Motion Based Retention

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Meraki security cameras record continuously by default, but motion-based retention allows recording only motion events. This feature enhances video retention by storing footage with detected motion and deleting non-motion footage. Users can switch between different motion detector versions for optimal performance Read more here about Motion Search feature.

How motion-based retention works

The industry-standard motion-based recording is not 100% reliable, and some events may be missed. To address this, when motion-based retention is enabled, the camera records continuously for 24/7 coverage. This creates a three-day buffer period to review events with limited motion (e.g., less than 5% scene coverage), low light conditions (e.g., at night time), or distant objects. After this three-day period, the camera trims footage based on its motion event index.

Drawing a Region of Interest for MBR automatically affects your stored retention, please read till the end of the document.

Enabling motion-based retention

Navigate to Camera > Monitor > Cameras: Select a camera.
Go to the Settings tab and select the Quality and Retention tab.
Select Enable for Motion-based retention.

The image demonstrates the process of selecting 'Enable' for motion-based retention in the Meraki Dashboard to optimize video storage and retention settings.

4. If you want to exclude certain areas and only record motion on select areas of interest, select Enabled for Areas of interest

Areas of Interest (NEW)

Supported on all MV's

This feature enables you to draw areas around which you want to capture and preserve motion. This is especially helpful if you have a very noisy environment and are only interested in capturing motion for a specific region. You can now draw several Polygons on the video tile to capture these areas.

As shown below, we're only looking to identify and catch events happening within the coffee bar on top. The ROI polygon selection helps in identifying this while also ignoring any movement that might occur in the extreme right corner or also the hallway in between.

This image demonstrates how the Region of Interest (ROI) polygon selection is used to focus on capturing events within the coffee bar area while ignoring movements in the hallway and the extreme right corner.

In the example below, We aim to track motion on the tabled seating area while ignoring the flying curtain in the bottom left and any movement outside the tent on the extreme right.

This image demonstrates how the Region of Interest (ROI) polygon selection is used to focus on capturing motion events on the tabled seating area while ignoring movements caused by the flying curtain (bottom left) and outside the tent (extreme right).

In the example below, We aim to track the opening and closing of the door while ignoring other motion in this high-traffic area.

This image demonstrates how the Region of Interest (ROI) polygon selection is used to track the opening and closing of a door while ignoring other motion in a high-traffic area.

Retention Graphs

When motion-based retention is selected, the camera displays a graph showing the hours of motion detected per day over the past week. It also provides an estimated retention period.

Drawing a Region of Interest reduces the amount of video stored, increasing retention time.

Example Graph:

The image demonstrates how motion-based retention displays a graph of daily motion hours over the past week and provides an estimated retention period, highlighting the benefits of drawing a Region of Interest to optimize storage and retention.

If your camera is plugged in for the first time, the estimate will be based on averages from all active Meraki cameras.

Previously created areas of interest using the rectangular tool will remain intact, but you can no longer edit them. To make changes, you must redraw them using the polygon tool.

This image demonstrates that previously created areas of interest using the rectangular tool remain intact but cannot be edited, requiring redrawing with the polygon tool.

This image illustrates that editing rectangle areas of interest is no longer supported, and users must clear all and redraw using polygon shapes.

The new tool is not available for motion alerts, motion search features today.

Motion-based retention in low-light conditions

To improve motion-based retention in low-light conditions, use an external high-power IR source. This enhances scene illumination and improves motion event detection. Cisco Meraki recommends RayTec, which offers a wide range of PoE IR lighting suitable for most deployments.