Cheapest IP camera with motion triggering

[todd2 0]

What's the cheapest IP camera that will transmit only when it

detects motion? I realize the server software on a PC can detect

motion, but it seems silly to send the stuff over a 3G router to

a remote PC only to throw away 99% of the data.

 

What's a good server software to use?

[thewireguys 3]

Depends

 

Acti has cheep cameras with built in motion but they have no way of sending an email by them selfs.

 

Axis can send email/FTP on motion but can be cumbersome view folders of images.

 

Mobotix can do it all.

 

I like ExacqVision software it is very versatile and can be setup to record cameras remotely.

Edited September 25, 2009 by Guest

[ipvideosolutions 0]

Vivotek IP7133

[ando 0]

With the new firmware (3.11.xx) that will be released this month, ACTi cameras can directly send e-mails to any recipent you define. You can even define the content of an e-mail - either it is a plain text, or with snapshots of motion triggered event, or with a small video clip in attachment (5 seconds or so).

 

Furthermore, it can directly stream video to FTP server whenever an event occurs. It means, even if you don't have NVR at all, you will have video evidence stored in FTP server, which can be helpful for police investigation of a criminal act in the camera site.

[thewireguys 3]

With the new firmware (3.11.xx) that will be released this month, ACTi cameras can directly send e-mails to any recipent you define. You can even define the content of an e-mail - either it is a plain text, or with snapshots of motion triggered event, or with a small video clip in attachment (5 seconds or so).

 

Furthermore, it can directly stream video to FTP server whenever an event occurs. It means, even if you don't have NVR at all, you will have video evidence stored in FTP server, which can be helpful for police investigation of a criminal act in the camera site.

 

Does your software pull the files from the FTP server or to use have to search thought folders?

[ando 0]

With the new firmware (3.11.xx) that will be released this month, ACTi cameras can directly send e-mails to any recipent you define. You can even define the content of an e-mail - either it is a plain text, or with snapshots of motion triggered event, or with a small video clip in attachment (5 seconds or so).

 

Furthermore, it can directly stream video to FTP server whenever an event occurs. It means, even if you don't have NVR at all, you will have video evidence stored in FTP server, which can be helpful for police investigation of a criminal act in the camera site.

 

Does your software pull the files from the FTP server or to use have to search thought folders?

 

I think the stream-to-FTP option is mostly for people who for some reason do not want to use NVR. Possible reasons:

 

1. cost saving. you can run linux based FTP and save money from windows license. also, save NVR license money.

 

2. no need for live monitoring at all, and video material playback is only needed when events occur. For that, even ArchivePlayer (one of the free utilities in ACTi) is enough to do the job.

 

3. bandwidth saving. If camera is connected to NVR, it streams constantly, regardless of NVR recording is on or off. If the video-to-ftp is triggered by an event, then all other time, the whole bandwidth will be idle and can serve other purposes.

 

4. stream to FTP as a backup solution when the main recording system fails. (event handler should detect the failure) - however, not implemented in next firmware release.

 

If you ask, is it possible with ACTi NVR to access the videos on FTP, then yes if the computer running NVR server itself is also FTP server (with professional version of windows you can achieve both). But what would be the benefit? Perhaps to combine point 2 and 3 above, and use NVR's ActivePlayer to do the analysis and processing of existing videos.

[cglaeser 0]

1. cost saving. you can run linux based FTP and save money from windows license. also, save NVR license money.

 

And, if you don't want to bother with a linux based system, most web hosting services support ftp. Another benefit of this approach is the thieves can not destroy the incriminating evidence if the videos/images are uploaded off-site. The cost for off-site storage can be as little as a few dollars a month for some plans.

 

Best,

Christopher

[zmxtech 0]

I would have to say the Axis 206 or their new M series. they can FTP on motion detect and have a great picture.

 

I think there might be a many Ebay/asian cheepy cams but what the point if it fails or the pictures crap !

-oh they they wont work with 3rd party software !

 

z

[jensjakob 0]

It is an very interesting thread this one.

 

May I add a question?

Speed. How fast can the camera do the motiondetect and email the image / ftp the image?

 

I have seen some cameras, such as the DLINK DCS2121 that are capable of sending one image pr second. And I see other cameras taken more than 7 seconds to send just ONE image.

 

It is very important (in my opinion) that the camera can send the images (and secure the evidence) BEFORE the burglar has the chance to disable the camera.

 

So, I like to add thie question of speed and performance to the cameras mentioned above in this thread.

 

Can you help?

 

Best regards

 

Jens Jakob

[buellwinkle 0]

Cheapest camera's with motion detect, that's easy, just about any chinese made IP camera. For example, at home I have a wifi camera that's not connected to any computer. When it detects motion, I have it set to email me a short video. I can also have it FTP the video somewhere or write to an SMB mount point.

 

Check out a camera called Foscam. There are many clones, but if you pay a little more, like $90 you can get the real deal. What's cool is you can have it ftp events out, no PC required and you can connect from your cell phone to watch the live video. Also, in a small room, it will work in total darkness with it's built in leds. Check ebay and search for foscam. The picture quality is pretty good and you can interchanges lenses. I ordered a lens from dealextreme for $6 shipped that's extreme wide angle (2.2mm) and the picture quality is sharper than the factory lens.

 

Don't get me wrong, you asked for the cheapest, not the best, so it's nothing I would use on a project but fun nonetheless.

[jensjakob 0]

@buellwinkle

Sound very interesting.

 

1. Does it have decent motiondetection?

2. Is if fast enough to do a MD and take the picture and email it in 1 second or so?

3. Is it something like the Standalone IP Wireless WIFI/LAN Camera with Night Vision and Pan/Tilt Motors to 92.88$ from Dealextreme?

 

4. Good tip about the wideangle lense - good tip

 

Best regards

JensJakob

[Twilo123 0]

we did a video demo of foscam here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/totalcontrolapp#p/u/13/76A8EFa1uTk

 

just be careful what you are getting because this line is a series of clones and they all have different firmware. i have seen plenty of people brick their cams doing a firmware update only to find that the cam is really a clone and not the one they thought it was. for instance foscam and goscam are the same with different firmware on some models.

 

they tend to lock up a lot from people who come to me with them.

[tanmaysnv 0]

I got a cheap nasty IP camera from Jaycar (not wireless but I think they have wireless ones now).

It's not too bad, but the motion detect FTP part seems to crash after a few days, and it's crap in low light, and it needs Active X to work.

And when the FTP did work, it never created folders on the FTP server with the correct date... you could never find the images you needed, even though you set the time on the cam with NTP.

The Axis camera are great, I've also looked at a couple of Panasonic network cameras.. these are great performers too....

[cglaeser 0]

The Axis camera are great, I've also looked at a couple of Panasonic network cameras.. these are great performers too....

 

The Axis and Panasonic are indeed great cameras, but regarding ftp, Panasonic does have one serious flaw. It will not create folders using ftp. Too many files in one folder can bring an OS to its knees when trying to access one or more of the files. This should be relatively easy to fix in firmware, but they need to do it. When you talk to a Panasonic rep, please tell them they need to get with the program!

 

Best,

Christopher