I have been using the Tapo C500 camera for over a year now. Recently, I have noticed a clear degradation in video quality, even though the settings are configured to Video & Display → Video Quality → 1080p.

The recorded footage appears pixelated, and facial details are no longer clearly visible. It is important to note that since the date of purchase, the camera has remained installed at the same location—there has been no change in distance, angle, or environment that could explain this degradation.

I would appreciate guidance on whether this could be due to firmware issues, sensor degradation, encoding problems, or any other known cause, and what steps can be taken to resolve it.

Additionally, I would like to request an enhancement in Patrol Mode. Currently, the minimum dwell/layover time per position is 2 minutes. It would be far more practical if shorter intervals such as 15 seconds or 30 seconds were available. In my use case, the camera needs to focus primarily on the main entrance, with only brief coverage of other areas.

I hope the Tapo team can look into both the video quality concern and the patrol mode timing flexibility in future updates.

Thank you.