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Got questions?
We've listed our most frequently asked questions for
you to find out what you need to know quickly and
easily. Select from the list to jump straight to the
answer.
Should I put my cameras on a
separate network?
What should be my network speed when connecting a
camera to a network?
Do I need a separate broadband connection?
What software do I need for PC recording?
What is the difference between VGA and MegaPixel?
If I need to use pan tilt how do I do it?
What is the difference between cheap IP cameras and
more expensive brands?
What is the benefit of PoE?
What is ‘Progressive scan’
What is the maximum cable length for Cat 5 cable
when using cameras?
How many bytes is one picture?
Do I need a video switch?
Can I store pictures on
my hard disk for later viewing?
What makes Video Servers and IP cameras different
from conventional CCTV technology?
Where is the Video Server or IP camera connected in
the network?
What is a Video server?
Can I use a Network IP Camera if I don’t have static
IP address and only have a dynamic IP Address?
Are all Network IP cameras the same?
Why Choose a Network IP Camera over a Web Camera?
What is the advantage of the embedded OS?
Do I need a public fixed IP address for each camera?
Can I use the camera outside?
How does the built-in motion detection work?
What is the maximum length Ethernet cable I can use?
How much digital video can be stored on a normal
20-gigabyte hard drive?
What is Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)?
Can Network IP Cameras use different lenses?
What image sizes can be viewed from Network IP
Cameras?
Can I view a Network IP Camera from my PDA?
Where can I get more online technical support
information?
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Should I put my cameras on a separate network?
It is not essential that you put your IP
cameras and other security devices on a separate
network. However your decision will be based upon
two key factors. These are the bandwidth of the
existing network and the number of cameras and speed
and quality of video that you wish to view on the
local area network. The second reason relates to
security.
i.e. Do you plan to allow remote access
to your site cameras via the Internet.
If existing bandwidth is insufficient to deliver the
speed of picture update at the quality you require
then you must update the network. In this instance
it makes sense to keep video and other network
traffic separate regardless of other security
considerations.
If cameras do share the network with other business
traffic and you plan to make cameras accessible via
the internet then security does become an issue.
Under these circumstances we recommend that you
discuss the implications for your organisation with
your network service company.
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What should be my network speed when connecting
a camera to a network?
The file size of images varies according
to the type of compression being used. Most IP
network cameras stream MJPEG images for video
recording whilst some cameras offer either MJPEG or
MPEG4. At speeds of 5 fps per second there is
little difference in performance between the twp
systems. However at faster transmission speeds
MPEG4 is up to 5 time more efficient over narrow
bandwidths. In simple terms this is a function of
the way in which MPEG4 uses predicative algorithms
to determine the content of the next frame rather
than taking a snap shot of the entire frame.
MJPEG images are typically between 10 k.bits and 30
k.bits in size. When streamed at a rate of five
frames a second this amounts to up to approximately
100 kits per second per camera for medium resolution
to 150 k.bits per second. Similar performance can
also be achieved on a 64k.bits per second link using
MPEG
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Do I need a separate broadband connection?
It is always recommended that you have a separate
broadband connection for remote access to vide
cameras though this is not essential
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What software do I need for PC recording?
The choice of software will depend on
your budget, the size of the system , the choice of
cameras and complexity of systems design. For small
systems we recommend the purchase of either Netcam
watcher or Icatcher. Both are excellent systems and
are very competitively priced. They provide all the
recording, playback and viewing functionality that
you might require in a small system and are
extremely reliable. The choice of system will
depend on your choice of camera or cameras. Not all
cameras work with both software programs. Check our
software products matrix for details on the most
suitable software for you.
For larger systems with more than 32 cameras our
preferred software partner is Milestone. This is a
major software company with global resources. It is
therefore appropriate for large blue chip clients
looking to absolute long terms stability and depth
of resources.
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What is the difference between VGA and MegaPixel?
