Higher detect fps with skipped frames vs lower detect fps

[sjkjs]

What would be the better choice, in terms of detection accuracy, out of these two scenarios:

• Having a detect fps of 5 but running the GPU at pretty much 100% load and having occasional skipped frames
• Having a detect fps of 2 and not having any skipped frames

Do skipped frames actually cause any issues other than the fact that they were obviously skipped?

As long as I'm happy to accept the increased power consumption and heat generation by running the GPU flat out, is there any reason not to go with the higher detect fps? I figure that even with some dropped frames, it's still going to average more than 2 fps which means it should outperform the second option.

Is my thinking correct or is there more going on here?

[inkeep-ai-assistant[bot]]

If you set a higher detect fps (e.g., 5 fps) and your GPU is running at 100% with occasional skipped frames, Frigate will process as many frames as it can, but some will be skipped if the hardware can't keep up(1). If you set a lower detect fps (e.g., 2 fps) and have no skipped frames, every frame within that rate will be processed.

Skipped frames mean those specific moments are never analyzed by the detector, so if an object appears only in a skipped frame, it won't be detected(1). However, with a higher average processed fps (even with some skips), you are likely to catch more events than with a consistently lower fps, as long as the skipped frames are not causing you to miss short-duration events entirely.

If you are okay with increased power use and heat, there is no fundamental reason not to run at higher detect fps, even with some skipped frames, since your average detection rate will still be higher than running at a lower fps with no skips. Your thinking is generally correct: more processed frames per second increases the chance of catching fast-moving or brief objects, even if some frames are skipped(1).

📚 Sources:

1. Metrics

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[NickM-27]

The problem with skipped frames is it makes it more difficult to track moving objects, but this is caused with lower fps too. Some skipped frames during peak activity is generally fine