How to fix a flickering issue on Live View of the Tapo Camera

Introduction If you see flickering or water-ripple bands sliding across the video image from your Tapo Camera, this guide will help you troubleshoot the issue. Flicker, often visible as rolling water ripple patterns or alternating light and dark bands, is caused by the periodic flickering of artificial light sources (such as fluorescent lamps) powered by AC electricity. These lights typically flicker at 50Hz or 60Hz, matching the local power frequency. The camera sensor exposes each row line by line; if the shutter speed does not align with the light source’s flicker frequency, each row captures a slightly different brightness, creating regular bands across the image. If the power frequency is set incorrectly, these bands can appear to move or roll on the screen. As shown in the picture below, when the camera is pointed at a highlighted area, such as a lamp, flickering can be easily displayed on the screen. Troubleshooting To reduce this issue, please try adjusting the Powerline Frequency setting: Open the Tapo app, tap your camera card, then select the gear icon to enter Settings . Go to Advanced Settings > Powerline Frequency , and switch to the other option from your current one. You may also select the frequency that matches your local power standard. Note: If the light source in the environment (such as a desk lamp) has aged, its flicker frequency may become unstable, causing a rolling water ripple to appear in the camera’s live view. Therefore, please also check the stability of the surrounding light sources.

TC50 KIT | Solar-Powered Floodlight Pan/Tilt Security Camera Kit

CAMERA

Image Sensor:

1/2.8" Progressive Scan CMOS Sensor

Lens:

Focal Length:4.0mm
Aperture: F1.6
Field of View: 100° (Diagonal), 84°(Horizontal), 44°(Vertical)

Night Vision:

2× 850 nm IR LEDs (32.8ft / 10 m)
Full-Color Night Vision

Lighting:

2× Built-in Spotlights
1× Floodlight (Color Temperature: 4000K, Brightness: 800 Lumens)
Motion Activated, App-Controlled

Interface & Button:

1× Power Button
1× RESET Button
1× MicroSD Card Slot (Up to 512GB)

Pan/Tilt Range:

Pan Mechanical Range: 338° (360° Pan Coverage)
Tilt Mechanical Range: 97° (141° Tilt Coverage)

SOLAR PANEL

Connection Capacity:

A solar panel can only connect to one camera.

Output Port:

Type-C

VIDEO & AUDIO

Maximum Resolution:

2K 3MP(2304×1296 px)

Frame Rate:

Up to 20 fps

Digital Zoom:

12×

Live View:

YES

Image Enhancement:

3D DNR
BLC
WDR

Audio Input & Output:

Built-in Microphone and Speaker

Audio Communication:

Two-Way Audio with Noise Cancellation

Siren Volume:

97 dB (Level measured at 4-inch/10-cm distance)

STORAGE

Local Storage:

MicroSD Card Slot on Camera (Up to 512 GB, microSD card not included)

Cloud Storage:

Tapo Care Cloud Storage Services (Subscription required)

DETECTION and NOTIFICATIONS

Sensor:

Single Motion Sensor (FOV: 100° horizontal)
Single Ambient Light Sensor

AI Detection:

Motion Detection
Person Detection
Pet Detection
Vehicle Detection

Activity Zones:

Yes

Output Notification :

System Notification
System Notification with Snapshot/Clips (Tapo Care Services)

NETWORK

Network Connectivity:

Connect via Wi-Fi

Wireless Connectivity:

IEEE 802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi

SECURITY

On-Device Machine Learning
128-bit AES Encryption with SSL/TLS
WPA/WPA2-PSK

POWER

Power Source:

Built-in Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery
Solar Panel: Tapo A201(included)

Input Voltage:

Camera Input: 5.0 V, 2.0 A, Type-C Power (Adapter Not Included)

Output Voltage:

/

GENERAL

Smart Integration:

Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa

Weather Resistance:

IP65 for both camera and solar panel

System Requirements :

Tapo App: iOS 13.0 or higher, Andriod 7.0 or higher

Mounting Options:

Ceiling-Mounted
Wall-Mounted
Pole-Mounted (Pole-Mounting loops required but not included)

Operating Temperature:

-20°C to 45°C (-4°F to 113°F)

Storage Temperature:

-40°C to 60°C (-40°F to 140°F)

Operating Humidity:

10%~90% RH, Non-condensing

Storage Humidity:

0%~90% RH, Non-condensing

Charging Temperature:

0°C to 45°C (32°F to 113°F)

Dimensions ( W x D x H ):

Camera Dimensions: 132.86×82×161.1 mm (5.23 x 3.22 x 6.34 in.)
Solar Panel Dimensions: 173.42×120.42×15.7 mm (6.82 x 4.74 x 0.61 in.)

Package Content:

TC50 Camera × 1
Tapo A201 Solar Panel × 1
Tapo A201 Solar Panel Bracket × 1
Base Cover × 1
USB Charging Cable × 1
Solar Extension Cable × 1
Mounting Screws and Anchors
Mounting Template Stickers × 2
Quick Start Guide

Certifications:

CE,FCC,NCC,BSMI,JFR,VCCI,DOE,CEC,NTRA,KC,RCM