I understand :) This is only our 2nd IP camera review. Look for a roundup towards the later part of the year.
Right now, there are two options which we have used and tested :
1. Dropcam Echo : Perfect for the AnandTech readers' parents and those who don't want to read up manuals and documentation. Cost : $279 ; has cloud based support, easy sharing with friends by email address with sharing settings as private or public for a given time duration (all the stuff that comes in with cloud based services)
2. Compro IP540 : Perfect for the tech users who don't want to trust their security to the cloud. More business oriented compared to the Dropcam. Cost : $200
Congrats compro for this major coup. :) However, activex support seems a little...quaint these days.
Cameron Butterfield, what about reviewing these DVR-like systems that uses analog cameras? They seem to provide a ton of channels, record to hdd, etc, for a very affordable price. Like $300 for a 4 way system with recording capability.
This camera looks great but it isn't even for sale yet. Its on notify from mwave. They also have a PoE version and the optical zoom version but there is no place to buy them from yet.
Although there is obviously username/password protection on the interface, this camera does not currently support encryption on the stream, compro plans to offer https connection in future professional camera lines starting Q1 2011.
I'm having a hard time getting a feel for the size of the camera. Do you have any shots of it with something for size reference, or at least some measurement specs?
I like the idea of this, but I get the feeling that something of this size (or maybe any PT camera) is too large to put on the ceiling of my home or even my office without being distractingly out of place. Maybe there's an option of mounting it in a dark glass hemisphere...
Looking forward to seeing more IP cameras in this price range reviewed.
Can this system be used outside? Does it need an environmental enclosure or can it be mounted under an eve away from weather and still function? What are the temperature specs?
We heard from our Compro contact that it is possible to obtain 'weatherproof' housing for the IP camera. However, the IP540 has an auto-Iris and does not cope well with brightly lit environment, e.g. directly under the Sun.
The IP570, when equipped with the housing, will be a candidate for outdoor PTZ camera or even as replacement for lower cost speed domes. Do note that the housing is usually only available with special projects hence, it's not available in the standard retail channels. Maybe it is possible to order it directly from Compro. You can contact them through their website.
I am interested in pricing. I have an old D-link DCS-6620G which broke and D-link does not offer any after warranty repair. I basically sent $600 to the trash the day I bought it. It also only works with IE for continuous video, what a piece of #*$&@$&@. Will not buy any D-link product ever again. First the PoE converter box died, then later on the camera died. They completely lost my business.
The PoE native models should be the way to go, I hate to have to run power and network to the camera and wireless does not really cut it. In any case it will be easier to run CAT5e or CAT6 to the camera than power (have to pay an electrician).
Could you guys maybe look at a camera that can be mounted outdoors as well? This would be incredibly handy for me, as I have a largish piece of land and can't see when people drive up from my house. Would be super handy to be able to see that from inside.
I currently work overseas, and my place back home (USA) is frequently left alone for long periods of time. This review provided a lot of awesome information about this product, and I think it will be very helpful in setting up a remote surveillance system.
I'm very interested in the long term storage of the video stream(s), and possible ways to lower the memory used. If I set up a remote surveillance system, I would use local and/or remote (relative's house) storage on some type of NAS device. For the sake of saving HDD space, what is the possiblity of recording a video stream at 30FPS VGA, with a Full Resolution Snapshot every second? Or what are the possibilities of some type of software (running in real-time) that could re-encode a 30FPS stream (or 15 for full resolution) down to some fraction of 30 (or 15) after an X amount of days (to be set by the user)?
I'm thinking, in case of a burglery or some other type of crime, a lower number of high resolution frames would be more usefull than a high number of low resoulution frames. In addition, if I knew my house was checked on every x number of days or weeks, I would not need to store as many high resolution frames of historical video. Are there consumer level (and priced) software solutions for this kind of thing?
There are many programs which will do motion-detection, so that recording is only done when there is movement.
I'm using ZoneMinder (free, linux-based) on a server at home; you can have it do full recording, motion recording, time-based recording, or a combination.
