Panasonic BL-C20 VGA Network Camera
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- Capture Resolution: 640 x 480 320 x 240 160 x 120
- Digital Video Capture Speed: 15 frames per second
- Web Camera Type: Network Camera
- Image Sensor Type: CMOS
- Interface Type: LAN (RJ-45) Wireless - IEEE 802.11b Wireless - IEEE 802.11g
- Resolution: VGA
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Stable performance and good value (with caveats)
Pros
Good, clear image within its 640x480 limitations. Solid operation, for awhile at least.
Cons
Motion detection should allow zone cropping in stand-alone mode, not just with PC on.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Possibly the best wireless network camera under $200.
General clarity is as good as I'd expect from 640x480. Night-time views are decent with direct or ambient nearby lighting, but grainy (as expected) with distant street lights as the main illumination. You can usually at least see something unless it's pitch dark. The focus is fixed, which I find easier than choosing a focal point. The wide-angle view is well balanced between coverage and clarity.
Setup is not for the technically illiterate and the first time might prove tedious with certain routers. You have to play with settings to strike a balance between too many motion email alerts and too few. A more detailed explanation of subtle settings would help. The PDF manual is written with better clarity than the camera's sometimes poorly translated built-in tips.
Giving the camera a static address, manual port #, and turning off UPnP (among other things) seems like the most reliable setup. For some reason, viewnetcam.com doesn't work from my home PC and is blocked at my job. But it has worked well from anywhere else. Configuration options on the camera's web page are numerous and useful.
I wish you could isolate small parts of the frame and set the motion sensitivity at max. vs. using the entire frame for pixel movement detection. (You can do that, but only with your PC running Panasonic's "Network Camera Recorder"). I bought this camera because I wanted my PC out of the loop, so that's not a real option. Costlier models from Panasonic have infrared motion sensing, which may or may not work better if you're aiming through glass.
I discovered that you should put your cable or DSL modem on a power-timer if you're gone for awhile, forcing it to reboot (off/on) occasionally. If it loses the broadband connection on its own and can't be power-cycled, you may lose the camera until you get back. Accessed from thousands of miles away, the camera and website were stable for 4 months with no human intervention, going strong upon return. This was with a $50 NetGear router.
I liked the first BL-C20 so much that I bought a second. So far they work flawlessly in "Multi" view mode. This camera is also listed as the BL-C20A but I'm not sure of the difference. Build quality seems strong, with a metal/ceramic feel to the materials.
UPDATE 1: the first camera stopped working in late November 2007 after 11 months of 24/7 use. It had been responding slowly to setup commands a few weeks prior. The A/C adapter was still OK.
UPDATE 2: the second camera stopped working for 3 days in late March 2008 after nearly 12 months of 24/7 use. It inexplicably worked again for a few days, then died again. The long term durability of these cameras is now uncertain.
Setup is not for the technically illiterate and the first time might prove tedious with certain routers. You have to play with settings to strike a balance between too many motion email alerts and too few. A more detailed explanation of subtle settings would help. The PDF manual is written with better clarity than the camera's sometimes poorly translated built-in tips.
Giving the camera a static address, manual port #, and turning off UPnP (among other things) seems like the most reliable setup. For some reason, viewnetcam.com doesn't work from my home PC and is blocked at my job. But it has worked well from anywhere else. Configuration options on the camera's web page are numerous and useful.
I wish you could isolate small parts of the frame and set the motion sensitivity at max. vs. using the entire frame for pixel movement detection. (You can do that, but only with your PC running Panasonic's "Network Camera Recorder"). I bought this camera because I wanted my PC out of the loop, so that's not a real option. Costlier models from Panasonic have infrared motion sensing, which may or may not work better if you're aiming through glass.
I discovered that you should put your cable or DSL modem on a power-timer if you're gone for awhile, forcing it to reboot (off/on) occasionally. If it loses the broadband connection on its own and can't be power-cycled, you may lose the camera until you get back. Accessed from thousands of miles away, the camera and website were stable for 4 months with no human intervention, going strong upon return. This was with a $50 NetGear router.
I liked the first BL-C20 so much that I bought a second. So far they work flawlessly in "Multi" view mode. This camera is also listed as the BL-C20A but I'm not sure of the difference. Build quality seems strong, with a metal/ceramic feel to the materials.
UPDATE 1: the first camera stopped working in late November 2007 after 11 months of 24/7 use. It had been responding slowly to setup commands a few weeks prior. The A/C adapter was still OK.
UPDATE 2: the second camera stopped working for 3 days in late March 2008 after nearly 12 months of 24/7 use. It inexplicably worked again for a few days, then died again. The long term durability of these cameras is now uncertain.
