Image cropping, people counting, object tracking, tampering detection and exposure modification of portions of a video picture also are possible. Some surveillance cameras include metadata about what is shown in the video, provide the time and date when the video was recorded, and perform face finding.
Of course, how smart a camera has to be is a function of each individual application. Dumbing down cameras is one way to reduce the cost of an installation, unless the alternative is more expensive, points out Fredrik Nilsson, general manager of Axis Communications AB, Chelmsford, Mass.