Improving Poor Video and Audio Quality on Your Tend Camera
A security camera is only as good as the image and sound it produces. If your Tend camera is delivering blurry, pixelated video or muffled audio, it compromises its effectiveness. Fortunately, most quality issues are not related to a faulty camera but are caused by environmental or network factors that you can resolve.
This guide will help you diagnose the reasons for poor performance and provide practical steps to improve the audio-visual quality of your Tend camera feed.
Common Symptoms of Poor Quality
You might be experiencing one or more of the following issues:
- The live video stream appears blurry or out of focus.
- The video is heavily pixelated or looks blocky, especially during movement.
- The image freezes frequently or is very jerky.
- Colours appear washed out, or the image is too dark.
- Night vision is not clear, or the infrared LEDs are not working.
- Audio from the camera's microphone is muffled, distorted, or has a loud hum.
- There is a significant delay in the video stream.
Step-by-Step Guide to Troubleshooting Quality Issues
Let's work through the potential causes and solutions to get your camera working at its best.
1. Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
The single most common cause of poor video quality is an unstable or weak Wi-Fi signal. Video streaming requires a strong, consistent connection.
- Check Signal Strength: In the Tend app, go to your camera's settings and look for a Wi-Fi status or signal strength indicator. If the signal is weak or poor, the camera will struggle to send a clear video stream.
- Move Closer to the Router: Try moving your camera closer to your Wi-Fi router. If the quality improves, you know the issue is signal strength. You may need to move your router to a more central location or consider a Wi-Fi extender to boost the signal in the area where the camera is located.
- Check Internet Upload Speed: Your internet connection's upload speed is crucial. Run a speed test (you can find many free tools online) to see what your upload speed is. A high-definition camera typically requires at least 1-2 Mbps of upload bandwidth to function correctly.
2. Clean the Camera Lens
A simple physical obstruction can be easily mistaken for a technical fault.
- Dust, fingerprints, smudges, or even a small spiderweb on the lens can make the entire image look blurry.
- Gently wipe the lens with a clean, dry microfibre cloth. Do not use harsh cleaning agents or paper towels, as these can scratch the lens.
3. Adjust App Settings
Check the settings within the Tend app itself.
- Video Resolution: Navigate to the camera's settings and find the video quality or resolution option. Ensure it is set to the highest possible quality (e.g., "HD" or "1080p"). Sometimes this may be set lower to conserve bandwidth, but it will sacrifice image clarity.
- Night Vision: If you have issues with night vision, ensure the setting is turned on or set to "Auto." Check that the infrared (IR) LEDs around the lens are glowing faintly red in the dark, which indicates they are active.
4. Reduce Network Congestion
Your camera is competing for bandwidth with every other device on your network.
- If someone is streaming 4K video, downloading large files, or playing online games, it can impact the bandwidth available for your camera.
- Try to check the camera's stream when your network is less busy to see if the quality improves. If it does, you may need to consider upgrading your internet plan or using your router's Quality of Service (QoS) settings to prioritise traffic to your camera.
By addressing these key areas—Wi-Fi, physical cleanliness, app settings, and network traffic—you can resolve most issues with poor video and audio quality on your Tend camera.