Archiver: Files created and currently stored by an Archiver.
• Restored from a backup: Files restored from an offline backup set; that is, a backup file containing
archives that were not accessible from Security Center prior to restoring them.
• Protection status: Protection status of the video file.
• Server: Name of the server hosting this role.
• Source (entity): The name of the system the camera belongs to.
• Start time: Beginning of the time range, playback sequence, or video sequence.

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Protecting video files from deletion

You can protect important video footage from being deleted by the system when the Archiver’s disk space
becomes full, or when its normal retention period has ended.

What you should know

Video can be protected against deletion. Protection is applied on all video files needed to store the protected
video sequence. Because no video file can be partially protected, the actual length of the protected video
sequence depends on the granularity of the video files.
The Archiver cannot protect partial files, so you might protect a larger segment than the one you select.
CAUTION: Too many protected video files on a disk can reduce the storage space available for new files.
To avoid wasting storage space, regularly check the percentage of protected video files on each disk. For
information about monitoring the disk space available for video files, see the Security Center Administrator
Guide.
To free up storage space, you can back up the protected video files or duplicate the protected files on
another Archiver using archive transfer, and then unprotect the original video file.
To protect a video file:
1 Open the Archive storage details task.
2 Generate your report.
The video files associated with the selected cameras are listed in the report pane.
3 From the report pane, select the video file to protect, and then click Protect ( ).
To select multiple video files, hold the Ctrl or Shift keys.
4 In the Protect archives dialog box, set the Start time and the End time for the video that you want to
protect.

5 Select how long to protect the video file from one of the following options:
• Indefinitely: No end date. You must manually remove the protection by selecting the video file in the
report pane, and clicking Unprotect ( ).

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NOTE: If the retention period has passed, unprotected video files are not deleted immediately. If
needed, you have 24 hours to restore the video protection. For information about archive storage, see
the Security Center Administrator Guide.
• For x days: The video file is protected for the selected number of days.
• Until: The video file is protected until the selected date.

6 Click Protect.
The video file is protected.

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Encrypting exported video files

To protect your exported video files, you can create password protected versions of the files and then delete
the original unprotected files.

What you should know

You can also choose to password protect all exported video as the default behavior or encrypt the file at the
time of video export.
To encrypt an exported video file:
1 From the home page, do one of the following:
• Click Tools > Vault.
• Open the Video file explorer task, and select the folder that contains the unencrypted G64x video file.
2 Select the video file, and click Encrypt files ( ).
NOTE: To select multiple video files, hold the Ctrl or Shift key.

3 In the Encryption settings dialog box, select a Destination folder.

4 Enter a strong Password, confirm it, and then click Encrypt.
An encrypted version of the selected file is created.
5 (Optional) For added security, delete the original unencrypted file.
From the Vault, right-click the original file and click Delete.

Related Topics
Configuring settings for exporting video on page 248
Exporting video in G64x format on page 250

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 15
Video options
This section includes the following topics:
• "Configuring joysticks" on page 276
• "Configuring CCTV keyboards" on page 277
• "Customizing video stream options" on page 278
• "Configuring automatic cleanup of the Vault" on page 279
• "Video options" on page 280

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 Video options

Configuring joysticks
You can configure any joystick (or any game controller supporting at least one axis) attached to your
computer, so you can control the camera display in Security Desk.

Before you begin

Connect a joystick to your computer.

BEST PRACTICE: Do not connect two joysticks of the same model. They are listed with the same name, and
you might not know which one to select. Furthermore, you can only have one joystick active at a time.

What you should know

You can associate two different Security Desk commands to each button, one for the button down event,
and another for the button up event. The Up command is optional. The number of buttons you can configure
depends on the type of joystick that you have.
The Joystick dead zone option value determines the percentage of movement required on the joystick
before the PTZ camera starts moving. When you bring the joystick back into the home position, this value
determines how close to the home position the joystick needs to be for the PTZ to stop moving.
The joystick settings apply to the local Security Desk workstation for all users.
To configure a joystick:
1 From the home page, click Options > Peripherals.
2 Click the Joystick tab.
3 From the Active joystick drop-down list, select the brand and model name of your joystick.
You can click at any time to refresh the list.
All axes supported by your joystick are listed below.
4 (Optional) To import a previously saved joystick configuration from a disk, click Import.
5 To map the joystick axis commands to the PTZ commands of your choice, do the following:
a) Select an Axis from the list.
b) From the drop-down list in the Commands column, select a PTZ command.
c) To invert the command, select the option in the Invert column.
Example: If you mapped the Tilt command to the Y axis, inverting the commands causes the camera to
move up when you pull the joystick towards you, and down when you push the joystick away from you.
d) To erase the selected command mapping, click Clear ( ).
6 To map the joystick buttons to the Security Desk commands of your choice, do the following:
a) Select a Button in the list.
b) To associate a command to a button down event, select a command from the drop-down list in the
Down command column.
c) To associate a command to a button up event, select a command from the drop-down list in the Up
command column.
d) If the selected command requires an argument, such as selecting a PTZ preset, then enter it in the
Args column field.
7 To erase the selected command mappings and start over, click Clear ( ).
8 To set the threshold for registered movement in relation to the home position (idle zone), select a
percentage value in the Joystick dead zone option.
9 To save the joystick configuration to disk, click Export.
10 Click Save.

