Brickcom N-Series 360° Network Camera Has Wide Appeal
Security industry expert T. Riley Pierce gives his opinion on the Brickcom N-Series MD-300Np 360â° network camera in SSI’s latest Bench Test security product review.
The 5MP model has the capability of providing 10 images per second (IPS) when the camera’s video stream is set to the highest image level. The camera can be throttled back to reduce the video image size and increase the IPS for the stream if a higher IPS is required. At 4MP the camera can provide 15IPS, at 3MP 18IPS and at 2MP (full HD) 30IPS (or real-time) imaging. The 3MP model can provide 20IPS when set to its highest video stream and 30IPS for all other settings.
The N-Series cameras have a built-in microphone for recording audio when allowed and the cameras can be set to provide an alert when a pre-established audio threshold has been measured. The camera assemblies do not have the capability to provide two-way audio as do many other models available today.
The N-Series cameras have the ability to broadcast multiple video streams, which allows the VMS to record one stream at one image rate and display another video stream at a lower image rate to the surveillance operator. This can help keep network traffic down and reduce the operational load on the VMS system if the system can be programmed in this manner.
Setup
The N-Series cameras must be initially programmed utilizing setup software from Brickcom; to perform this basic task I had to go to Brickcom’s Web site and download the version of software that would allow me to configure the IP address of my test camera. On a side note, the fact that you must use proprietary software to perform basic camera programming is still one of my pet peeves with CCTV manufacturers today. In order to test this camera, I had to load another software program on my laptop just to configure the camera’s IP address. Why all camera manufacturers can’t ship a camera from the factory with a default IP address is beyond me. One major manufacturer (Axis) does this and it makes working with its cameras much easier.
Once I had the IP address programmed all I had to do was open my Web browser to the IP address I established and I was able to navigate the camera’s graphical user interface (GUI) and play with the different views that are available for use. The interface has four views that are available in the browser: full 360â° view, p/t/z, quad and perimeter. The quad option provides the operator with four distinct views that allow for multiple camera views from one unit. As shown in the photo (left), one camera can provide wide are coverage of a room.
Verdict
- Features: 4/5
- Construction: 4/5
- Setup: 4/5
- Performance: 4/5
- Overall: 4/5
Testing
I programmed the MD-300Np’s parameters into my base VMS to test the functionality of the camera and to see how the onscreen GUI of my VMS worked compared to the Web-based GUI of the Brickcom software. The functionality of my VMS was comparable to the onscreen capabilities with the Web-based browser for the camera. My VMS allowed me to perform digital zoom and image manipulation with the video stream and I was also able to execute the same functions on the recorded video streams from the software. The overall video image from the 3MP camera was very clear when used in the panoramic and quad modes; however, I did notice some image degradation as I zoomed in on the live and recorded images. The image degradation was nothing like what I have experienced with older IP and analog cameras when at-tempting to perform digital zoom on my test cameras. The N-Series 3MP camera I was testing provided a wide view of the focal area with clear detail. The photo (top left) shows the overall field of view when th
e digital zoom is set to 180â°; the image is bright and provides great detail for the surveillance operator.
Conclusions
The MD-300Np-360P is a high quality network camera that provides clear images for the user. While this style of camera might not be appropriate for all locations, the use of a wide-angle camera to provide multiple and/or specialized views is expanding in today’s market. This product should be categorized primarily as a specialty camera in my estimation, but devices are also becoming more mainstream as time goes by. In those locations where a single camera application with multiple look angles is appropriate the MD-300Np-360P would be excellent.
Products are tested and reviewed by R. Grossman and Associates Inc., an independent consulting firm specializing in electronic security products and projects. For more information, visit www.tech-answers.com.
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