What IP Cameras are Mac Compatible?
So you’re looking for an IP camera, but you want make sure that you can view it through your spanking new Core 2 Duo 13″ MacBook.
Thankfully, your options are many.
For the most part you won’t need to worry since there is nearly always a way to get a live view from any network camera on your Mac. However, there are usually compromises to be made.
Often, a manufacturer will provide few options for viewing the video feed from the camera. For instance, the Panasonic BL-C and BB-HCM ranges (US / UK-EU) provide two viewers - a built-in ActiveX control and a static image refreshed every x seconds through the standard http meta refresh mechanism. Your only option for a ’streaming’ video feed is to use the Motion JPEG feed or ActiveX control in Internet Explorer and since Microsoft no longer develop IE for the Mac, this 2nd option is out. You cannot (without a LOT of faffing around) install an ActiveX control in Safari or Firefox.
This, though, is a small price to pay when the quality of the view is more important than how many frames per second you can squeeze out of the camera. The BL-C range will always deliver an image to you and your lovely new Mac.
And what of cameras from other manufacturers? With Axis and Sony your options are slightly better as both manufacturers offer Java-based viewers alongside their ActiveX and other viewers. Unfortunately the non-default viewers are often feature-poor and less user-friendly than the default.
It is also common for cameras to offer a Motion JPEG viewer which gives streaming video in Safari or Firefox. On top of this many key features are often supported through Java (like the setting up of motion detection windows etc). Conveniently, in Safari/Firefox/Mozilla no plugin is needed to view a Motion JPEG stream, but depending on bandwidth you may find it a bit jerky.
Viewer technology is not the only problem. Initial installation, video recording and audio support are all given scant consideration. This will change, we are sure, and is changing.
To all those waiting for a camera to become fully Mac compatible, they won’t. There just is not enough pressure for this. At the very most we can expect many more cameras to support Macs in their core feature set but we are unlikely to see true Mac compatibility including all features and software. Still, there’s plenty of choice in the market for us.
There are many pros and cons to be considered here and we will consider them in later posts. As Mac users we sympathise and we implore manufacturers to consider beefing up their support for Macs. We know what they need to do. They only need to ask.
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Good info – keep it up!!
I really like the Panasonic BL-C range, but what if I wanted to go up-market to the Panasonic BBHCM381 (or the PoE equivalent)? That seems to run a nice webpage for remote control but I don’t know if it is all ActiveX and since I’m on an Apple Mac network, no controls would be a bad idea. Anyhow, thanks for the pointer to Axis and Sony… I’ll be checking them out.
I am looking for an outdoor security camera to mount on my garage to keep an eye on the front of my house while I am on vacation and watch my kids at the bus stop on my corner. I want one that can wirelessly connect to my Airport Extreme and only needs to be plugged into an electrical socket. I know it exists, but I want a reasonable price and all of the bells and whistles-moveable, automatic recording, zoom, etc.
Hi Joelle.
Please contact us directly so we can get a better understanding of your camera requirements.
Network Webcams Ltd.
Joelle,
The stuff mentioned above are quite cool but I don’t think it would be great as an outdoor wireless security camera. Unless, of course, it is inconspicuous enough to not be easily noticed by kids who fancy these kind of things.
-A
Joelle,
There are much better cameras to use outdoors. Many work well in both bright light and dark conditions. Unless you absolutely have to have color, I would recommend saving some $ and going with a B&W camera.
Thank you Ashley for your good point about hiding it. Also to Jim, good point-color is not necessary for my needs. The search continues
Hi all,
Like so many others Mac users (I know at least 20) I refuse to pay for an overpriced “activeX” ip camera that isn’t fully Mac compatible !
No way I’ll EVER buy anything “micro$hit”… Even less if it’s only purpose is controlling an ip camera…
Some day a manufacturer will understand this… The one who writes a real “à la Mac” Mac driver with all functionality will earn the jackpot !
