The IP Camera and IP CCTV Blog

On Thursday 30th September 2010 Axis Communications, Milestone, Aerelink and event host NW Systems will present an informative seminar session for the Public Sector.

The seminar ‘Security for the Public Sector’ will demonstrate how network video and wireless technology can provide flexible, high-performance solutions for the public sector whilst offering tangible cost savings.

Topics to be covered include:

• Network video – the future of CCTV. Learn the benefits of switching to an IP-based solution first hand
• High Definition and its application for surveillance
• Optimisation of your video management system – live demonstration
• Wireless technology – offering true flexibility, reliability and real cost savings

Location: BT Convention Centre, Kings Dock, Liverpool Waterfront L3 4FP

Start: 9:30am
Finish: 1pm

Followed by demonstrations/networking and a free lunch.

There will be no charge for this event, however, spaces will be limited so early booking is advisable to reserve your place.

To register your interest please contact;
viki@networkwebcams.com

Or call 0151 632 7582 for further information.

About the hosts:
Axis Communications launched the world’s first IP camera in 1995 and is the world-leading manufacturer of IP video cameras today. www.axis.com

NW Systems Group, headquartered on the Wirral, is one of the largest IP video specialist companies in the UK and has been an instrumental force in driving the IP surveillance market in the UK.

It’s official; the invasion of the iPads has begun.

Actually, who are we kidding? The invasion is already over and Apple have moved on to their well deserved victory lap, their latest innovation having taken the world by storm in what seems like the blink of an eye.

But what impact will it have on the IP Camera industry? How well do products from the likes of Axis, Panasonic and Y-cam interact with the world’s latest ‘must-have’ gadget?

To find out, we looked at cameras from these companies using our own shiny new iPad (any excuse!) Here is what we found:

We began with the Axis M3011 and found that we immediately lost our snapshot and full screen options, the latter of which could have been particularly useful on a screen as small as the iPad’s, though admittedly, turning the iPad to landscape provided a perfectly adequate viewing window.

This exodus of functions wasn’t entirely surprising as the iPad doesn’t support the camera’s ActiveX, or Java requirement for its advanced features, leaving it without the software necessary to perform most of them, but knowing this was scant consolation, as we were left with only the live image itself and had to open a separate window and make adjustments without being able to see the image, which made things a little trickier.

The Y-cam Knight we tested next was no improvement; once again all features were lost and, once again, we found ourselves having to make adjustments in a separate window. The camera’s specialised ‘mobile’ site didn’t fare much better, offering only a static image updated every few seconds.

Eventually however, we found a user interface which did translate well onto the iPad; the Panasonic BB-HCM511CE (and, it follows, all other BB- and BL- range cameras) allowed for extensive control of the camera, allowing us to toggle backlighting, resolution, compression rate, and image quality. Of course some features were still lost, such as the digital zoom, but overall the camera was far easier to interact with and offered far more comprehensive control.

Admittedly some of the controls, particularly the ‘scan’ controls, having been designed for a mouse, can be a bit fiddly on the iPad’s small touch-screen but in most cases there are drop down menus available to get you around this problem, though the iPad’s MultiTouch pinch-to-zoom capability makes zooming in to areas on the screen easy.

Unfortunately, this generally user-friendly interface was let down slightly by the display itself. The image was penned into one corner at the top of the screen and we had to adjust the resolution manually to 640×480 pixels and turn the iPad landscape again before we could really make out detail. Hardly a burden but it’s still work that the other cameras don’t ask you to do. It’s also worth noting that, while the full screen option is retained, it doesn’t really add a great deal. This ‘feature’ behaves in the same way on the iPad as it does on any desktop browser, so no loss there.

On the whole though the signs here are encouraging; the iPad’s barely been with us ten minutes and already Axis and Panasonic have shown that it is possible to transfer both image quality and a user-friendly interface over to it. All we need now is someone to put it all together, and that, surely, is only a matter of time.