I could really use some suggestions for high end web cams for business use...preferably HD. All I find is the usual Logitech & MS fare for $50-$100 with good but not great audio/video. Either that or is its $700 video recorders. I need these as web cams for business meetings. What do businesses use? I thought there would be lots of choices but if there are I'm not seeing them.
cannot quote price figures for the ptz version, but the indoor megapixel cams (acm3511) are around $500, outdoor (acm 7411) $600. I would imagine the ptz versions are an extra $500 - $700. acti cameras are all POE, and the 4 that i have dealt with are all in service after 15 months. they are large enough in the industry to have drivers that work in the larger security camera software packages too.
Other anecdotal help: POE camera reliability is very dependent on a reliable POE source. I've had issues with cheaper POE switches, notably netgear. HP switches have been rock solid. By reliability, I refer to video streams recorded which are cut off/unplayable later when reviewed. Even POE injectors have proven less reliable than HP switches.
Also, PTZ sounds great on paper; in an outdoor setting, most cannot be remotely focused on targets much removed from the original focus point (manual focusing on the camera itself). I assume this Compro technologies camera was similar?
You can buy outdoor housing units and place non-outdoor models in them to save money, but then you have to know what you're doing and be careful. Make sure you get heated units with moisture sensors...condensation is a disaster to a POE camera.
It isn't clear from the review whether it's possible for the camera to record directly to a networked drive, like a NAS?
The implication is that I need to run a PC 24/7 to actually record triggered content, but I was hoping that the web interface on the camera would allow it to write to a NAS directly (through the network) without a PC being involved in the process.
Yes, it will write directly to a NAS. There's a recording configuration screen that allows you to pop in an IP address and Username/PW for NAS access. It works with an Iomega IX2-200 NAS. There is a little test button to verify if the NAS access is setup correctly, too. I have it working with the wireless USB adapter, too.
What is a bit of a drag is there is currently no Date or Timestamp watermarking capability built into the current firmware. Compro said they are working on that.
The recording options in the Compro software range from overly simple to quite complex, depending on your needs. You can record to the computer from the web interface and it creates .MKV files which only the VLC player can play. Win7 has trouble deleting those files, too. Ugh. Something's not right with the .MKV format Compro is using.
I prefer to use BlueIris software (because it allows for integrating many different brands of cameras in a common interface) and successfully captured the IP540 stream. In Blueiris, the PTZ function works and you can use the arrows to move the camera around. The zoom in and out does not work in BlueIris, but probably just needs an updated command string. The digital zoom does work in the Compro software.
It seems to be a fine piece of hardware. There are some rough edges as the firmware i not mature... I locked up the camera in several situations requiring a power cycle to recover. It has run over night using its wireless mode without issue. I've only had it one day so I can't comment on longer term stability. My plan is to stick with BlueIris since I have no need to learn in intricasies of the Compro software in spite of it's apparent robustness.
@4cpus4me, I tried to PM you but it wouldn't go through. If you have a forum account and would like to respond via PM please do. I followed your link to the YouTube video and watched a couple of 540 clips. The IP540 looks like a pretty good camera. Now that you've had it for a few weeks, would you mind sharing your thgouhgts & impressions? I've been thinking about picking one up.
There also 2 concerns I have. I don't know if you can shed any light on these: 1) That it does not broadcast/stream over SSL. I don't know if this is a legit concern or not as it seems many ip cameras support some form of ddns with only username/password security. 2) I've read in some places that IR can be harmful when stared at. However I've found very little (or no) information as to whether the IR LEDs such as what Compro uses are as dangerous as IR lights used in older security cameras. As I may install this around kids, I'm not sure whether or not I should be concerned about the IR LEDs.
Which version of BlueIris do you use - LE or the Full version?
Hey everyone come check out our site. We offer all of Compro Home and SMB line products. Starting with the IP60, IP70, IP540, IP540p, IP570, IP570p, If you are looking for security cameras for your Home or Small Business then you have come to the right place.
www.IPCamHD.com sells the entire Compro line of network cameras and has a downloadable catalog. They have specs listed and some good pics and video samples also.
