I write this review after 2 days of employment with this camera (firmware rev.1811T (08/22/2013)). I already have 4 other PAN / TILT IP cameras for 2 years in use and can therefore (unlike the positive scribes who rejoice here and marvel at the one camera using a smartphone now and can reciprocate) describe the situation quite well, I think :-) I am also full-time IT system administrator and have to face new technical challenges almost daily.
So far I have only 50-70 models in use with 640x480Pixeln. These are of HooToo, DBPower and Wansview. Visually, they are all almost identical and the menu's only differ visually. "Can" they do almost all the same. In use they are at different places in the house, mainly acquired in order to check to see if it really does not burn in a false alarm of the smoke detector.
One of the cameras looking through a window overlooking the street, since often our entrance is approached by wendenen vehicles. To this end, I just had to open the camera to the IR diodes (for night vision) deducted because the IR light naturally reflected in the window and one night so can not see anything. Unfortunately, you can not see any more indicator with a resolution of 640Pixeln 10m away.
Because the reason was why I looked around for a new camera. The DIGITUS Optiarc (DN-16036) has been doing a pretty good read. Max. 1600Pixel and MicroSD card slot. Plus the Amazon warehouse goods for "only" 90th
Actually, I do not want to list all the negative points and describe, can be found here already reviews the I share. My most critical points:
Positives:
-high resolution
Recording video streams
Negatives:
-The "Great" manual has 14 pages. Almost no option is really explained. Example: motion sensitivity can be adjusted from 0 to 5. Well, what does that mean now 0? High sensitivity? Little sensitivity? This takes place as the entire manual.
-Manual Almost describes only online functions. To me it gives the impression that the mere local operation and configuration of the cam is not wanted.
-I Local operation have hinbekommen (after many many installations and tests) only under Internet Explorer 9 and then only with constant crashes of the browser
-The Quick setup and manual online facility do not work when the stock approximate code has already been used (I had bought the Cam as a customer returns). That means I can cam, no matter what I do, do not sign on the homepage under my account Digitus. So I must inevitably fall back on the local operation. Much more annoying thing is that the apps for iOS only report a general possibility of setup errors, only when manually entering the MAC and activation code on the home page, I got an error message that the code has already been used to me saying that.
-Up Today I do not know how "just so" Ran come to the photos stored on the SD card. So far, I came to the videos only on the "log" on the local Web Interface. On the pictures I only via the menu item "pictures on the SD card view" ran. In both cases, only individually. Videos are not epxortierbar, the pictures can only be stored.
-The Videos that seem to be stored on the SD card all look good. Unfortunately, the small window is not enlarged. The videos that are transferred via FTP from extremely low quality. Huge compression artifacts and only 640x480 pixels, no matter what I set in the interface.
-Infrarotdioden Can not be deactivated, ie if you want to monitor through a window in the dark, you have to mask off the diodes or the camera open (loss of warranty) disconnect them.
-Setting The focus / focusing. Maybe I'm just too stupid. My other cams have to move a rotating ring on the lens just back and forth. The Digituscam has no adjustable ring and also no mention for focusing in the "thick" manual.
-From The videos that are uploaded via FTP, I can open just about half and play (* .avi format), the rest seem to be defective.
-Pictures Upload via FTP. No matter what I do, it will be uploaded videos only. Upload images will not work.
I think the camera is hardware-potent, but the software side quasi useless by the points described above. I have already written to support. Maybe I'll get an answer yes promptly, if not it is unfortunately back to Amazon back and I have to keep looking.
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Update 1 (05.01.2014):
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Unfortunately, the support has not yet responded to my mail, that I still can not integrate the online portal to features such as on Google Drive to test the upload the camera. Perhaps'd here the record function of pictures and videos in HD.
Otherwise, I have the camera on several occasions to the factory settings are reset, the MicroSD card manually emptied and again installed the latest firmware. All the action brought no improvement! I much only in addition to that the videos are recorded on the SD card in an unknown, probably Camera proprietary format, meaning you can play them on a PC directly from the SD CARD. The photos, however, are normally present in the jpg format.
In addition, I have tested sending via email. Unfortunately, that does not help much, because only a single image is sent exactly, but at least in full 1600x1200 resolution.
Who has the power to connect the camera via a LAN (or permanently "radiate" wants) and a constantly running Windows computer has, should try out the software "Blue Iris". About this I stumbled in search of another camera. The software runs 15 days in demo mode and will cost only $ 50 in the full version. For the possibilities that one has therefore just awesome for the price.
I have ordered me yesterday the Foscam 9831W. This has only 1280x960 resolution, but (if it arrives on time) I'm looking forward to a direct comparison.
Digitus or the company Assmann I'm going to again contact over the form of their homepage and then we'll see what the week happened.
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Update 2 (05/01/2014):
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Apparently the first mail is not arriving. At noon today I get an automatic acknowledgment of receipt and already 2 hours later (it's Sunday) an answer that the code has been re-enabled and I can integrate the camera in 48h at the latest.
I have also tested yet on a third Windows computer (Windows 7 64Bit) operation. Under the Internet Explorer 10 and the RSAV.exe plugin it runs so far on the first try the same.
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Update 3 (01/07/2014):
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The 48h are around and the camera can still be integrated in the online portal. But upon request by email at support I got a response within one hour. The activation is in progress and it is once again in demand as long it will take.
For that I was on another computer successfully configure the Internet Explorer 10 camera. The settings for the motion detection (ie which grid is to be monitored) seems to work well. Meanwhile, I have also found out which value "empfinfdliche monitoring" is and what is not. "0" is this very sensitive and "5" is only very low sensitivity to movements. Currently I drive quite well with stage 3.
The camera was yesterday suddenly no longer accessing the WLAN. I have made it several times without current, ohen success. At the network cable I could then reach, but realized that she had lost all settings.
The videos are still pushed only with a resolution of 640x480 pixels on the FTP server. But I was pleasantly surprised, which is recorded in the video already about 20-30s before the event / motion detection and can therefore observe a "Tatvorgang" shortly before the entry phase. This is handy if you have, for example, only a small part set in motion detection. So you can see the "perpetrators" already already on the entire image in the movement zone occur.
The pictures Shipping via email I have unfortunately no longer manage to matter what email accounts I use. I also have the Spam / Junk durchgeschaut, but there is nothing stuck. Since the camera also provides no Log in terms of errors, a Netzwerkschniffer here would only help determine if the camera really does not try to send pictures by email.
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Update 4 (01.09.2014):
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This will be the last update of this review. Today, after 4 days now, the camera has still not been enabled for the Web Interface. Also the support was no longer news. A new firmware has hitherto also not released.
Last night the new Camera (Foscam FI9831W) is also arrived that I am going to test soon ausfürhlich.
In order for the Digitus Cam goes back unfortunately. I am still convinced that the hardware is potent and especially no other PAN / TILT camera in currently offers a 100 resolution 1600x1200Pixeln, but what good is a the best hardware if the software / firmware does not cooperate.
Too Bad :-(