In fact, we’re aiming to be that someone. Our Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) product already works on the iPhone and iPad and we’re building an iPad-specific interface as well.

Milestone have just replaced their popular XProtect Basis+ surveillance software with XProtect Essential. Essential is an entry level application aimed at the small business market with the option of monitoring and recording of up to 26 cameras.

Similarly to Basis+, Essential is compatible with over 800 IP camera and video server models and is a powerful surveillance tool for any security network. The new software has been streamlined and is easier to configure and use than its predecessor.

XProtect Essential has some very interesting improvements over the older application, making it much more enticing to security installers and end users.
Read more of this article…

Not content with only having one hemispheric IP camera on the market, Mobotix have released their second 180° (or 360° depending on your angle) high resolution camera - the M24M-SEC-D11.

The M24M range features a wall-mountable, IP66-rated casing with 2-way audio and internal 4Gb microSD card for recording video without any external equipment. Additionally, the D11 features Mobotix’ 11mm wide-angle lens which can capture a full 180° panoramic vision, ideal for monitoring wide open spaces, covering all blind spots.

One drawback common to IP cameras with viewing angles greater than 90° is that the higher the angle covered, the more distorted and squashed the image looks. However, the M24M features Mobotix’ advanced perspective correction software which adjusts the raw images from the camera so that straight edges appear straight.

The PTZ system is also very effective, allowing you to pan in and move around the scene as if you were using a mechanical PTZ camera. Additionally, quad and panoramic views can be set up to only display the angles you need to monitor.

The combination of panoramic view, advanced recording software and outdoor capabilities makes the M24M-SEC-D11 a powerful tool for security surveillance. For more information on the camera, visit our Mobotix M24M-SEC-D11 store page.

An update this week to SecurityStation has made it the easiest-to-use VSaaS offering available in the market today.

Benefiting from all common advantages VSaaS offers, SecurityStation now also offers Plug and Play set up with Panasonic IP cameras. This means that users no longer have to perform any type of configuration before a camera can be used (no port forwarding required either!). Simply plug your camera into you router or network, power it up and that’s it.

With the update, the system now is also pre-loaded with default settings for motion detection triggers, event recording and live viewing. Users don’t have to do any system configuration.

SecurityStation has become so easy to use, it makes video surveillance available to complete novices and takes away any hassle in running a CCTV system.

Click here for more information about SecurityStation

SecurityStation is the open platform VSaaS (Video Surveillance as a Service) offering from NW Systems Group. SecurityStation is a registered trademark.

The Football Association has recently purchased Axis P5534 IP cameras to monitor crowd flow at Wembley Stadium.

With HDTV quality footage, a 18x zoom and a 360° rotation, the Axis P5534 will deliver detailed images ensuring crowd flow on match days is clearly captured and people and objects are easily identifiable.

View our earlier blog post on the Axis P5534 and demo footage from the Axis P5534 IP camera.

Axis P5534 HDTV PTZ Dome IP Camera, full specification >>

The Y-cam Bullet and the Vivotek IP7142 are two fixed view IP cameras designed for outdoor installation and fitted with infrared LEDs, designed above all to capture high-quality security footage in locations with no external lighting.

From the similar price points and how they are pitched, it is easy to tell that they are very similar, and are both aimed at small to medium sized businesses, but what are the real differences between these two similarly specced cameras?

Read more of this article…

This is a new, useful product from Mobotix: the Motobix M24M-SEC-D11 with 180 degree panoramic view.

The camera captures a 180 degree fisheye view and processes the image within the camera to send out a perfectly straight 180 degree panoramic view.

Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use the camera is great for security monitoring of large spaces such as warehouses, yard space, external storage areas and car parks.

This impressive camera offers a frame rate of 30 images per second at VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels) and 4 images per second in full megapixel, panoramic view mode. The digital pan-tilt-zoom is a useful feature of this camera, allowing you to scan through the live as well as recorded images in detail.

Producing video images of the highest quality, this is a very exciting new product, providing something different and truly useful.

