Miscelleneous by stefan @ 2011-04-15
The new TV-IP612WN Pan/Tilt/Zoom camera from TRENDnet features 10x optical zoom, which is very useful to get details of objects located at a high distance, 16x digital zoom and auto focus. It also comes with Wireless N support, WPS, an included monitoring software with motion detection, IPView Pro 2.0 which supports up to 32 cameras at once and a wall/ceiling mounting kit.
At first I would like to thank TRENDnet for offering me one of their latest product for review, the TV-IP612WN ProView Wireless N Pan/Tilt/Zoom Internet Camera.
"TRENDnet is a global provider of award winning networking solutions to small and medium size business and home users. Building networking solutions since 1990, TRENDnet enables users to share broadband access, multimedia content and networked peripherals for true anywhere connectivity. TRENDnet's diverse product line includes Wireless, Fiber, Switch, Gigabit, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM), Internet Camera, Print Server, Powerline, Bluetooth, Storage Server, Power over Ethernet (PoE), and Multimedia Accessories.
Based in Torrance, California, TRENDnet maintains branch offices in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central America, South America, and Asia. TRENDnet’s management system is ISO 9001:2008 certified (click here to view certificate). TRENDnet emphasizes continual improvement as an essential component of its quality management system. This ensures rigorous process standards across the entire organization with respect product development, product quality and all other pertinent enterprise functions. TRENDnet's 250-plus product portfolio is distributed in over 125 countries. The TRENDnet brand is consistently recognized for high quality, exceptional performance and professional support.
At Home with TRENDnet
TRENDnet‘s award winning products bringing your digital home or small office to life. The broadband Internet is becoming the primary conduit for people to communicate and be entertained. With billions of devices to connect worldwide, everything from computers to phones to Internet cameras are becoming part of the network. Whether stored locally or streamed from the Internet, digital content now needs to be available anywhere in the home on any device at any time. TRENDnet networks allow you to seamlessly talk Online, share files, exchange photos, play games and communicate with other networked devices, all at the same time. Easy to use and reliable, TRENDnet allows you to stay connected and share what you value most.
Business with TRENDnet
TRENDnet offers a complete line of reliable award winning end-to-end networking solutions for the most demanding business and mobile environments. Businesses of all sizes are leveraging the power of TRENDnet networks to increase productivity, reach new customers and lower costs. From fiber at the core of the network to Internet cameras at the edge, TRENDnet offers scalable and secure enterprise class solutions.
With the introduction of networking innovations like seamless wireless connectivity, smart switching and Internet based management controls, small to medium business are building better ways to work. TRENDnet’s robust enterprise class portfolio allows small to medium business create a secure networked environment that can grow with their needs. Dedicated 24/7 technical support, low RMA and over 20 years experience collaborating with networking peers result in TRENDnet’s price-to-performance leadership for Networks People Trust™."