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36 Comments
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fausto412 - Tuesday, October 12, 2010 - link
Can we get a round up so we know what else the competition offers. i can't compare and see what i get at different price levels without a roundup.ganeshts - Tuesday, October 12, 2010 - link
I understand :) This is only our 2nd IP camera review. Look for a roundup towards the later part of the year.Right now, there are two options which we have used and tested :
1. Dropcam Echo : Perfect for the AnandTech readers' parents and those who don't want to read up manuals and documentation. Cost : $279 ; has cloud based support, easy sharing with friends by email address with sharing settings as private or public for a given time duration (all the stuff that comes in with cloud based services)
2. Compro IP540 : Perfect for the tech users who don't want to trust their security to the cloud. More business oriented compared to the Dropcam. Cost : $200
Zoomer - Friday, October 15, 2010 - link
Congrats compro for this major coup. :) However, activex support seems a little...quaint these days.Cameron Butterfield, what about reviewing these DVR-like systems that uses analog cameras? They seem to provide a ton of channels, record to hdd, etc, for a very affordable price. Like $300 for a 4 way system with recording capability.
gifpaste - Thursday, October 21, 2010 - link
Awesome! Looking forward to your roundupnanfy - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
This camera looks great but it isn't even for sale yet. Its on notify from mwave. They also have a PoE version and the optical zoom version but there is no place to buy them from yet.Dk0524 - Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - link
Hi All,I have seen the Compro NC570 in stock at www.ipcam-central.com. That's the Compro HD camera with 12x optical zoom, Pan and Tilt and night vision.
Seems to be a quite powerful offering.
ganeshts - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
I am quite sure there must be some encryption for the stream.Cameron has the review unit in hand, and he will respond ASAP.
cbutters - Thursday, October 14, 2010 - link
Although there is obviously username/password protection on the interface, this camera does not currently support encryption on the stream, compro plans to offer https connection in future professional camera lines starting Q1 2011.nanfy - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Some video samples with both IR on and off in 640x480@30fps and 1280x1024@15 fps would be nice.Thanks
vol7ron - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
agreed. also, is it just one camera per package? or are there packages that come with 4-8 like other comparable devices?cbutters - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
We do have these sample clips.Let me see if we can get them accessible, hang tight.
cbutters - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Ok here are some links to the requested sample files that we have uploaded to youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZbAwbwtRM
Day 30fps 640x480 3mbps motionadaptive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiP4f8dok4M
Day 15fps 1280x1024 3mbps turbopicture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzKwx9tisEs
Night 15fps 1280x1024 3mbps turbopicture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UX95pFKnZ0
Night 30fps 640x480 3mbps motionadaptive
Also if you absolutely would prefer to see these videos unmodified you can download the set here:
http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/gadgets/Compro...
nanfy - Thursday, October 14, 2010 - link
Thanks for the video's I really appreciate it.There IP70 Camera is actually in stock. I wonder if it has the same image quality as this camera.
somedude1234 - Friday, October 15, 2010 - link
Thanks for an excellent review as well as posting the video samples.The night shot in the nursery with the empty swing has a very "Paranormal Activity" like effect to it... kinda creepy actually.
Trefugl - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
I'm having a hard time getting a feel for the size of the camera. Do you have any shots of it with something for size reference, or at least some measurement specs?I like the idea of this, but I get the feeling that something of this size (or maybe any PT camera) is too large to put on the ceiling of my home or even my office without being distractingly out of place. Maybe there's an option of mounting it in a dark glass hemisphere...
