Big reason why we need ability to disable IR LEDs?
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(These comments are actually about the TC60 but I could not find that model in the list, they may well apply to any tapo model?)
I have been using my TC60 to monitor outside through a glass window and of course the IR leds are a problem with reflections - they can't be disabled in night mode so I have been trying day mode at night...
This works OK albeit with a lot of video noise but the problem is the size of the captured data is about 5 times bigger than daytime or IR night time mode. An SD card fills much faster than it should do when it is dark outside. If I stream video to my PC and save a file, it is typically x5 bigger than a daytime or IR night time file of the same duration. (I suppose that video noise in each frame must makes the video harder to compress...)
If I could switch off the IR leds I would use night mode - when I tried this without a glass window in front of the camera, memory used was similar to daytime and not excessive. I also tried blocking the leds with black tape but I found that some light bleeds through the case and it doesn't work very well.
To illustrate, on a day with 12 hours daylight, 12 hours night, if I use daylight mode at night the SD card uses maybe 20GB per day in continuous 1080p recording. If I use IR mode it is about 7GB per day. Or to put it another way, you need an SD card which is x3 bigger for the same recording time if using 24 hour daytime mode!
I know other people have requested this feature before but I wanted to explain that increased file size is another big reason why we need to be able to switch IR off - so please tp-link, can you provide a way to disable tapo camera IR leds in night mode in a future update?
( Edit) ...unless the hardware has not been designed so the camera is capable of independently disabling IR leds when the IR filter is removed from the lens in night mode?
Thanks.
@SMARTER Indeed integral IR lights are a big problem looking through a glass window. on the C110 model the ir light are set back from the front face of the cam so there is room for light to bleed sideways, I tried masking with electrical black tape, then I discovered that you ned at least 2 layer - 3 layers of the light comes through. Then you have to mask the whole front face except the small hole needed for the lens
. you have to be very sure you make it light tight, the smallest crack will let out light which will bounce off the window
I do this on the C310 but its much easier as the lights are integral with the surface. 3 layers of tape works fine. I use a separate 48 pce ir illuminator which works well for my front garden (ca £10)
I hope you see from the pixz that the gate is ca 5m and the foot path is sufficiently lit to identify persons passing. I dont know how goo it would be for facial ID I am only running at 720p because of numerous stability problems I had before at 1080p - pages kept freezing and forget using quad view - this is work in hand. I use a separate 8" tablet for each cam
