How to Fix Poor Video Quality on Your Somfy Camera
A security camera is only as good as the image it produces. If your Somfy camera is delivering blurry, pixelated, or grainy video, it compromises your ability to see important details. Poor video quality can be frustrating, but it's often caused by a handful of common issues that you can resolve yourself.
This guide will walk you through the most frequent causes of poor video quality on Somfy cameras and provide practical steps to enhance the clarity of your footage.
### 1. Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
The single most common cause of poor video quality is a weak or unstable Wi-Fi signal. To maintain a smooth stream, your camera will automatically lower the video quality (bitrate) if its connection to your router is poor.
What to do:
- Check Signal Strength: In the Somfy Protect app, go to the camera's settings and find the Wi-Fi settings. It should show you the signal strength. If it's low (e.g., one or two bars), the camera is too far from the router.
- Reduce Distance: If possible, move your Wi-Fi router closer to your Somfy camera, or vice-versa.
- Minimise Obstructions: Thick walls, especially those made of concrete or brick, metal objects, and large appliances can block Wi-Fi signals. Ensure the path between your router and camera is as clear as possible.
- Use a Wi-Fi Extender: If you can't move the router, a Wi-Fi range extender or a mesh Wi-Fi system can be used to boost the signal in the area where your camera is located.
- Check Upload Speed: Your internet connection's upload speed is critical for streaming video. Run a speed test. If your upload speed is less than 2 Mbps per camera, you may experience quality issues, especially with HD streaming.
### 2. Clean the Camera Lens
It sounds simple, but a surprising number of quality issues are caused by a dirty lens. Dust, fingerprints, pollen, or water spots can accumulate on the lens, resulting in a hazy, blurry, or smudged image.
What to do:
- Power Down (Optional but Recommended): To be safe, you can unplug the camera before cleaning.
- Use a Microfibre Cloth: Gently wipe the lens with a clean, dry microfibre cloth – the kind used for cleaning eyeglasses.
- Avoid Abrasives: Never use paper towels, tissues, or harsh cleaning chemicals, as these can permanently scratch the lens coating. For stubborn grime, you can slightly dampen the cloth with a dedicated lens cleaning solution.
### 3. Adjust Video Quality Settings in the App
Your Somfy camera may not be set to its highest quality streaming setting. This might be done automatically by the app to save bandwidth or you may have set it lower in the past.
What to do:
- Open the Somfy Protect app.
- Select the camera you want to adjust.
- Go to the Settings menu (often a gear icon).
- Look for an option labelled 'Video Quality', 'Streaming Quality', or similar.
- Ensure it is set to the highest possible option (e.g., HD 1080p).
Keep in mind that selecting a higher quality will use more internet bandwidth and may result in a less stable stream if your Wi-Fi connection is weak.
### 4. Troubleshooting Poor Night Vision
If the poor quality only occurs at night, the issue is with the camera's infrared (IR) night vision system.
What to check:
- Reflections: Ensure the camera is not positioned too close to a surface like a soffit, wall, or window sill. The camera's own IR lights can reflect off these surfaces and wash out the image, making it look foggy or white.
- Clean Lens: As mentioned above, a dirty lens can cause significant glare and halos when the IR LEDs are active.
- Sufficient Power: Ensure the camera is receiving consistent power from its original power adapter. Insufficient power can sometimes affect the performance of the IR emitters.
By systematically working through these steps, you can identify the root cause of the poor video quality and take the necessary actions to restore a clear, sharp image on your Somfy camera.