454 Video Surveillance Tests

IPVM delivers the world's most comprehensive video surveillance tests, featuring video screencasts, image quality comparisons, and break downs of strengths and weaknesses.

Axis 4MP Camera Tested (M3046-V)

Axis has brought 4MP to its camera line in the new M3046-V, the highest resolution model in their revamped M30 series. We bought and tested this ne...

By Ethan Ace - 1 day ago

Camio Natural Language Processing Tested

The ex-Googler led team from Camio has advanced its video monitoring offering to include natural language processing. Camio ingests video, automat...

By Ethan Ace - 3 days ago

Nest Cam Outdoor Tested - Analytics Strong, Installation Weak

After years of claiming an outdoor model was "coming", addressing their biggest user demand, Nest has finally released their Outdoor Camera, an IP6...

By John Scanlan - 7 days ago

Hikvision 4K Camera Tested

Hikvision is the most common choice for low price entry level products but they are also competing with low light models, smart CODECs, WDR cameras...

By Ethan Ace - 21 days ago

Pelco Optera 270° Camera Tested

Multi-imager cameras are typically 180° or 360°. Pelco has released a fixed 270° versions of their Optera intended to cover exterior building corn...

By Ethan Ace - 24 days ago

ONVIF Profile G Video Storage Test

A standard to retrieve video stored on 3rd party devices. This is the aim of ONVIF Profile G. The proprietary nature of accessing recorded video h...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 month ago

Axxon Next VMS 4.0 Tested

AxxonSoft is one of the biggest VMS vendors (reporting 263,000 channels sold in 2015), especially strong in their home market of Russia, but not we...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 month ago

HD Analog DVRs With Exacq, Milestone and Genetec VMSes Tested

HD analog offerings have proven to deliver HD video at radically lower prices. However, the main limitation for professional applications is their...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 month ago

Dahua Smart H.264+ Tested

The smart codec trend continues, with Dahua adding Smart H.264+ to many of their models in new firmware. In this test we see how it performs and h...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 month ago

IP Camera Long Distance Ethernet Test

Many often ask about running Ethernet beyond its standard distance of 100 meters for UTP, especially when cameras are 400', 500' or more away. Wil...

By John Scanlan - about 2 months ago

21 Scenes Lux Readings For Video Surveillance

IPVM went to numerous locations and measured the lux readings / light levels at each one. Here is an example of the approach we took and output cre...

By John Scanlan - about 2 months ago

Vivotek 12MP IR Multi-Imager Tested

A key weakness of multi-imager cameras is poor low light. While integrated IR has become dominant in cameras overall, it is still uncommon in mult...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 months ago

Hikvision Cloud Service (Ezviz / HikConnect) Tested

Hikvision has built out cloud services for their cameras / products, adding cloud access and recording. Hikvision markets cloud under Ezviz (not t...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 months ago

Pelco Optera 180° Camera Tested

In our initial testing of Pelco's Optera multi-imager, the main issue was their ONVIF 'bowtie' video streaming which undermined third party integra...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 months ago

Axis OrwellLabs Exploit Tested

Another exploit has been reported for Axis cameras (OrwellLabs AXIS Authenticated Remote Command Execution), less than a month after Axis critical ...

By IPVM Team - 2 months ago

Hikvision 12MP IR 360 Tested

Hikvision has released their latest IR panoramic camera, the DS-2CD63C2F-IV, with a 12MP sensor.  To find out, we bought one of these new models a...

By Ethan Ace - 2 months ago

LTS Camera and NVR Tested

LTS is one of the fastest rising manufacturers / OEMs in North America.  We recently bought and tested the LTN8704-P4LTS, a 4 channel NVR, along w...

By John Scanlan - 2 months ago

Axis Camera Hack Tested

Full disclosure by the researcher of the Axis critical security vulnerability has been made. But what does this mean? Does it even work? What can ...

By Ethan Ace - 2 months ago

4MP Low Light Weakness Tested

4MP cameras are an emerging force in video surveillance, with many manufacturers now focusing on 4MP as their new high end, surpassing 1080p. Howe...

By Ethan Ace - 2 months ago

Samsung Wisenet HD+ Tested

HD analog continues to expand, now with Hanwha/Samsung offering AHD via their Wisenet HD+ line. We bought two 1080p camera models, their higher-en...

By Ethan Ace - 2 months ago

SkyBell HD Tested

The video doorbell is flooded with options, but sales have been strong for SkyBell, holding the #2 spot on Amazon against mega-funded Ring. Not onl...

By Brian Rhodes - 3 months ago

Panoramic Cameras Wall vs Ceiling Mount

Panoramic cameras are almost always ceiling mounted, looking down for a general overview of the scene, but is this really the best location, or can...

By Ethan Ace - 3 months ago

Hikvision ~$300 Mini PTZ Tested

A PTZ camera at fixed dome prices? That is the promise of Hikvision's new DS-2DE2103, a compact PTZ with 3x optical zoom in a package smaller than...

By John Scanlan - 3 months ago

Feenics Hosted Access Control Tested

In the access market, new entrants are uncommon. Because of that, newcomer hosted access vendor Feenics has gained the curiosity of many. A particu...

By Brian Rhodes - 3 months ago

Milestone ONVIF Bridge Tested

The Milestone ONVIF Bridge could be a breakthrough. Enterprise VMSes have long restricted 3rd party access making larger system integration more d...

By Ethan Ace - 3 months ago

Hikvision vs Dahua High-End 4MP Cameras Test

4MP models hit with a splash last year, offering increased resolution and true WDR at past 1080p prices. However, these models have been limited to...

By Ethan Ace - 3 months ago

"World's Smallest Recessed Mount Camera" Tested (Vivotek)

Vivotek claims their FD816C-HF2 is the "World's Smallest Recessed Mount Camera", only 2.5" wide, shown here installed in a ceiling tile: We boug...

By John Scanlan - 3 months ago

Hikvision vs Exacq VMS

Hikvision and Exacq are two of the most commonly used recorders in the market, but how do they really match up? With Hikvision so much less expensi...

By Ethan Ace - 4 months ago

Axis Lowest Cost 1080p Camera (M3045-V) Tested

We bought the new 1080p Axis M3045-V and tested it against Hikvision and Samsung to see how it compared. This is the second in our series (startin...

By IPVM Team - 4 months ago

Axis New Lowest Cost Dome M3044-V Tested

It has been 4 long years since Axis launched new low cost domes. In that time, the industry has changed massively, with massive price drops driven...

By IPVM Team - 4 months ago

Network Optix/Digital Watchdog VMS Tested

Network Optix is one of the few VMS startups of the past few years (sold in North America exclusively as DW Spectrum), differentiating itself with ...

By Ethan Ace - 4 months ago

Arecont HD WDR G5 Camera Tested

This concludes our testing of Arecont's G5 series, including our previous Arecont 10MP G5 Test and the Arecont Stellar Camera Test  We bought 3 Ar...

By Ethan Ace - 4 months ago

Arecont 10MP G5 Tested

For years, Arecont Vision had an advantage with their 10 megapixel cameras as few rivals offered more than 5MP. Indeed, they capitalized on it by c...

By Ethan Ace - 4 months ago

Arecont Stellar Camera Tested

Arecont offers:  STELLAR (Spatio TEmporal Low Light ARchitecture) technology that dramatically increases low light performance to capture color ...

By Ethan Ace - 4 months ago

Universal Camera Tester Tested (IPC-8600)

Setting up cameras is often a pain. A number of test tools exist but are frequently limited on camera support or have a small screen, slow interfa...

By Ethan Ace - 4 months ago

360° Motion Detection Camera Tested (Zmodo Pivot)

The Zmodo Pivot trumpets "motion detection in 360 degrees", claiming to detect and capture intruders behind itself, a truly rare camera claim. Plu...

By John Scanlan - 4 months ago

Hikvision EXIR Cameras Tested

EXIR is Hikvision's newer IR technology that promises superior Infrared / low light performance. With Hikvision's release of their "Extra Infrared...

By Ethan Ace - 5 months ago

Yi 2 Intelligent Camera Test

Mega Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi's investment into the security space, Xiaoyi, first entered the market with a super low cost $50 IP camera (the Yi...

By John Scanlan - 5 months ago

Panoramic IR Illuminator Tested (Axton Nano)

The Axton Nano is designed to illuminate large areas from above, aiming to cover much wider areas, up to 4,600 square feet, unlike typical illumina...

By IPVM Team - 5 months ago

FLIR Latitude VMS Test

FLIR spent nearly $100 million on DVTel, primarily for one product - DVTel's enterprise VMS. Though FLIR has killed the DVTel brand, they are aggr...

By Ethan Ace - 5 months ago

Ubiquiti Cloud Video Tested

  The cloud continues to expand in video surveillance. Ubiquiti's newest release offers a free upgrade adding cloud capabilities. In this test, ...

By Ethan Ace - 5 months ago

Avigilon H4 5MP and 4K Cameras Tested

Avigilon has released their H4 HD line, with promised improvements including their most sensitive low light camera (the 5.0L-), analytics on all mo...

By Ethan Ace - 5 months ago

$260 IR Outdoor 'Speeddome' Tested

Just $260 for an outdoor 'speeddome' form factor with integrated IR, wireless, HD video and more? Pricing has certainly come down (e.g., we recent...

By John Scanlan - 5 months ago

Axis P3225-LVE Camera Tested

Though Axis is embattled at the low end of the market, the mid to high end has typically been more favorable to them. Recently, Axis announced new...

By John Scanlan - 5 months ago

Panasonic Smart Coding Tested

Panasonic is the latest entrant in the smart CODEC trend, introducing their own version, called 'Smart Coding' as a firmware update to nearly their...

By Ethan Ace - 6 months ago

Ubiquiti Open IP Cameras Tested

Back in 2011, Ubiquiti broke ground, offering IP cameras for the then shocking amount of ~$100. And, for a while, Ubiquiti included 3rd party supp...

By Ethan Ace - 6 months ago

The Super Low Light Shootout

How good are surveillance cameras in low light? With the advances in integrated IR, image processing and larger imagers over the past few years, we...

By Ethan Ace - 6 months ago

Camera Video Display Problems Tested

In the old days, displaying video was simple. Both cameras are monitors were generally the same aspect ratio, so it was fairly simple to display vi...

By Ethan Ace - 7 months ago

Panasonic Body Camera Tested

Bodyworn camera use continues to increase, with more police departments mandating it and the US pledging $75M for new cameras. In this report, we ...

By John Scanlan - 7 months ago

Axis Open VMS ACS5 Tested

Axis has launched an open VMS, with its new ACS5. What has historically been an Axis only offering is now suddenly a potential competitor to the ma...

