Apparatus for and method of identifying video streams transmitted over a shared network link, and for identifying and time-offsetting intra-frames generated substantially simultaneously in such streams

An apparatus for operating a video network, comprising:

• a plurality of cameras operatively connected together over a shared link on the network;
• and
• a video server on the network for operating each camera to capture a corresponding plurality of video streams, each video stream having intra-frames and predictive frames that are sequentially generated timewise apart, and
• the video server being operative for identifying a number of the video streams transmitted over the shared link on the network, for identifying a number of the intra-frames that are generated substantially simultaneously in the identified number of the video streams, and for time-offsetting the identified number of the intra-frames to minimize video artifacts from being present in the video streams being transmitted over the shared link.