I’ve received this network camera from AVTECH Taiwan last week to test and review. This one is a real time IP camera for home surveillance, baby’s cam, area security, and so on.
Overview
Let’s start with an overview of the camera's specs.
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As mentioned above about Live MOS sensor, what is it? Please take a look at the following picture:
It is a Panasonic Uniphier DSP CMOS Sensor chip. Which have improved technology better than ordinary CMOS chips. That explains in the next diagram:
Live MOS Sensor has best image quality as FFT-CCD but low power consumption as CMOS. For more information about Panasonic Uniphier please follow this link:
O.K. here come the tested and my reviewed
The container box was well printed in nice package. Both sides of the box have the features and information you need such as connection diagram, installation method and the platforms that were supported by the camera.
The followings are in the package: the AVN304, its mounting kits, Power adaptor, mini-CD software, Operating Manual, and AVtake care Card.
The followings are in the package: the AVN304, its mounting kits, Power adaptor, mini-CD software, Operating Manual, and AVtake care Card.
AVTake Care Card.
Here it is our AVN304. Comes with white pearl color, 4mm. fix Lens, 2 LEDs status indicator on the top left. At the lower left of the Lens, you will see a dot which is a built-in Microphone, and the circle at the left bottom corner is a white LED light for use in the dark.
On the back there are RJ45 port, DC 5V plug, and in the middle is ¼” 20UNC screw thread for installing supporting bracket which you can select and install the desired type of supporting bracket such as : Ceiling mounted, Desktop, and Wall mounted.
After install the brackets.
Though there are also screws and plastic cleat supply with the package, however, no UTP cable (LAN cable) comes along.
As you see this AVN304 has been very well made. and with its neat design and a portable size, you are able to put it on everywhere you want to.
After plugging in the power jack from the power supply into AVN304’s DC plug, connecting the UTP cable to its RJ45, plugging on the backside of the AVN304, and connecting the other end of the UTP cable to my ADSL modem router, then the AVN304 was operated successfully.
When I put the mini-CD into my PC (with the OS of Microsoft windows XP SP3) and install the software name VideoViewer, which is use for monitor, control, setup, and record the camera.
After the program installation finished, you have to restart the PC. After restart, just double click the program on your desktop the “VideoViewer”. You may see splash screen for a while then the programs will show up. Here what it looks like.
Just click on the icon
, and another window will pop-up on the right. Then click on the search icon on the right panel which looks like magnifier. The program will search for AVN304 in the LAN system.
, and another window will pop-up on the right. Then click on the search icon on the right panel which looks like magnifier. The program will search for AVN304 in the LAN system. 
When AVN304 was found, there would be the IP number of the AVN304 show on the panel. (Its default IP number is 192.168.1.10.) You can edit the configuration here, such as IP number, user name and password (by default the user name and password will be “admin”) and communication port number. When all setup was done properly, you can click on Login button to explore the AVN304 right now. If not please check yours IP, Port, user name, password and network cable again. Please refer to the user’s manual for more information and troubleshoots.
The factory setting for monitor resolution was full HD (1280x1024) and best image quality. You can adjust the setting in monitoring the AVN304 via internet or GPRS or 3G mobile. For monitoring on local network only or the upload speed is higher than 2Mbps, please select the ADSL mode to “Local”. Please check with your ISP for your upload speed. From my test, first I selected “Local” mode and default resolution and image. The live view and the frame rate will be a “real time” mode. Here is the picture which was captured via the “VideoViewer” program in that mode. Hope you don’t mind that these entire tests had done in my own living room. I’m not sure can the web browser show the difference of the pictures’ resolution that I have captured from AVN304. In full HD (1280 x 1024) the picture very sharp and clear.
In 1280 x 960 not much differ. with full HD.
In 720P 16:9 this just only squeeze the height of the picture. All object’s scale go wrong I don’t like this.
In VGA (640x480), this is suitable resolution for view via internet and bests enough picture quality for monitoring.
And the last picture was taken in CIF (320x240) mode. This is the lowest mode of the ANV304. It is best for monitoring on the mobile device such as cell phone, iPad.
This room was 4 m. wide and with this AVN304 and its 1/3” Live Mos Sensor, it can take all the area of my living room. And in HD mode the detail and quality of the image are acceptable.
Next let’s see what the AVN304 can do with its VideoViewer App.
If you have to used another AVTECH’s products the first two menu options are the same as others.
Scroll the menu down you may see the camera menu tree. I have clicked on “Camera” menu. In this menu I can setup the camera’s configuration here. Such as system type, picture’s resolution, stream mode, frame rate, upload speed (for adjust the speed to suit your internet bandwidth), environment situation, and the camera exposure value.
Then I clicked on “System” menu. There several system configuration here. I can turn on-off the On Screen Display, IR control was not function, Digital Smart Zoom was off by default, Smart Zoom level sensitively was set to medium, and smart zoom stand-by interval was short. Let’s change the Digital Smart Zoom to “on”.
