Representing the networking-oriented side of things over at this year’s COMPUTEX Taipei 2010, I paid a visit to the fine folks at Compro Technology and Thecus to see what new goodies they had in store for the world. Let’s have a look at what I found.
IP Camera Solutions from Compro Technology
The idea of having a webcam is anything but new. You can use just about any webcam to participate in video chats and take random pictures for DailyBooth, but what if you want more functionality than that? That’s where an IP camera comes into play.
A big part of Compro’s business is precisely in this realm. I was shown no fewer than six different units as part of Compro’s lineup. Some were fixed in scope, like the IP60 shown at the top of this article; others could move around either by manual control or automatically, like the IP540P shown here.
With the IP540P, you get 340-degree pan and 100-degree tilt, along with 4x digital zoom, IR LEDs for night use, video resolution up to 1280 x 1024 pixels, two-way audio, an optional WiFi module, and local storage support.
Checking Out the Software Side
The hardware side of the IP camera equation is one thing, but the hardware doesn’t matter that much if the software isn’t up to snuff. Compro is taking care of that too with its ComproView video management software.
Using this software, you can manage multiple video streams from multiple cameras, making it great for surveillance over a large area that cannot be seen from a single vantage point. The software also allows you to control the movement of cameras that support it. This way, you can pan, scan, and zoom at will.
You’ll also notice various other buttons to adjust the brightness, microphone volume, and speaker volume, as well as take snapshots and record the video input.
Panning and Scanning to an Open Door
There was one demo set up that showed off an even more interesting feature. When used with the compatible door module, you can set up the camera to automatically pan over to point at that door when it is opened.
The battery for door module is standard and should last for up to six months at a time. This can be a great solution for home security, for instance, as well as in a more corporate or enterprise application.
Thecus N4200 Dual Power NAS Will Not Crash
Many of us already know that using network-attached storage (NAS) is so much more powerful than what you can normally achieve with a regular external hard drive. However, just like any other piece of computer hardware, a NAS enclosure does run the risk of crashing.
To help minimize this risk, Thecus has implemented several features in its Thecus N4200. Using a better Intel Atom processor (D510) than the Thecus N0503, this unit offers improved reliability with its Dual DOM (Disk On Module) design. If your firmware becomes inaccessible, the secondary DOM automatically reprograms the primary one.
Other highlights include the dual displays, support for both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives, VMWare support, a DLNA-compliant media server, six USB 2.0 ports, and two eSATA ports.
The Thecus N4200 also has an extra internal battery in case of a power outage. This way, you won’t suffer any data loss if the power goes down.
This won’t replace a proper uninterrupted power supply (UPS), but it offers a good backup plan.
Thecus Offers Surveillance with NVR Solutions
Compro isn’t the only one wants to record video from every corner of your home or office. Thecus is jumping into the arena with its NVR solution too. Support all sorts of different IP cameras, the Thecus NVR options allow you to manage multiple camera streams, including the ability to record at will.
The outward appearance of the different Thecus NVR units, like the NVR 42 and NVR 77, may be nearly identical to their NAS counterparts, but they offer more specific functionality in the context of network video recording.
Since you can have up to seven hard drives, you’ll have plenty of space to record all that video. It can also handle many different IP camera streams at the same time, ensuring you can always have an eye on just about everything.
The software side of the equation looks pretty typical of a Windows application. Most adjustments are performed through pull-down menus and you can change the layouts of the different cameras connected to the NVR.
As you can see above, you can have smaller or larger windows for each camera view. Each of the viewing boxes in the main window can be swapped for any camera, including the ability to shuffle through them automatically on a timed basis.
Network Your World at COMPUTEX Taipei
Believe it or not, we’ve still got more COMPUTEX Taipei 2010 coverage coming down the pipe. Stay tuned for some great factory tour coverage, closing remarks from COMPUTEX, and a whole bunch of new videos on our YouTube Channel that you won’t see anywhere else.
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COMPUTEX 2010 – Compro and Thecus Offer IP Cameras, NAS, and NVR Solutions – Photo Gallery