VGA is equivalent to just 0.3 of a MegaPixel. A
typical MegaPixel camera has 1.3million pixels
though other have up 2 and 3 million pixels. A
MegaPixel camera therefore has 4 times the
resolution. Therefore you can zoom in four times to
give the same resolution as VGA. The implications
of this are that you ca use wide angle MegaPixel
cameras to view a great deal more than a
conventional single camera. Indeed a static
MegaPixel camera can often be used as a substitute
for a pan tilt camera. As the resolution increases
so the benefits of fixed IP will become more
apparent.
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If I need to use pan tilt how do I do it?
Some of our range of cameras have a pan /tilt
function anyway. Static pan tilt cameras are
available from Veo and Panasonic whilst Axis and
Sony have pan tilt and zoom cameras that can be
mounted in a dome. Other external domes are
available from ACTi though delivery is two weeks.
If you want to use a pan /tilt function with the
Mobotix camera or other ‘body’ cameras with auto
iris lenses inside a weather proof housing then this
requires RS 232 transparent link. ipCCTVcameras
have a range of approved Pan /tilt units to choose
from. Contact us for details.
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What is the difference between cheap IP cameras
and more expensive brands?
The biggest difference in performance are:
·
Speed of transmission
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Depth of colour reproduction
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Low light performance
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On screen noise
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Reliability
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What is the
benefit of PoE?
We refer you to our feature article for details on
PoE in ‘Exploring IP’ However in summary PoE has the
following benefits:
·
Makes camera installation easy
· Enables easy relocation of cameras
· No need for plug packs
· No central power supplies that require extra
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No need for contractors
· Anyone can install camera systems
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What is
‘Progressive scan’
For a full definition refer to our
Glossary or our section
on Scanning Methods.
In brief Progressive scan enables you to tale a snap
shot of the entire image at the point of capture
rather than a scanned image which gathers data from
top to bottom of the image. The result is a truer
and crisper picture.
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What is the maximum cable length for Cat 5 cable
when using cameras?
Answer – 100 metres
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How many
bytes is one picture?
The
frame size depends on the resolution of the camera
and the compression scheme used. For example a
camera provides a resolution of 1280 x 1024 i.e.
MegaPixel and has a typical frame size of 80K bytes.
On the other hand, the Axis 2100 with a resolution
oft 320 x 240 has a frame size around 8K Bytes. The
method of compression also determines frame size.
MPEG4 compression provides more compression because
it takes advantage of the difference between one
frame and another. Unfortunately MPEG4 usually
provides much lower resolution (350 x 240).
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Do I need a
video switch?
No
you do not. The LAN operates as the switch allowing
hundreds of cameras to be viewed on a network.
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Can I store pictures on my hard disk for later
viewing?
Yes, using
any of the available software packages available
from Iviewcameras you can store your video on any
hard drive on the network. As a mater of fact you
can distribute the storage across a number of
different hard drives on the network. You can even
define alternative storage points if one of the
storage points is not operational. There are however
a few things that has to be considered. Storing
images every second, round the clock, means storing
a lot pictures that are exactly the same. One way to
overcome that is to have a motion detector starting
and stopping the recording. When storing digital
images there are several methods that can be used.
One is to save only a few frames per second. Another
method is to compare the most recent image with the
previous image and determine whether there has been
a change or not and store only those frames where
there has been a change. All the Network Storage
systems we provide include motion detection.
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What makes Video Servers and IP cameras
different from conventional CCTV technology?
The advantages of digital CCTV are several, one for
example is that there is no need for expensive
dedicated equipment such as monitors, cabling and
video switches. The pictures can be accessed from
practically any location providing there is a
network connection or a phone line. The pictures can
now be transmitted to a mobile phone. The very
latest technology is streaming video to your phone
rather than pulled still images.
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Where is the Video Server or IP camera connected
in the network?
Practically anywhere on the network. As the Video
server or network attached camera (IP camera) is a
self contained web server it connects to your router
or hub in exactly the same way as a workstation,
server or other peripherals.
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What is a Video
server?
A Video server, is the popular expression for a Web
attached Video Server, connected to a digital
network, i.e. LAN. The purpose of the Video Server
is to, automatically or on request deliver live
video to you browser or other applications over a
digital network. This server function can also be
integrated into a network attached (or IP) camera.
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Can I use a Network IP Camera if I don’t have
static IP address and only have a dynamic IP
Address?