I’ll rather wait for another couple of decades …
Regards
Tycho
Hi Tycho,
I suppose it comes down to what you actually want an IP camera for. Many cameras on the market work fine using MACs if the most important aspect of a camera purchase is picture quality and some home security functionality, such as image transfer by email or to an FTP server on triggered alarms.
There are also Mac based recording solutions out there which work with IP cameras, the most notable being an application called Security Spy.
But, yes we totally agree with your frustrations. The manufacturers of these cameras pay no notice to Mac users when they develop their initial setup tools, recording software and camera drivers/plug-ins.
i have a totally useless white elephant of a DCS900W which i cannot figure out how to set up with my G4 or new MacbookPro… sigh… anyone out there any wiser? or shd i just chuck it out at eBay?
Have anyone tried the software from http://www.securityspy.com/ ?
I have a requirement for an IP camera to show full motion only on a Mac mini.
It is for a dental office. By law, the technician that takes a digital X-ray of a patient, needs to view the patient just before the radiation is engaged. Typically this is done by the technician standing outside of the room and viewing the patient through a series of adjusted mirrors.
In today’s age, this is positively Byzantine!!!
So, with the mini running Leopard 10.5 OS, what simple choices do I have for a IP camera that can be viewed on the screen just before the exposure switch is engaged?
I do not need anything else from this camera, just the full motion viewability. Wire less is not necessary, nor is colour.
Any suggestions?
Thank you
Any of the Panasonic BL or BB range cameras will do this for you Peter. There are a number of other camera types which will for for you too such as Axis or Mobotix, but the Panasonic ones are probably the easier to set up and to use.
Thank you Kevin. I will look into this series.
There was a camera that I thought may do the trick - CNET CIC-930w. If you would care to comment about it, it too would be very much appreciated.
Did you have an Panasonic BL or BB camera in mind Kevin?
Thank you,
Peter
Oddly enough, I have had experience of the CNET camera (though a home monitoring system) and the quality and reliability were extremely poor.
With the Panasonic range the quality is high from the BL-C1 right up. Really, it’s up to you and your budget. If you’ve only go $100 to spend then the BL-C1 will do the job for you. Personally, I would go with a megapixel camera like the BB-HCM515, but that’s a lot more expensive.
Once again Kevin, thank you for this valuable feedback.
Being a PC guy, I am not familiar with the MAC Leopard software (OS X). I am assuming that Safari is the browser that MAC uses or is it Firefox? I know that using Internet Explorer, IP cameras normally rely on ACTIVE X controls, but it appears that the Panasonic does not use this methodology. Is the MAC brower Safari and if so would you have any idea whether this camera will easily set up with this browser? The Panasonic specs only make reference to a PC. Very frustrating…
Macs use Safari as their native browser, but you can load Fifefox onto a Mac easily. The Panasonic cameras have a built-in system for detecting which browser type you are using and displaying an approrpiate viewer for the video. These cameras will work in all browsers.
Well, I am going to go for it Kevin. I am not sure about your last reply, whether the cameras will work in Safari, as you mentioned Firefox, but also mentioned that they will work with all browsers, which includes Safari.
I look forward to “fooling” around with this. Kudos to you Kevin for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with me.
Gratefully,
Peter
You’re welcome Peter, and yes, all cameras from the Panasonic BB and BL ranges will work in Safari.
Kevin, have you had experience with the BB-HCM371A. I need outdoor wireless camera for my front porch. I’d like to see who is at the door and decide if I want to answer it and I also had a (drunk) man try to come in my house the other night.
I have an Airport Extreme in the living room and an old Titanium Mac running Tiger. Hoping to get new MacBook Pro soon. I usually use Firefox, but have Safari installed also.
Or is there some other camera you would suggest for my purposes.
Yes, the BB-HCM371 is an excellent camera for this purpose. It also has audio, so you can hear what they’re saying if needs be. There is a two-way audio function in the camera but for them to hear you, you would need an active speaker and the Internet Explorer browser.
Another option is something like the Mobotix M22M. This isn’t wireless, but it is PoE meaning you’d only need to run a single cable to it. The image quality is superb and the 2-way audio works a treat through the camera’s built in speaker.