On Test: Panasonic BL-C131
Exciting New Features
We’ve been using the Panasonic BL-C131 for a while now and we have not been disappointed with Panasonic’s upgrade to their hugely popular BL-C30 model. It holds the same key features as its predecessor, i.e. it’s a wireless, pan/tilt network camera with a built-in web server meaning that you can view it remotely from any location over the Internet or call up the images using any browser-equipped mobile phone.
Let’s a take a closer look as what it offers:
1. What’s Included
The camera comes complete with indoor power supply, safety tether for when wall mounting, CDROM containing setup tools and manuals not, forgetting a free one channel license for Panasonic’s Network Camera Recorder software.
Other than a broadband subscription, a router and perhaps an ethernet cable to initially set up the camera, everything in the box is all you would need to set up a fairly comprehensive home security system.
2. Installation
Power
The camera achieves power using an indoor AC adaptor (supplied) which you would plug into any standard 240V outlet in your home.
Network
The camera comes complete with an IP setup utility which will allow you to locate and set up the camera on your local network quickly and easily. We found that this procedure was improved and is even more user friendly than before. Note that this is only compatible with Windows based PCs though.
DDNS
If you want to set up external access to your webcam then you might consider using Panasonic’s DDNS service, “Viewnetcam.com”.
This service does a couple of useful things. Your ISP will assign your broadband connection a unique public address and this is used to locate your camera over the internet. Unfortunately public IP addresses are not very easy to remember and they will often change.
The viewnetcam service will keep track of any changes your ISP makes to your public IP address and will also allow you to assign a more memorable name such as “johnscamera.viewnetcam.com” and Panasonic offer this service free of charge.
For more information about Dynamic DNS see our blog article: Dynamic DNS, or do I really need a Static IP address?
3. Wireless
The camera supports wireless networking to the normal IEEE 802.11b/g standards.
We are glad to see the inclusion of more wireless encryption protocols. The BL-C30 only supported WEP encryption whereas the BL-C131 supports the following:
- WEP, HEX, 10 Chars, 64bit
- WEP, HEX, 26 Chars, 128bit
- WEP, HEX, 32 Chars, 152bit
- WEP, ASCII, 5 Chars, 64bit
- WEP, ASCII, 13 Chars, 128bit
- WEP, ACSII, 16 Chars, 152bit
- WPA-PSK(TKIP), HEX, 64 Chars
- WPA-PSK(TKIP), ASCII, 8-63 Chars
- WPA2-PSK(AES), HEX, 64 Chars
- WPA2-PSK(AES), ASCII, 8-63 Chars
We found the wireless to work as simply as the previous model.
4. Viewing
The camera features a Pan-Tilt (PT) lens and 10x Digital Zoom
Pan: -50° to +50° (speed 50° per second)
Tilt: -40° to +10° (speed 50° per second)
Video Modes
The camera is capable of streaming images simultaneously in MJPEG and MPEG-4 modes.
With a faster frame rate, MPEG-4 mode is better for smooth motion while MJPEG mode is better for higher quality images but the frame-rate is reduced at the maximum resolution. In MPEG-4 you achieve a fast 30fps across all resolutions.
Full-Screen Mode
A feature which sadly does not live up to its name. The full-screen mode simply enlarges the view (probably to around XGA 1024×768 size) which is really just a feature to enhance the multi-view rather than provide a nice view which fills the entire computer monitor. This is also only supported using the ActiveX control so will only work on Windows machines using IE6.0 or above.
Viewing Technology and Compatibility
The camera comes with a new firmware version installed, V3.10R02.
Primarily supporting ActiveX and IE6.0 or above, the camera requires 2 distinct ActiveX plug-ins to be installed. One for viewing in MJPEG mode and one for viewing MPEG-4. The user will be prompted to download each the first time they log in and select the respective video mode.
On Mozilla Firefox the camera uses Java technology for both the MJPEG view and MPEG-4 view, and no downloads are requested from the camera if the customer already has Java downloaded. However, in MPEG-4 mode using Java you do not get the full 30fps from the camera as you would using the IE ActiveX plug-in.
Also a point to note is that the IP setup software and free one camera license recording software is not supported for Apple Macs.
Supported Resolutions
Single Camera View (in pixels)
- 640×480
- 320×240
- 192×144
Multi Camera View (in pixels)
- 320×240
- 192×144
Frame Rate
The camera supports a frame rate of up to 30fps using MPEG-4 mode and Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+. Using MJPEG mode the frame rate is reduced to a maximum of 15fps, equivalent to a BL-C30.
Image Quality
The camera comes with a fixed lens. F2.8, Focal range: 0.3m to infinity
Sensor: 1/6-inch CMOS sensor, approx: 320,000 pixels
The image quality is fair for an entry level camera, can capture likenesses easily and is comparable with similarly priced models on the market. See below for an example snapshot:
Image Settings
Compression can be adjusted in MJPEG mode between the usual “Favour Motion”, “Favour Clarity” and “Normal” presets.
