The very first step toward a crisp image is delivering a video signal that every device in the chain can read—switchers, scalers, recorders, streaming encoders, projectors and flat‑panel displays. A mismatch here can result in black screens, stuttering motion, unexpected letter‑boxing or “out‑of‑range” errors. This section explains where you change the format, how each menu relates to the physical outputs, and why certain frame‑rates work better than others.

1 – Where to set the resolution and frame‑rate

Best practice: set HDMI/SDI first (the “baseband” signal), verify your hardware sees it, then match the IP encoder to that same resolution and frame‑rate for one‑to‑one monitoring.

2 – Step‑by‑step

OSD method (requires a monitor)

• Connect the camera’s HDMI or SDI to a screen.
• Press MENU on the IR remote.
• Navigate to VIDEO FORMAT.
• Highlight the desired setting (e.g. 1080p60 or 1080p50).
• Press HOME/ENTER. The camera stores the choice in flash.
• Power‑cycle or System ▶ Reboot so every output port refreshes with the new format.

Web GUI method (headless configuration)

• Browse to http://<camera‑ip>; default credentials admin / admin.
• Open the VIDEO tab.
• In Output Format pick the same resolution / fps pair you need on the hardware outputs.
• Click Apply. The picture will blink; if it disappears entirely your monitor may not support the selection—wait 15 s, the camera rolls back to the last working format.

3 – Why 50 / 60 fps beats 30 / 25 fps

The human eye is sensitive to motion cadence. At 30 fps (or 25 fps in 50 Hz territories) horizontal pans and scrolling text can appear to “jump” from frame to frame. Doubling the rate to 50 or 60 fps halves the time between images, producing fluid motion comparable to modern TVs and mobile devices. The trade‑off is:

• Slightly higher bandwidth on SDI links (3G‑SDI) and network streams.
• 20 % less light per frame when moving from 50 fps to 60 fps, so you may need to open the iris or add gain.

4 – Match Shutter to Frame‑Rate

Note: in the most used Expore mode "AAE", the shutter will be configured automatic and you can ignore the part below.

The shutter time you choose must be no longer than the frame period; otherwise frames are cut off or dropped. The first table shows the technical limits and the “180‑degree” cinematic midpoint. The second table explains the visual trade‑offs so you can pick the right value for your venue.

How to choose quickly

• Start with the 180‑degree shutter for natural motion and solid flicker protection.
• If the scene is too dark and you can’t add light, slow the shutter toward the frame limit but never exceed it.
• If fast movement looks blurry, shorten the shutter (e.g. 1/250 s) and compensate with extra lighting or moderate gain.
• After any shutter change, check for flicker bands—LED fixtures often require exactly 1/60 s (60 Hz) or 1/100 s (50 Hz) to remain clean.

5 – Prevent light flicker

Many LED and fluorescent fixtures pulse with mains power. Pair the camera’s Flicker setting and shutter with your region’s power frequency:

• 50 Hz region  (EU, AU, parts of Asia): Flicker = 50 Hz, Shutter 1/100 s.
• 60 Hz region  (US, JP): Flicker = 60 Hz, Shutter 1/60 s.
• If bands remain, switch to Manual or SAE, then adjust shutter incrementally (e.g. 1/120 s, 1/80 s) until the bars disappear.

6 – Reboot and verify

• A resolution change rewrites hardware registers; some monitors buffer the old format until power‑cycle. Always reboot or disconnect/re‑connect HDMI / SDI to force fresh EDID negotiation.
• Open your video switcher, recorder or streaming software and confirm it locks to the new resolution and frame‑rate (no red “Unsupported” labels).
• If using SRT/RTSP, refresh the player URL or restart the decoder so the SDP includes the new parameters.