By Ethan Ace - 7 months ago

Raytec Vario IP Illuminator Tested

The Raytec Vario IP offers advanced features not commonly found, including interchangeable lenses with varying angles (10-120˚) and ranges (98'-550...

By Ethan Ace - 7 months ago

Hikvision IR PTZ Tested

Hikvision continues to break low cost barriers, now with a 1080p IP IR PTZ for under $800 online, the DS-2DE5220I-AE, half the price of past models...

By Ethan Ace - 7 months ago

Security Camera / Outdoor Light Tested (Kuna)

A new device, named Kuna, "aims to prevent break-ins before they happen!" We bought one and tested it out, examining the following key elements: ...

By John Scanlan - 7 months ago

Bosch IR PTZ Tested

PTZs have historically struggled in low light, with integrated IR being uncommon. In the past few years, this has changed, as some integrated IR mo...

By Ethan Ace - 7 months ago

Netgear Arlo Totally Wireless Camera Tested

Wireless cameras almost always still need a wire for power. Given that, many argue to just used wired cameras anyway. Recently, IPVM bought and te...

By John Scanlan - 7 months ago

FLIR IP Cameras Tested vs Hikvision

Hikvision is well known for being a low cost leader, but our recent Camera Price Comparison Report showed an unexpected challenge from FLIR, one of...

By Ethan Ace - 7 months ago

Blink Totally Wireless Camera Tested

Wireless cameras almost always still need a wire for power. Given that, many argue to just used wired cameras anyway. Now, startup Blink has relea...

By Ethan Ace - 8 months ago

Hikvision H.264+ Tested

Is 'regular' H.264 soon to be a thing of the past? Last year, Axis started the 'smart' H.264 trend with their Zipstream release. Later last year, ...

By Ethan Ace - 8 months ago

Mega Chinese Electronics Manufactuer Xiaomi Yi Camera Tested

Xiaomi's revenue is 4 to 5 times larger than Hikvision's. Only in business for 5 years, Xiaomi has rocketed to be one of the world's most formidabl...

By John Scanlan - 8 months ago

Hikvision Video Analytics Tested

We tested Hikvision's video analytics on six Hikvision models, ranging from entry level to high end Hikvision cameras, in this outdoor test scene: ...

By Ethan Ace - 8 months ago

Face Recognition Camera Tested (Netatmo)

Can face recognition make home security "better"? That is the bold claim from startup Netatmo with their Welcome camera. But with face recognition...

By Ethan Ace - 8 months ago

H.265 IP Cameras Tested vs H.264

For more than 2 years, anticipation has been building for H.265 IP cameras. Finally, H.265 cameras are starting to ship from multiple manufacturers...

By Ethan Ace - 9 months ago

License Plate Capture 4K Test

License plate capture is one of the most popular surveillance applications. IPVM has done extensive testing in this area already including: Lice...

By Ethan Ace - 9 months ago

Walmart Momentum IP Camera Tested

A 'Dropcam' for ~$30? Walmart does super low cost and they are now bringing it to IP cameras, with a new cloud camera for an almost impossible to ...

By John Honovich - 9 months ago

Hikvision Ezviz Tested

Last month, Hikvision Launched Direct End User Sales with their Ezviz line, sold through online and big box channels direct to consumers. We bough...

By Ethan Ace - 9 months ago

Ex-Googler Startup Camio Cloud Video Tested

Two ex-Googlers, one who was a Director of Product Management and another who is a Stanford PhD, have built a cloud video solution that aims to del...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Avigilon HD Multisensor Camera Tested

Avigilon has released 9MP and 12MP HD Multisensor cameras, adding reposition-able sensors with remote focus and zoom, features not before seen in t...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Scout DIY Home Security Tested

This hipster startup claimed it would crush cavemen alarm companies, with a DIY disruptive offering. Now in production, we bought a Scout Alarm sy...

By Brian Rhodes - 10 months ago

Axis Daybreak App Tested

Many users complain about cameras cutting over from day to night too early or too late. On the one hand, you want to have color as long as possible...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Axis Camera Monitoring App Tested

Axis' Camera Application Platform has been around for years, but has mainly been limited to complex analytic apps. Now, an independent website, AC...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Testing Smart Home PTZ (Remocam)

The consumer cloud video market is dominated by wide angle, fixed cameras (Dropcam/ Nestcam, Simplicam, Canary, Piper, etc.) Startup Remocam is ta...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Testing Samsung 1/2" Wisenet III Camera

Continuing our series of 1/2" super low light tests, in this report we look at Samsung's 1/2" Wisenet III model, the SNB-6005.  We tested it again...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Axis 33MP Camera Tested (Q3709)

In 2012, Axis declared the megapixel race over. Now, Axis has released a 33MP camera, the Q3709-PVE, one of the highest resolution cameras in the ...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Testing Axis' 1/2" Q1635 Camera

Low light performance continues to improve, first driven by advances in image processing and now increasing number of 1/2" imagers in 1080p HD came...

By Ethan Ace - 10 months ago

Audio Analytics Aggression Tested

What if you could use your IP cameras to detect fights before they start?  That is the goal of Louroe / Sound Intelligence with their recently rel...

By Ethan Ace - 11 months ago

IP Camera Bootup Shootout 2015

IP cameras, like PCs, take some time to boot up. And just like PCs, the amount of time can vary greatly. Many people do not care but some people fi...

By Derek Ward - 11 months ago

Sony 20MP / 4K Camera Tested

For 18 month, Sony has been hyping 4K cameras, a year before they even announced a 4K network camera. Now, amidst intense competition and price pre...

By Ethan Ace - 11 months ago

ONVIF Screen Capture Tested

Recording a PC's screen to a VMS has several uses, but historically has required expensive dedicated encoders or specialized software for each VMS....

By Ethan Ace - 11 months ago

Milestone Arcus VMS Tested

For more than a decade, Milestone was a Windows only VMS. With the Internet shifting power away from Windows OSes, Milestone launched a new VMS, ca...

By Ethan Ace - 12 months ago

Dahua Starlight 1/2" Camera Tested

In super low light, an area that the West has long dominated, can the Chinese manufacturers beat their Western rivals? Dahua has a new 'Starlight'...

By Ethan Ace - 12 months ago

Angelcam Cloud Video Tested

With the cloud getting more and more hype plus with early market leader Dropcam stumbling after being acquired by Google / Nest, there is increased...

By Ethan Ace - 12 months ago

Samsung Covert WDR Camera Tested

IPVM member Steve Beck asked us in IPVM chat to test the Samsung covert WDR camera (the SNB-6011) so we did it. Covert cameras are often used in A...

By Derek Ward - 12 months ago

Axis Video Analytics Are Weak

For more than a decade, video analytics has frustrated and disappointed users. Now, Axis has released their own "series of robust video analytics ...

By Ethan Ace - 12 months ago

The 4MP Shootout - Dahua vs Hikvision

4MP cameras are an important emerging trend in video surveillance, aiming to replace 1080p. This is being driven by new sensors from OmniVision th...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Axis YouTube Livestreaming Camera App Tested

Broadcasting live video has historically been complex and costly, with manual setup and pricey monthly subscriptions required. Now, Camstreamer is...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Anixter/Tri-Ed Northern Video Tested

ADI is an IP video manufacturer now (see IPVM's ADI W Box test results). And now, their top rival, Anixter's Tri-Ed arm has also entered the IP vi...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Axis Digital Autotracking Tested

As camera resolutions continues to climb, the likelihood that you will ever display any camera at full resolution on a monitor declines. This is ev...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Hikvision iVMS-4200 Tested

Though best known for their camera and recorders, mega Chinese manufacturer also makes their own VMS software. In this report, we share test resul...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Google Breaks Surveillance Browser Support

Now you have a choice. Broken video surveillance web browser support or an insecure, prone to crashing interface. As Google has been warning for ...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

The $28 Million Video Doorbell Ring Tested

In 2015, video doorbells are big business. Ring landed $28 million in funding from Richard Branson and others who are betting that this is the next...

By Brian Rhodes - about 1 year ago

5 Low Cost IR Illuminators Tested

IR illumination has increased in popularity, with built in IR becoming a common feature in low-cost models. But when low light needs exceed the rel...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Hikvision Darkfighter 1/2" Imager Camera Tested

Can Hikvision beat Axis and Samsung in pure low light? The Chinese mega-manufacturer has made a name for itself as a low-cost leader, popularizing...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

HD Analog Four Way Cameras Tested

One camera that delivers AHD, HDCVI, HDTVI and 960H, all for as little as $15 a camera. Both on price and claimed support, that is pretty outstand...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

The Prox Reader Shootout

In this report, we put eight readers of the popular 125 kHz contactless format head to head and see which one rises to the top. Over a third of ...

By Brian Rhodes - about 1 year ago

Axis WDR Zipstream Low-Cost M1125 Tested

Axis has been busy promoting speciality devices like IP horns and video intercoms. However, they have quietly released a new series of low-cost HD...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

The $100 Intrusion System Korner Tested

Multi-year contracts at $30 per month are the norm. Now a startup is offering an intrusion system for $59 up front and just ~$3 monthly. The comp...

By Brian Rhodes - about 1 year ago

Panasonic 4K / 12MP Camera Tested

We bought the new Panasonic 4K / 12MP WV-SFV781L dome camera and tested it against the:  Axis P1428E Bosch NBN-80122 Dahua IPC-HFW4800E In ...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Testing Petzi, The Pet Cam That Shoots Treats

Do you love dogs? Do you love the Internet of Things? Then we have a product for you. Half camera, half remote-controlled pet treat dispenser, P...

By Derek Ward - about 1 year ago

Genetec Cloud Tested

Not since Axis public and prolonged agony with AVHS, has a major manufacturer bet as heavily as Genetec is now doing on the cloud. Genetec started...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Samsung AHD 720p Kit Tested

Not long ago, an individual MP camera was commonly $300 and a DVR was commonly $300. Now, Samsung is offering (4) MP cameras plus a DVR for ~$330 ...

By Derek Ward - about 1 year ago

Mobotix P25 Camera Tested

Low-cost from Mobotix? With MP prices plunging to sub $100 levels, Mobotix's historic ~$1,000 price points are hard to justify. Now, Mobotix has ...

By Derek Ward - about 1 year ago

$100 True WDR Camera Tested (FLIR CVI)

True WDR has traditionally been quite expensive. And HD analog has so far been mostly low-end models. Now, FLIR has released a ~$100 1080p CVI ca...

By Derek Ward - about 1 year ago

Axis Camera Companion VMS V3 Tested

Axis is focusing more on their own 'end to end solutions'. Camera Companion is Axis' 'VMS killer', which is free and eliminates using traditional ...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Testing Zwipe Fingerprint Card

By embedding a fingerprint reader into an access control card, Zwipe claims it can increase security without requiring facilities to new / expensiv...