The TRENDnet TV-IP612WN Pan/Tilt/Zoom Internet Camera is shipped in a medium-sized cardboard box, with lots of information on the outside; on the front we can find a photo of the camera, along with some pictograms that represent the main product highlights, some product features and the logo that tells us this product supports the latest Wireless N technology:
On one of the box sides, we can find the full list of features, along with the package contents:
The opposite side presents us the camera components, and some related products:
A product description can be found on the back, in multiple languages, along with a Networking Solution:
Also on the box, we can find the full list of technical specifications, that can be also found on the product website:
Inside the cardboard box, we can find the camera inside a protective foam compartment, along with the accessories on the right side:
Opening the accessories box reveals a metallic stand, that we can use to install the camera anywhere we want:
In the accessories box, we can also find the documentation with a CD inside a small transparent plastic bag, a Cat. 5 Ethernet cable (1.5m), the power adapter, two antennas and screws for mounting the stand:
Also here we can also find an AV cable:
Inside the Quick Installation Guide, we can find details on how to install the camera, but also on how to operate the software application:
The power adapter this camera comes with is rated 12V, 2A:
Besides the protective foam, the camera is also wrapped inside a plastic bag:
The Internet Camera is larger in size compared to the TV-IP422W and features besides the lens, on the frontal side two LEDs (one for Link and one for Power), but also a small hole for the microphone, on the left side:
On one of the product sides, we can locate the TRENDnet logo, the product code name and a Micro SD Card slot:
The back of the camera reveals a WPS button, a Power Connector, a RJ45 Ethernet port, the I/O Ports, A/V Speaker out, Microphone out and a small Reset button hole. Also here we can find the two wireless antenna golden ports:
The bottom of the camera is made of rubber and gets warm after about a half an hour of use:
Also on the bottom, we can locate a small sticker with the product code name, serial number, hardware and software versions and the hardware MAC:
The Wi-Fi antennas can be installed really quick in the back of the camera:
The camera does also come with a Setup Wizard, as a separate application, that helps us in setting up the device; the first dialog that appears instructs us to connect the camera to our switch/router, along with the AC Power Adapter, and to turn it on:
If detected, in the second dialog the camera will appear along with its IP address, model name and MAC:
Next, the application asks us to enter up the user/pass:
In the next dialog we can define a custom name for the camera, set its time and date:
On the next step, we can change the default camera password:
The Setup Wizard prompts us to select the connection type:
If we want to use the wireless capability of the camera, we must choose the appropriate option:
The next step would be to enter up the Wi-Fi connection parameters:
After all settings have been entered, we are presented with a summary screen:
The settings will be applied after about a minute, and a progress bar will appear:
Next, the Setup Wizard will ask how the camera will connect to the network (via wireless or wired connection):
The final dialog shows us the http address where we can connect directly to the camera, to adjust more advanced settings:
After connecting to the camera via the Internet browser (default user/pass are admin/admin), the interface will show us the Live View window, along with the camera controls:
If we access the Setup section, we will be able to access the other camera settings, but also to configure the camera via the Setup Wizard:
In the Device Management menu, we can set the Admin password, but also add other users with separate names/passwords; here we can also define a name for the camera on the network, enable/disable the OSD or disable the LED lights. By clicking on the “Calibrate the Device” button, the camera will reset to its home position and the default settings will be restored after a series of camera checks and movements:
The Time and Date menu allows us to set the time manually for the camera, adjust the time zone or specify a NTP server:
In the Network Setup menu, we can configure the LAN settings, along with the DNSs, enable/disable UPnP, specify UPnP port forwarding, the External HTTP, RTSP or PPPoE. In the Port Settings section, we can specify what ports should be used to view the camera over the Internet. By enabling the Direct Video Stream Authentication option, we can view the camera from a direct link:
The Wireless setup menu is to be configured when the camera will be connected on Wi-Fi, and here we can scan the available networks; if networks are detected, most of the settings will be configured, except the encryption key:
In case we have a Dynamic DNS account ready, we can enter it in the appropriate menu:
The Video and Audio menu allows us to set different profiles for different type of recordings; here we can specify one of the encoding type (H264, JPEG or MPEG4), the desired screen viewing resolution, FPS, bandwidth, JPEG guality and RTSP URL. In the Audio Setup section, we can enable/disable the speaker, specify the volume, enable/disable the microphone or set its volume level:
In the Image Setup menu, we can specify settings like Brightness, Saturation, Hue, Contrast, Sharpness and so on. In the Advanced Image Settings section, we can customize even further the quality of the image:
In the ICR (Infrared Cut Removeable) controls, we can modify the operation of the ICR filter, for changing light conditions as from day to night:
In the Recording menu, we can enable the recording function and specify where the clips will be saved; here we can also modify the recording profile, recording file size, enter the minimum HDD space that must be left free and available for use when recording, what to do when the storage media is full; in the same menu we can specify several Scheduling options:
In the Snapshot menu, we can send a snapshot or still image from the camera to an email or FTP server; the images can be sent when triggered by an event or non-stop; however, we can also specify the time when these images can be sent:
The Preset Position menu allows us to program a home camera view and programmable positions and save them for future viewing and recording (here we also can set the “patrol“ function, so the camera will continuously pass through the preset positions):
The Digital Output menu is used when we have devices connected on the Input/Output connector:
The SD Card menu displays information regarding the inserted card; in case no card is inserted, it will display “Card Invalid”:
In the Motion Detection menu, we can specify the area where motion detection will take place:
The Backup and Restore menu allows us to save our current configuration to the HDD, load a previously saved configuration, restore the camera factory defaults or reboot it:
In the Firmware Upgrade menu, we can see the currently installed software version, the product name, but also load a new firmware file and upload it, when it will be available on the TRENDnet website:
The Device Info menu allows us to see some information about the camera system and network settings
Finally, in the Log menu, we can find the logs recorded by the camera:
The Internet Camera also comes with the IPView Pro 2.0 software, which is really easy to install:
After the installation is complete and the application is started up, we are offered the possibility to search for the compatible cameras on the LAN, or import a previously saved configuration file:
The Add Camera menu is also presented to us when the IPView Pro 2.0 software is launched for the first time; this menu can be accessed at any time from the Configuration menu; for adding a camera, we have to check the list and if nothing appears, we can press the Refresh button; after selecting the camera from the list, we have to enter its user/password and a preview window will appear from that current camera:
The main interface has a lot of controls we can modify; in the center we can find the Live Video display area, which can be altered depending on how many cameras we have online, we've got the Minimize and Exit buttons, the Pan and Tilt controls, Zoom buttons, Snapshot, Recording and Audio controls, Live video display controls, Camera configuration menu button, Camera status and Camera information section:
The Configuration menu has multiple tabs; in the Camera management section we can add new cameras see their details and enter their username/admin details; if the connection is successful, by clicking the Enable live preview option, we can also see what the current camera transmits:
In the Monitoring settings tab, we can create schedules for recording and apply the schedules to any camera in the list; here we can also set the Motion detection settings and Digital input options, like we've seen on the firmware too:
The Recording options tab helps to conserve and manage the allowed memory storage for the video and snapshot files; the recorded files can be limited by time elapsed or by size. We can also choose a custom destination for the files and storage limits can be set for each camera by time elapsed or HDD space allowed; a limit can be also set for the system and all cameras used in IPView Pro 2.0:
In the Other options tab, we can specify details regarding Proxy server, email notifications, scan interval and alert type settings:
The IPCamPlayer application can be used to watch the recordings and can be accessed directly from the IPView Pro 2.0 or from the Programs menu.
The new TV-IP612WN Pan/Tilt/Zoom camera from TRENDnet features 10x optical zoom, which is very useful to get details of objects located at a high distance, 16x digital zoom and auto focus. It also comes with Wireless N support and WPS can be used if the other network equipments we connect the camera too are also compatible. The camera is also shipped with the IPView Pro 2.0 software for monitoring, motion detection and many other options left to be customized by our preferences. The camera firmware also contains a lot of features that we can edit/modify and is upgradeable.
The TV-IP612WN can also save data (video and snapshots) on a microSD card, thanks to its slot located on the side. We can define up to four video profiles, to record H.264/MPEG-4 quality video, while streaming in the same time 3GPP video content to a compatible mobile device (phone for example). With the included wall/ceiling mounting kit, we can install the camera in a short time period.
The camera also comes with an A/V Speaker out port, I/O Ports to get signal triggers from external hardware and a MIC out port. However, the TV-IP612WN model does not feature PoE (Power over Ethernet) support, like the non-wireless variant. The firmware interface is best compatible with Internet Explorer 8, but also works perfectly with IE9, if we click on the Compatibility Mode.
The TV-IP612WN Wireless Internet Camera can be found in shops for about 496 Euro, a little expensive for a lot of us, which could count as the only negative point.
I would like to thank again to TRENDnet for making this review possible!