Who Else Wants A Hidden Camera With PTZ: Pan-Tilt-Zoom?
PTZ enabled security cameras refers to cameras that can Pan, Tilt and Zoom. These type of cameras have been around for years now. Gone are the days of stationary black and white cameras unable to follow the action. Today’s PTZ solutions can pan, tilt and zoom in on an incident or take in an entire area manually, randomly or automatically.
A security or web camera with pan, tilt, and zoom is the ultimate “eye” for video surveillance and provides the ultimate in viewing area control. Businesses like pan tilt zoom cameras because they are the best surveillance tools for capturing theft or criminal behavior. For home use, surveillance camera owners can place the camera in a room and be able to track their caregivers where ever they roam to to insure their loved ones are being properly cared for and not abused. Not to mention all the “kinky” things you can do with these neat hidden camera PTZ features.
In addition, there are many other uses with security cameras that have PTZ capabilities for use in businesses, homes, office buildings and many other areas. Typical Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) Surveillance Video Cameras are small and inconspicuous can capture high-quality, full-motion video that can be transmitted through the Internet or over an Internet Protocol (IP) network connection. Schools even use PTZ cameras for everything from recording classroom lectures for students to play back later or for viewing in overflow classes, to documenting the practice trials of mock court. The uses for these hidden cameras with this one feature is limited only by the imagination.
While there are many types of surveillance cameras in the market that have the ability to Pan, Tilt and Zoom, none exist that are in embedded into hidden camera objects like clocks, air purifiers and radios until now.
These group of IP Secure Hidden Cameras simply plug into the wall and transmit secure video through the buildings electrical wiring but they do not by default have the ability to Pan, Tilt or Zoom.
These Hidden Cameras come shipped with 1.x version software but can be upgraded to v.2.0 for free and for $79.95/yr. the hidden camera can have PTZ capabilities along with many other advanced surveillance options that are known as the WiLife Platinum Upgrade.
With Digital PTZ, you can narrow in on specific areas of your WiLife cameras viewing area. For example, zoom in on the cash register and get a close up view. The Digital Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) section increases your monitoring capability and scope by allowing you to select a camera from the WiLife Command Center Live View and digitally reposition the camera so that it pans left or right, tilts up or down, or zooms in on the scene displaying.
Digital PTZ works within the viewing area of the lens used in the camera. For example, a 120 degree angle lens has the panning and tilting range of 120 degrees; for an 80 degrees lens, an 80 degree panning radius, etc.
This also means that if you are using the zoom option, you cannot zoom out past the image range of the lens. A completely zoomed out image for a 120 degree lens would show the full 120 degree image, with no options to zoom out any further. When you zoom in, you see a subsection of the full image.
From this viewpoint, you can pan and tilt to the edges of the full image represented by the lens in the camera. The camera can zoom in or out of a picture up to 2x in both VGA and QVGA mode.
Note: In order to use digital pan-tilt-zoom, each camera that participates must be updated with the latest firmware. If a camera is not updated with the latest firmware, the WiLife Command Center will inform you via a warning message when you attempt to use the feature. Simply click OK to update the camera.
Upon updating the firmware, your updated cameras will be automatically rediscovered. The Pan, Tilt, Zoom section is located on the Live View screen. It includes numbered icons that represent each camera; a replica of the streaming video from the camera selected; up and down tilt buttons; left and right pan buttons; and increase/decrease zoom buttons.
Please be aware that the PTZ for your hidden camera is only controllable through your PC’s WiLife Command Center. However, you can gain access to your PC remotely through XP Pro’s built-in terminal services. This can be done by logging into your PC from Windows XP Pro “Remote Desktop Configuration”. Click Here for information on how to set up a remote connection to your WiLife Command Center PC from another remote PC.
The following graphic displays the components of the Digital PTZ section and applicable notes regarding how to use them to:
- Easily switch cameras
- Apply and reuse frequently used settings
- Easily switch between a camera’s custom PTZ settings
- Zoom, pan, or tilt a camera’s view with a simple click
So how do you get a Hidden Camera with these Pan, Tilt and Zoom Features?
A) Buy up to 6 Hidden Camera gadgets, which comes with version 1.6 of the WiLife Command Center Software and make sure you install it and register it with a remote viewing account. Note: The Wilife Command Center will allow up to 6 hidden cameras on the same HomePlug system. These cameras are true plug and play as they plug into a simple wall socket to transmit video surveillance the Wilife Command Center.
B) Download the free WiLife v2.0 Update (you will need a registered copy of WiLife software and a remote viewing account). Click Here to download your free copy.
C) Purchase WiLife Platinum Subscription by following the following steps.
1 – Click Here To Log In to Your Account.
2 - Click on the “Get WiLife Platinum Now! Click Here!” button in the left panel. (This button is accessible from any screen on your WiLife Online Account pages when you log in from Step 1 above) The Buy WiLife Services page displays.
3 – In the Choose Subscription dropdown field, select the WiLife Service you want to purchase (i.e. WiLife Platinum). If you have more than one site, they will all be listed in the Choose Subscription section and a dropdown field will exist for each site.
Once you choose your subscription service, the details of the purchase are
printed to the cart, as shown below. Details about the subscription purchase
include: the name of the service item (WiLife Platinum), cost, renewal date,
number of Platinum upgrades, and amount of additional storage space.
4 – Click the link “Add Reseller Information”
5 - Complete all information fields on the Reseller Information screen
and then click OK.
Use the following information for the screen above:
GLC Enterprises
23922 Pheasant Run, Naperville, IL 60564
USA
(800) 378-2009
www.SpyGearCo.com
6 - The Buy WiLife Services Addons page allows you to purchase additional storage space, upwards of 500 MB, 2 GB, or 10 GB. To purchase an addon, click on the “Add to Cart” link representing the desired option.
Other Cart Options
Click the Change link to change the Subscription option.
Click the Remove link to remove the Addon item.
7 - Click “Go to Billing Information” and complete all of the required Payment and Billing Information fields. Then click “Continue with Order.” The cart now displays your billing information, displaying an Edit link that allows you to edit the information, if applicable.
8 - Click “Complete Purchase.” A printable version of your order displays on the screen. Click “View printable version” icon to view and print your order.
Explore posts in the same categories: Apartment & Campus Security, Hidden Cameras, Home Security, Surveillance News, Surveillance for Business, Video Surveillance Systems