By Brian Rhodes - about 1 year ago

ADI's Disruptive W Box Tested

ADI moves hundreds of millions of dollars worth video surveillance equipment each year. And now, they are disrupting the channel, cutting out manu...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

ACTi 10MP IR Camera Tested

10MP, Integrated IR, Motorized Zoom lens. All for just over $300 promotional pricing. An incredible deal, on paper, from ACTi's "Catch All The De...

By Derek Ward - about 1 year ago

Ethernet over Coax (EoC) Shootout

Reusing existing coax for IP cameras can cut installation costs dramatically. However, there are endless numbers of Ethernet over coax adapters ava...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

Ubiquiti Micro HD Camera Tested

With nearly $600 million in revenue, Ubiquiti has become a major force in wireless networking and a very common one for wireless video surveillance...

By Derek Ward - about 1 year ago

Avigilon HD Micro Dome Test

The Avigilon HD Micro Dome is, by far, the company's lowest cost camera line. Now, it is still significantly more expensive than many fixed focal ...

By Derek Ward - about 1 year ago

Panasonic Video Insight VMS Tested

Panasonic not only bought an open VMS provider, VideoInsight, Panasonic is now giving away free VMS licenses for their cameras. Plus, the VMS inclu...

By Ethan Ace - about 1 year ago

New Google Nest Cam Tested

The most important advance for the new Google Nest Cam is video analytics. Though this has not been the focus in the mainstream press, IPVM testin...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Super Low Light HD Lens Tested

A smaller F-number can make a big difference in how much light reaches an imager. For example, the difference even between a f/1.2 and f/1.0, whic...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

iControl Piper NV Camera Test

iControl has raised over $100 million in VC funding to transform the home security market.  Last year, they acquired Piper, a camera / home automa...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Avigilon Access Control Tested

Avigilon aims to deliver an end-to-end solution of video surveillance and access control. But how good is their access control? In 2013, Avigilon ...

By Brian Rhodes - over 1 year ago

The $500 FLIR Thermal Camera Tested

$5,000 thermal cameras were super 'cheap' not too long ago. Then $2,000 thermal cameras shocked people in 2012. Now, we have thermals cameras und...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

The $40 Million Funded Startup Canary Tested

This startup, Canary, has raised $40 million total since 2014. With Google buying Dropcam for $555 million, investors see big opportunity in secur...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Samsung Outdoor SmartCam Tested

The #1 missing feature for Google / Nest / Dropcam has been no outdoor model, inspiring a slew of DIY and unauthorized commercial add-on housings. ...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Bosch Person / Car / Bike / Truck Analytics Tested

Automatically identify what objects are persons vs cars vs bikes vs trucks. That is the new feature and claim from Bosch in their newest IVA analyt...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Hikvision Anti Hacking Firmware Tested

Hikvision has had historic hacking problems, with DVRs turned into Bitcoin miners, buffer overflow vulnerabilities, and finally culminating in the ...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Corridor Mode Tested

HD 'widescreen' aspect ratios are increasingly becoming the norm for video surveillance cameras, with 720p HD, 1080p Full HD and now 4K Ultra HD. ...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

The New Post-Milestone OnSSI Tested

OnSSI surprised the industry earlier this year by acquiring rival VMS company Seetec. For years, OnSSI's market position has been hurt by the perc...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Eagle Eye Cloud VMS Tested

Genetec has added cloud VMS, Exacq is releasing theirs in a few months, DVTel's is planned for the end of this year. But one startup has been buil...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Testing Dahua HDCVI Encoder With VMSes

HD Analog cameras have incredibly low prices for true HD video. But HD analog recorders are pretty simplistic and underwhelming. Moreover, many w...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Samsung Wisenet Lite Cameras Tested

Far lower-cost MP cameras are a major trend now. So far, the 'Chinese' have been leading the way here. Samsung's Wisenet III series hit the marke...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Testing IP Camera Test Monitor (Tatung)

Integrators frequently cited insufficient installation tools as one of the key problems of IP camera installation. While many use a laptop, the siz...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

WDR Camera Shootout 2015

This is the most comprehensive Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) IP camera shootout ever. We tested 10 of the latest generation multiple-exposure true WDR ...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Uniview Chinese Camera Tested

The company claims $263 million in 2013 revenue and to be the third largest Chinese surveillance manufacturer (after Hikvision and Dahua). Despite...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Gain / AGC for Video Surveillance Guide

Gain control is a critical, though often overlooked, factor in low light surveillance video. It is generally only noticed when the negative side ef...

By John Honovich - over 1 year ago

Testing Honeywell HQA HD-CVI

HD analog support continues to expand, with Honeywell now releasing its own HD-CVI offering, awkwardly named "High Quality Analog" (HQA), offering ...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Testing Axis Zipstream

Has Axis found its breakthrough differentiator? Can they demand a premium for this? Axis claims Zipstream can "lower bandwidth and storage require...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

FLIR FX Tested

FLIR is going after the home / consumer surveillance market with their FLIR FX. A few of the notable competitive features offered: Video analyti...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Testing Messoa 3MP LPC Camera

License plate recognition has historically required specialized cameras with limited general surveillance use. Messoa is aiming to change that wit...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Milestone LPR Tested

How well does Milestone's LPR work? Milestone's LPR supports off the shelf IP cameras, integrating license plate recognition with the Milestone Sm...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

4K Panoramic Panasonic Tested

Panasonic has released their first 4K cameras, and surprisingly, they are panoramic, which they tout include high sensitivity 1/2" image sensors, t...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Axis vs Hikvision vs Sony Encoder Test

In this report, we share test findings of three popular four port analog SD encoder models: Axis P7214 Hikvision DS-6704HFI Sony SNT-EX104 ...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

CBR vs VBR vs MBR - Surveillance Streaming

How you stream video has a major impact on quality and bandwidth. And it is not simply CODEC choice (like H.264, H.265, MPEG-4, etc.) However, r...

By John Honovich - over 1 year ago

TCP vs UDP for Video Surveillance

TCP or UDP? What should you use for video surveillance? TCP and UDP are both in use in the video industry today, each with strengths and weakness...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Tyco / Exacq Illustra Cameras Tested

Prior to Tyco acquiring them, Exacq was one of the leading independent VMSes. Now, Tyco / Exacq is becoming a 'solution' provider, billing their I...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

NMAPing IP Cameras

The Hikvision hack has increased security concerns. Indeed, most users do not know whether they are vulnerable or not, which ports of their system...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Dahua vs Bosch and Axis 4K Cameras

4K is here, but not without issues. High prices and poor low light performance constrain adoption. Now Dahua, one of the two Chinese mega-manufac...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Super Low Cost Chinese Camera Shootout

The 'Chinese' are the industry's #1 threat (or opportunity depending on one's perspective). IPVM has extensively covered the rise of Dahua and Hiv...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Genetec AutoVu LPR Camera Tested

License plate video is one of the most requested elements of video surveillance. IPVM has done many tests on license plate cameras, including the:...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Shootout: 4K vs PTZ Cameras

Resolutions continue upwards, with 4K cameras hitting the street. Meanwhile, PTZ usage continues its downward trend, with fewer and fewer integrato...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Testing FLIR IR PTZ

FLIR's integrated IR PTZ, the DNZ30TL2R claims a whopping 150m (~500') IR range and HD resolution. Distances like these have historically been poss...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Hikvision HDTVI Long Distance Problem Tested

Hikvision's HDTVI cameras performed poorly over low quality or long coax and UTP cables in our original tests. This was a major issue as a key sell...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Network Monitoring / SNMP for Video Surveillance Guide

Surveillance systems typically rely on the the VMS to report issues, but this most often just means knowing a camera is "down" with no warning or d...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

DVTel ioimage HD Analytic Camera Tested

Four years after acquiring ioimage, DVTel has released new HD analytic cameras, with the promise of higher probability of detection and lower false...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Simplicam Facial Recognition Tested

Facial recognition, available for $150? That's the offer from a startup, Simplicam, who has not only cloned Dropcam setup and user interface but h...

By Derek Ward - over 1 year ago

Bosch 4K Tested

4K promises more pixels but does it undermine WDR and low light performance? We tested the Axis 4K camera and there were certainly issues. Now, w...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Testing $50 Mini NVR

As an NVR, this performed very really badly. But, as a member suggested to us, could a $50 mini NVR be used as an IP / HD spot monitor? Adding ...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Axis VMD3.0 Analytics Vs Avigilon Tested

Axis has released the next generation of their advanced video motion detection application, VMD 3.0. It promises improvements in false alarm rates ...

By Ethan Ace - over 1 year ago

Tested: Lowering Bandwidth at Night is Good

Bandwidth spikes in low light are commonplace, with increases of 300 to 500% over daytime normal. IPVM recommends lowering bandwidth levels at nig...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

IP Camera Power Consumption Guide

How much power an IP camera consumes is important, especially since most PoE switches have limited power budget and do not support max 15W to all c...

By Derek Ward - almost 2 years ago

Testing Scallop Panoramic Cameras

For years, Arecont Vision's SurroundVideo line has been practically the only multi-imager option, but with their poor reputation, multi-imager came...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Milestone Super Low Cost HD Solution

Recent IPVM testing has shown and verified a super low cost HD solution using Milestone that has never been marketed. In this note, we break it do...

By John Honovich - almost 2 years ago

Tested: Quality Worse Dome Bubble On?

Often, industry professionals will warn about three problems with using domes: The dome bubble degrades image quality The degradation is worse ...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Hikvision HDTVI VS Dahua HDCVI

With super low cost and full HD video, Analog HD has the most potential to disrupt the surveillance market of any new technology in years. With 10...

By John Honovich - almost 2 years ago

Testing Day vs Night With IR

IR illumination helps. When it gets dark, especially real dark, with no nearby artifical lighting, pretty much every surveillance camera (even 'su...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Rain Camera Shootout

Rain can ruin surveillance video, and your housing choice might be making it worse. In this test, we shot out the five most common form factors of...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Resolution vs Compression Tested

They are not the same thing. Unfortunately, too many industry people conflate them. Worse, resolution and compression can silently undermine each...