Different options to change output resolution

OSD / On-Screen Display

If the rotary dial is set to "F" on your camera, then you can open the 'Video Format' option (in the OSD menu after pressing the MENU button of the IR remote control) and choose the required resolution:

IMPORTANT: 

• The camera will maintain the selected resolution after a soft reboot but not after a hard reboot (if the camera is unplugged from mains and replugged). After a hard reboot, it will return to the video output setting of the rotary dial where the only exception would be with the F position on the rotary dial: "Default (via OSD/Web GUI)", in that case it will maintain the selected resolution even after a hard reboot
• 720p30, 720p29.97 and 720p25 are not supported by the SDI and HDMI outputs.

Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where the camera is set to a certain resolution, which is not supported by the monitor or TV you're currently connected to. Therefore, you can not use the IR Remote and change the resolution using the OSD menu. 

Luckily, there are several other methods to change the resolution:

WebGUI

• Use the standard IP addressand log in to the WebGUI.
  • Navigate to Output Format and change the video out format (over HDMI or SDI) if your monitor does not support the default 4K resolution. Set it to 1080p60 or lower. Click SAVE to apply the new resolution.
  • You can also use the System Select button at the back of the camera to change the video output format.

IR remote shortcuts

Have a look at the article "CM40 & CM70 series IR remote Shortcuts" to change the video resolution by pressing a key combination on your IR remote (for instance, [#]→[#]→[2] to Switch the video format to 1080i60, [#]→[#]→[4] to 720p60...) without the need to use the OSD menu.

IMPORTANT: 

• The camera will maintain the selected resolution after a soft reboot but not after a hard reboot (if the camera is unplugged from mains and replugged). After a hard reboot, it will return to the video resolution set by the rotary dial ("System select" at the rear of the camera) where the only exception would be with the F position on the rotary dial: "Default (via OSD/Web GUI)", in that case it will maintain the selected resolution even after a hard reboot
• 720p30, 720p29.97 and 720p25 are not supported by the SDI and HDMI outputs.

WebGUI

When using a AV-CM70 series camera you can simply log in to the web interface by browsing to the cameras' IP address

You can change the output resolution under Video -> Output Format. Then don't forget to click the SAVE button!

IMPORTANT: 

• The camera will maintain the selected resolution after a soft reboot but not after a hard reboot (if the camera is unplugged from mains and replugged). After a hard reboot, it will return to the video resolution set by the rotary dial ("System select" at the rear of the camera) where the only exception would be with the F position on the rotary dial: "Default (via OSD/Web GUI)", in that case it will maintain the selected resolution even after a hard reboot
• 720p30, 720p29.97 and 720p25 are not supported by the SDI and HDMI outputs.
• VIDEO - SDI resolution between 720p50 - 1080p60, HDMI resolution between 720p50 - 3840x2160p60. For the 4K resolutions you need a 4K compatible monitor.
• Use the WebGUI to set the resolution of the main and sub IP streams. The resolution of the USB output is determined by the computer that is connected to it.
  Click SAVE (not shown here) to apply your settings. A small confirmation dialogue appears in the bottom right corner.

Rotary dial / System Select

On the back of every camera, you find a rotary dial. This dial allows you to set the resolution with just a simple screwdriver. The required settings and output resolutions differ per model, so please have a look in the manual of your product to find the right setting. See How to use the Select Switch / Rotary dial

IMPORTANT:

• After changing the switch, you need to perform a hard reboot of the camera to take effect (unplug it from mains and replug it, not just a soft reboot), except on setting F, where all the outputs are defined digitally. 
• 720p30, 720p29.97 and 720p25 are not supported by the SDI and HDMI outputs.

HTTP API commands

Our CM70 series cameras support a full set of HTTP API commands, to change virtually every setting on the camera.

Ther specific command to change the resolution is shown below where 'xxxxxx' needs to be replaced with a numerical value. Please find these values in your manual.

{“SetEnv”:{“VideoOut”:{“nNetMode”:2,”emVoutFormat”:9,”byFormatList”:[xxxxxx]}}}

Video output over IP cannot be a higher resolution than the physical SDI/HDMI output setting.