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 Video options

Configuring CCTV keyboards

You can configure any CCTV keyboard (for example, the Axis T8310 Video Surveillance Control Board)
attached to your computer, so you can control the camera display in Security Desk.

Before you begin

Connect a CCTV keyboard to your computer.

What you should know

After you connect to a CCTV keyboard, you can control PTZ monitors, switch between cameras, control
playback, and so on, using the keyboard instead of your mouse.
The CCTV keyboard settings apply to the local Security Desk workstation for all users.
To configure a CCTV keyboard:
1 From the home page, click Options > Peripherals > Keyboard .
2 From the Keyboard protocol drop-down list, select the make and model of your CCTV keyboard.
3 In the Serial port section, configure the characteristics of the serial port where the CCTV keyboard is
connected.
This section is only required for some CCTV keyboards. Follow the specifications of the keyboard
manufacturer.
4 To automatically connect to the CCTV keyboard every time Security Desk starts up, select the Connect to
keyboard automatically option.
If you clear this option, you’ll have to connect the keyboard manually every time you want to use it.
5 Click Connect.
For some CCTV keyboards, the connection status is displayed in the Keyboard status section.
6 To disconnect the CCTV keyboard, from the home page, click Options > Peripherals > Keyboard >
Disconnect.

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 Video options

Customizing video stream options

You can customize video stream options, such as the default video stream for viewing live video in the
canvas, the default archiving source for viewing playback video, and when to receive messages about video
streams, from the Options dialog box.

What you should know

The Live stream and Playback source options apply to the local Security Desk workstation for all users. The
Display a warning when stream selection is not automatic option is saved as part of your user profile.
To customize video stream options:
1 From the home page, click Options > Video > Default options.
2 From the Live stream drop-down list, select the default video stream for live video.
• Live: Default stream used for viewing live video.
• Recording: Stream recorded by the Archiver for future investigation.
• Remote: Stream used for viewing live video when the bandwidth is limited.
• Low resolution: Stream used instead of the Live stream when the tile used to view the stream in
Security Desk is small.
• High resolution: Stream used instead of the Live stream when the tile used to view the stream in
Security Desk is large.
• Automatic: Security Desk uses the Low resolution or High resolution stream, depending on the size of
the tile and the zoom level.

3 From the Playback source drop-down list, select the default archiving source to view playback video
from.
• Any playback source: Let the system decide which archiving source to use.
• Archiver: Video that was recorded by the Archiver.
• Auxiliary Archiver: Video that was recorded by the Auxiliary Archiver.
• Any Federated playback source: Let the system decide which federated archiving source to use.
• Federated Archiver: Video that was recorded by the federated Archiver.
• Federated Auxiliary Archiver: Video that was recorded by the federated Auxiliary Archiver.
• Cloud storage: Video that was in the Cloud storage performance tier.
• Edge playback: Video that was recorded on an edge recording unit.

4 Click the User interaction tab.

5 If you want to receive a warning message when the resolution of a displayed video image is too big for
the tile, and the video stream selection is not Automatic, select the Display a warning when stream
selection is not automatic option.
The message that appears says you should change the video stream to Automatic.
6 Click Save.

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 Video options

Configuring automatic cleanup of the Vault

You can configure automatic deletion of files that are older than a defined number of days.

Before you begin

Make sure your Windows user account has the privileges to delete files from the Vault folder.