By John Honovich - almost 2 years ago

Camera DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) Guide

Bandwidth spikes are a significant video problem. An IPVM study found 250 - 500% increase in bandwidth from day to night (see: Testing Bandwidth v...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Dahua HDCVI 2.0 Tested

A strong initial reception but can it repeat? Dahua's initial HDCVI analog HD offering, with its super low cost and HD resolution, was extremely w...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Avigilon Analytic Cameras Tested

Analytics remains the 'next big thing' But supply of high quality, ease to use analytics remain in short supply. VideoIQ had been the favorite ch...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Testing Bandwidth vs Low Light

Bandwidth and low light can be a bad combination. Despite many assuming / calculating bandwidth as a single 24/7 number, bandwidth can vary dramat...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Hikvision Tribrid Recorder Tested

HD over existing coax, IP and legacy analog cameras, all in a single recorder. A 16 camera 'tribrid' DVR that does all that for less than $400. T...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Axis 4K Tested (P1428E)

[UPDATE August 2015: We recently updated firmware on this camera for an upcoming test, from 5.55.5.1 to the new 5.80.1. In doing so, WDR increased ...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Hikvision HDTVI Cameras Tested

HD Analog is the most interesting new trend in the industry now, claiming HD quality over legacy coax, with simpler configuration and lower prices ...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Testing Arecont Omni

The Arecont SurroundVideo Omni is one of the most novel new camera offerings in the past few years. Like their 180 and 360 predecessors, the Omni ...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

The Worst HD Quality Camera Ever (Samsung 1280H)

Samsung, what are you doing? Their new 1280H offering significantly stretches video and is one of the most bizarre offerings we have ever seen. E...

By John Honovich - almost 2 years ago

Smart IR Panoramic Camera Tested

Panoramic cameras are overwhelmingly quite bad in low light. Now, manufacturers are starting to add IR to them. We tested the Hikvision panoramic ...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Testing Speco HD IP Intensifier

Chances are you have seen Speco's promotion of its Intensifier HD IP line, with ads online and in trade mags claiming color images down to an incre...

By Ethan Ace - almost 2 years ago

Testing IP Camera Latency

How much does latency impact IP cameras? We tested a number of combinations, like so:   In this report, we break down: Average latency metric...

By John Honovich - about 2 years ago

Testing AHD 2014

This is where the innovation is at. During Essen and days before ASIS, IPVM is leading with a test of an analog (HD) camera, reflecting both how b...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Testing Sony HD Dome Camera

Top WDR and low light performance are generally only offered in manufacturer's high end cameras. In particular, Sony users historically needed to ...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Lenel OnGuard Tested

Lenel is one of the biggest names in Access Control with many thousands of systems installed around the globe.  In this report, we examine Lenel's...

By Brian Rhodes - about 2 years ago

Testing Axis High End HD Camera Q1615

Axis core focus is the high end of the market. Their newest high end camera, the Q1615, aims to continue that, with claims of industry leading imag...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Testing Avigilon ACC 5 VMS

In this report, we provide in-depth videos covering Avigilon Control Center 5's operation and configuration with 30+ minutes of screencasts providi...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

License Plate Recognition (LPR) Axis App Tested

License plate recognition (LPR) has historically been very expensive, requiring specialized hardware and software. An embedded LPR app from ipConf...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Testing March MegaPX Domes

March Networks has been one of the bigger names in video surveillance recorders for a decade, with significant adoption especially in banking and r...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Milestone XProtect 2014 Tested

In this third entry in our ongoing VMS test series we provide in-depth explanation and analysis of Milestone XProtect Enterprise 2014. Inside this...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Testing Hikvision High End Camera

Chinese manufacturer, including the two mega ones, Dahua and Hikvision, are best known in the West for super low cost, entry level cameras. Howeve...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

A Major Flaw in Long Lenses and PTZs Found

Theoretically, long lenses should let you capture faces and license plates very far away. For example, over 900 feet away from a 1080p camera one ...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Testing HD Lipstick Camera

Miniature IP / HD cameras are a growing trend. One of the downsides has been the addition of a 'head' or 'base' unit to do the encoding, often lar...

By Derek Ward - about 2 years ago

Testing IP Video - Super Low Bandwidth

Even today, there are remote locations, especially in security applications, where extremely limited bandwidth is available. Despite that, users w...

By Derek Ward - about 2 years ago

Testing Exacq VMS

This test is part of an ongoing VMS test series were we provide in-depth explanation and analysis of video management software manufacturers. Insi...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Testing Genetec Security Center

This is IPVM's first in a series of all new, in-depth test reports on video management software. We start with Genetec's Security Center. Here's a...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Panasonic Series 6 IP Cameras Tested

Can Panasonic make a comeback? One of the early entrants in IP cameras, Panasonic has been slipping, dues to faster and more aggressive competitor...

By Ethan Ace - about 2 years ago

Testing Samsung vs Google/Dropcam

Samsung is charging hard into IP cameras. Last year, they attacked the professional market with their WiseNet III launch. Now, they are going afte...

By Derek Ward - about 2 years ago

Testing the Smallest HD Cameras

Miniature HD IP cameras are a growing trend. It started with cameras that had small 'heads' but large 'base' units. Increasingly, though, the bases...

By Derek Ward - about 2 years ago

Testing Varifocal Minidome (IQeye)

Minidomes are increasing in popularity, as IPVM statistics show. However, the most common objection to using minidomes is the lack of varifocal len...

By Derek Ward - about 2 years ago

Testing Canon IP Cameras

Canon now owns one of the top global VMS offerings but how good are their IP cameras? Will the combination of Canon IP cameras and Milestone VMS c...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

H.264 High vs Main vs Baseline Tested

In surveillance, H.264 is often considered a single 'thing' but there are many different sets of capabilities, called profiles, to choose from. Th...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Testing GPS Tag (Tile)

$20 for a device that will find the locations of lost or stolen objects. That's the potential of a startup, Tile, that has crowdfunded more than $2...

By Brian Rhodes - over 2 years ago

Testing 4K Monitors for Surveillance

4K televisions and monitors are becoming increasingly available and affordable.  We tested a 4K monitor vs a 1080p one. For testing, we purchased...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Testing Smoked vs Clear Domes

The best way to conceal where a camera is pointed is to use a smoked dome. Here's an example of a clear vs a smoked dome: However, smoked domes ...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Simplisafe - The Startup Silicon Valley Bets Will Beat ADT

$57 million. That's the big bet by one of Silicon Valley's top VCs that a Massachussets based startup, Simplisafe, can knock off behemoths like ADT...

By Brian Rhodes - over 2 years ago

The $100 Fingerprint Reader Tested

Want to add biometrics but avoid spending nearly $1,000 per door for it? When it comes to fingerprint readers, there are lots of options that all ...

By Brian Rhodes - over 2 years ago

Testing Q-See HD Analog Kit (HD-CVI)

This kit is so inexpensive we could almost not believe it. 8 HD IR cameras plus an DVR with a 2TB hard drive for $499 total. Here's what it looks ...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Dahua Integrated IR PTZ Tested

Integrated IR cameras are growing rapidly in popularity, as they help solve a key surveillance problem - poor low light imaging. However, integrat...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing Polarizing Filters on HD Cameras

Sun glare is particularly challenging for surveillance cameras. Even top cameras struggle with such conditions. One technique suggested is using p...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

5MP Super Low Light Tested (Bosch)

Low light performance remains the biggest showstopper for multi-megapixel cameras. Test after test, 5 MP and even 1080p cameras are consistently ou...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Low Cost License Plate Capture Shootout

License plate capture (LPC) is very popular as shown by our License Plate Capture Shootout 2014's high member interest.  One challenge is that pur...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Testing Original Dahua HDCVI

Have IP cameras met their first real HD challenger? Dahua, a major Chinese surveillance manufacturer approaching a billion dollars in annual reven...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing 5MP Pelco Sarix IR

Integrated IR has become a common solution for low light problems, but resolutions have remained relatively low, usually 1080p and below. Now, 5MP ...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Hikvision IR Panoramic Camera Tested

Low light has been one of panoramic cameras' biggest challenges, with most essentially useless in low light, becoming a key barrier for panoramic a...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

IP Camera Sample Shots Directory

16 total shots - 6 cameras, side by side, from 720p to 10MP, were recorded at 8 different scenes. We tested entrances, fields, intersections, park...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Audio Surveillance Guide

Audio for surveillance is a complex topic with a lot of confusion and poorly implemented systems out there. We regularly get questions from users...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing Samsung WiseNet III Panoramic Camera

Samsung's IP video expansion efforts continue with their recent panoramic offerings. Their SNF-7010 series claims true WDR and uses their WiseNet I...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Genetec and Milestone Access Tested

Video management software companies entering access control is a growing trend. One of the first to do this was Genetec, who now has a long histor...

By Brian Rhodes - over 2 years ago

Testing Vivotek Smart Stream

Reduce storage costs by 30%, claims Vivotek. Their new "Smart Stream" feature intelligently compresses video streams such that moving objects get ...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

ONVIF Mega Test

In this groundbreaking report, we share findings of in-depth ONVIF testing. ONVIF Real World Integration We tested 14 camera manufacturers with 5...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Super Low Lux Geovision Minidome Tested

'Super' low light cameras have become increasingly common in box and full size cameras. However, no one we know has offered them in a minidome, the...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Testing 'Megapixel' Analog Camera

Megapixel analog sounds like a contradiction in terms. 'Analog' by definition, or at least in common use, is constrained by 60+ year old NTSC / PAL...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

2014 Surveillance Test Results Guide Released

Inside, get the 50 page IPVM 2014 Surveillance Test Results Guide. In the past year, IPVM has spent thousands of hours conducting over 75 tests, r...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing Pelco SureVision 2.0

Pelco's new SureVision 2.0 line promises superior low light and wide dynamic range capabilities, claiming "industry-leading image quality in the mo...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Shootout: Megapixel vs Analog Cameras

How much does resolution really make a difference? For those purchasing budget or entry level systems, what, if any gain, does one get for higher r...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

License Plate Capture Shootout 2014

What should you be using to capture license plates consistently? We tested 3 major types of cameras head to head to see the tradeoffs: Super Lo...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

IP Camera Bandwidth / Storage Shootout

Bandwidth consumption can vary tremendously, even with the same resolution, frame rate, compression and scene, by 50% to 80% in our tests. This is ...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing Geovision MP License Plate Camera

Capturing license plates is one of the most requested, and underserved areas, in IP cameras. The question comes up a lot, and there are not many pu...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing Honeywell HD WDR IP Camera

Honeywell is a huge name, but not one well respected in video surveillance, unless you are an alarm dealer. The company was late into IP but now o...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

IP Camera Manufacturer Compression Comparison

Compression is very important. While resolution gets the attention, compression is critical and can be a silent killer - both for quality and bandw...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Camera Test: PPF Needed For IDs, Text, Money

Need to see the fine print of a dollar bill, euro, driver's license or text on a document? We tested 3 different types of print. Currency, both t...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Arecont Bandwidth Savings Mode Tested

How would like to reduce your storage costs by up to 50% with just a click of a button? That's the promise of Arecont's 'Bandwidth Savings Mode', a...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

VMS Server Load Fundamentals Tested

How powerful of a server do you need to run VMS software? What drives VMS server load? There's manufacturer recommendations but, until now, there'...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing $39 ONVIF NVR

You are probably used to paying thousands of dollars for NVRs and even hundreds for budget ones, like the Q-See kit we tested. But how about just ...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing Time Compressor

Our VMS Search Shootout showed that performance varies greatly and is an important differentiator in product selection. One uncommon but interesti...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

D-Link vs. Dropcam Shootout

D-Link is not happy. Over the last two years, upstart Dropcam has received a ton of coverage from dozens of publications, including IPVM (see our ...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Testing Axis Access Control

After years of speculation and months of waiting since its announcement, Axis' first access control offering is hitting the market (at least in the...

