Full Review
From the hands of Stardot Technologies comes this WebCam that will deliver the highest image quality to date. That's possible because
StarDot has been designing digital camera technology since 1993 and specializes in remote connectivity and image quality.
Starting with a Sharp 1/3" CCD sensor, supporting native 640x480 RGB and an embedded computer running Linux, you can turn this WebCam system
into one of the most powerful solution providers of the market, covering almost every type of WebCam application. Add a weatherproof case and a GSM modem
and you can turn it a wireless weatherproof WebCam monitoring virtually any place!
The NetCam comes packed with an indoor Wall mount, 8mm C-mount Lens with Manual Iris/Focus, power supply, software, manuals and all the necessary cabling to put it
up and working in less than 5 minutes.
Setting up...
Web Admin Interface |
You just plug the power supply (100~240V) to the wall and the 50 ft. combination Power/Network Cable to the camera, install the NetTools and it will
detect your camera within your network (assuming you have DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) enabled) and allow you to configure everything to have it
working immediately! You can also add a modem to the camera and set it up remotely on virtually any place you have power and a phone line. The you
call the camera and begin seeing what it sees, always with the best image quality.
However, if you're not used to computer networks, some terms and a vast amount of settings can lead you to the wrong way. Fortunately,
a very nice, password-protected Web interface to the camera (do remember it has an embeded computer and web server!) will lead you through all the tabs so you
can set up your camera to match your needs, everything guided with an online help system.
Once set up, your NetCam will be accessible instantly from virtually any place in the world, or just to your Intranet, depending on the set up
you decide: assign a fixed IP address to the camera or allow it to upload images to an FTP account. An embeded java applet will help you display
and refresh the live images. Provided with the interface and operating system (Linux) is the capability to add password-protected or guest users to the list
of authorized viewers for your WebCam feeds.
Fine tuning...
It may take a while to achieve the highest image quality results for this camera, there are lots of settings we can play with, but for this test,
the default auto-exposure and auto-color settings played a nice role and we achieved a very nice shot of our offices' window view. A useful warning
remind us to turn the iris to a pinhole size (f16) when using this WebCam on outdoor shots, otherwise you could damage the CCD sensor!
Manual focusing is as easy as moving the ring to adapt the image to the actual situation. Too bad an auto-iris lens is not included for the same price!
Optional lenses are also available. Playing for a while with all the options is worth the wait. See the sample image on the right or check for more samples in the
official page.
Actual Netcam shot |
Although you're not getting full live streaming video like in a movie, NetCam is capable of sending a high quality 640x480 snap in less than 7 seconds via your
network (8 to 10 via a modem), so it's a price you can pay in return for a stunning panorama. Lowering the resolution will improve frame rate.
There's also a nice feature in this camera, where you can monitor its internal temperature and make it display its current value live on the captured
image caption. You should really enable this or at least test it for a while before deciding the final spot for the camera, basically if you're gonna use it outdoors.
Optimal operational temperature is below 120ºF (48ºC).
Captioning is not a problem: you can have more than one line and position it on top, middle and/or bottom of the image.
Everything thought to cover any specific needs.
Enhancing the system
NetCam is powered by a powerful Motorola Coldfire CPU, built-in web and telnet server and FTP client. Comes complete with 2MB flashable memory capabilities,
which ensures you'll be running a high-tech WebCam system for a long time.
Expansion port details |
Also there are several expansion ports that support several additional solutions for the WebCam market, all directly connected to the NetCam:
two serial ports to connect NetCam to analog or wireless modems and to weather stations, aux and I/O ports for future support for alarm systems and auxiliary devices
(like a pan/tilt unit or an auto-iris lens) and the built-in port to connect the NetCam directly to your hub, cable or DSL network.
Summarizing
We're in front of a professional solution that can bring WebCam (video) feeds to your (remote) needs and combined with its spectacular
image quality and its intuitive Web interface, satisfy any kind of (even wireless) webcasting at any level, everything packed with
Stardot Technologies' Seal of Quality. The camera may not be affordable to the standard end-user but it's well balanced in the quality-price relation.
View this WebCam live, NOW!
| Specs & Features: |
| Manufacturer: |
Stardot Technologies |
| Platforms supported: |
PC - Network/Serial (& wireless) interface |
| Operating System: |
Win95OSR2/98/2000 |
| System requirements: |
Pentium 166, 32Mb RAM, CD-ROM, Network or modem
1Mb free hard drive space (No PC required if running over a modem) |
| Frame rate: |
320x240: 1 frame every 2-3 secs. | 640x480: 1 frame every 7-10 seconds |
| Sensor Type: |
1 CCD RGB |
| Highest Resolution: |
640x480 (optical) |
| Misc stuff: |
removable lenses, focusing ring, automatic gain, expansion ports |
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