Pelco Sarix IDE20DN8-1

[Soundy 1]

Alright, well, I'm currently testing a Panasonic WV-NP502 and a Pelco Sarix IDE20DN8-1 "2.1MP indoor day/night 2.8-8mm" dome.

 

So far not overly impressed with the Panny's "Super Dynamic" - it actually does better just using the BLC and Black Stretch functions together.

 

Still working on getting something usable out of the Pelco - first of all, its "finder" utility only finds it if it's on the same subnet... it defaults to DHCP on, and if it can't get an address, it uses 192.168.0.20... which is a pain since my netbook's LAN port is configured for 192.168.2.*. Every other IP cam I've used so far, the bundled utility will find it regardless of what IP it has, and let you set the IP from there. Not impressed with this.

 

Pictures to come... once I can make sense of the Pelco's nutty java-based interface!

[cglaeser 0]

and if it can't get an address, it uses 192.168.0.20... which is a pain since my netbook's LAN port is configured for 192.168.2.*. Every other IP cam I've used so far, the bundled utility will find it regardless of what IP it has, and let you set the IP from there. Not impressed with this.

 

I encounter this issue with other types of devices from time to time. I change the PC to something like 192.168.0.2, connect to the device, change the device to something like 192.168.2.20, then change the PC back to 192.168.2.2. But yeah, it's a bit of a hassle given the broad support for DHCP.

 

Best,

Christopher

[thewireguys 3]

Alright, well, I'm currently testing a Panasonic WV-NP502 and a Pelco Sarix IDE20DN8-1 "2.1MP indoor day/night 2.8-8mm" dome.

 

So far not overly impressed with the Panny's "Super Dynamic" - it actually does better just using the BLC and Black Stretch functions together.

 

Still working on getting something usable out of the Pelco - first of all, its "finder" utility only finds it if it's on the same subnet... it defaults to DHCP on, and if it can't get an address, it uses 192.168.0.20... which is a pain since my netbook's LAN port is configured for 192.168.2.*. Every other IP cam I've used so far, the bundled utility will find it regardless of what IP it has, and let you set the IP from there. Not impressed with this.

 

Pictures to come... once I can make sense of the Pelco's nutty java-based interface!

 

Interested to hear your thoughts on the Pelco camera... I haven't heard one good comment about there MP cameras.... I took a look at them at ISC and was not impressed.

[Soundy 1]

and if it can't get an address, it uses 192.168.0.20... which is a pain since my netbook's LAN port is configured for 192.168.2.*. Every other IP cam I've used so far, the bundled utility will find it regardless of what IP it has, and let you set the IP from there. Not impressed with this.

 

I encounter this issue with other types of devices from time to time. I change the PC to something like 192.168.0.2, connect to the device, change the device to something like 192.168.2.20, then change the PC back to 192.168.2.2. But yeah, it's a bit of a hassle given the broad support for DHCP.

 

Best,

Christopher

Well...

 

I changed my netbook to 192.168.0.*, changed the camera from 192.168.0.20 to 192.168.2.20, then changed my laptop back... and noticed the camera's config page was complaining that I didn't have a default route set (duh, shouldn't need one if I'm staying with the subnet). Ever since that I haven't been able to connect with the camera, not even with the utility, not with the netbook on either subnet. Fak. Finally just did a factory reset (BTW, they provide a recessed button for that... but not just a slightly recessed button that you can push with a pen or screwdriver tip, noooo... it's recessed a good 1/8" through a pinhole, so you have to actually find a pin, needle, paperclip, or something else of the sort.

 

And of course, Pelco yet again uses a 2.5mm submini TS jack for the service monitor output... but doesn't actually include anything to plug into it to provide a more common RCA or BNC connection.

 

So far this thing has been hooked up for a total of an hour and a half and I've only very briefly had a (very tiny) window showing its Quicktime output...???

[Soundy 1]

Interested to hear your thoughts on the Pelco camera... I haven't heard one good comment about there MP cameras.... I took a look at them at ISC and was not impressed.

My thoughts on it thus far aren't suitable for posting here. Let's just say this thing better turn out to have f'ing STELLAR picture, after all this. It better be able to f'ing see through women's clothing to make it worth what they want for it.

[buellwinkle 0]

You would think that the default is to get an IP from DHCP.

[Soundy 1]

You would think that the default is to get an IP from DHCP.

It is. It has a default of 192.168.0.20 but it looks for a DHCP server and pulls and address from that, if it finds one.

 

That doesn't work so well, though, when you're connecting it directly to the computer, or into a network that doesn't have a DHCP server.

 

This is the stupid thing: EVERY. OTHER. IP. CAMERA. that I've worked with so far, has some sort of utility that communicates the camera, I assume via ICMP or other such protocol, that can find the camera and let you configure its IP, netmask and gateway, regardless of the subnet you or it are on, usually whether the camera already has an IP or not. The Pelco doesn't.

 

Like most other Pelcos, it seems to be a camera designed by engineers who've never actually had to install a camera in the field.

[dopalgangr 1]

You would think that the default is to get an IP from DHCP.

It is. It has a default of 192.168.0.20 but it looks for a DHCP server and pulls and address from that, if it finds one.

 

That doesn't work so well, though, when you're connecting it directly to the computer, or into a network that doesn't have a DHCP server.

