Systems and methods for intelligently recording video data streams are provided. Some methods can include determining whether an area of interest in a first high resolution video data stream of a field of view of a camera includes motion. When the area of interest includes the motion, the area of interest can be cropped from the first high resolution video data stream to form a second high resolution video data stream of the area of interest, and the first high resolution video data stream of an area of non-interest in the field of view can be converted into a first low resolution video data stream of the area of non-interest. When the area of interest fails to include the motion, the first high resolution video data stream of the field of view can be converted into a second low resolution video data stream of the field of view.