IP CAMERA LEARNING & RESOURCE CENTER

The majority of IP cameras available today support a feature known as ‘Motion Detection’ or ‘Video Motion Detection’ (VMD). This is a very useful feature for security applications as it will detect when something has moved in a scene and can notify the user in a number of ways including email or activating external alarms or lights etc.

Sometimes though you might find that it triggers when there is very little movement or it triggers when other objects move in the scene such as traffic or plant-life outside a visible window or pets indoors.

Fortunately most IP cameras come with ways to help reduce the number of false alarms such as masking, multi-window detection or sensitivity settings.

What this guide will show is various ways we can configure motion detection in an Axis camera.

This guide will be suitable for all Axis IP camera models with the exception of the Axis 206.

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This guide explains one of the more popular security features found in IP cameras and that is how to have your camera send you an email when it detects motion. I know it’s a question we get asked a lot and it’s very simple so follow this guide for the complete low-down.

This guide is suitable for all Axis cameras except the Axis 206. The Axis 207/W/MW will also look slightly different as it has a basic interface for configuring events. The theory should remain the same but should be a little simpler when setting up.

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A great selling point when it comes to Sony IP cameras is that they offer wireless connectivity in their high-end PTZ and dome models, something which is lacking from all other ranges.

This feature is not built-in to the camera but is offered as an optional extra with the purchase of a wireless compact flash card. The card has an internal antenna and will slot into the camera directly (or indirectly using an adaptor) and this will provide wireless connectivity. The range can also be extended by using an optional external antenna which connects to the wireless card.

Confusingly Sony has two wireless cards which appear identical apart from the wireless speeds but they aren’t. We will discuss compatibility in a future article.

This guide is suitable for the following:

SNC-P5
SNC-Z20
SNC-CS50
SNC-RZ25N
SNC-RZ30N
SNC-RZ50N
SNC-RX530N
SNC-RX550N
SNC-RX570N

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A useful security feature found in every Sony IP camera is the ability to have live snapshot images sent to your email address when the camera detections motion.

This is ideal for monitoring your business or property and provides you evidence from potential intruders which remains safe and in your possession even if the camera is discovered.

This guide will explain in step-by-step fashion the process of configuring the camera to send an email when it detects movement.

We have based this guide on the Sony SNC-P5 but this should be relevant to most IP cameras in the Sony range.

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Part of the focus in the recent update to Axis Camera Station was to make the software easier to use and nothing makes setting up events quicker and easier than the new Event Configuration Wizard.

Let’s have a look at how simple it is to configure an event using this new tool.

For this guide we will choose a common event which will start recording when motion is detected.

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A useful security feature found in any Sony IP camera is the ability to upload a snapshot of the current image to an FTP server. This can be done either by an alarm trigger or, as this guide will focus on, periodic transfer.

Simple recording at no extra cost

By uploading images to an FTP server at regular intervals you are essentially creating an archive of images which you can browse through at a later date. This can be seen as a simple recording solution but without the need to purchase expensive recording software or have a PC constantly switched on.

In this guide we show you how to set up your Sony camera to upload images to an FTP server based on periodic transfer.

For the purposes of this guide we have used a Sony SNC-CS5P IP camera but this should be relevant to most IP cameras in the complete Sony range.

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A feature unique to the Axis 207 family of cameras is the ability to send full MPEG-4 video clips by email or upload them to an FTP server based on motion/audio detection, external sensor input or triggered manually.

There are very few cameras which support this, even higher-end Axis cameras do not support this feature making it a very much worth doing a guide for.

This guide is suitable for the following cameras:

Axis 207
Axis 207W
Axis 207MW

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You will find that when you come to install your Panasonic IP camera that the tools provided are for Windows based PCs only. This seems to be the case for every IP camera we come across and we think Mac users do get a raw deal.

It is possible to use a Panasonic IP camera with a Mac. You won’t get the full functionality without using the ActiveX control through Internet Explorer but you will still be able to access the camera, its settings and live images.

This guide will show you how to setup a Panasonic camera using a Mac without using any of the installation tools provided on the CD-ROM.

This guide is suitable for the following cameras:

• Panasonic BL-C1A
• Panasonic BL-C20A
• Panasonic BL-C111A
• Panasonic BL-C131A
• Panasonic BL-HCM371A
• Panasonic BB-HCM511A
• Panasonic BB-HCM515A
• Panasonic BB-HCM527A
• Panasonic BB-HCM531A
• Panasonic BB-HCM580A
• Panasonic BB-HCM581A

Note that this guide will also be suitable for older, discontinued cameras in the BL and BB ranges. (more…)

Unfortunately Mac users get a raw deal when it comes to setting up IP cameras as the software supplied to perform the initial setup is always Windows-based only. This is true for every IP camera we’ve come across so far and is also true of any Axis camera.

This is not to say that Axis cameras are not compatible with Macs, quite the opposite. Macs are capable of displaying live images from all of the cameras in Axis’s range. There may be some limitations and you might find that you cannot achieve the full functionality from the camera without using the ActiveX control but you can still use the majority of functions. (more…)

Making the transition from wired to wireless is an exciting step and with a wide choice of wireless IP cameras now available on the market you can keep an eye on your home or business without cluttering it up with cables.

Normally wireless connections are every bit as reliable as their wired counterpart but sometimes there can be something which prevents their smooth operation. Interference.

Interference

We’ve all experienced interference in some way, from the television picture breaking up during a heavy storm or crackling on the radio when you enter a built-up area or valley. Your wireless signal works very much in the same way as your radio or television and may dip in and out depending on circumstances and the environment.

We realise that when you are connecting your IP cameras wirelessly is it even more crucial that they remain connected at all times, especially when they are used as IP security cameras. So let’s take a look at some of the causes of interference and how we can help reduce their effect. (more…)