By Brian Rhodes - over 2 years ago

Foscam Low Cost HD PTZ Tested

The $68 SD PTZ we tested disappointed, due primarily to poor image quality and high bandwidth consumption. A member suggested we test a newer HD v...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Testing Avigilon / VideoIQ Rialto

After years of supplying their analytics only on their own cameras, VideoIQ released the Rialto series in 2013, allowing third party cameras to be ...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Ranking IP Camera Low Light Performance

This first ever program rates and ranks IP camera low light performance, introducing LL-TVL counts, enabling accurate and quantified comparisons. ...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Camera Slow Shutter / Ghosting Tested

Wrong. Your first impression of an IP camera's performance in low light is frequently wrong. The reason is simple: slow shutter. Many manufacture...

By John Honovich - over 2 years ago

Testing ACTi E97 10MP Camera

$200 for a 10MP camera? Too good to be true or the next big thing to stand out from the commoditizing HD market? After years going sideways, ACTi ...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

Testing $29 ONVIF IR IP Chinese Camera

The #1 IP camera problem is cost, as unique IPVM survey results show. Rectifying that is critical. Last month, we received a (spam) email offering...

By Ethan Ace - over 2 years ago

VMD Shootout II - Hikvision, Dahua, Samsung

Our first VMD Camera Shootout included Avigilon, Axis, Bosch and Sony. Members enjoyed it and asked for more manufacturers to be tested. This test ...

By Derek Ward - over 2 years ago

Testing ACTi E96 Panoramic Camera

Not too long ago, panoramic cameras typically cost $1,000 or more. In the past year, the prices have come down significantly, where $500 or $600 is...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

3 Key Surveillance Product Shifts For 2014

Three surveillance product shifts are changing the market and what you should expect from quality products. We discovered these from over 70 unique...

By John Honovich - almost 3 years ago

Foscam Low Cost SD PTZ Tested

$68 for an IP PTZ? That's what the Foscam FI8910W goes for on Amazon where it is the #2 overall selling surveillance camera. We bought one to try ...

By Derek Ward - almost 3 years ago

Testing Autofocus Accuracy

Integrators love autofocus. It takes the pain out of getting precise focus manually, especially important for hard to reach cameras. However, some...

By Derek Ward - almost 3 years ago

Testing Color Analytics Performance

In an industry known for overhyping its own value, color analytics have been considered pure science fiction, with few, if any, stories from the fi...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Testing The Real Resolution of MP Cameras

Resolution has become ridiculous. IP cameras equate resolution with pixels, ignoring that pixels are simply mechanical components of a camera, not...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Testing The Resolution of the Human Eye

All sorts of wild guesses and theoretical calculations exist about what the resolution of the human eye is, with 576MP a common claim. No one we c...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Hikvision 2013 IP Cameras Tested

Hikvision claims to be the #1 surveillance manufacturer in the world. That's, well, debatable. What's not in dispute is that they have become huge...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Testing New Dropcam Pro Camera

VSaaS, overall, has been a disaster with nearly every provider, including gorilla Axis, struggling to make it big. The one clear exception has bee...

By John Honovich - almost 3 years ago

Bosch Flexidome Micro Shootout

Minidomes are very popular, likely the most popular of all IP camera form factors, due to their relative low cost and small size. Earlier this year...

By Derek Ward - almost 3 years ago

10MP vs 5MP vs HD Shootout

HD cameras are commonplace. Everyone offers 1080p. The big question now is how much better is 5MP or 10MP? Is a 10MP camera 5 times better than 108...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

VMS Mobile Apps Guide

Every VMS supplier has mobile app clients now, even if many are still not using them. However, significant differences can exist across VMS impleme...

By Sarit Williams - almost 3 years ago

Samsung Wisenet III Camera Shootout

Samsung has never been a serious player in IP cameras, despite their success in other markets. Now, Samsung is pushing their Wisenet III release as...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Camera Selection Guide

Entrances, hallways, rooms and parking lots are perhaps the 4 most common areas where surveillance is deployed. But what is the best type of camera...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Testing Geovision Mini IR Camera

Integrated IR continues to be a growing trend, moving into cameras at both the high and low ends of the spectrum. One new model from Geovision, the...

By Derek Ward - almost 3 years ago

VMS Mapping Shootout

Maps are used for situational awareness, but what is that exactly? What features do they have and how do VMSes differ in what they offer? In this ...

By Sarit Williams - almost 3 years ago

VMD Camera Shootout

Video motion detection's inaccuracy can have disastrous effects on your VMS system, with recordings due to positives easily consuming far more stor...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Dummy Camera Shootout

Despite strong opposition from most in the industry, dummy cameras continue to be one of the top selling security products online. Right now, a dum...

By Derek Ward - almost 3 years ago

VMS Upgrade Comparison

Which VMS offers the best way to upgrade VMS software versions? Who makes it simple and automated and who forces you to figure it out on your own? ...

By Sarit Williams - almost 3 years ago

Analytics vs Rain: Axis, Bosch & Sony

Rain. This was a key objection to our Camera Analytics Test: Axis vs. Bosch vs. Sony. Members rightfully noted it is one thing for an analytics to ...

By Ben Wood - almost 3 years ago

iSpy Open Source Windows VMS Tested

Open source software has had a huge impact on the web and IT, with solutions like Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL, Wordpress, Firefox, Audacity, VLC, etc...

By Sarit Williams - almost 3 years ago

Testing Vivotek Cube Panoramic (CC8130)

A cube panoramic? Plus a wall mount facial camera? That's what Vivotek is proposing with its recent CC8130 camera. That's certainly different from...

By Derek Ward - almost 3 years ago

Surveillance Search Shootout

Searching for video is the most important function for many VMS users. While they may not have the time or interest to watch video live regularly, ...

By Sarit Williams - almost 3 years ago

Brickcom Immervision Panomorph 360 Test

Immervision was one of the earliest providers of 180 / 360 imaging in the surveillance market. With their CS mount lenses, Immervision offered a di...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Super Low Light vs Integrated IR Shootout 2013

Two of the biggest trends in IP cameras collide in this unique IPVM shootout. In the past few years, a surge of manufacturers have released integr...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Luxi iPhone Light Meter Tested

Adding a free app to your smartphone to measure light levels sounds great but our recent test showed how poorly they performed. However, a new iPho...

By John Honovich - almost 3 years ago

Testing HID Edge Solo

HID is the biggest name in IP door controllers, especially for single or dual door controllers, with their Edge line. Now, as surveillance companie...

By Brian Rhodes - almost 3 years ago

Test: H.264 I vs P Frame Impact

Codecs like H.264 reduce bandwidth by only sending full frames every so often, mixing them with partial frames only capturing changes in between th...

By Ethan Ace - almost 3 years ago

Testing Camera Height vs Image Quality

A critical debate amongst surveillance professionals is how high should cameras be mounted. The higher the camera is mounted, the less likely it is...

By Derek Ward - about 3 years ago

VMS Health Monitoring Shootout

Monitoring the health of video surveillance systems is critical to ensuring reliability and eliminating the security risks of outages. VMS software...

By Sarit Williams - about 3 years ago

Camera Analytics Tested: Axis vs. Bosch vs. Sony

With the move to IP and HD now commonplace, companies are looking for new ways to compete. While analytics has long disappointed, many still hold o...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

Failed! Lux Meter Apps

Manufacturer illumination ratings cannot be trusted, so you should use a lux meter and test yourself. Some people, though, are too lazy to get thei...

By Derek Ward - about 3 years ago

VMS Camera Connection Comparison

Adding cameras to a VMS is the most basic admin task in any surveillance system. And, of course, it is one of the first. Worse, it can be one of th...

By Sarit Williams - about 3 years ago

Axis Panoramic M3007 Test

Continuing our series of individual panoramic tests, this report covers the Axis M3007, one or the more recent and least expensive options on the m...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

Camera Color Fidelity Shootout

The surveillance industry is obsessed with more and more pixels. But color fidelity - accurately rendering yellow as yellow or blue as blue - can b...

By Figen Bekisli - about 3 years ago

VMS Installation Comparison

The first real experience most integrators have with a VMS is installing the software. Immediate issues can create a bad impression. Worse, challen...

By Sarit Williams - about 3 years ago

Advanced VMD - Axis / Mobotix Tested

Surveillance professionals prefer motion based recording over continuous but the main weakness of motion detection is its inaccuracy. Sure, it save...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

VMS Remote Monitoring Tested

Remote monitoring of VMS systems is often critical. Large organizations have campuses, offices or branches scattered across a country, with a need ...

By Sarit Williams - about 3 years ago

Testing The Q-See HD IP NVR Kit

The Q-See HD IP kit may be the hottest budget product around. At just $699 online for (4) 720p HD IP IR cameras plus a 1 TB NVR with a built in Po...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

Advanced Camera Bandwidth Test Results

[WARNING: If you think surveillance is all about 'leadership' and 'salesmanship', leave now. This in-depth technical report exposes never revealed ...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

VMS Live Video Shootout

Viewing live video is the first and most fundamental feature of video management systems. In this study, we tested 7 VMSes, comparing and contrasti...

By Sarit Williams - about 3 years ago

Vivotek Panoramic Test FE8172V

Continuing our panoramic camera shootout series, this report shares our findings from testing the Vivotek 5MP 360 vandal dome camera, the FE8172V. ...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

Axis M30 Minidome Shootout

Minidomes are popular. Their combination of low cost and small size make them a common choice for many surveillance applications. One series in par...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

Shootout: 4K vs 1080p vs 720p Video

4K is the next big thing in video. While 1080p has become the 'standard' for HD, the next step is 4K, quadrupling resolution / pixel count from ~2M...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

Testing Avigilon Integrated IR

Integrated IR is a big trend in IP cameras. After years of major manufacturers criticizing IR illumination inside their cameras, pretty much all IP...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

VMS Multistreaming Comparison

With megapixel now mainstream, surveillance systems need to deal with unprecedented loads of live video display and recorded storage. One emerging ...