See the 180 degree view and read more about the Mobotix M24M-SEC-D11 features

Realshot Manager Advanced (IMZ-NS100 series) is the latest Video Management Software (VMS) from Sony which turns a Windows-based PC/Server into a professional video surveillance application giving live image monitoring, recording and playback.

The software starts with a 1-channel license for small business use but can be extended up to 512 cameras with multiple recording servers for large-scale enterprise solutions.

This latest version offers a number of updates over the previous version (Realshot Manager V4.0). These include:

• Client/Server setup: The software can be used as a single server solution for up to 32 cameras for small-medium sized applications or for multi-site, enterprise solutions it can be extended up to 32 recording servers serving a total of 512 cameras.
• Open platform: The software is not tied to Sony IP video devices allowing integration of Axis and IQeye products as well as Sony’s full IP video range.
• High resolution recording: Sony Realshot Manager Advanced supports recording in HD/megapixel resolutions.
• Easy to use: The interface has been redesigned for ease of use with wizard-based setup tools for camera configuration/recording and drag and drop features.
• Reliability: With improved reliability the IMZ-100 series is a robust platform for small businesses up to large multi-site applications.
• Light funnel support: New, the light funnel feature found on some of Sony’s new megapixel cameras can be controlled directly through the control panel in the software.

The software is also DEPA complaint which offers intelligence allowing the user to analyse recordings using filters such as direction of motion, virtual boundaries, people counting etc.

For more information on the full range of licenses please see:

Sony IMZ-NS100 Realshot Manager Advanced

New from Axis Communications, the world’s leading IP camera manufacturer, is the M1054 HDTV IP security camera. Even with HDTV resolution, full alarm capabilities and dual h.264 streaming, the camera remains an affordable solution for security surveillance of homes or business properties.

Its H.264 video streaming delivers the latest in video compression technology without reducing picture quality and the camera comes with Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity for quick, easy and cost-effective installation.

The built-in microphone and speaker allow two-way audio and the camera’s white light LED can be triggered to illuminate when heat is detected by the integrated PIR sensor for low-light monitoring. Combined with the on-board speaker this makes the camera an effective deterrent.

The camera’s practical and smart design wouldn’t look out of place in an office or any modern interior.

Read more or buy the Axis M1054 HD IP camera >>

We are delighted to announce that with immediate effect we have changed our company name from Network Webcams to NW Systems Group Ltd.

The name change follows our continued growth and better identifies our business activities and scope.

With the name change we also introduce to you our new divisional structure; NW Systems Group has five divisions: NW Systems, Network Webcams, SecurityStation, RemoteManager and Streamdays.

The ownership and management of the company, our products and services remain unchanged.

Read the article >>

Didn’t we say that HD was going to be big this year? (yes we did! > Network Webcams tips HD IP cameras in 2010).

We think if you take a look at the kind of results you get from the new Axis P5534 HD dome camera you will begin to see why. Astounding detail.

Daylight

Low Light

For best results try watching in HD directly from our YouTube channel Network Webcams on YouTube):

More information:

Axis P5534 PTZ HD Dome Network Camera
HDTV network cameras - Why are they different from megapixel cameras?

This surveillance kit is ideal for small businesses as it includes four Axis M1031-W mini wireless IP cameras and a four channel version of the Axis Camera Station video management software.

Easy to install, the kit provides an IP CCTV system that features wireless connectivity, 2-way audio support, motion detection and a Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR) and illumination LED to capture clearer images at night.

An affordable solution for anyone needing to install a security system, this Axis bundle provides a saving of £322 when compared to buying the products individually.

View the Axis M1031-W Wireless Surveillance Kit >>

Network Webcams has further strengthened its UK sales team with the appointment of two additional specialists, Richard Lewis and Rob Corlett.

Read more >>

Network webcams today are able to offer a 3G wireless solution for their construction webcams system, RemoteManager.

