Home
Setup guide
Install and connect your Security Center SaaS application.
Device management
Video
Concepts
How video timeline thumbnails work in Security Center SaaS
Video thumbnails on the timeline provide a visual preview of recorded footage at different points in time, helping operators locate specific moments without playing back entire recordings.

Pre-deployment guide
Review requirements, order, and activate your Security Center SaaS system.
Setup guide
Install and connect your Security Center SaaS application.
- Getting started
- User management
- Device management
  - Appliances
  - General tasks
  - Video
    - Concepts
      - About camera read-only mode
        In Security Center SaaS, camera read-only mode is an option for adding cameras managed by an external Video Management System (VMS). Using camera read-only mode, you can view video without affecting external camera configurations.
      - How fisheye cameras work in Security Center SaaS
        Security Center SaaS supports the enrollment of fisheye cameras and can dewarp live and playback video from direct-to-cloud and managed Archiver cameras.
      - About recording profiles
        A recording profile is a configuration for multiple cameras with predefined camera settings, such as retention period, storage location, resolution, frame rate, and bit rate. You can use a recording profile to quickly configure cameras before or after you add them to your system.
      - How video timeline thumbnails work in Security Center SaaS
        Video thumbnails on the timeline provide a visual preview of recorded footage at different points in time, helping operators locate specific moments without playing back entire recordings.
      - How camera analytics events work in Security Center SaaS
        An event is a record of an activity or incident that occurred in the system. Security personnel can monitor events in real time and investigate them later. Events can also trigger automations in the system.
      - How camera metadata works in Security Center SaaS
        A camera analytics event is part of the camera metadata stream. Camera metadata is used by intelligent search to help identify people or vehicles that match specific characteristics.
    - Common setup tasks
    - Managing cameras
  - Access Control
  - Intrusion
  - Intercoms
  - Software/firmware updates
- System automation
- Map design
User guide
Perform daily operations and monitor your facilities in the Security Center SaaS application.
Genetec ClearID
Set up and use ClearID in Security Center SaaS.
Federation
Set up and use Federation in Security Center SaaS.
Appliances
Install, configure, and use your cloud-managed appliances.
Troubleshooting
Get quick and easy access to troubleshooting content for Security Center SaaS.
Supported devices
Review the supported devices list.
Supported features
Review the supported features list.
Technical support
Learn how and where to find support to help you solve technical issues.
Glossary

How video timeline thumbnails work in Security Center SaaS

2026-06-08

Video thumbnails on the timeline provide a visual preview of recorded footage at different points in time, helping operators locate specific moments without playing back entire recordings.

When you activate Video thumbnails on timeline in a camera's recording profile, users can do the following:

View thumbnails when hovering over the timeline: Hovering the mouse pointer over the timeline displays a thumbnail preview above it. The available thumbnails depend on the visible time range. A shorter time range shows thumbnails at shorter intervals than a longer time range. To adjust the time range while hovering over the timeline, press Shift and scroll the mouse wheel. The timeline displays a range from 30 seconds to 24 hours.
Quickly review video by scrubbing the timeline: Dragging along the timeline displays a full-frame thumbnail preview over the current video. A white cursor indicates your position on the timeline. Releasing the mouse moves playback to that point.

Note:

You can only view video thumbnails on the timeline when using the Investigation task or intelligent search functions to review video.

Supported devices

For a list of cameras that support video thumbnails on the timeline, see the Security Center SaaS Supported Device List.

Usage considerations

Activating video thumbnails on the timeline consumes approximately 60 Kbps per camera because the system sends a continuous low-resolution stream to the cloud. The amount varies by camera manufacturer.

Activation settings for video timeline thumbnails

The Activate video thumbnails on timeline setting is activated in the camera's recording profile. You can change the setting on individual cameras if their recording profile is set to Custom settings.

Note:

The Activate video thumbnails on timeline setting is unavailable on cameras that don’t support video thumbnails.