Looking forward to seeing more IP cameras in this price range reviewed.
cbutters - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
On page two there is a shot of the camera next to a CD and also an ethernet cable.cbutters - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
also here is this: Dimensions: 105 x 125.5 x 128.6 mm (including bracket)Trefugl - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Thanks for the dimensions. Somehow I must have glossed over the pictures with the CDs in it.pmely - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Can this system be used outside? Does it need an environmental enclosure or can it be mounted under an eve away from weather and still function? What are the temperature specs?cbutters - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Here are the temperature specs, there is no mention of this being an outdoor camera however. Operating Condition: 5 °C ~ 40 °Cganeshts - Thursday, October 14, 2010 - link
We heard from our Compro contact that it is possible to obtain 'weatherproof' housing for the IP camera. However, the IP540 has an auto-Iris and does not cope well with brightly lit environment, e.g. directly under the Sun.The IP570, when equipped with the housing, will be a candidate for outdoor PTZ camera or even as replacement for lower cost speed domes. Do note that the housing is usually only available with special projects hence, it's not available in the standard retail channels. Maybe it is possible to order it directly from Compro. You can contact them through their website.
dijuremo - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
I am interested in pricing. I have an old D-link DCS-6620G which broke and D-link does not offer any after warranty repair. I basically sent $600 to the trash the day I bought it. It also only works with IE for continuous video, what a piece of #*$&@$&@. Will not buy any D-link product ever again. First the PoE converter box died, then later on the camera died. They completely lost my business.The PoE native models should be the way to go, I hate to have to run power and network to the camera and wireless does not really cut it. In any case it will be easier to run CAT5e or CAT6 to the camera than power (have to pay an electrician).
Dk0524 - Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - link
in stock at www.ipcam-central.comStuka87 - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Could you guys maybe look at a camera that can be mounted outdoors as well? This would be incredibly handy for me, as I have a largish piece of land and can't see when people drive up from my house. Would be super handy to be able to see that from inside.ganeshts - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Sure, we will keep this in mind going forward. Thanks for your suggestion.firefighter4443 - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - link
Thanks for the Review!I currently work overseas, and my place back home (USA) is frequently left alone for long periods of time. This review provided a lot of awesome information about this product, and I think it will be very helpful in setting up a remote surveillance system.
I'm very interested in the long term storage of the video stream(s), and possible ways to lower the memory used. If I set up a remote surveillance system, I would use local and/or remote (relative's house) storage on some type of NAS device. For the sake of saving HDD space, what is the possiblity of recording a video stream at 30FPS VGA, with a Full Resolution Snapshot every second? Or what are the possibilities of some type of software (running in real-time) that could re-encode a 30FPS stream (or 15 for full resolution) down to some fraction of 30 (or 15) after an X amount of days (to be set by the user)?
I'm thinking, in case of a burglery or some other type of crime, a lower number of high resolution frames would be more usefull than a high number of low resoulution frames. In addition, if I knew my house was checked on every x number of days or weeks, I would not need to store as many high resolution frames of historical video. Are there consumer level (and priced) software solutions for this kind of thing?
Overall though, thanks for the excellent review!
bobbozzo - Thursday, October 14, 2010 - link
There are many programs which will do motion-detection, so that recording is only done when there is movement.I'm using ZoneMinder (free, linux-based) on a server at home; you can have it do full recording, motion recording, time-based recording, or a combination.
Bob
bhigh - Friday, October 15, 2010 - link
This seems to be a perfect camera for a technical person to build a baby monitor around. Too bad it's not easily available in the US.Saidas - Saturday, October 16, 2010 - link
I could really use some suggestions for high end web cams for business use...preferably HD. All I find is the usual Logitech & MS fare for $50-$100 with good but not great audio/video. Either that or is its $700 video recorders. I need these as web cams for business meetings. What do businesses use? I thought there would be lots of choices but if there are I'm not seeing them.HauntFox - Friday, October 22, 2010 - link
I would just call it a PT camera.The image quality and the software looks nice.
I have an Astak Mole PT camera, which would be nice, but it crashes often: when viewing the video for extended periods, or recording video.
blenheim - Sunday, October 24, 2010 - link
acti acm series: acm8511/8201/8211. http://www.acti.com/product/Product_Selection_Flow...cannot quote price figures for the ptz version, but the indoor megapixel cams (acm3511) are around $500, outdoor (acm 7411) $600. I would imagine the ptz versions are an extra $500 - $700. acti cameras are all POE, and the 4 that i have dealt with are all in service after 15 months. they are large enough in the industry to have drivers that work in the larger security camera software packages too.