Brightness can be adjusted in the single camera page, exposure is automatic.
No other image/exposure settings can be adjusted.
Low-Light Behaviour
The camera supports a Colour Night View Mode which operates to a light level intensity as low as 3.0lux. This mode increases the gain resulting in a noisier image but keeps the image in colour mode. The camera is not IR sensitive.
5. Audio
The camera supports 1-way audio using its built-in microphone meaning that you can listen in on what the camera is viewing.
Audio spec: half-duplex 1-way, Compression: ADPCM 32kbps, Bandwidth: 300hz-3.4KHz.
Audio is only fully supported through ActiveX meaning that the user will need to run the camera through IE to get reliable audio functionality. There is a Java audio component but we cannot report its full reliability, only having successfully got it working once. Working Java audio *should* be possible in non-windows environments, but tweaking or manual install may be required.
6. Events
The camera can trigger events based on Motion Detection, Thermal Detection or Timer (essentially scheduled events), and transfer images by email or to an FTP/HTTP server.
I’ve tested FTP transfer and it worked first time beautifully. I also noticed they have cut down the lengthy event configuration to a maximum of two pages now. It’s much more streamlined and user-friendly. Oddly though, the camera supports the capture of MPEG-4 video but it seems to only store this internally in its buffer and there’s no way to transfer it via email or FTP etc.
7. Features Unique to this Camera
This model supports a thermal sensor which detects heat from a person in the room and can trigger events from it.
A good way to tell if someone is in the room is to set up 2 events. One event based on motion and one based on heat detection. Then if you get an event trigger from both you can be sure it’s a person in the room. If you only get a motion alert then it could be a false positive.
8. Supplied Extras
The camera comes complete with a single camera license for Panasonic’s Network Camera Recorder software. The version that came with our test camera had the feature-set found in BB-HNP11 Network Camera Recorder. This does not contain any of the advanced features such as megapixel or MPEG-4 recording.
9. Conclusion
Panasonic have taken their extremely popular BL-C30 IP camera and made it better. The MPEG-4 mode provides a much smoother stream than the regular BL-C30. The image quality seemed on par, if not better than the original BL-C30 and the microphone on the device is very sensitive.
The whole menu structure built into the firmware in this camera is much improved over the BL-C30. Event management in particular is far better done and much quicker to set up and understand and the whole menu system is far more responsive.
There seems to be a lot of emphasis on automatic set-up, shown by a new ‘Internet’ tab which helps setting up external access to the camera from the Internet.
On the negative side, Apple Mac users will suffer from lack of audio and no MPEG-4 mode meaning the frame rate of the camera will be capped to 15fps at the maximum resolution. They also suffer from the usual limitations with the included software being Windows compatible only.
These cameras would be ideal for home security, video entry systems, baby monitoring and small business video surveillance such as shops, restaurants and bars and it comes at the same price as the previous model, which can’t be bad.
Comparable Products
Axis 207W - Wireless IP Camera, Mini Static Audio
Take a look at the Axis 207W which offers almost the same functionality and a slightly better picture quality but is static and cannot be controlled.
Y-cam Black - Wireless IP Camera, Mini Static Audio Night-Vision
Alternatively you could look at another static camera which offers night vision and a competative price. The Y-cam black delivers images in complete darkness thanks to 30 built-in LEDs.
10. Links
You can read more about the Panasonic BL-C131 here:
Panasonic BL-C131 Wireless IP camera pan/tilt audio heat sensor
Or check out its sister product, the non-wireless version BL-C111:
Panasonic BL-C111 IP camera pan/tilt audio heat sensor
Please leave any feedback, comments or questions you may have below.
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Did you get this to work wirelessly on a network other than 192.168.0.x?
I have one that works fine wired, but i cannot despite hours trying get it to connect to a wireless router next to it. A laptop connects fine to that router so I know the SSID, and WPA key are fine. In fact I have tried it without security, with WEP and with WPA to no avail.
I even changed SSID on the router, and have powered it off and on about 50 times as part of this process! The orange LED just flashes miserably at me refusing to connect.
I have no MAC filtering in place, and have tried static and DHCP IPs with no difference - it all works wired, but nada cabled. I know it’s ridiculous but before I return it I need to know if it may be a network range thing - is yours on 192.168.0.253 (as it was when factory reset) or on a different network?
thanks
Hi Rob,
The network address will have no bearing on wireless connectivity.
So, I assume the camera is within range of the wireless router and that there are no major obstructions like big thick walls or internal walls lined with metal back insulation.
Ensure the SSID is ‘exactly’ the same in the camera as this is case sensitive and is normally where most people go wrong.
Also another thing you can try is switch the frequency of your wireless network. This helps reduce interference and also helps some devices connect to certain brands of routers. There will be a ‘channel’ option in the router. Try changing the channel and see if that works.
