Need to feature to mask certain area ( single or multiple areas ) of video for user privacy.
option may be to blur out the area selected or complete block solid (black or colored ).
I am just curious, in what instances would this apply?
Camera in the bathroom but exclude the toilet? But seriously, how about just not putting the camera in or pointed at that area.
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As this is a indoor camera , I would like to monitor section region of the total sensor area,
Suppose we would like record only the main entrance( door )to the room, but not all the area of that room.
Example areas like
Small clinic , gym etc, need to record only entry/exit area.
This is standard futures of security camera available in the market , some can mask multiple area of the sensor.
Now a days camera sensor size are getting bigger covering larger areas with single camera, masking is a must feature.
I thinks itās important to note that while this is a viable wishlist item, Wyze does not market or claim their cameras to be security cameras. Many additional hurdles before a company can claim this application.
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While i know that Wyze is not a security cameraā¦ They try to respond to customer demand and implement some advanced features when possible.
Secondly, as processors improveā¦ more can be done on the camera without the need for a DVR or cloud processing.
Thirdly, with H.264 - a video mask can, in some ways reduce processing and video steam size because the mask can be computed as essentially 1 pixel repeated mutiple times.
Fourthly, video masks ARE becoming vwry common which is why Wyze should at least try to implement this.
If it canāt be done due to processor or encoding reasons - they might wanna add this to their FAQ so customers know that it was looked into and couldnāt be implemented without increasing $$. My guess is that it can be implemented with current tech.
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Hereās are 3 scenarios where a privacy mask might be neededā¦
HOME
You must monitor a bedroom to keep kids safe or keep valuables from being taken. - Iām thinking personally of a situation with foster children sneaking into care takers bedroom and stealing valuables.
A Wyze cam watching the bed room door would provide video evidence of a crime but ALSO accidently record something private. A privacy mask would restrict video to only the area containing valuables.
A privacy mask might also be used in conjunction with a motion detection zone to record on motion but not record a certain area sayā¦ Like whatās on a TV. Suppose the TV is in the middle of the detection zone but you donāt necessarily want the TV to trigger āmotionā - but the zone needs to span the area where the TV is.
WORK
A privacy mask might be used to black out a computer screen protecting financial or HIPAA or FERPA data or other customer data from inadvertently being recorded.
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I know this is UK not US - but Ā£100,000 fine is going to hurt most people
Seems like there is more that just the camera issue going on in this case ,
But the ability to prove that you are only recording specific areas could save you a lot of hassle and grief
Now we have the āgridā detection zone - could the same āgridā be used to mask elements of the recording
Bits of tape stuck over the lens arenāt really doing it for me and are tricky to get right !
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Yesā¦ I need this. I have a camera on our shared parking areaā¦ but my neighbour is complaining that the camera records whoever enters her house via her entrance. It would be good to mask out her entrance and only include my patio and parking area (which extends above her entrance on the camera screen.
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I think itās important for Wyze to implement this feature. It shows a commitment to privacy and trying to do the right thing. It shows respect to neighbors who are rightfully sensitive to being recorded. As stated here already, this is a common feature on IP cameras. Using the same grid style GUI as with motion detection (also suggested already), it would be easy for the customer to block out areas from view. Thank you.
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Blur video sections for privacy
I would like an option that, when I set a Detection zone in my camera settings, the cam has the option to automatically blur portions of the video being recorded that are not being actively detected. This could be great for privacy in situations where the camera is covering an area that has private spaces that you may not want to cover.
As an example, one side of my house has a side yard/backyard access where I would like to put a camera on to monitor it. This side is shared with my neighbor and divided with a shared fence, I would set the motion detection area to only my side of the fence, and block his side. It would be then ideal that the cam would automatically blur his side of the yard to respect his privacy.
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Sounds nice but who is your audience that you need privacy?
I only put cameras in areas that are safe to capture. All cams are external facing. If you are on my property you give up some visual privacy (at least in my area of the US.) I use strong passwords.
How would this masking work to be easy to implement and not add to overall costs? Sounds like you need to buy a real security cam and a security service.
For current costs, these cams are affordable to the masses and work fairly well.
These are great points. I would like to clarify the public/ private side of the equation a bit further:
In the example i provided, the side of my house i need to cover is adjacent to my neighborās separated by our common shared fence. For security purposes the camera needs to be propped high, above the fence height which means it has view and coverage of his side of the fence/ yard. This side is not facing any public street and the fence height does not allow you to see the other side easily since itās about 6-7 feet tall so this, i believe, meets the threshold of a part of his property where privacy is expected.
I also believe this may be fairly easy to implement with nearly zero cost to Wyze simply because the cameras have some form of this already implemented in the detection zone setup. There you can see the live video of the camera and thereās an overlaid grid that darkens the areas of the video you donāt want to monitor for motion. It may be easy to ask the camera to record video and if an area of the video falls outside the detection zone, just record what the detection zone looks like (minus grid). See below for example on how the detection zone look like when setting it up.
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Agree. The previous comment underscores your point; having an outward facing cam(s) is exactly the reason many users DO NEED a privacy mask. Their field of view (FOV) can and often does overlap private property of neighbors. Whether in motion detection or continuous monitoring, such overwatch is intrusive and may even be illegal in some jurisdictions. Will Wyze pay your fine? Besides, most competitors have this feature, including the relatively retro Blink offerings, as well as TP-Linkās Tapo cams (like the Wyze Cam V4 ākiller,ā the C120 that has AI detection built-in without need of a subscription and processing latency). Relatively simple software change.
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The way you describe your situation makes sense.
All of my cams are mounted six feet or less above the ground behind a window looking out.
I only have a one-floor house, but I could see issues on a two-floor house looking out into my backyard and my neighbors.
Good points. Thanks for the explanation.
This is a feature I really want, and is one advantage my Ring camera has. I have 5 Wyze cameras, 4 of which monitor 3d printers. I want to block everything else within view, such as the workbench and computer setup which is currently visible in the background. These camera feeds are shared with a few other people and I only want the 3D printers to be visible. No one needs to see me working at the bench or browsing the Internet.
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