Continuous Recording (AlfredCam)

Continuous Recording for our own hardware camera, AlfredCam, is a feature available for version 2022.12.0 and above. With Continuous Recording activated on your AlfredCam with an SD card inserted, you will be able to record continuously without missing any important moments. The recording runs in a non-stop loop. New footage overwrites recorded footage starting from the oldest. You may go back and watch any of the footage as long as Continuous Recording is enabled with an SD card inserted.

In this article, we have listed what you need to know about Continuous Recording for AlfredCam.

• How do I turn on Continuous Recording if I have an AlfredCam?
• How do I view the Continuous Recording Playback?
• What is the Continuous Recording storage requirement?
• How do I download the Playback?
• Frequently asked questions

How do I turn on Continuous Recording if I have an AlfredCam?

When you insert a MicroSD card, Continuous Recording will be enabled automatically. If your Continuous Recording is not enabled, please follow the steps below to turn on Continuous Recording: 

1. Make sure your Camera device is online 

2. Go to the camera list on your Viewer device

3. Tap the wheel icon on the camera's thumbnail

4. Scroll down and turn on the Continuous Recording toggle

How do I view the Continuous Recording Playback?

⚠️ Note: If you are a free user, you can ONLY view your playback by downloading it from MicroSD card to your computer. You may upgrade to Premium by following the steps here.

If you are a Premium user, please follow the steps below to view the playback on your Viewer device:

1. Make sure your Camera device is online, and Continuous Recording is already turned on
2. Tap Playback on your camera list
3. Tap and drag the timeline to view recorded footage from a specific time. If Activity Detection is turned on, you will see the red bars shown below when motions are captured.You may also pinch or zoom in to change the scale on the timeline.
   

What is the Continuous Recording storage requirement?

To allow Continuous Recording to work properly, please make sure your SD card has at least 2 GB of storage available. If the available storage on your SD card is less than 2 GB, the app will show an error message, you could follow the instructions below to format the SD card inserted or replace it with a new SD card.

Steps: Camera Setting > SD Card Management > Format MicroSD card

How do I download the Playback?

We heard your feedback! With the AlfredCamera 24.21.0 update, you can now download 2-5 minute continuous videos directly from the Viewer Side. This makes it easy to get the continuous segments you need and keep those special clips!
This feature is a Viewer-side function and has been released on iOS in version 2024.21.0. The Android version is on the way, so stay tuned for it!

To download Playback, there are two methods.
Please refer to the options below:

Method 1

1. Drag the timeline and let the playhead to the starting position you want to download.
   
2. Tap the download icon in the top right corner to enter Playback editing.
   
3. Drag the right side of the time frame to edit the Playback length.
   
4. Tap the Download button in the top right corner.

⚠️ Note:

• Please keep the app in the foreground when downloading videos to avoid interruptions.
• If the downloaded Playback segments contain parts that were not recorded, only the recorded portions will be downloaded and merged into one video.
• If there are changes, such as image rotation, quality adjustments, or other settings in the downloaded Playback segments, the videos will be downloaded in separate parts.

Method 2

You can also eject your MicroSD card safely via the "setting icon" under SD Card Management, and download the files to your computer.

Frequently asked questions

1. Why is my Continuous Recording Playback not working? 

AlfredCam's Continuous Recording can only work when a MicroSD card is inserted. If you see an SD card error, please see Questions 2 below.

If you are a free user, you can ONLY view your playback by downloading it from MicroSD card to your computer. You may upgrade to Premium by following the steps here.

If you are already a Premium user, please check if your Continuous Recording is enabled in the Camera Setting view, and you should be able to check the playback.

2. If I see a MicroSD card Error, what should I do?

MicroSD card error can happen when your 

• SD card size is over 256 GB
• SD card format is not FAT32
• The available storage is less than 2 GB

You can try to format your MicroSD card in the AlfredCamera app or on your computer to erase all the data and make sure it's in the right format (FAT32).

If the card is still not detected in AlfredCam or a computer, there may be an issue with the MicroSD card, please try using a different SD card instead.

3. I am a Free user, can I use Continuous Recording with a MicroSD card? 

Yes, you can still use Continuous Recording with a MicroSD card, the video will still be recorded onto your SD card, and you can check the video on your own computer. 

If you would like to check the video using the in-app Playback feature, you may upgrade to Premium.

4. Why does my Remaining Time in SD Card Management show 5 days, but it changes to 3 days after I upgrade to Premium?

The recorded video resolutions are different between Free users (240p) and Premium users (720p), meaning that Premium video will require a larger storage size for its higher resolution. Please also note that the Remaining Time is only an estimation based on your recording history. If you move your camera from a less-density movement environment to a high-density movement environment, the required storage size will be larger, and the remaining time may not reflect immediately. 

If you wish to preserve your videos, please make sure you download them onto your own computer before the camera overwrites them.

See Also:

• Where does Alfred store my videos?
• Activity Detection vs. Continuous Recording
• What is Alfred Premium?
• What are Motion Events, Moments and Continuous Recording Playback?

🙋 Still have questions? Please contact us from the More tab in the app.