So if i read this correctly, if you are on a Mac the audio features are not able to be used. Yes, virtualizing Windows on my Intel Mac would allow this but is not what i want to do.
Is there a work around to get the audio stream in a Mac-native environment?
The reason audio support doesn’t work on a MAC platform is because it runs using Active-X, which is Microsoft technology.
It’s just not possible to run Active-X on a native MAC browser so you won’t get audio support and there are no work-arounds for this that we know.
Hi
Just bought one of these, but its obviously been setup before because it has a username and password assigned.
How do I reset it back to Factory?
Just press the factory reset button while the camera is powered up. You’ll find the button at the back of the camera near the power and data inputs.
Thanks for that.
I’ve got it working wired, but when I follow the instructions to use it wirelessly (remove power and jack cord, switchover to wireless and plug power in again.
It talks about switching on and off but I cant see an on off switch.
Any advice?
Have a look at this HOWTO Andrew.
I’m attempting to set up my second BL-C131 now. Once they’re up and running they’re great. however the setup is a royal pain in the a$$. I’m a Mac guy so I’m running Parallels with WinXP and I’m using that for configuration. Note to other Mac users (using Parallels). Make sure your network settings for Parallels are set to “Bridged Ethernet” otherwise you won’t be able to connect. If you only new how long it took me to figure that one out…
P.S. To clarify, when i said “you won’t be able to connect” I mean for the initial setup of the camera using Panasonics (very crappy) setup software…
Yes, we all agree with you Brian. Mac users get a raw deal when it comes to software compatibility.
There is a way to set up the camera without using the disc though, I’ve written an article on how to do it in our Resource Center. It may come in handy for future use or any other Mac users out there: http://www.networkwebcams.com/ip-camera-learning-center/2008/05/16/howto-set-up-a-panasonic-ip-camera-using-a-mac/
Hi,
I am interested in buying a couple of these cams. Is it possible to view the video using the Internet Explorer in Windows mobile 2003 or Windows mobile 6 PDAs/smartphones? Does the sound work with these mobile versions of IE? Any help will be really appreciated. Thanks a lot.
I’ve never tested but it ‘may’ be possible to view the video in MJPEG mode. MPEG-4 and audio is handled by the cameras ActiveX control so I doubt they will work in a PDA.
I can not see my camera in the internet i am registred in the viewnetcam but when i stablish the conection ask me for a user name and password and i dont havet then the massage is the fowling,
“You need to supply a valid user name and password”
Try entering the administrator username and password for the camera.
does not work.
when i make the port fowerd what is the ip? is the computer or the camera ip
You should forward to the cameras local IP address. What you might be seeing is your router’s username and password.
if my camera ip is ***.***.*.*** and port is 80 the port forward it wil be ***.***.*.*** tcp/udp 80 or I must put the static computer IP
you forward the cameras IP using the cameras port number 80 and using TCP protocol.
Please read the guide on port forwarding here: http://www.networkwebcams.co.uk/blog/2007/10/22/howto-port-forwarding-101/
i put the ruoter password and user name and i enter in router,s configuration, now whe i go http://*******.vienetcam.com i go directly for the router configuration what hapend??
I would guess you are experiencing NAT loopback. Please read the NAT loopback section at the end of the article I gave you a link for.
Basically you have to use your LOCAL address for the camera when you are on the local network and use your viewnetcam address when you are trying to access your camera from another location on the Internet. Test it from outside your local network/home and see if it works. If you have set up your port-forwarding correctly then I bet it will be fine.
I am using the windows vista ultimate and all things work very well but i still can´t connet via viewnetcam always ask´me for a user name and password that i dont know waht is.
If you are looking for more assistance please use our support forum. This comment section on our blog is not designed for large enquiries.
Support forum: http://forum.networkwebcams.com/
i am using a internet out side my house in my work
can you tell me how to use the digital zoom cant seem to find it anywhere
You “right click” and move the mouse up and down to digital zoom, or use the mouse wheel.
I have a Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 Router and want to view the images from my recently purchased Panasonic BLC-131 Network Camera over the internet via viewnetcam.com from my home computer.
I can view the pictures in the LAN but not the WAN internet from my home computer.
I think its something to do with Port Forwarding and NAT, but have no idea what to do.
Any help would be much appreciated, but must be idiot prooof.
Hi Simon.
Firstly, if your camera is connected to the same network as your home computer then there’s a good chance you will never be able to use your viewnetcam address. This is because of NAT loopback. Most routers will block any traffic which leaves your local network looking for the external address which is destined to come straight back into your local network.
You tend to have to use your camera’s local IP address when on the local network and the viewnetcam address from another machine on the Internet.
See this post for more details on port forwarding:
http://www.networkwebcams.co.uk/blog/2007/10/22/howto-port-forwarding-101/