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.
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.
Comparison: Axis M1011, Panasonic BL-C230 and Y-cam Knight SD IP cameras (Pt. 1)
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 first part of a two part comparison.
The Axis M1011, Panasonic BL-C230 and Y-cam Knight SD are three entry-level IP cameras from three of our bestselling manufacturers. They are similar in price and feature sets. In the first part of this comparison, we will be looking at these cameras in detail to see how well they stack up against each other.
Top 5 Night-Vision IP Cameras
Say the words ‘night-vision’ to anyone and it usually conjures up images of night-time military manoeuvres or nocturnal wildlife shoots. However, there is a more practical security application: night-vision IP security cameras.
From a security standpoint, night-time provides the greatest risk for burglary or attack. Low light levels give good cover for thieves and make it difficult for surveillance cameras to capture usable footage. Lately there has been a surge in cameras which can see in complete darkness, using a variation of tactics including visible light, invisible light and thermal imaging. We’ve compiled a list of what we think are the Top 5 IP Cameras for Night Surveillance.
*image from an Axis Q1910 thermal camera
Evaluation: Panasonic i-Pro WJ-NV200 Network Video Recorder
Panasonic has recently released a new range of HD quality security cameras, offering smooth video footage and improved clarity over previous models. However, without the means to easily view, manage and record the increased video quality, the improvements are wasted.
With this in mind, Panasonic has released the WJ-NV200, an updated Network Video Recorder (NVR) that focusses on integration with the new camera range. Recording is available for 16 Panasonic cameras alongside a choice of either 2 or 4 TB hard drive configurations.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the NVR to see how well it performs.
Product Comparison: Axis M1104 vs. Panasonic WV-SP105 vs. Sony SNC-CH110
HD resolution video used to be limited to IP cameras at the top end of the market, but not anymore. Axis, Panasonic and Sony have recently released compact, entry-level HD 720p IP cameras aimed at the small/medium business environments. We’ve taken a look at the Axis M1104, Panasonic WV-SP105 and the Sony SNC-CH110 to see how they stack up against each other.
Top 5 Mac-compatible home IP security cameras (redux)
A few years back we published our Top 5 IP cameras when using a Mac resource centre article. Since then the market has moved on and most of the cameras mentioned in that list are now discontinued.
So we’re back with a new, updated list, highlighting what we think are the current top 5 home security cameras for Mac users.
Read more >>
Evaluation: Panasonic WV-SC385 IP Security Camera
The Panasonic i-Pro WV-SC385 pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) IP security camera has recently been released as a replacement for the WV-NS202. Both cameras feature 350° pan and 120° tilt, day/night switching and Power over Ethernet support, but the WV-SC385 has some major improvements which set the two apart.
In this post, we take a look at the new camera and evaluate how it compares to its predecessor.
HOWTO: Setup Multi-Camera viewing in Panasonic IP cameras (BB and BL)
Multiple Panasonic IP cameras from the BB and BL range can be viewed together through one camera interface by using the Multi-Camera page. This guide walks you through how to set up this feature for viewing your cameras locally and over the Internet.
HOWTO: Dynamic DNS with Panasonic’s Viewnetcam.com
To access your camera over the Internet you need to know the IP address of your external Internet connection this is known as your public IP address. Most domestic ISPs will provide you with a dynamic public address which means every time you connect to the Internet you will get assigned any available IP address. This means that it will regularly change. So to keep track of what IP address your Internet connection has you need a dynamic DNS service.
All Panasonic IP camera models starting with BB and BL come with free registration to Panasonic’s Viewnetcam dynamic DNS service which is regularly updated by your camera. The Viewnetcam service then provides you with a domain name to link to the current IP address of your Internet connection allowing you access to your camera.
This HOWTO guide walks you through setting up the Viewnetcam service with a Panasonic BB or BL IP camera. The screen shots taken in this guide are of a BL-C131 but are going to be pretty much identical for most of the BB and BL range of Panasonic IP cameras.