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

Wiggling hoizontal lines are called "smear" or "blooming." Most 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).

Obviously we think that the best solution is the easiest one: just turn down the light. If that's not possible, here are the Effio models (with WDR technology).