What you should know

• Files in the Vault are only deleted automatically if the Automatic cleanup option is enabled.
• Only the following file types can be automatically deleted:
• Images: .png, .jpg, .bmp, and .gif
• Videos: .g64, .g64x, .gek, .asf, .asx, and .mp4
Folders are not deleted from the Vault.
• The system checks for files to delete upon Security Desk logon, and then at every subsequent hour. Files
cannot be deleted if they are open during a check.
To configure automatic cleanup of the Vault:
1 From the Security Desk home page, click Options > Video.
2 In the Vault section, set the Automatic cleanup option to ON, and then enter a retention period from 1 -
999 days.
3 Click Save.

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 Video options

Video options
After you become familiar with how to work with video in Security Center, you can customize how video is
handled by the system from the Video tab in the Options dialog box.

Seek time options

Select the default values when seeking for live and playback video. These settings are saved as part of your
user profile.
• Playback offset: When you view an event in a tile, this value determines how many seconds of video is
played before the event occurred. The default playback offset value is 15 seconds. You can set the value
from 0 to 90 seconds.
NOTE: If the Time to record before an event option in Config Tool has a lower value than the seek time, you
might not receive any video. Ask you administrator for the Time to record before an event value. For more
information, see the Security Center Administrator Guide.
• Playback duration: When you view an event in a tile, this value determines how many seconds of video is
played. If you export the event, this value determines the length of the exported video sequence.
• Jump backward/forward: Determines the amount of time that a playback video recording jumps
backwards or forwards when you click Jump backward ( ) or Jump forward ( ) in the camera widget.

Default options
Select the default values when playing video. These settings apply to the local Security Desk workstation for
all users.
• Live stream: Video stream to request when playing live video.
• Playback source: The video source to prioritize when requesting playback video.
• Show overlays: Turn this option on to show video overlays by default.

Video cache options

The video cache is used to cache playback video streams received by Security Desk. Playback video is
buffered before playback starts so that a sufficient length of video plays. The cache helps to reduce re-
transmission of video, allows faster access to playback video, provides smoother reverse playback and
additional playback speeds. The cache is emptied when you close Security Desk or log off.
These settings apply to the local Security Desk workstation for all users.
• Cache location: Select the location where you want the cache to be stored. You can use the default folder
provided by Windows or specify your own.
• Maximum size: Set a size for your cache.
• Live video caching: Live video streams are cached separately from playback video. When the cache
location is unavailable, the live video is not affected.
• Clear cache at logoff: Turn this option on to clear the cache when you log off Security Desk.
• Clear cache now: Click to clear the cache now.

Advanced settings

The advanced video settings apply to the local workstation and affect Security Desk and Config Tool for all
users.
NOTE: After changing the Advanced setting options, you must restart Security Desk.

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• Jitter buffer delay: The jitter buffer prevents rendering issues with the video stream caused by network
latency variations, and provides smoother video in the event of irregular frame transmission from the
source. It is recommended that you keep the buffer size at a minimum to avoid side effects such as a time
lag in PTZ manipulation or an increased delay when you start to view a video stream.
• Enable deinterlacing: Select this option to help reduce the jagged effect around straight lines during
movement in interlaced video streams.
• Enable video quality degradation: Select this option to prevent Security Desk from using too much CPU
on your computer by lowering the frame rate of the video displayed. When the CPU is above 90%, Security
Desk lowers the frame rate of the video displayed in the canvas, starting from tile number 1. MJPEG video
streams are reduced to 5 fps or lower, while video streams using other types compression are reduced by
showing only key frames. The video tiles affected by this option are indicated with a flashing icon ( ). To
restore a video to its normal frame rate, clear the tile and restore its content (from the tile widget, click
and then ).

NOTE: Whenever you change the content displayed in the canvas, Security Desk restarts lowering the
video frame rate from tile #1.
• Camera tile: Select how cameras are displayed in tiles.
• Display full image (boxed): Black strips might appear around the image if the aspect ratio of the
image is not the same as that of the tile.

• Fill the tile (cropped): The video image fills the tile. The image might be cropped if the aspect ratio of
the image is not the same as that of the tile.

• Audio mode: Select the audio mode.

• Full-duplex: Allows you to talk and listen at the same time.
• Half-duplex (push-to-talk): Requires you to switch between talking and listening. When you click
the Talk ( ) button in the camera widget, the Listen ( ) button is disabled until you release the
Talk button. Half-duplex mode is necessary when two units are connected, or when audio must be
controlled through digital inputs.
• Playback filter type (context menu): Select how Security Desk queries the playback source selected by
the user.
• Streaming source: (Default) The user selects the role from which to stream the video. Security Desk
only queries the servers hosting the selected role. With this option, the user might see gaps in the
video, if parts of the video archive have been transferred (moved) to other roles.