 

This is the stupid thing: EVERY. OTHER. IP. CAMERA. that I've worked with so far, has some sort of utility that communicates the camera, I assume via ICMP or other such protocol, that can find the camera and let you configure its IP, netmask and gateway, regardless of the subnet you or it are on, usually whether the camera already has an IP or not. The Pelco doesn't.

 

Like most other Pelcos, it seems to be a camera designed by engineers who've never actually had to install a camera in the field.

 

 

Soundy, give this a try, I use it all the time and it works well. You can easily set the range and find the stuff on the network. Scroll all the way down on the page and under free network utilities download Advanced IP Scanner v1.5. http://www.radmin.com/download/index.php

Edited July 3, 2010 by Guest

[Soundy 1]

That's a great tool, and it MIGHT tell me that the camera is THERE (then again, with the camera, it may have fully choked on not having the gateway set) , but it won't let me CONFIGURE it to a usable IP.

 

I've got it going; I'm just saying, this is a serious drawback on Pelco's part, not having a utility that can find and configure any of their cameras on any subnet. One shouldn't HAVE to reconfigure their PC or provide a DHCP server just to set up the camera.

[bpzle 0]

Actually I've run into that with more than one brand of IP camera. I'm not defending Pelco though... As with most Pelco products I see the price tag and quickly loose interest.

[thewireguys 3]

Actually I've run into that with more than one brand of IP camera. I'm not defending Pelco though... As with most Pelco products I see the price tag and quickly loose interest.

 

I have also heard that Pelco cameras require a lot of processing power to decode there H.264 streams.

[bpzle 0]

Of course! They want you to buy their $12,000 NVR!

[Soundy 1]

Actually I've run into that with more than one brand of IP camera. I'm not defending Pelco though... As with most Pelco products I see the price tag and quickly loose interest.

 

I have also heard that Pelco cameras require a lot of processing power to decode there H.264 streams.

I can attest to that. I've rebuilt my old laptop as a "test NVR" with the Vigil software... now granted it's only a Celeron M (1.8GHz, I think), but man, the "High" 15ips, 1920x1080 stream is just KILLING it. Switching to "Low" at only 5ips at least keeps things usable. The JPEG stream is SOMEWHAT more manageable.

 

And bpzle: Please let me know what these others are so I can avoid them. So far this Pelco is the only one I've seen that does this - IQ, Arecont, Hik and Panasonic all have their "finder" programs that can configure the cameras' IPs from any (routable) subnet.

[thewireguys 3]

Axis also has a great program to find there cameras

[Soundy 1]

Wow, starting to think I shoulda started a separate thread for this... maybe a mod can split these posts off and I'll just come back to this thread when I have some pics to post?

 

One neat thing with the Pelco, the "Exposure" config page includes an RGB histogram!

[Soundy 1]

Axis also has a great program to find there cameras

Oh yeah, and ACTi too!

[buellwinkle 0]

Mobotix come preconfigured at some odd 10.04... IP and it's software not only finds it, it lets you type in the address you want right there in that tool. Axis uses Bonjour, Apples IP locating software which has always worked great.

[Soundy 1]

Mobotix come preconfigured at some odd 10.04... IP and it's software not only finds it, it lets you type in the address you want right there in that tool.

That's what almost all of them do - except Pelco.

[cglaeser 0]

One shouldn't HAVE to reconfigure their PC or provide a DHCP server just to set up the camera.

 

Agreed. I'm surprised at how well some auto configuration tools work these days (e.g. email, wifi) and something as simple and common and DHCP support should be a given.

 

Some vendors get it and some vendors don't. We stopped purchasing Canon printers because they refuse to release 64-bit drivers for many models. We switched to Brother because they are solid affordable printers and Brother understands how to develop software. Some companies have great security cameras, but if the software falls short, it's very frustrating.

 

Best,

Christopher

[Soundy 1]

One shouldn't HAVE to reconfigure their PC or provide a DHCP server just to set up the camera.

 

Agreed. I'm surprised at how well some auto configuration tools work these days (e.g. email, wifi) and something as simple and common and DHCP support should be a given.

Umm, no, that's my point: as simple and common as it is, when setting up a device, DHCP support SHOULDN'T BE ASSUMED. The Pelco DEFAULTS to DHCP, and seems to assume that you'll have a DHCP server available. When you're putting together a few cams on an isolated network, or connecting it directly to a laptop for configuration, that's rarely the case.

[hardwired 0]

....Not sure Pelco's been doing a lot of things right since being bought by Schneider.. I'm a few miles from Pelco's headquarters, and about the only things I use often from them is the EH3512 housing, and some of the IS90 interior domes.

 

Acti's been trying harder recently, their latest firmware update includes Universal Plug & Pray, SNMP, and Bonjour. Overall, one of the best, for the money, IMHO.

 

The Pano 502 is a pretty nice cam, but maybe not quite what I've come to expect from Panasonic... Had a few fail out of the box, or soon after.

 

....Don't even get me started on an ActiveX plugin rant, though...

[rory 0]

Wow, starting to think I shoulda started a separate thread for this... maybe a mod can split these posts off and I'll just come back to this thread when I have some pics to post?

 

Done ...

[cglaeser 0]

and seems to assume that you'll have a DHCP server available.

 

OK, understood.

[Soundy 1]

Wow, starting to think I shoulda started a separate thread for this... maybe a mod can split these posts off and I'll just come back to this thread when I have some pics to post?

 

Done ...

Thanks, Rory! " title="Applause" />