Other anecdotal help: POE camera reliability is very dependent on a reliable POE source. I've had issues with cheaper POE switches, notably netgear. HP switches have been rock solid. By reliability, I refer to video streams recorded which are cut off/unplayable later when reviewed. Even POE injectors have proven less reliable than HP switches.
Also, PTZ sounds great on paper; in an outdoor setting, most cannot be remotely focused on targets much removed from the original focus point (manual focusing on the camera itself). I assume this Compro technologies camera was similar?
You can buy outdoor housing units and place non-outdoor models in them to save money, but then you have to know what you're doing and be careful. Make sure you get heated units with moisture sensors...condensation is a disaster to a POE camera.
ariharry - Sunday, November 14, 2010 - link
Great review (and samples, thanks!).It isn't clear from the review whether it's possible for the camera to record directly to a networked drive, like a NAS?
The implication is that I need to run a PC 24/7 to actually record triggered content, but I was hoping that the web interface on the camera would allow it to write to a NAS directly (through the network) without a PC being involved in the process.
Is this possible?
4cpus4me - Saturday, January 1, 2011 - link
Yes, it will write directly to a NAS. There's a recording configuration screen that allows you to pop in an IP address and Username/PW for NAS access. It works with an Iomega IX2-200 NAS. There is a little test button to verify if the NAS access is setup correctly, too. I have it working with the wireless USB adapter, too.What is a bit of a drag is there is currently no Date or Timestamp watermarking capability built into the current firmware. Compro said they are working on that.
The recording options in the Compro software range from overly simple to quite complex, depending on your needs. You can record to the computer from the web interface and it creates .MKV files which only the VLC player can play. Win7 has trouble deleting those files, too. Ugh. Something's not right with the .MKV format Compro is using.
I prefer to use BlueIris software (because it allows for integrating many different brands of cameras in a common interface) and successfully captured the IP540 stream. In Blueiris, the PTZ function works and you can use the arrows to move the camera around. The zoom in and out does not work in BlueIris, but probably just needs an updated command string. The digital zoom does work in the Compro software.
Here is a little Video showing how the IP540 works in a house with no lights on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBNYnrM2r30
It seems to be a fine piece of hardware. There are some rough edges as the firmware i not mature... I locked up the camera in several situations requiring a power cycle to recover. It has run over night using its wireless mode without issue. I've only had it one day so I can't comment on longer term stability. My plan is to stick with BlueIris since I have no need to learn in intricasies of the Compro software in spite of it's apparent robustness.
ekoostik - Monday, January 24, 2011 - link
@4cpus4me, I tried to PM you but it wouldn't go through. If you have a forum account and would like to respond via PM please do. I followed your link to the YouTube video and watched a couple of 540 clips. The IP540 looks like a pretty good camera. Now that you've had it for a few weeks, would you mind sharing your thgouhgts & impressions? I've been thinking about picking one up.There also 2 concerns I have. I don't know if you can shed any light on these: 1) That it does not broadcast/stream over SSL. I don't know if this is a legit concern or not as it seems many ip cameras support some form of ddns with only username/password security. 2) I've read in some places that IR can be harmful when stared at. However I've found very little (or no) information as to whether the IR LEDs such as what Compro uses are as dangerous as IR lights used in older security cameras. As I may install this around kids, I'm not sure whether or not I should be concerned about the IR LEDs.
Which version of BlueIris do you use - LE or the Full version?
Thanks for any feedback you can provide.
ComproStore - Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - link
Hey everyone come check out our site. We offer all of Compro Home and SMB line products. Starting with the IP60, IP70, IP540, IP540p, IP570, IP570p, If you are looking for security cameras for your Home or Small Business then you have come to the right place.IPCamHd - Saturday, June 15, 2013 - link
www.IPCamHD.com sells the entire Compro line of network cameras and has a downloadable catalog. They have specs listed and some good pics and video samples also.