Install & Setup
The hardware installation is quick and easy: power supply and (optional) Insert the Ethernet cable ready. is Power over Ethernet is not supported, although this is claimed on some sites on the Internet: the way. that's annoying, because the length of the power supply cable to the sets range to the next outlet. the camera consumes less than 15 watts, according to labeling, would be suitable for PoE.
Unfortunately, the software setup is a pest. At first I tried to set up the camera via WiFi, which worked with either the built-in (invisible), still with the accompanying stub antenna. also the WPS button did not fotrtschritte along with a Fritz box. only via a network cable and by chance I finally came up with the built-in web interface. The problem is that the camera seems almost a minute reboots if you have changed settings. During this time, you do not know whether the operation was successful. the whole setup took me almost an hour and a few nerves.
Picture & codecs
Camera has four channels for various image formats and qualities that can be selected by four numerical keys in the web interface later. they are not fully adjustable, so is intended for a small screen as the 3rd channel of the jpg-stream and the 4th channel. the 1st channel can be compressed codecs (zbh264) also set at the highest resolution, which should of course allow the best frame rate with respect to the lower volume of data to be transferred. Furthermore, one can choose some quality parameters for the compressed streams.
the first disillusionment came when viewing the live image in the various settings: Image quality is namely miserable! the image noisy, despite the HD resolution is grainy and seem a kind of blur effect exhibit: appear around edges a kind of corona. the internet I found the tip, the front of the lens ring lock the focus. which is otherwise apparently not documented and must be found by trial and error (especially great when you have the camera installed near the computer). the picture is really a corner better but remain the fundamental problems. each 50-euro-HD webcam makes a much better picture!
Next check: the "zoom" function is digital, ie the already poor image is a cutout via digital magnification 2x or 4x zoomed. as you can imagine, enhances the image quality in any way, on the contrary.
really annoying it is on Apple Mac, if you want to use one of the three channels except the jpg-stream. you namely a current (and therefore safe) Java7 installation, you see ... nothing! this Java installation is not supported by the camera on mac. so you need to either escape back to an older, less secure java6 installation or to a PC. the jpg-stream otherwise functions without problems, unfortunately (due to lack of compression) up only in low resolution.
control
via the web interface, the camera can be rotated horizontally and vertically adjustable in steps. it works quite well on the control keys. Anyone who wants can save specific positions and recall them at the drop-down menu. even a kind of patrol function is present in the back and forth between two positions and is hergeschwenkt.
More functions
The camera can of course also various other functions such as microphone and (external) speaker, motion detection and recording. even two external connections can be exploited, for example, for a separate lighting. Recording is done on an optional mini SD card, for a slot on the housing available. All this I have hardly tested, since I currently do not need these functions.
the night vision function works quite well within a radius of a few meters. one should be careful not to let the camera look outward a window if you want to use this feature, because the disc reflects the IR light, so that you can see nothing.
Operating on Synology NAS
out of interest I have the camera eingereichtet times under the Surveillance Station Synology DSM my NAS. the idea was to drive monitoring with motion detection and recording on the power-saving NAS. The decor is basically quite simple, because the camera is already supported in the current DSM version. Unfortunately you have to give here on channels other than the jpg-stream. The same applies for (but also unusable) Zoom. the pan (pan / tilt) funkioniert unfortunately only in four directions, and not, as in the web interface of the camera, and in the four intermediate directions (eg "right"). Another drawback: while the Surveillance Station is running, turn the plates no longer starting. So nothing save electricity. I got this off given trial because he did not produce the hoped-for benefits.
Conclusion
the most important in a camera is the image, and that is bad in the DCS 5222L. But why? Logitech Unveils example excellent USB webcams ago to 100 euros, the Spitzenbild deliver an even at twilight. Why you can not connect to a motor controller and a small computer board such a thing? for the other functions is the D-Link Camera pale. The decor was extremely complicated to me, the requirement of an older Java frustrating and risky for Mac users. so the camera is unfortunately a disappointment and with just under 200 euro too expensive. therefore points from me just 2.
Update 16/08/2013: D-Link provides its own ncs driver who is also the operation of the encoded three streams on Mac allows. Unfortunately, this seems to be flexibly programmed that he always exactly the residual power from the system absorbs that is still available. For example, the load is on my quad core Mac Pro at 250% (ie overloaded 2.5 kernels fully off). as long as the stream is displayed, you can work with the computer just as "tough" call. unfortunately unusable.