By Sarit Williams - about 3 years ago

Testing Dahua Cameras 2013

You may not know Dahua, but you should. They are the 'other' big Chinese surveillance manufacturer (besides Hikvision) that is aggressively expandi...

By Ethan Ace - about 3 years ago

Testing Super Low Cost VMS (Xeoma)

VMS software for less than $3 per channel? Prices have certainly come down over the last few years, but a relative newcomer is pushing them even lo...

By Sarit Williams - over 3 years ago

Panasonic Panoramic Test

Panasonic has gotten into panoramic cameras, with their launch of their WV-SF438 and WV-SW458 models. As part of our groundbreaking Panoramic Camer...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

10MP Panoramic Test (Sentry360)

A 10MP panoramic camera? While 3MP and even 5MP cameras are increasingly common, a 360 degree 10MP offering is rare. In this report, we share test ...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Axis MP Pinhole Shootout

For covert surveillance, pinhole lenses / cameras are a common choice because they can be hidden behind walls, or in ordinary objects. Until recent...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Pelco Sarix IL10

Value / budget cameras are becoming increasingly important for even 'professional' oriented manufacturers and are viewed as a key means to expand I...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Advanced Drivercam

Most dash or driver cams have few features - they record audio and video to an SD card which you pull out and manually review. That is certainly th...

By Benros Emata - over 3 years ago

Testing Sony's 6th Gen IP Cameras

Sony's long awaited 6th generation IP cameras are now available. In our 2010-2011 tests, Sony's 5th generation cameras were one of the top offering...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Avigilon's Image Enhancement

Typically, VMS software displays video 'as is'. While there may be basic brightness, contrast and saturation controls, those require manual adjustm...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

30 vs 60 FPS Shootout

30 frames per second used to be the maximum practical limit for surveillance cameras. Now, it is becoming increasingly common for IP cameras to sup...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing VSaaS / Dropcam HD

Dropcam is pretty clearly the strongest upstart in the VSaaS market. While Axis has pushed their hosted service offering for years, it is beset by ...

By John Honovich - over 3 years ago

Testing Panoramic Cameras Outdoors

Outdoors, PTZs tend to be a favorite for covering large open areas but they only see whatever they are currently pointed at. Panoramics are an emer...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing CarCam

Dash cams are getting a lot of attention for the amazing video they inadvertently capture, like a crashing 747 in Afghanistan, a meteor explosion, ...

By Benros Emata - over 3 years ago

Testing Covert Cameras

Covert cameras are regularly referenced in TV shows and undercover reporting. We ordered two of the most frequently sold covert cameras on Amazon -...

By Benros Emata - over 3 years ago

Panoramic Camera Shootout

Panoramic cameras are one of the hottest growing markets within surveillance. The combination of multi-megapixel resolution and super wide FoVs cla...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Android MiniPC and Raspberry Pi

Local viewing is a common problem for VMS software based systems. Even for DVR/NVR appliances with direct video output, if the video needs to be vi...

By John Honovich - over 3 years ago

Testing Axis Q19 Thermal Cameras

Over the last few year, Axis has expanded into thermal cameras. While the company is well known and respected for conventional IP cameras, thermal ...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

SightLogix Thermal SightSensor

With the release of its Clear24 image enhancement feature, SightLogix claims "the most detailed thermal image possible, 24 hours per day", as demon...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Pelco Sarix Thermal Cameras

In this report, we share our test findings of Pelco's Sarix TI Thermal cameras. While relatively new to the thermal market, Pelco has been making b...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Bosch Starlight Tested vs Axis

[UPDATE June 2013: We tested the Bosch Starlight camera against the new Sony Gen 6 camera. When doing so, we upgraded Bosch to its newest available...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

DRS Thermal Camera Tested

Recently, DRS entered the IP thermal market with far lower pricing than any incumbent, aiming to make this technology affordable to users who could...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

FLIR F Series Cameras Tested

In this report, we share our test findings of FLIR's F series IP thermal cameras, one of the most widely used and highly configurable lines they of...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Avigilon's H3 WDR Camera

Avigilon has long marketed itself as delivering 'the best evidence' but until recently they did not have any WDR cameras. However, their H3 release...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Arecont's WDR Camera (AV3116DN)

Arecont Vision has long offered many of the highest resolution cameras in the market but they have never been particularly strong in WDR nor low li...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Bosch HDR HD Dinion Test

In this report, we share our results of the BOSCH HDR HD Dinion, NBN-932V. Compared to the Bosch NBN-832 we tested last year, the 932 adds in WDR (...

By John Honovich - over 3 years ago

WDR Shootout 2013

One of the most important surveillance camera differentiators is Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) performance. Dealing with bright sunlight and shadows is ...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Testing Thermal Performance When Snowing

Thermal cameras have long been marketed as able to "see" when traditional cameras cannot, whether in low light or adverse conditions. Certainly the...

By John Honovich - over 3 years ago

Testing Low Light Vs Image Quality

While minimum illumination ratings imply a magical point where image quality goes from good to bad, the reality is that image quality gradually deg...

By Ethan Ace - over 3 years ago

Thermal Resolution Shootout

Even for thermal cameras, resolution is a critical differentiator. While no MP thermal network cameras exist, users must choose between the equival...

By Ethan Ace - almost 4 years ago

Thermal vs Day/Night Shootout

What should you do for dark outdoor scenes? Thermal cameras are getting a lot less expensive. Conventional cameras are getting better in low light....

By Ethan Ace - almost 4 years ago

Testing Lowest Bandwidth Camera? (DVTel Quasar)

DVTel is making bold claims about their new HD camera line, Quasar, boasting that: "DVTEL’s Quasar video surveillance cameras offer the highest qu...

By Ethan Ace - almost 4 years ago

Testing Lorex LNC

Lorex has quietly become one of the biggest forces in the consumer / home surveillance market, on pace to sell over 500,000 cameras this year throu...

By Ethan Ace - almost 4 years ago

Testing Smartphones as Surveillance Cameras

Using smartphones as surveillance cameras is one of the biggest trends in 2012, with multiple manufacturers announcing apps. These apps allow live ...

By Ethan Ace - over 4 years ago

Hikvision IP Camera 2012 Test Results

Hikvision is the most valuable video surveillance company in the world, going public in 2010 at $6 Billion USD and now trading at over $7 Billion U...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

Aspect Ratio 16:9 vs 4:3 Shootout

In the past few years, as HD swept into living rooms, people have moved from watching video on 4:3 aspect ratios to the wider 16:9 format. This has...

By Ethan Ace - over 4 years ago

Panasonic WV-SP509 Camera Test

The world's best all around HD camera - that's what the new Panasonic WV-SP509 was declared at the Milestone shootout. But is it really? That's th...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

Top Trend - Edge Storage Test

The top technology trend for Spring 2012 is edge storage, as selected by your fellow IPVM readers. While edge storage has slowly evolved it had nev...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

Reducing Bandwidth Through Privacy Masks?

Reducing your surveillance bandwidth means lower storage costs and better remote monitoring. As such, professionals are always looking for techniqu...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

Axis Camera Companion (ACC) Released 2012

No more VMS? That's the plan for Axis's new Camera Companion (ACC). The 800-pound IP camera gorilla has taken aim at the low end of surveillance, l...

By Ethan Ace - over 4 years ago

Axis Q1604 Shootout Results

In the past year, Axis has advocated improved image quality versus more 'megapixels'. The two cameras most central to that are the Q1602 Lightfinde...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

H.264 Baseline vs Main Shootout (2012)

While H.264 is often considered a single 'thing', many different 'types' of H.264 exist. These types have performance tradeoffs. For the past few y...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

How to Measure IR Illumination

Using IR for night time surveillance is a popular choice. The added non visible light can improve image quality when ambient street or visible ligh...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

Testing Pelco's Surevision Cameras

Undoutedbly, Pelco was a leader in analog CCTV. Years ago, integrators would have likely choosen Pelco as the most respected company in the industy...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

Bosch Dinion Camera Testing

In this report, we test Bosch's Dinion IP cameras against leading cameras from Axis, Pelco and Sony. Our goal in this test was to understand (1) ho...

By John Honovich - over 4 years ago

Axis Q1602 Lightfinder Test

Axis says its new Q1602 camera with 'Lightfinder' technology is a 'revolutionary improvement' for video surveillance cameras. It is a very bold cla...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

MP Camera Low Light Shootout 2011

With the market sharply moving to megapixel cameras, an increasingly important question is: what MP cameras offer the best low light performance? I...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

Testing Arecont's 20MP SurroundVideo Camera

Should you be using 20MP cameras? Once considered science fiction, 20 Megapixel cameras are now a reality for the video surveillance industry. This...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

Testing Wide Vs Narrow Camera FoV

Determining the correct Field of View (FoV) for each surveillance camera is one of the most important decisions in designing surveillance systems. ...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

Ubiquiti Aircam Bullet Test

Can a $100 HD network camera change the surveillance industry? We are about to find out as Ubiquiti, a company whose massive growth has disrupted t...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

Pentax Plus Megapixel Lens Test

Last month, we released the first ever Megapixel lens test where we did a shootout between 5 leading surveillance lens manufacturers - Computar, Ev...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

720p vs 1080p Camera Shootout

When choosing High Definition cameras, one of the most fundamental questions is what of the two common resolution levels one should choose: Do you ...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

IP Camera Bootup Shootout 2011

IP cameras, like PCs, take some time to boot up. And just like PCs, the amount of time can vary greatly. Many people do not care but some people fi...

By John Honovich - almost 5 years ago

Motion Boost Recording Test

Both motion and continuous based recording have downsides. In this test, we look at a feature that aims to rectify both of them simultaneously. Wi...

By Benros Emata - almost 5 years ago

HD Lens Shootout

Conventional wisdom says that lenses make a big difference in image quality but the question remains: "How much of a difference?" With the shift to...

By Benros Emata - almost 5 years ago

Motion Detection Performance Tested

Motion detection is an important element of many, if not, most surveillance systems. It plays a central role in both storage search time reduction....

By Benros Emata - about 5 years ago

Testing Bandwidth vs Frame Rate

Frame rate selection has a major impact on bandwidth consumption for surveillance cameras. While most cameras have a maximum frame rate of 25 to 30...

By Benros Emata - about 5 years ago

SD vs. HD PTZ Shootout

PTZs, like fixed cameras, are moving to megapixel. With PTZs, though, real questions remain about the value of going to megapixel. Some people say...

By Benros Emata - about 5 years ago

WDR Megapixel Camera Shootout

Dealing with direct sunlight is one of video surveillance's toughest problems. Avoiding the sun is frequently impossible. Making things worse, when...

