gunwonn

Hopefully this is an indication of the realization that IP cameras do not have magical properties and that prices shouldn't reflect those magical properties either.

I have mine set to record always. Follow video will likely just record when the 8221 records video - which would be never. I've never used that setting... Another annoying thing is that you can't export audio from an area that has no active video.

I'm using Essential but it's probably the same. In "Camera Properties" there's an entry "Audio" on the left. Select that and the right hand side of the dialog box should say "Audio selection" and give you the option to select the "Default microphone". Set it to your 8221. You can also manually select the audio device in the Smart Client. Does this help?

I have a new Chinese model Hikvision DS-2CD2412F-IW which is pretty neat. It was one of two cameras I got from Aliexpress (in case you're wondering, vendor: 02FunGee Technology Online Store 709723, good transaction) and am somewhat pleased with it. Not thrilled... In comparison to my Panasonic WV-SP105 cameras the picture quality just isn't there roughly 20 feet away. It looks great very close up (<6ft) but I'm surprised to see the far focus so bad. Is there any chance of adjusting the focus on these without seriously breaking something? Or is this lousy optics or something? Other Hikvision cameras I have look great in comparison as well.

That's funny. It was such a good idea it had to be done twice. Sorry, no before and after. It's in my home and I don't like posting things like that. There was a definite improvement, to the point where I'd say the Hikvision might narrowly have a picture quality advantage over the Panasonic.

Once the screw is removed the case comes apart easily. Be careful as the speaker is attached to the rear of the case by some delicate wires. Here, the rear of the case is removed with the internal PCB screws still in place. The screws to remove are the two at the top corners of this photo, one in the bottom towards the middle and two screws at the edge just below the RJ45 jack and DC connector respectively. These last two screws are slightly shorter than the others. Also worth noticing is the small battery below the DC jack. That kind of stinks because it will be dead at some point. The speaker is quite small and not very good. If intelligible output is needed in anything but a very quiet environment it's probably best to get a camera with a dedicated line out/external speaker connection. After removing the PCB screws, separate the front part of the case from the PCB assembly. Then place the PCB in the rear shell. Warm up the glue on the lens with a small, focused nozzle. I set the heat gun to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, below the melting point of most plastics. Here is the PCB in the rear part of the case with the glue already warmed up and mostly pried away from the lens thread. Using the needle point tweezer run it along the thread where the lens meets the mount until it digs into and under the glue. Do this several times to loosen the glue from the assembly while gently pulling the glue away from the lens. At this point the glue can just be pulled off. This will need to be done two times as there's another glob on the opposite side of the lens. Finally the glue is removed nearly whole without dissolving it and the lens can be adjusted. As mentioned, it twists and stays in place which is nice. The camera can be assembled and the focused readjusted when it's assembled. If the focus is adjusted too much it'll probably lose it's "sticking power" so be careful. On the front of the camera PCB there are some things worth noting. There's the passive infrared motion sensor with foil tape dead center. To the left of that (in the image) is the microphone. It's a small surface mount item that's not very sensitive at all. It only picks up relatively loud noises.(*) To the right of the PIR sensor is the ambient light sensor for controlling day/night mode. (The IR filter is mounted to the front half of the case.) Below the PIR sensor, mounted to the lower PCB, is the infrared LED for night mode illumination. It's a pretty decent size for an interior use camera. (*) The microphone was one of the reasons I purchased the camera. The performance is very disappointing as it's not useful for much. Just like the speaker... So I'd discount audio as being a primary feature of this camera. For comparison I have an old Panasonic BB-HCM735 that's quite good for an integrated microphone. But it still doesn't compare to the Rode NT-1A studio microphone and preamp/compressor combination I have that picks up... everything.

Just thought I'd post my experience disassembling, removing the glue and adjusting the focus. Turns out it's a very easy process and I was able to tweak the focus very easily as well. After removing the glue the lens still required enough torque to turn that it should stay in place without any additional glue or tape. What I used: - Small philips head screwdriver - Plastic opening tool (e.g. https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Plastic-Opening-Tools/IF145-000) - Heat gun - Needle point tweezers Front of camera On the rear of the camera there's one screw that needs to be removed under the sticker before attempting to disassemble the case. Towards the bottom you can see two recesses for inserting an opening tool. At the top there is another small recess where the front and rear halves of the enclosure fit. Just right for using the plastic opening tool on.

Thanks - saved me the risk of opening it up to find that out. It's kind of a shame it's glued. Though I imagine not gluing it would create far more problems. I wouldn't call it defective or even enough to warrant a return. Just hoped I could tweak things myself.

That's what I got out of it initially. This is a great read: http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_lhm/IEEE_Guide.pdf