Q: What are those horizontal lines that wiggle on a CCTV camera?

Wiggling hoizontal lines are called "smear" or "blooming." Most IP security cameras are single chip CCD sensor cameras. When a CCD sensor is faced with a light that is so bright that overwhelms a pixel, it will affect all the pixels below it. So what you are seeing is the electrical interference of a light sensor being overwhelmed with light. A CMOS sensor does not have the "line" problem, so CMOS won't give you the lines, but too much light will still burn out pixels -- and that's the real problem.

Getting rid of wiggling horizonal lines on security cameras' video feeds

1. The easiest thing to do is to reduce the amount of light or not aim the camera directly at the light source.

2. You could also try a camera with a WDR Wide Dynamic Range, like our Effio series DSP cameras (listed at the bottom of the page).

3. You could try one with a CMOS sensor (but, again, too much light will still burn out a CMOS sensor camera's pixels, it will just be harder to tell when that happens)

4. As a videographer, you could use a neutral density filter to get rid of these, but I have never heard of a security camera with a neutral density filter.

5. You might be able to reduce the amount of light by using a dome camera that had a darkened shell (those dome cameras where you can't see where they are pointed)

6. We don't sell any but you might be able to find someone who sells a "anti-blooming gate," but this will reduce how well the camera will work in low levels of light. (This isn't a great solution for most people).