Providing increased flexibility and reducing costs, a fully wireless 3G solution takes the hassle out of network cabling on a construction site, which is often impractical or expensive.

Read more of this article…

We’re offering £100 off the new Panasonic BB-HCM701 indoor fixed mini-dome IP camera.

This compact camera is designed for discreet indoor surveillance and would be perfect for use in offices, schools, hospitals, hotel reception areas, store and server rooms.

The camera is especially good in low light making the unit ideal in both bright and dimmed light conditions. At just over 11cm (approx 4”) in diameter the Panasonic BB-HCM701 is unobtrusive and PoE support means the camera can be neatly installed using just one cable. The camera has an SD card slot providing an additional internal storage option.

This exclusive offer is only available at www.networkwebcams.co.uk. Buy the Panasonic BB-HCM701 for £249 saving £100 and if you purchase the camera from us, we’ll give you a Free SecurityStation beta account.

Panasonic BB-HCM701 full product and specification >>

Read more about SecurityStation >>

Today, Network Webcams announces the launch of SecurityStation, its own Alerts & Recording Platform (ARP). Designed with the user in mind, SecurityStation makes viewing and recording from IP cameras as easy as using a website.

The new service can be accessed using all common browsers and does away with the need for recording devices or software of any kind. All a user need is a camera and an Internet connection, SecurityStation does the rest.

Secure, offsite remote servers managed by Network Webcams store the data captured from users’ cameras. Via www.MySecurityStation.com users have instant access to their event recordings, live camera feeds and system control settings.

Frank Crouwel, Managing Director at Network Webcams said, “We expect that SecurityStation will become a great success and a market leader amongst other Alerts & Recording Platforms (ARPs). The fact that the service is fully web-based and is accessible from anywhere on demand makes it easy to use for anybody, and this makes it such a powerful product. It will open up the use of IP video to a much wider market.”

Read more of this article…

Y-cam have been very successful with their IP cameras for the entry-level market. They have provided a small range of daylight viewing (Y-cam White) and night vision cameras (Y-cam Black/Knight) aimed for home and small business users but now they are launching something with the business user in mind.

The Y-cam Bullet

Enter the Y-cam Bullet, Y-cam’s first true day/night camera which is fully weatherproof and features wireless connectivity and 2-way audio.

The Y-cam Bullet is the next natural progression of the Y-cam Black or Y-cam Knight. It is a bullet-style camera which is self-contained in a weatherproof housing (no Y-cam Shell required!) and is the first camera from Y-cam to feature true infrared automatic day/night switching, Power over Ethernet connectivity and 2-way audio and comes with a new MJPEG optimised viewer for the iPhone.

Exclusive price until end of March 2010

From today we are selling the new Y-cam Bullet at a reduced price until the end of March. Buy from Network Webcams today and save £50 off the manufacturer’s RRP. See below link for details.

More information:

Y-cam Bullet true day/night wireless outdoor security camera
Y-cam Bullet product evaluation by Network Webcams

Y-cam have just released a new dedicated outdoor IP camera the Y-cam Bullet. Previously Y-cam had offered the Y-cam shell as an outdoor solution for their Y-cam range which is made from ABS plastic and offers IP66-ratedequivalent weatherproofing.

As you can see the new Y-cam Bullet seems to be a more streamlined, elegant solution in a metal case offering IP66-rated protection and to a much higher standard, with a proper weatherproof gland on cable entry. Also the addition of the external wireless antenna is bound to help the wireless performance over the Y-cam shell. However, appearances are not the only advantage of the Y-cam Bullet which now has true day/night switching, two-way audio capability and is compatible with Power over Ethernet as well as sporting a microSD card slot with all the functionality of the Y-cam SD.

Dimensions (WxHxD):

• Y-cam Shell: 125 x 135 x 170 mm (main body)
• Y-cam Bullet: 70 x 70 x 190 mm (main body)

Full product specification:
Y-cam Bullet outdoor IP camera
Y-cam Shell outdoor housing