Need technical help? Try the IP Camera Discussion Forum
Well all need a little technical help from time to time, and here at the IP Camera Learning Blog we try to post about common issues in an easy to understand way. In the gaps between our helpful posts we recommend visiting the IP Camera Discussion Forum.
There are many helpful contributors there willing to answer questions about any IP camera, or IP camera-related subject, even on IP camera makes like Foscam, Trendnet, ACTi and more.
We encourage more experienced IP camera users and security professionals to get involved in the discussions and help continue the thriving discussion and community there for the benefit of all.
We all need a little help from our friends.
New Milestone XProtect Design Tool
Milestone have today released their new online design tool for calculating storage, bandwidth and server specification when using Milestone’s XProtect suite of video management software.
A login is required to use it, but the signing up process is simple and quick. Once you’re in you have access to the most accurate data when specifiying a Milestone XProtect-based security system.
Whilst the tool allows you to only calculate data from Milestone’s Professional, Enterprise and Corporate products, its data can easily be extrapolated for use with their other XProtect variants.
In particular, it’s now possible to calculate bandwidth and storage requirements for H.264 streams in Milestone XProtect.
Try it out and let us know what you think in the comments below. Happy system designing!
Panasonic IP camera feature: Variable Image Quality on Specified area (VIQS) put to the test
With more and more security systems migrating to IP, contention and bandwidth are hot topics amongst IP camera manufacturers. The benefits of using computer networks for CCTV video are clear for everyone to see, but these benefits may be compromised if data speeds suffer due to bandwidth limitations. As such, any new technology that eases the burden on networks is worth investigating.
Enter Panasonic. Their latest technology, Variable Image Quality on Specified area (VIQS in short), claims to cut bandwidth use by streaming different sections of the camera view at different image quality. The benefit is that bandwidth for non-essential areas is reduced, leading to overall smaller bandwidth use.
This makes sense in theory. But we wanted to see for ourselves. We put the system to the test to see if VIQS in IP cameras really makes a difference to bandwidth use and investigated any side effects encountered.
H.264 not just for IP camera security
The H.264 codec has revolutionised professional security recording. But it has also made possible a raft of additional uses perhaps not originally intended in the specification.
The H.264 codec is now embedded in most new IP cameras on the market, and in particular makes the monitoring and recording of HD video over the network possible with its highly efficient compression, significantly reducing bandwidth use and storage.
H.264 (also known as MPEG-4 part 10) has been around for a while in the general entertainment and online video sectors, only in the last couple of years appearing en-mass in network video products. It is now the most widely used codec for the compression and distribution of HD video both in security and elsewhere. It’s the video format that YouTube use.
In addition, most IP cameras with H.264 also have a real time streaming protocol (RTSP) interface, which can be used to pull a video stream from the camera to be re-broadcast over the Internet. This feature has resulted in IP cameras with embedded H.264 to become the option of choice for streaming video on the web. Our live webcam streaming service Streamdays is a good example of the great results that can be achieved.
A camera’s RTSP interface to H.264 also means easy video retrieval on multiple devices including iPad and iPhones.
Other new capabilities afforded nowadays through H.264 include video conferencing, industrial process monitoring, TV broadcasts, long-haul aircraft installs, and more.
H.264 is a huge improvement over MPEG-4 and we can’t wait to see what’s next for IP video.
Evaluation: Axis Lightfinder Technology
The latest camera of Axis Communications, the Axis Q1602, features improved technology designed to handle one of the most challenging problems of IP camera surveillance: capturing usable footage in low-light scenarios.
Axis say that the system will provide colour footage in light levels much lower than previous cameras, making people and objects easier to identify.
In this evaluation we are taking a look at the Q1602 to find out how well the camera copes where most cameras would struggle.
FAQ: Can I View My IP Camera With My Phone?
With the improvements to mobile phone hardware and the reduction in prices for bandwidth, it’s no wonder that many people are trying to integrate their phones with their security systems. The benefits are great; while away from home you can immediately log into your cameras and ensure that nothing is wrong.
However, despite the fact that modern phones are powerful, they are not fully fledged computers, meaning that there are limitations which can prevent video or images from being displayed.
We’ve taken a look at some of the main IP camera manufacturers to see how their cameras cope with mobile viewing, and explore any limitations found.
How-to: Email Alerts from Panasonic IP Cameras
In this How-to: setting up motion detection email notifications with image attachment on a Panasonic camera.
Having an IP camera can give you a lot of reassurance when away from home. However, it’s implausible to monitor the camera 24 hours a day, so it’s handy to be notified in the event something happens.
Panasonic IP cameras offer this functionality. By setting up motion detection and integrating it with an email service, you can be notified if an event takes place and even have the camera send you an image so that you can quickly see what’s happened.
This how-to covers the setup of email notifications on all Panasonic BB and BL cameras. We have used a Panasonic BL-C160 for testing, but other cameras in the range will be all but identical.
How-to: Recording Axis IP Camera Snapshots to an SD Card
In the past couple of years, IP camera manufacturers have started building SD card slots into their cameras, enabling on-board recording of video and images. The simplicity of this solution has resulted in recording directly to the camera becoming ever more popular. In this how-to, we’re going to show you how to enable hourly snapshot recording on your Axis IP security camera (one of many ways to utilise on-board recording). But first, a bit more about the benefits.
IPv6 and IP-based Security
While the last of the old IPv4 addresses are being used up, the physical migration to IPv6 is a slow one. How does this affect IP CCTV?
Comparison: Axis M1011, Panasonic BL-C230 and Y-cam Knight SD IP cameras (Pt. 2)
In this article we compare IP cameras from three of our top-selling manufacturers: the Axis M1011, Panasonic BL-C230, and Y-cam Knight SD. This is the second part of a two part comparison.
In part 1, we compared the Axis M1011 with the Panasonic BL-C230 and Y-cam Knight SD IP cameras. Our first look compared average image quality, low-light performance and included accessories. Now we’re going to take a look at each camera’s unique features, build quality and user interface.