Beside it was a button name “Detection”. I have clicked on it and it was the detection area set up.
You can select the area that you want the smart zoom function to operate. When the object move into this area the AVN304 will digital zoom in the object to increase the detail of the object for you.
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But you cannot select whole picture’s area to detect. Only 7x10 blocks could be selected. And only one area could be selected. This must be improve to freely select and multiple areas.
Digital Smart Zoom will zoom the object that move in the detection area. It was not zoomed in and centered the object. But it was zoomed in the middle of the detection area.
Face-tracking or face-detection was disable. Why? After running around for almost an hour I have found the answer on its web application’s notification.
You have to selected the stream format to Single H264 or Single MPEG-4 or Single Motion JPEG only not multi mode to gain the face-detection function to operate. After I have selected the stream format to single H264, I can disable or enable the face-tracking option.
It was fully automatic event, so I cannot captured it to show how it work. If you want to enable this function you have to disable Digital Smart Zoom function first. When it was enable and running if any people came near the camera in 2 metres distance. The AVN304 will zoom-in that face immediately and hold on that position about 3 sec. then zoom-out and return to its normal state. As you may seen on AVTECH’s picture. Thank you AVTECH for this picture.
The icon
is the PTZ control panel just click on it and you will see the panel on your right hand side. The number from 1 to 16 are the preset program, yes it supported 16 presets.
is the PTZ control panel just click on it and you will see the panel on your right hand side. The number from 1 to 16 are the preset program, yes it supported 16 presets. Let’s try the zoom function. I click on zoom icon then select the area in the red square on the above picture. By holding the left mouse button and drag it downward.
It suddenly zoom-in to the area I have selected. First step it was 3X zoom. As you may see, digital zoom has much different quality lower than optical zoom. Normally, the clearness of the picture will be dropped, but on this 3X digital zoom the image’s quality was acceptable.
Then I select the object on the screen again.
Now it was enlarged to 5X. This time you cannot see the detail of the Buddha’s face in this screen. You may use this option in normal situation only such as zoom-in to see if your baby sleeping or awake but it may not good enough for tracking or evidence for the criminal case.
When I hold my left mouse button and drag it upward the area. The yellow square appeared then after released the button it was zoom-out direction. This option also support on iPhone, iPad, Galaxy Tab, Galaxy cooper and Galaxy 5.
Then I turned off the lamp to see how it goes. As I have expected, if no light source from behind you cannot see anything because this AVN304 not a 0 lux camera. And then I have turned on the AVN304’s LED light, It is very bright, whole room was clearly display as lid by the fluorescent lamp.
The Digital Smart Zoom is one of the AVN304’s major functions. Because of its compact size and neat design body, it came with only 4mm. fix lens. However, to be a DPTZ camera you must have a zoom function, so AVN304 decide to have the digital zoom instead of optical zoom. Even though the digital zoom will only enlarge the picture’s pixel not truly zoom the picture and the quality of the picture cannot compare with optical zoom, but this is the price we pay for it.
On iPhone4 with EagleEyes Lite via Wi-Fi network, picture was clear with good detail. All function can operate on iPhone4. It also supports iPhone multitouch function. You can zoom-in and zoom-out with your fingertips. That’s terrific!
On Samsung F480, eagleeyes.jad the java version of EagleEyes software connected via EDGE network.
The picture and frame rate are poor, and unable to control the camera on this application. Even upgrading the application to the latest version, it still didn’t work.
Summary:
It is easy to use and do-it-yourself IP-CAM. You almost have all the options you would like to have such as: digital zoom, motion detect, face detection, and LED light with high resolution and multiple format stream. It supports multi platform of OS and cell phone or mobile devices that you may be use for monitoring. Free CMS software for monitoring up to 16 of AVN304 IP cameras at a time. Fully control by the software via LAN and WAN.
However, AVN304 does not have SD-card slot or internal storage for recording. You can only monitor live events. The record may be done only by “VideoViewer” on your PC or laptop. But the frame rate of the recorded events will vary depend on your internet bandwidth and choose of stream rate on the AVN304. In my opinion, it is better to have internal storage or memory card to record by the camera itself. For example, you are monitoring the babysitter on your laptop at your office. And there is an accident happen with your baby but at that moment you are away from your laptop. When you go back home and found that your baby has wounded but you have no evidence to proof that it was the babysitter’s mistake. Because you had forgot to record that event. If it has internal storage and self recording, then you can play back and watch what was happened.
It would be better to put IR function. The LED Light may disturb the baby while sleeping, or improve to have a star light function. Make it as low lux as it could be. The AVN304 has only one Ethernet port. If it has wireless Ethernet include that will be great. User can use it mobility and not only surveillance only one area anymore. They can move it around the house as they need in the area that coverage by the AP signal.
By the way, if you want more options like I have mentioned above. The AVN304 could not be in this cheap price. But who will know? May be AVTECH can make it possible.
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