The IP Camera Store and IP Cam Blog

Just a quick post on the latest imminent IP camera releases from Panasonic.

To carry on with their product redevelopment we shall see the new BB-HCM580 and BB-HCM581 models arrive this month. These (kind of) supersede their previous pan-tilt-zoom models the BB-HCM381 and BB-HCE481.

Kind of?

What do I mean by ‘kind of’? Well, the BB-HCM581 Power over Ethernet (PoE) model is very much a successor of the previous BB-HCE481 model, only with additional features, one of which being the ability to power it using a Panasonic AC Adapter (the previous model could only be powered using PoE).

Now, things get a little more complicated with the BB-HCM580. This is more of a budget model which, like its predecessor the BB-HCM381, does not support PoE. It does feature the additional functionality over the original model but interestingly though, no longer supports audio of any kind. So it’s kind of a new model, has additional features over the previous model but also has been stripped of any audio functionality. I can only assume this was to still keep the price of the camera competitive while still adding the new features.

New Features

So what are the new features of these models?

Let’s take a look:

• Simultaneous MJPEG and MPEG-4: The new MPEG-4 mode (the Panasonic BB-HCE481 only offered MJPEG video) allows full video streaming at 30fps across all resolutions including VGA 640×480 giving a much smoother performance at the maximum image size.

• Increased internal buffer: The internal buffer size of the camera has more than doubled allowing the capture of approximately 350 images at 320×240, standard quality. The original BB-HCE481 could buffer approximately 125 images of the same resolution and quality. This excludes additional capacity gained from any SD memory card.

• Full Screen Mode: The Panasonic BB-HCM581 offers a full-screen mode which enlarges the field of view significantly when monitoring your camera.

• Improved User Interface: The setup menus within the camera are much improved over the Panasonic BB-HCE481 and easier to use, particularly around event management.

• The BB-HCM581 can also be powered by an optional AC power adapter (not supplied) offering more flexibility. The BB-HCE481 could only be powered by PoE.

Availability

We have been told these cameras are launching sometime in August but we have them on our online IP camera store right now! If you want to be one of the first to own one of these cameras then place your pre-order with us now to secure delivery from the first batch that ship to the UK.

Panasonic BB-HCM580 Network Camera Pan-Tilt-Zoom

Panasonic BB-HCM581 Network Camera PTZ Audio PoE