A frame interval, also known as a keyframe interval or an I-frame interval, is a parameter used in video compression and transmission that determines how often a full image or “keyframe” is transmitted or encoded. In IP cameras, the frame interval is the time interval between two consecutive keyframes in the video stream.

In a video stream, keyframes are full frames that contain all the image information, while the frames in between keyframes only contain the changes or differences from the previous frame. By transmitting only the differences between frames, video compression reduces the size of the video stream, allowing for more efficient storage and transmission.

The frame interval is typically set by the camera manufacturer or the user, and it can affect the video quality and bandwidth usage of the camera. A shorter frame interval means more keyframes are transmitted, resulting in higher quality video but also higher bandwidth usage and storage requirements. A longer frame interval means fewer keyframes are transmitted, resulting in lower quality video but lower bandwidth usage and storage requirements.