Plan XProtect adaptive playback around two recorded streams

Bottom line: Plan the recording streams, client settings and historical test cases before enabling XProtect adaptive playback across a control room.

Source fact: documented behavior

The Adaptive playback topic is the primary reference for this XProtect 2026 R1 discussion.

Milestone’s topic requires a primary and a secondary recording stream for adaptive playback. When both streams are enabled in Management Client, both record. Playback from before the secondary recording was configured uses only the primary recordings. For later periods, the client uses the primary or secondary recording according to the best match for the view size. The documented selection uses the current resolution settings for the two recording streams. The feature must be enabled in the Smart Client profile and in XProtect Smart Client, and availability depends on the system.

What the source does not establish

This 2026 R1 topic does not establish feature entitlement, sufficient storage, decoding performance or the quality of an installed recording path. Treat historical selection behavior as a configuration question to verify in the deployed release. It is not evidence that an earlier single-stream archive acquired a second recording.

Applicability questions

• Which cameras already have both recording streams, and when was each secondary stream enabled?
• What resolutions are currently configured, and who may change them?
• Which profiles and operator workstations are in the pilot?
• What recorded detail must investigators retain at each viewing size?

DSE recommendation: controlled next steps

The following steps are DSE recommendations based on the cited source.

For a control room moving to adaptive playback, DSE recommends a small representative pilot with a written change boundary.

1. Record the primary and secondary stream definitions, their start dates and the relevant client/profile settings. Keep a copy of the pre-change configuration and identify the person responsible for approving later resolution changes.
2. Prepare three disposable test periods: before secondary recording exists, after it starts, and after an approved configuration adjustment. Use a repeatable scene with identifiable detail. Keep the production recording requirement as the acceptance criterion when choosing the pilot streams.
3. Review the same periods in small and enlarged view items on the intended workstations. Ask the operator to identify the event and the investigator to retrieve the required detail. Document the observations before extending the configuration to more cameras.

Verification and evidence

Retain the camera and server versions, stream settings, client/profile settings, change times and test intervals. Record which period was requested, the view size and the displayed result so another reviewer can repeat the comparison.

Include an authorized playback check after a later resolution change. Preserve the earlier configuration with the result, investigate unexpected selections, and obtain acceptance from the recording owner. These are proposed DSE tests; no performance or capacity result is claimed here.

Official references

• Adaptive playback — Milestone Systems; XProtect 2026 R1.

Source review completed October 28, 2026. Recheck the official documentation and deployment-specific applicability before a production change.