By Antony Look - about 5 years ago

Bandwidth vs. Image Quality Shootout 2011

When thinking about maximizing image quality, resolution is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, resolution is not the only factor ...

By Benros Emata - about 5 years ago

Night Surveillance - White Light Illuminator Test

Getting quality surveillance images at night can be quite a challenge. A number of techniques, with widely varying price points and tradeoffs, are ...

By Benros Emata - about 5 years ago

Testing Avigilon's H.264 HD Camera

Avigilon is one of the better known and respected recent entrants in the video surveillance market. While they have received significant praise for...

By Benros Emata - about 5 years ago

Axis vs. Sony HD Shootout

When deciding on camera selection, one of the toughest decisions is determining which camera has better image quality. You can try to guess based o...

By Benros Emata - about 5 years ago

Directory of HD / MP Camera Tests

We have completed the broadest and deepest testing programing of megapixel cameras. This directory provides links to all 30+ tests. Megapixel Came...

By John Honovich - over 5 years ago

Sony Camera Shootout 2011

Sony has a strong reputation for video quality in consumer electronics. Indeed, in our ongoing shootout series, a Sony surveillance camera, the CH1...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Axis Camera Shootout 2011

With so many cameras from each manufacturer to choose from, determining quality differences can be difficult. This challenge is increasing as IP ca...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Optimized Camera Shootout

If you optimize a camera's settings, how much can you improve its performance? An interesting and important question, this report provides concrete...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

The Indoor 7 Camera Shootout

Indoors, surveillance cameras are used all over. Given the generally small areas monitored and their shelter from the weather, getting good surveil...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

License Plate Capture Tested 2011

[See the newer / better report here: License Plate Capture Shootout 2014 and License Plate Capture 4K Test Capturing license plates is one of the ...

By John Honovich - over 5 years ago

How to Handle Headlight Surveillance Problems

Headlights are a painful problem for video surveillance. Figuring out how to overcome headlight's glare is both a fascinating and frustrating endea...

By John Honovich - over 5 years ago

Parking Garage Shootout

Parking garages are a key area for using surveillance cameras. Thefts, assaults, vandalism and accidents are among the many incidents that cameras ...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Intersection Shootout

Intersections are an important area for using surveillance cameras. Accidents, thefts and traffic congestion are among the many common incidents th...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

PTZ Versus Fixed MP Camera Shootout

As megapixel surveillance cameras become mainstream, many have begun questioning the value of PTZs. The main criticism of PTZs is that they can onl...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Parking Lot Shootout

Parking lots are one of the most important areas for using surveillance cameras. Thefts, assaults, vandalism, loitering and accidents are among the...

By Antony Look - over 5 years ago

Testing: Bosch Dinion IP (SD and 720p)

In January 2011, Bosch announced the release of an HD camera line. This was anticipated for 2 reasons: (1) Bosch became one of the last major brand...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Color Versus Day/Night Shootout

Most people prefer color over black and white but when it gets dark out, almost all surveillance experts agree that black and white video provides ...

By Antony Look - over 5 years ago

Directory of Video Management System (VMS) Tests

We have developed the broadest and deepest series of testing series on Video Management Software systems.This directory provides links to each test...

By John Honovich - over 5 years ago

Analog vs HD Night Shootout

The whole point of megapixel is better image quality but what if megapixel was actually worse than analog at night? In the consumer world, maybe th...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

DVR vs VMS Software: Test Results

DVRs don't get much respect anymore. Widely viewed as old and antiquated, the buzz now goes to VMSes. When IP video people think good software, DVR...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Testing: HD Decoder (NLSS)

The typical way of displaying IP surveillance video is dedicating a PC and loading a network viewing client. In the analog world, this was simpler ...

By Antony Look - over 5 years ago

Testing: Edge Recording (Genetec Trickling)

Edge recording is one of the most promising emerging video surveillance technologies. In many scenarios, it is highly desirable to record video (at...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Testing ONVIF Integration 2011

The IP Video market has come a long way since 2008 when 'standards' were first proposed by 2 industry trade groups. Now, 'standards' are widely sup...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

WDR Camera Shootout 2011

One of surveillance's biggest challenges is bright sunlight, especially when that sunlight shines into a building's entrance. Sunlight tends to was...

By IPVM Team - over 5 years ago

Testing: P-Iris Lens Performance

A new form of iris control, called P-Iris, is emerging as a challenger to manual and auto iris lenses. P-Iris can more 'precisely' control the aper...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Testing: Axis P1347 5MP Camera

Up until 2 years ago, a common criticism of Axis was a relatively weak megapixel camera line. Since then, Axis has rapidly and broadly expanded the...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Testing: March CamPX Microdome 2011

In this report, we examine a new camera from March Networks that incorporates 2 new industry developments - the use of ONVIF and the incorporation ...

By Benros Emata - over 5 years ago

Testing Lorex's Home/Baby Monitor

For home surveillance, you can get really fancy and expensive but how simple and cheap can you get? Homeowners generally do not want to spend a lot...

By John Honovich - over 5 years ago

Testing Videolarm's Liberty (Cellular Housing)

One of the largest challenges for outdoor surveillance is backhaul: How do you bring the video back to the central monitoring location? Without que...

By Ethan Ace - over 5 years ago

Testing Axxon's Smart VMS (16 Channel Free)

In this report, we test Axxon's Smart VMS. The most intriguing feature is a free version for up to 16 cameras that includes fairly broad 3rd party ...

By John Honovich - over 5 years ago

Testing TRENDnet's IP Camera (TV-IP110)

TRENDnet offers one of the most well known and least expensive IP cameras in the budget/home market. In this report, we test the TRENDnet's TV-IP11...

By Benros Emata - almost 6 years ago

Testing: Ubiquiti Wireless IP Video (NanoStation)

While the increasing maturity of IP cameras makes using IP wireless networks easier, the lack of inexpensive IP wireless transmission products is a...

By Benros Emata - almost 6 years ago

Testing Arecont's 10MP Camera 2010

With megapixel adoption surging, manufacturers are expanding their product offerings to even higher resolution levels. Up until this year, the high...

By Benros Emata - almost 6 years ago

Testing Surveillance as a 'Game' (Internet Eyes)

What if you could have live monitors watch your business around the clock for about $100 per month? If they see a threat, they trigger an alarm tha...

By John Honovich - almost 6 years ago

Testing: Axis Corridor Format

HD cameras are well known for their wide aspect ratios. However, what if you turned the camera to display a 'tall' aspect ratio instead? What benef...

By Benros Emata - almost 6 years ago

Testing: GBO InfinityLens Lenses

Ensuring surveilled objects are in focus is a common concern. In this report, we examine lenses claiming to offer a massive depth of field (MDOF), ...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing OzVision 4-HVR VSaaS / Video Verification

Using existing analog cameras and implementing a hosted service on top can create a 'comfort zone' for users hesitant migrating to IP. In this rep...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing: ioimage wdc100dn Video Analytics

In early 2010, one of the most well known analytic developers, ioimage, was acquired by DVTel. This triggered a debate about its meaning and the st...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Training: Enterprise Network Switches for IP Video

Many surveillance systems use non-enterprise class switches. These switches are simple to administer as they typically rely on GUI driven interface...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing IR Illuminator Performance 2010

Low light can cause problems for surveillance cameras. IR illuminators may improve this situation. However, questions remain about the price and pe...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing Cisco-Linksys Switch for IP Video (SRW208P)

Switch selection for IP video surveillance is a key consideration in overall design. Unfortunately, it is often less scrutinized than the 'stars' o...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing the iCam VMS / iPhone App

Home video surveillance systems are quickly getting a lot better and a lot cheaper. A good example of this is an application called iCam that has r...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing Milestone GO VMS (Free 8 Ch)

Milestone's aggressive moves targeting the smaller video surveillance systems continue. This month's release of a free 8 channel VMS, called XProte...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing Archerfish Solo Smart Camera / DVR / VSaas (Cernium)

Combining many video surveillance functionalities in a single device is a growing trend. The hope is providing a turn-key, 'all-in-one' solution si...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Directory of Budget / Home / SMB IP Cameras

We have completed a broad testing program of budget IP cameras for use in the home or SMB markets. This directory provides links to each test. Ful...

By John Honovich - about 6 years ago

Testing Rogo's Managed VSaaS

Managed / hosted video offerings continue to expand with a variety of technical and business approaches. In this test, we examine Rogo's Managed V...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing Lorex's IP Camera (LNE1001)

Simplifying remote viewing is a key element in choosing and using IP cameras for home and small business users. Doing it the 'old fashion' way can ...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

H.264 vs MJPEG - Quality and Bandwidth Tested

Encoding video optimally is critical for IP video surveillance systems. Should you choose H.264 or MJPEG? While industry momentum certainly favors ...

By John Honovich - about 6 years ago

Testing WebcampXP Pro's VMS

For those looking for an inexpensive video management system online, WebcamXP Pro has been frequently cited for many years. At no more than $120 pe...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing MP USB Cameras for Video Surveillance

A frequently cited downside of megapixel cameras is their cost. Even a 'cheap' megapixel network camera is $250 or more (compare that to cheap SD c...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing D-Link's IP Camera (DCS-920)

D-Link is one of the most commonly selected IP cameras in the budget/home market. In this report, we test the D-Link DCS-920, an inexpensive cube c...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing Argus Surveillance VMS

In this test, we examine Argus Surveillance's VMS, an offering that provides licensing for unlimited numbers of cameras and servers for less than $...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing IndigoVision's VMS (Control Center and NVRs)

In this report we test IndigoVision's VMS software, Control Center (version 3.19), their NVR recorders and their different approach to enterprise m...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing Blue Iris VMS Software

What kind of open Video Management Software can you get for $50? Not $50 per channel but $50 for an entire server? In our first report on 'entry-l...

