Starlight mode is an image stacking option that will either improve the signal to noise of a set of images by averagingthem or brighten the scene by summing the images.  There are options to tell the software when to use stacking.  There is also an option to subtract a "Dark Frame" from each stack image to remove fixed pattern noise from the images.  And there is a Hot pixel removal algorithm. This option was developed for astrophotography and is included in the softare as an option that may become more usful as IP cameras improve.  Generally IP cameras do not perform so well in low light and some IP cameras will clip the pixel or set it to zero when the pixel value drops below some level.  In that case summing pixels does not add any value.

 

Stacking Options Block

 

Stack N images checkbox

Set this checkbox to allow stacking images and to set the number of images to stack.

 

Use on/off Scene Average threshold method

Use the on Threshold and Off Threshold values for on/off stacking values.  The threshold is the scene average.

 

 

Whenever scene average is less than N

Select this radio button to begin stacking when the scen average falls below a certain level based on the scene average value.  The scene average value can be read from the message box beneath the image capture display.

 

 

Always checkbox

Always stack images.  Usefull for testing the effects.

 

 

Dark Frame block

 

Dark Frame Select button.  Press this button to select a previously created dark frame image.  To create a dark frame block the camera lens so that no light enters and keep the camera at operating temerature expected during use of the dark frame.

 

Process Dark Frame checkbox

Select this checkbox to use the selected dark frame image whenever stacking is taking place.

 

Hot Pixel Threshold

Set the threshold where bright pixels in the dark frame image will be considered to be considered to be "hot pixels".  Nominally 30.