Setting Up Recording in IC Secure Desktop

IC Secure Desktop can record video continuously, on a schedule, or when supported events occur. This article explains recording modes, schedules, storage allocation, retention policies, and recording quality settings.

Recording Modes

IC Secure supports multiple recording modes that can be used for different cameras or different times of day.

Mode	Description	Best For
Continuous	Records at all times regardless of activity.	High-security areas where all activity needs to be recorded.
Events Only	Records when supported events occur, such as motion detection or alarm input.	Reducing storage usage in lower-activity areas.
Default Schedule	Follows the set record schedule.	Set times when the camera(s) will record, such as after hours only.
New Template	Set a custom recording template.	Custom templates for unique scenarios.

Most systems use a combination of recording modes. For example, a system may use continuous recording during business hours and event-triggered recording after hours.

Creating a Recording Schedule

Recording schedules control when each camera records and which recording mode is used.

To create a recording schedule:

1. Go to Settings > Select the Camera Group > Recording.
2. Open the Schedule Editor.
3. Select a recording mode, such as Continuous, Event-Triggered, or Manual.
4. Click and drag on the time grid to apply the selected recording mode.
5. Repeat for other days as needed, or copy one day’s schedule to the rest of the week.
6. Click Apply to save the schedule.

To apply the same schedule to multiple cameras, select a camera group, then using the All Cameras row, use the drop-down to set a global schedule.

Storage Allocation

Storage allocation controls which drives are used for video recording.

To configure recording storage:

1. Go to Settings > Recording > Select the Camera Group > Recycle Options.
2. Review the available drives on the server.
3. Set the maximum usage percentage for each drive.
4. Save the storage configuration.

Leaving free space on each recording drive is recommended for system stability. IC Secure writes recordings across enabled drives automatically and balances storage use based on the system configuration.

Important: Avoid using the operating system drive as the primary recording drive. Use dedicated physical drives for video storage when possible.

Retention Policies

Retention policies control how long recordings are kept before they are deleted.

To configure retention:

1. Go to Settings > Recording > Select the Camera Group > Recycle Options.
2. Set the retention period.
3. Enable Video retention day if IC Secure should remove the oldest recordings when storage reaches capacity. This can be defined by the number of days.
4. Save the retention settings.

Typical retention needs vary by site and policy requirements.

Use Case	Suggested Retention
Retail / Office	14 to 30 days
Government / Compliance	30 to 90 days
Critical Infrastructure	90+ days

Recording Settings

Recording quality settings affect image detail, bandwidth usage, and storage consumption.

Setting	Options	Impact
Main stream	Record Resolution, Live Resolution, App Resolution	Lower resolutions may reduce storage usage compared to higher resolution streams.
Sub stream	Record Resolution, Live Resolution, App Resolution	Lower resolutions may reduce storage usage compared to higher resolution streams.
Schedule	Default, or custom templates
Seamless recording	Toggle	ANR. If the camera goes offline and has an SD card installed, when it comes back online, the gap in footage will be filled by the footage stored on the SD card during that time.
Activity Adaptive Stream	Toggle	When a configured event occurs in front of the camera, the frame rate will increase until the event is over.

To configure recording quality:

1. Go to Settings > Recording.
2. Select a camera group.
3. Adjust the available record controls.
4. Click Apply.

For many surveillance applications, 1080P at a moderate frame rate can provide a practical balance between image detail and storage usage. Final settings should be based on the site requirements, camera capabilities, and retention goals.