If your
ISP/Access Provider uses a dynamic system of
assigning IP Addresses, you can still connect a
Network IP Camera by using a web based service
either provided with the camera itself (almost all
our products do) or you can register with
http://www.dyndns.org/. The first Host service
you sign up to is free
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Are all Network IP cameras the same?
No, some network cameras have an embedded OS
(operating system) as well as an embedded Web
server. To be called a Network IP camera, the only
requirement is that the camera connects to the
network, and not a computer - an embedded OS is what
separates network cameras.
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Why Choose a Network IP Camera over a Web
Camera?
An IP Camera is a true networking device containing
an embedded OS (Operating System), supports multiple
users, and can be viewed using any web browser. It
does not require additional hardware to operate and
therefore has the flexibility to be located anywhere
with a network connection. A web cam must be
connected to a host computer, supports only one user
at a time, and cannot be shared on a network. Only
the host computer can access the web cam.
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What is the advantage of the embedded OS?
Cameras with an embedded OS communicated directly
with the user, the images or video is sent directly
from the camera to the person accessing the camera.
A Network camera without an embedded OS must rely on
a third party server or a separate piece of
software, meaning the images/video is sent to the
third party server, then the user access the image
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Do I need a public fixed IP address for each
camera?
No, you of course, can have a real, public, static
IP address for each camera, however, using just one
static IP address for your router and a virtual
server or port forwarding scheme, you can use many
cameras with just one static IP and just about any
router. Please also note that the IP camera must
have an adjustable web server port (you must be able
to change the web server port) to use multiple
cameras behind a router. |
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Can I
use the camera outside?
Yes, IviewCamera have a very strong range of Outdoor
Network IP Cameras catering for all budgets. Some
of these such as the Mobotix camera are strong
enough for extreme outdoor with a outdoor camera
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How does the built-in motion detection work?
It very simply compares what it sees now to what it
saw in the last frame and based on a sensitivity you
select will trigger an event. The event can be to
send a email, to send a Image to a FTP server, or to
send a series of images (before and after the motion
is detected) to a email address or a FTP server-all
with software built into the camera, nothing else is
required.
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What is the maximum length Ethernet cable I can
use?
The same topology limitations that apply to any
10/100 Ethernet card apply, meaning the maximum
segment length is 100 meters from switch/hub to the
camera
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How much digital video can be stored on a normal
20-gigabyte hard drive?
Network IP Cameras equipped with a compression
technology that can store almost a month of
continuous video on a 20-gigabyte hard drive.
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What
is Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)?
Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) or "Active Ethernet"
eliminates the need to run power to devices on a
wired LAN. Using Power-over-Ethernet, installers
need to run only a single CAT5 Ethernet cable that
carries both power and data to each device. This
allows greater flexibility and significantly
decreases installation costs in many cases.
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Can Network IP Cameras use different lenses?
Advanced Network IP Cameras utilize CS-mount lenses,
which can accommodate a variety of specialized
lenses, such as wide-angle, fish-eye or telephoto
lenses. Note that MegaPixel cameras need special
MegaPixel lens to take true advantage of their
quality
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What image sizes can be viewed from Network IP
Cameras?
Advanced Network IP Cameras use multiple pre-set
image sizes that typically include 160 x 120, 320 x
240 and 640 x 480, 1280 1024 pixel image sizes.
Other MegaPixel cameras are available. IQEye for
example offer 2 and 3 MegaPixel cameras
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Can I view a Network IP Camera from my PDA?
Network IP Cameras can now be viewed on most Windows
CE, including Pocket PC and Pocket PC 2002 devices,
such as the Compaq iPAQ, HP Jornada, Dell Axim,
Casio Cassiopeia and many other devices.
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Where can I get more online technical support
information?
Most camera manufacturers have a knowledge base
where a huge amount of information can be found on
specific problems and issues with their cameras. If
you are having difficulties or require further
information about a particular issue with a camera
visit their web sites for more details. Examples
include
Axis Q&A
Mobotix Support
Sony Support
Panasonic Support
Pixord Support
Linudix
Zyxel |
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