By Benros Emata - about 6 years ago

Testing Panasonic's Remote Monitoring Network Camera (BL-C210A)

Panasonic is one of the most well known network surveillance camera providers in both the consumer and professional market.  In February 2010, we t...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Cisco-Linksys IP Home Monitoring Camera (WVC80N)

How well can a $120 camera from Cisco work? Is it good (and simple enough) for your home? Does it make sense to integrate with a VMS system? In th...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing HD PTZ Camera (IndigoVision 11000)

Popular opinion contends that high definition (HD) will eliminate pan tilt zoom cameras (PTZs). However, what then, is the value of combining the t...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Central Management System (NUUO)

Larger surveillance systems generally demand centralized or enterprise management to provide simplified access and administration of hundreds (or m...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Budget VMS Tests

This summer, we will introduce a new series testing and comparing the performance of budget video management software. Our goal is to analyze and i...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing IndigoVision's HD Fixed Camera (IV11600)

In this test, we examine IndigoVision's HD Fixed Camera integrated with IndigoVision's Compact NVR. The camera offers 720p, 30fps with H.264. The c...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Video Analytic Alerting (Agent Vi System)

Video analytic debates often center around edge vs core and which is 'best'. By contrast, Agent Vi offers a 'hybrid' solution where part of the ana...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing IP Thermal Camera (Axis Q1910)

In the last 6 months, interest in IP based thermal cameras have increased with Axis, FLIR and Pelco announcing relatively low cost product offering...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing The iPad and iPhone for Video Surveillance

The iPhone and iPad are certainly hot, capturing popular interest around the globe. The question, for us, is: What value do these devices have for ...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Decentralized / Edge Recording (Mobotix / MxControlCenter)

What if you could eliminate your VMS servers and get your video management software for free? That's the value proposition behind Mobotix's IP vide...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Panoramic / 360 Cameras (Mobotix Q24)

Panoramic / 360 cameras are a growing trend within video surveillance. Megapixel resolution enables cameras to cover wider field of views. 360 came...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Mobotix Camera Configuration Tested

We find Mobotix camera's configuration to be significantly different from almost any other IP camera we have tested. The sheer number of options we...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Pelco Digital Sentry VMS Software

Pelco is not known for its software. While the company is one of the largest global analog surveillance providers, this is primarily for its camera...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Milestone XProtect Corporate VMS

As IP video surveillance systems continue to grow, deployments of 1000 or more IP cameras become increasingly common. Larger systems often have spe...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Milestone SmartClient and SmartWall

Enhancing the usability of video management clients is a major trend within video surveillance. As VMS offerings increase, superior user interfaces...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Milestone XProtect Central

Alarm monitoring and response are key elements for monitoring large surveillance systems. With hundreds or thousands of cameras, many users prefer ...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing ipConfigure Enterprise Surveillance Manager v. 5.1

With interest in web based solutions growing, ipConfigure is an interesting option to explore. Unlike most VMS systems, ipConfigure is a fully web ...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Vivotek's 2MP Bullet Camera with IR (IP7361)

Low light performance is a key consideration for using megapixel. While some 'tricks' can improve low light quality, most megapixel cameras have si...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Genetec's Omnicast Video Management Software

Genetec is one of the most used and well known VMS systems in the marketplace. While it does not generate the same level of press as its most commo...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Viaas Hosted Video / VSaaS Offering

With all the hype growing for managed/hosted video, a key question remains: How well does it actually work? To answer that, we are starting a serie...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

PPF Test - Getting High Quality Surveillance Video

Megapixel cameras foster hope for much higher quality surveillance video but how much more and in what conditions? In this report, we answer these ...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Avigilon's 2MP and 5MP JPEG2000 Cameras

Avigilon is well known for its focus on High Definition video surveillance, offering a complete HD solution combining a broad range of megapixel ca...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Ikena's Video Enhancement Software

Driven by Hollywood sensationalism, public interest and expectations for miraclous video surveillance enhancement is common -- unrealistic and dang...

By Scott Oie - over 6 years ago

Testing Avigilon ControlCenter VMS 2010

[UPDATE: This report has been replaced with Testing Avigilon ACC 5 VMS. The report below is left simply for historical purposes.] While Avigilon i...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Digifort's VMS (Version 6.3)

As video management software matures, more choices are emerging from around the globe. In the past year, we have heard increasing discussion about ...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Vitamin D Video Analytics Software

With significant tech blog coverage, Vitamin D has generated widespread interest in using their video analytics. Two of the most commonly cited poi...

By Scott Oie - over 6 years ago

Testing LuxRiot VMS (Version 1.7)

As video management software matures, complaints increase about its high price. Even a small deployment of 16 cameras in a single site can cost $1,...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing Sony's HD Camera (SNC-CH140)

Sony is well known and respected in the consumer market for its electronic products. The question, though, is how well does that carry over into th...

By Scott Oie - over 6 years ago

Megapixel Camera Comparison 2010

Megapixel cameras are clearly 'hot' - the fastest growing segment in the industry for multiple years now. Which should you use? What makes one mega...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing HikVision's IP Camera 2010

Hikvision is one of the fastest growing video surveillance manufacturers in the world. Already a leader in their home market of China, Hikvision is...

By Benros Emata - over 6 years ago

Testing DVTel's Latitude 6.0 VMS Software

One of the key selling points for IP Video software is its greater scalability, flexibility and advanced functionality compared to traditional DVRs...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing IQinVision's 4 Series and PSIA Integration

IP camera standards are a hot topic. Determining how, when and with whom these 'standards' will work are key questions. IQinVision was the first c...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Panasonic's Megapixel Camera (WV-NP502)

In this test, we examine's Panasonic WV-NP502 megapixel camera. The camera provides a number of advanced features including wide dynamic range opti...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Videofied's Video Security System

Videofied has gained significant attention for tightly integrating video monitoring/recording into an intrusion detection system. The most commonly...

By Scott Oie - over 6 years ago

Testing AvaLAN's Wireless Video Surveillance

Wireless IP video surveillance has plenty of hype (claims of 300 Mb/s city wide meshes) and also significant challenges (repeated deployment nightm...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing OnSSI's NetDVMS and Ocularis Client Lite

OnSSI, one of the most well known VMS providers, gained significant attention with their 2009 announcement of the Ocularis 'platform'. The most reg...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Exacq's VMS Software (exacqVision 3.7)

Exacq provides VMS software and multiple lines of DVR/NVR appliances. While not as well known as some VMS providers, we regularly hear positive com...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing LILIN's PTZ (IPS-2124) and ONVIF Integration

Merit LILIN was the first manufacturer to announce production support for IP camera 'standards' - specifically ONVIF's protocol. In January 2009, M...

By Scott Oie - over 6 years ago

Testing Axis's Q1755 HD Surveillance Camera v. 2

This report shares extensive test results, video clips and training screencasts on the Axis Q1755 HD camera. The goal is to educate on how the came...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Milestone XProtect Enterprise VMS Software (6.5f)

Milestone is one of the most used and well-known Video Management Software providers, with 4 VMS versions. Of them, Milestone XProtect Enterprise i...

By John Honovich - over 6 years ago

Testing Canon's PTZ Camera (VB-C60)

While megapixel cameras are hot, PTZs remain an important part of video surveillance deployments. Probably the most frequently mentioned product of...

By John Honovich - almost 7 years ago

Testing Oncam Grandeye's Panoramic Cameras (IPC)

For almost a decade, panoramic surveillance cameras have been promised as a 'next big thing' but has yet to meet its potential. In that last few y...

By John Honovich - almost 7 years ago

How Exposure Impacts Low Light Video Surveillance

Exposure, and the tricks manufacturers play with exposure, are key to accurately and fairly assessing low light performance of cameras. For instan...

By IPVM Team - almost 7 years ago

Testing Pelco's Sarix Megapixel Cameras (IXE20DN)

While Pelco is a leader in analog surveillance cameras, they are not even in the top 10 for 2008 global network camera sales. Pelco aims to rectify...

By John Honovich - almost 7 years ago

Testing Sanyo's HD Surveillance Camera (VCC-HD4000)

Sanyo is making an aggressive push into the IP video surveillance market introducing a broad line of HD cameras in 2009. Sanyo is positioning high ...

By John Honovich - almost 7 years ago

Testing Basler's Megapixel Cameras (BIP-1300/1600)

Basler is a recent entrant into the IP video surveillance megapixel market. Leveraging its extensive expertise in machine vision, Basler's megapixe...

By John Honovich - almost 7 years ago

Testing Avermedia's Hybrid DVR (EH5216+)

Hybrid DVRs make the transition to IP simpler. Plus, if the units are close in price to entry level analog only DVRs, the case is easier even for b...

By Scott Oie - almost 7 years ago

Testing EzWatch's Analog CCTV Kit

The future may belong to IP but the present is still dominated by analog cameras. In this report, we test one of the least expensive analog CCTV ca...

By Scott Oie - almost 7 years ago

Testing Axis STS/AVHS Hosted Video (Secure-i)

Axis' hosted video offering, formerly called STS, now called AVHS, is a key contender in the future of video surveillance.  Hosted video offers sim...

By John Honovich - about 7 years ago

Testing VideoIQ's Video Analytics (iCVR)

In this test, we examine one of the most discussed manufacturers in video analytics - VideoIQ. Their claims of automatic calibration and self-learn...

By John Honovich - about 7 years ago

Testing StarDot's 5MP Camera (SD500BN)

While not well known in the security market, StarDot is one of a few manufacturers providing 5MP cameras. Though StarDot has been producing megapix...

By John Honovich - about 7 years ago

Testing Arecont Vision's AV3105 H.264 Camera

Arecont Vision's H.264 megapixel product line has drawn an immense amount of interest. At the beginning of 2008, Arecont was the first surveillance...

By John Honovich - about 7 years ago

Testing Cisco SMB Software and PTZ Camera (PVC300)

This report examines and shows the abilities and performance of key products in Cisco's emerging Small Business Video Surveillance product line. Sp...

By John Honovich - about 7 years ago

Testing NUUO's IP Video Surveillance Software

NUUO aims to beat companies such as Milestone, OnSSI and Exacq with broader functionalities and product lines at lower cost. What ACTi is to Axis, ...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

How Well do IP Cameras Work in Low Light?

[2016 Update: Camera technology has changed substantially since 2009. The same pattern occurs but cameras are generally much better in low light. F...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

Testing Vivotek IP7161 - 2MP MPEG-4 Camera

Vivotek's new 2MP camera (the IP7161) expands low-cost product options in multi-megapixel cameras. The IP7161's specification include support for ...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

Testing Axis Camera Station - VMS Software

Axis is much better known for its IP cameras than its VMS software. Nonetheless, their VMS, Camera Station, is quite interesting because of the rel...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

Testing Wide Angle Megapixel Lenses - Theia SY125M

More pixels provide the opportunity for greater field of views and less cameras. However, stock lenses provided with cameras only offer moderately ...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

Guidelines for Testing IP Cameras

What is the best way to test an IP cameras? We have established guidelines for our tests. These guidelines are listed below for your review and com...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

Do Megapixel Cameras Provide Better Image Quality?

Pixels get all the attention but image details are what is really important to video surveillance users. The more image details, the more cases tha...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

Testing No Config IP Camera Remote Viewing (StarVedia)

Managed IP Video is hot but one of the key practical problems is making installation simple. While local access is trivial, remote access of IP vid...

By John Honovich - over 7 years ago

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