# Question about the Camera **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2022, 9:15am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875 "2022-09-07T09:15:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kingzeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ee59a6/32.png) [@Kingzeon](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/Kingzeon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 9:15am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/1 "2022-09-07T09:15:40Z")
I would like to ask if the camera can be replaced with a 4K camera? Is there a recommended 4K camera? ---
**Author:** ![EliotBR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/eliotbr/32/6937_2.png) [@EliotBR](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/EliotBR)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:00am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/2 "2022-09-07T10:00:25Z")
Hi @Kingzeon, At this stage we have no official recommendations, but I’ve compiled a list of camera alternatives / improvement options that have been discussed on the forum in [this comment](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/camera-lens-for-br-camera/10993/3), which may be of interest. Note that “an option has been discussed” does not necessarily mean it has been confirmed to work, or work well, and integration may not be trivial. Also be aware that if you’re wanting to have a live 4K stream you may run into bandwidth issues. Depending on your requirements, it may be possible to have a lower resolution ‘preview’ stream to the topside, while recording the full resolution footage on the camera / in the vehicle and retrieving the footage afterwards. You may alternatively want (or need) to use a fibre optic tether, if the existing tether+Fathom-X combination has insufficient bandwidth, and it may be relevant to consider an IP camera via an [Ethernet Switch](https://bluerobotics.com/store/comm-control-power/tether-interface/ethswitch/) as an alternative to a USB camera, depending on what’s available that meets your needs. We are currently looking into some 4K camera options, and the relevant software considerations around supporting that, but as I understand it that’s an active investigation without an obvious best option. ---
**Author:** ![pmn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@pmn](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/pmn)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/3 "2022-09-12T15:27:48Z")
Hi Eliot, Thanks for your comment. I wanted to ask about your phrase “while recording the full resolution footage on the camera / in the vehicle and retrieving the footage afterwards.” Using the standard camera configuration (hardware and software) it is possible to save the videos in the maximum resolution on the companion computer and then download them??, or we only have the recording of the streaming in the surface station??? Thank you very much for the help. Mariano ---
**Author:** ![EliotBR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/eliotbr/32/6937_2.png) [@EliotBR](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/EliotBR)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 9:08pm UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/4 "2022-09-12T21:08:51Z")
Hi @pmn, > [@pmn](#): > > Using the standard camera configuration (hardware and software) it is possible to save the videos in the maximum resolution on the companion computer and then download them??, or we only have the recording of the streaming in the surface station??? At this stage there is no recording functionality built into the onboard computer software (on either BlueOS or the old Companion software), so onboard recording would need to be done either on the camera itself (since some cameras support recording), or via a custom software change. Recording in the default setup is currently only available by recording the stream that’s received at the topside. ---
**Author:** ![pmn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@pmn](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/pmn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 11:08am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/5 "2022-09-13T11:08:41Z")
Thanks for the reply!! ---
**Author:** ![Alexu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Alexu](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/Alexu)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 9:50am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/6 "2025-12-04T09:50:26Z")
Hi Eliot, is on board recording aviliable now? ---
**Author:** ![EliotBR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/eliotbr/32/6937_2.png) [@EliotBR](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/EliotBR)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 10:12am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/7 "2025-12-04T10:12:47Z")
Hi @Alexu, There’s a [Dashcam](https://docs.bluerobotics.com/BlueOS-Extensions-Repository/#:~:text=Dashcam,-Maintainer%3A%20Blue) BlueOS Extension available, which can be used for onboard recording of RTSP camera streams. BlueOS 1.5 (currently in beta) will be introducing synchronised logging (of all core services and data streams) via Zenoh, which will include the video streams as an option. That said, that recording is into MCAP files, which the video needs to be extracted from if you want it as its own file. We intend to provide services to handle that nicely, but they are still being developed. It is also worth noting that onboard recording is a substantial change from the current data recording rates, so storage hardware may need to be upgraded to larger capacities for both write-rates and storage amounts. ---
**Author:** ![Alexu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Alexu](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/Alexu)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 10:45am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/8 "2025-12-04T10:45:23Z")
Thanks Eliot, looks i have to do some work on my USB camera. ---
**Author:** ![EliotBR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/discuss.bluerobotics.com/eliotbr/32/6937_2.png) [@EliotBR](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/EliotBR)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/9 "2025-12-04T13:50:34Z")
If it’s relevant, the BlueOS camera manager can repackage existing streams over RTSP, both from USB cameras and from IP cameras, so the Dashcam extension should be able to record most camera streams. ---
**Author:** ![Alexu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Alexu](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/u/Alexu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2025, 9:03am UTC](https://discuss.bluerobotics.com/t/question-about-the-camera/12875/10 "2025-12-05T09:03:58Z")
that’s cool, will try.