The DCW-1000W is a web camera with 802.1b and a streaming video server built in. It is a stand-alone device that does not require a computer for normal operations. Once plugged into your network, it becomes a web accessible 'streaming video' server. Just plug the devices ip address into a web browser, type in an optional userid and password, and you can access the video stream!
Although $400-$500 is expensive for a web camera, consider the fact that you do not need a computer or physical network connection for this camera to operate. Once configured, all you need to do is apply power! This makes both permanent and temporary installation a snap.
A friend mentioned that this would be perfect for an office lobby. Just mount the camera and suddenly everyone on your corporate network can see who is waiting in the lobby from their web browser!
With a weather-proof housing, this camera could be placed anywhere on your property that has electricity. This would save you a bundle in cabling costs for any kind of property monitoring project. For you automation buffs, the camera has two 5v output triggers and one input trigger out the back that can be enabled and disabled from the web browser. Think about hooking up a lighting system or alarm and you can start to see this camera's potential.
Getting Technical
Ports:
two omni directional antennas
One 10/100mbps RJ-45 Ethernet connector
Two 5v outputs triggers
One 5v input trigger
**Note, antennas can be replaced with standard SMA connector antennas to increase the range of the camera!
Administration
Configuration
The camera defaults to an IP address of 192.168.0.12. The easiest way to configure the camera is to plug it directly into a computer with Ethernet, change the computers IP address to something like 192.168.0.13 and the use a web browser to navigate to the camera. Once there, you can configure the camera's 802.11b adapter, change the ip address and a host of other things. I was impressed to see that the camera supported so many configuration options like 802.11b ad-hoc mode (for use without an access point). Take a look at this configuration screen.
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Image and Streaming
Streaming image resolution is selectable between three modes maxing out at 640X480. If you plan to stream this out to the internet, keep the image smaller to improve frame rate. The compression rate can also be adjusted inversely affecting image quality and bandwidth. This of course translates into maximum frame rate.
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The image can also be adjusted by manually setting the brightness, contrast and hue control. I found that the camera did a pretty god job keeping the image quality ok except under bright sunlight conditions where image burn occurred - areas of complete whiteness with no definition. If using this camera outdoors in bright conditions, you might have to tweak the controls a bit.
Security
Multiple user id's can be created giving people access to just the streaming image or the administration. Would also like to see the ability to disable access to the external triggers. With the current security capabilities, if someone has access to the images, they have access to the triggers.
Triggers
Two 5v output triggers are provided on the back of the device. These triggers could be used to turn on and off other devices like lights, alarms, or even doors or door locks. A 5v input trigger is also provided. The 5v input trigger can be set up to send a series of images using standard email. It can also be used to trigger either of the output signals for a configurable number of seconds. The most obvious application would be an external motion sensor that could turn on a light, then send a series of images to your email address. Remember, no computer is needed for these capabilities - all the software is built into the camera!
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Time Sync
The last feature of the camera just adds to the completeness of the camera. The camera can be set up to synchronize it's internal clock to an external source using either the NTP or Time standard protocols. This may seem trivial, but when using it as a security camera, proper time becomes very important for evidence!
Wrap Up
The DCW-1000W is an extremely flexible 'single package' web camera perfect for security applications. Its wireless capabilities bring the cost of installation down to an absolute minimum. This is a great device for both an office and home automation environment.
I would love to see a web camera with a better quality image, but honestly there is a functional limit to the amount of bandwidth a camera can suck up. With that in mind, the only deficiency I found in this feature rich camera was finer tuning over the security. Hopefully this will be fixed in a firmware upgrade.
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