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• Original archive source: The user selects the roles that originally recorded the video. Security Desk
queries all roles that have a copy of the original video recorded by the selected role. With this option,
the user will not see any gaps in the video even if parts of the video archive have been transferred to
other roles.
• Hardware acceleration: Turn this option on to allow Security Desk to offload video decoding from
the main CPU to the video cards. To see what video cards are installed on your computer, click Show
hardware information. There are also tips about how to achieve the best video decoding performance.
• Call-up time optimization: Turn this option on to reduce the call-up time for a group of cameras. After
you enable this feature in Security Desk, you must select a sequence of cameras from the Call-up time
camera list. Security Desk continuously streams live video from the selected cameras and allows faster
video access.
NOTE: Enabling this feature puts a burden on the system, resulting in increased bandwidth consumption
on the redirector servers and extra stream request on the Archiver server.
• Synchronize video for new tasks: Turn this option on to open any new task with the capability to display
synchronized video, such as Monitoring, Archives, and Video file explorer, with the synchronized video mode
turned on by default.

Related Topics
Customizing snapshot options on page 207
Configuring settings for exporting video on page 248
Synchronizing video in tiles on page 197

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Part III

Introduction to access control in Security

Desk
This part includes the following chapters:
• Chapter 16, " Access control at a glance " on page 284
• Chapter 17, " Cardholders and visitors " on page 288
• Chapter 18, " Credentials " on page 335
• Chapter 19, " Areas, doors, and elevators " on page 358
• Chapter 20, " Access control units " on page 375
 16
Access control at a glance
This section includes the following topics:
• "About Security Center Synergis™" on page 285
• "How access events are displayed in tiles" on page 287

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 Access control at a glance

About Security Center Synergis™

Security Center Synergis™ is the IP access control system (ACS) that heightens your organization’s physical
security and increases your readiness to respond to threats. Synergis™ supports an ever-growing portfolio
of third-party door control hardware and electronic locks. Using Synergis™, you can leverage your existing
investment in network and security equipment.
Synergis™ was designed with an open and distributed architecture. You can build your system with new IP
readers or use what you already have. Integrate your access control system with other third-party systems,
like intrusion or building management, and distribute Synergis™ server components on many different
network machines to optimize bandwidth and workload.
Synergis™ Enterprise supports an unrestricted number of doors, controllers and client workstations. You can
grow your system one door at a time or scale your system across multiple buildings using the Federation™
feature.

How Synergis™ works

Synergis™ architecture is based on the server role known as the Access Manager, which controls the physical
door controllers.

The following provides a general description of how Synergis™ architecture works:

• System configurations are saved by the Directory role.
• The Directory pushes configurations to the Access Manager.

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 Access control at a glance

• Access Manager communicates directly with the physical door controllers, called access control units, over
TCP/IP.
• Access Manager pushes schedules, cardholder information, and access rules to the door controllers.
• When a cardholder presents their credential to a reader, the controller refers to the access rule to
determine whether the user should be granted or denied access.
• Once controllers have synchronized with the Access Manager, they can operate autonomously, even if
they lose the network connection to the Access Manager.
With additional configuration, a cardholder can belong to a cardholder group, a door can be part of an area,
and there can be multiple schedules and rules pushed to a unit.

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 Access control at a glance

How access events are displayed in tiles

An access event (Access granted or Access denied: Invalid PIN, and so on) is any event involving an access point.
When an access event occurs on an entity you are monitoring, information about the event is displayed in a
tile in the Monitoring task.
The following figure is an example of an Access denied event that has occurred. The event description is
displayed at the top of the tile as a colored overlay. Additional information, such as the event timestamp and
the cardholder name is displayed when you place the cursor over the colored overlay. Also, you can expand
the cardholder picture by placing the cursor over the picture. This might be helpful when comparing the
cardholder picture to the face you see in the video.

How antipassback works

An antipassback violation occurs when a cardholder enters an area that they never exited, or when they exit
an area that they never entered. This can occur when an authorized cardholder unlocks a door, and while
entering, passes their card back to somebody else.
The Security Center administrator can configure the system to deny access to that cardholder. When this
happens, you must click the Forgive antipassback violation ( ) button to let the cardholder in or out. For
information about applying antipassback to areas, see the Security Center Administrator Guide.

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