Hello everyone,

I have one C560WS unit (HW Version 1.0, FW Version 1.1.8) and five C530WS units (all HW Version 2.0, FW Version 1.3.5), all connected via LAN cables to a TL-SG2218 and a TL-SG1016 switch.

The cameras are accessed via RTSP by an ASUS NUC 14 Pro Tall Kit RNUC14RVHU500002I (Intel Core U5 125H CPU, Intel Arc Graphics, and 2x 16GB DDR5) and displayed in a 6-panel grid on a 4K monitor (60 Hz). The system runs on Ubuntu 24.06, utilizing the OpenSurv application software (GitHub), which uses “mpv” to process the video feeds.

On the 4K display (6-Grid), the C560 is shown in a 2560x1440 window, while the five C530 units are each displayed in a 1280x720 windows. All at a time.

The C560 is accessed via RTSP stream1 and requires scaling on the NUC, whereas the five C530 units are accessed via stream2 and therefore do not require scaling. Consequently, the computational load required on the NUC is very low. This application has been running very stably since last year, delivering good image quality provided there is only a little motion in the display. However, for this live six-camera display, I require a judder-free image. Movements—such as a gate opening or closing, cars driving by, or people moving through the frame—must be displayed without any judder. This is precisely the problem, and the reason for this inquiry.

On all C530 units, images are satisfactory at resolutions of 720p and 1080p (at 25 or 30 fps) and motion-pictures. At higher resolutions, however, the video intermittently freezes for 0.5 to 1 second before abruptly jumping to the next frame. This means that at 720p and 1080p, the video quality is acceptable.

With the C560, however, only 720p and 4K streams are available. The 4K stream performs very poorly when capturing motion: the video stutters severely, freezing and then jumping to a new position. If the Tapo app is open and displaying the live feed simultaneously, the stuttering becomes significantly worse. I get the impression that this camera is ill-suited for high-resolution video capture with motion, and I am considering replacing the C560 with a C530 as well.

Another recurring issue I have observed—occurring at minute-long intervals—is that the C560 displays vertical stripes, particularly in the lower third of the image, accompanied by significant pixel errors. I see these pixel errors only within my application, and not in the image displayed by the Tapo app. I have never encountered these pixel-related issues with any of my C530 cameras.

I should also add that the cameras can be displayed not only in a 6-camera grid but also—via a toggle—in individual windows. In the latter mode, naturally, only Stream 1 (the highest-resolution stream) is utilized.

In other words, I am encountering an issue with both the C560 and the C530 when handling high-resolution, moving images. With the C530, I can mitigate this problem by lowering the image resolution—something I am unable to do with the C560. Does this mean the C530 is significantly better suited for my specific application, or is it possible to achieve improvements with the C560 through software modifications—perhaps within "mpv" ?

What is the difference between the C560 and the C530 regarding the output of the RTSP stream (aside from the C560 utilizing H.265 at 4K, whereas the other resolutions uses H.265)?

Thank you in advance for any help !!!

Hans