AXIS 233D User Manual
AXIS 233D
Network Dome Camera
User’s Manual
About This Document
2
This manual is intended for administrators and users of the
AXIS 233D Network Dome Camera, and is applicable for
software release 4.40. It includes instructions for using and
managing the AXIS 233D on your network. Previous
experience of networking will be of use when installing
and using this product. Some knowledge of UNIX or
Linux-based systems would also be beneficial, for
developing shell scripts and applications. Later versions of
this document will be posted to the Axis Website, as
required. See also the product’s online help, available via
the Web-based interface.
Intellectual Property Rights
Axis AB has intellectual property rights relating to
technology embodied in the product described in this
document. In particular, and without limitation, these
intellectual property rights may include one or more of the
patents listed at http://www.axis.com/patent.htm and one
or more additional patents or pending patent applications
in the US and other countries.
This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL
Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit:
http://www.openssl.org/
Legal Considerations
Camera surveillance can be prohibited by laws that vary
from country to country. Check the laws in your local
region before using this product for surveillance purposes.
This product includes one (1) MPEG-4 decoder license. To
purchase further licenses, contact your reseller.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)
This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation.
If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures: Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and
receiver. Connect the equipment to an outlet on a different
circuit to the receiver. Consult your dealer or an
experienced radio/TV technician for help. Shielded (STP)
network cables must be used with this unit to ensure
compliance with EMC standards.
USA - This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class B computing device
pursuant to Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are
designed to provide reasonable protection against such
interference when operated in a commercial environment.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause interference, in which case the user at his/her own
expense will be required to take whatever measures may be
required to correct the interference.
Canada - This Class B digital apparatus complies with
Canadian ICES-003.
Europe - This digital equipment fulfills the
requirements for radiated emission according to limit B of
EN55022/1998, and the requirements for immunity
according to EN55024/1998 residential, commercial, and
light industry.
Japan - This is a class B product based on the standard of
the Voluntary Control Council for Interference from
Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). If this is used
AXIS COMMUNICATIONS
<Product Name> Quick User’s Guide
near a radio or television receiver in a domestic environment, it
may cause radio interference. Install and use the equipment
according to the instruction manual.
Australia - This electronic device meets the requirements of
the Radio communications (Electromagnetic Compatibility)
Standard 1998 AS/NZS 3548.
Liability
Every care has been taken in the preparation of this manual;
Please inform your local Axis office of any inaccuracies or
omissions. Axis Communications AB cannot be held responsible
for any technical or typographical errors and reserves the right
to make changes to the product and manuals without prior
notice. Axis Communications AB makes no warranty of any
kind with regard to the material contained within this
document, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties
of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Axis
Communications AB shall not be liable nor responsible for
incidental or consequential damages in connection with the
furnishing, performance or use of this material.
Trademark Acknowledgments
Acrobat, Adobe, Boa, Ethernet, IBM, Internet Explorer, Linux,
Macintosh, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netscape Navigator, UNIX,
Windows, WWW are registered trademarks of the respective
holders. Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
in the United States and other countries. UPnP is a certification
mark of the UPnP
Communications AB is independent of Sun Microsystems Inc.
TM
Implementers Corporation. Axis
WEEE Directive
The European Union has enacted a Directive 2002/96/EC
on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE
Directive).
Union member states.
The WEEE marking on this product (see right) or its
documentation indicates that the product must not be
disposed of together with household waste. To prevent possible
harm to human health and/or the environment, the product must
be disposed of in an approved and environmentally safe recycling
process. For further information on how to dispose of this product
correctly, contact the product supplier, or the local authority
responsible for waste disposal in your area.
Business users should contact the product supplier for
information on how to dispose of this product correctly. This
product should not be mixed with other commercial waste.
This directive is applicable in the European
Axis Customer Services
Should you require any technical assistance, please contact
your Axis reseller. If your questions cannot be answered
immediately, your reseller will forward your queries through
the appropriate channels to ensure a rapid response. If you are
connected to the Internet, you can:
• download user documentation and firmware updates
• find answers to resolved problems in the FAQ database.
Search by product, category, or phrases
• report problems to Axis support staff by logging in to your
private support area
• visit the Axis Support Web at www.axis.com/techsup/
Safety Notice - Battery Replacement
The AXIS 233D uses a 3.0V CR2032 Lithium battery as the
power supply for its internal real-time clock (RTC). This
battery will, under normal conditions, last for a minimum
of 5 years. Low battery power affects the operation of the
RTC, causing it to reset at every power-up. A log message
will appear when battery replacement is required.
The battery should not be replaced unless required!
If the battery does need replacing, please observe the
following points:
Caution!
• Danger of Explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced
• Replace only with the same or equivalent battery,
as recommended by the manufacturer.
• Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
AXIS 233D Network Dome Camera User’s Manual
Revision 1.1
Date: June 2007
Part No: 29064
Copyright© Axis Communications AB, 2007
3
AXIS 233D
4
Table of contents
Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Status LED Indicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Using the Network Dome Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Accessing the AXIS 233D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Video Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Stream Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Other methods of accessing the video stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Other MPEG-4 clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Configuring the Network Dome Camera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Accessing the Setup Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Overview of the Setup Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Video & Image Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
MPEG-4 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Audio Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Advanced Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Live View Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
HTML Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
External Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Sequence Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Dome Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Preset Positions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Event Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Event Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Event Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Motion Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Port Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
System Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Date & Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Network - Basic TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Network - Advanced TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
AXIS 233D
SOCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
QoS (Quality of service) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
SMTP (email). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
SNMP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
UPnP™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
RTP / MPEG-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Bonjour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Ports & devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
About. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Resetting to Factory Default Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
I/O terminal Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Power connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
I/O terminal connector blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Checking the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Updating the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Emergency Recovery Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
LED Indicator flash routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Symptoms, Possible Causes and Remedial Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
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Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
General performance considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Optimizing your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Frame rates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Bandwidth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
AXIS 233D - Product Overview
6
Product Overview
The AXIS 233D Network Dome Camera is a high-performance, progressive-scan camera
with security features such as HTTPS and IP address filtering for use in professional and
demanding surveillance situations.
The perfect choice for large area surveillance environments where superior image quality
on moving objects is important from a long distance.
Key Features
• 35x Zoom with EIS- EIS (Electronic Image Stabilizer) reduces the effect of the
vibrations on the image. This feature is especially useful when the network
camera is installed in places that are subject to vibrations such as near a highway
• Wide Dynamic Range - provides a better image in extreme lighting conditions
• Area zoom - Draw a square in the live view with your mouse and the AXIS 233D
will zoom in that area
• Full frame rate at all resolutions in MPEG-4 or Motion JPEG
• E-flip - Electronic Flip inverts the image when a tracked target moves under the
camera.
o
• Pan and Tilt speed: 0.05 - 450
• Two-way audio
• Pre-/post-alarm buffer
/Sec
Overview
Power/Audio
AXIS 233D - Product Overview
7
Network
Connector
I/O terminal
Restart button
Control button
Status LED
Indicator
Serial number label
Network connector - The AXIS 233D connects to the network via a RJ-45 Ethernet
connector. Using shielded cables is recommended.
Power/Audio connector - for connecting power supply and audio. See Power connections,
on page 53.
I/O terminal connectors - The AXIS 233D has 3 (8 pin) I/O terminal connectors that
provide the physical interface to four solid state relay outputs, 4 alarm inputs, auxiliary
power and ground. See
I/O terminal connector blocks, on page 54
AXIS 233D - Product Overview
8
Serial number - This number is located on the product label at the base of the camera and
is used during installation and restoring the camera to factory default settings. Included in
the package is an extra product label, put this in a safe place for future reference.
Restart button - This button power cycles the camera and is to be used during firmware
upgrade or factory reset.
Control button - This button is used to restore the factory default settings as described in
Resetting to Factory Default Settings, on page 51.
For instructions on how to install the AXIS 233D please refer to the Installation Guide
which is supplied with the product in printed format or in PDF format from the Axis Web
site at http://www.axis.com
Status LED Indicator
After completion of the startup and self test routines, the indicator flashes as follows. For
more indicator flash routines see
Color Description
Unlit Steady connection/normal operation
Amber Steady for system initiating. Flashes during
Amber/red Flashes amber/red for no network connec-
Red Flashes red for firmware upgrade failure
Green Shows steady green for 10 sec. for normal
page 58.
firmware upgrade or reset to factory
default
tion
operation after restart
AXIS 233D - Using the Network Dome Camera
Using the Network Dome Camera
This document includes instructions for using and managing the AXIS 233D. For
instructions on how to install the AXIS 233D on your network refer to the Installation
Guide which is supplied with the product in printed format or in PDF format from the Axis
Web site at http://www.axis.com
The AXIS 233D can be used with most standard operating systems and supports Microsoft
Internet Explorer 6.x or later, Netscape 7.x or later and Mozilla 1.4 or later.
Accessing the AXIS 233D
1. Start a Web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape Navigator).
2. Enter the IP address or host name
of the AXIS 233D in the
Location/Address field of your
Web browser.
3. Enter the user name and password set by the administrator.
4. A video image is displayed in your Web browser.
9
Note:
• To be able to view streaming video in Microsoft Internet Explorer, you must set your Web browser to allow
ActiveX controls. If your working environment restricts the use of additional software components, you can
configure the AXIS 233D to use a Java applet for updating images. Please refer to the online help files for
more information.
• User functions in the AXIS 233D may have been customized to meet the specific requirements of the
application. Consequently, many of the examples and functions in this section may differ from those
displayed in your Live View page.
AXIS 233D - Using the Network Dome Camera
10
If the AXIS 233D has been customized, the buttons and other items described below will be
displayed accordingly on the Live View page. The following provides an overview of each
button:
The Video Format drop-down list allows the video format on the Live
View page to be temporarily changed.
The Output buttons control an output directly from the Live View page. These
buttons are configured under Setup > Live View Config > Layout.
Pulse - click this button to activate the port for a defined period of time, e.g. to
switch on a light for 20 seconds.
Active/Inactive - click these buttons to manually start and stop a connected
device, e.g. switch a light on/off.
These buttons start/stop the Sequence Mode. This mode is created in Setup >
Live View Config > Sequence mode and automatically displays the view from
preset positions at set intervals.
The Action buttons trigger an action directly from the Live View page. These
buttons are configured under Setup > Live View Config > Layout. Click these
buttons to manually start and stop events.
Use the Snapshot button to capture a snapshot of the image currently being
displayed in the window. Right-click on the image to save it in JPEG format
on your computer.
Click the Ctrl panel button to access the following buttons:
• Auto focus: Automatically adjusts the image focus.
• Auto iris: Automatically adjusts the amount of light reaching
the image sensor for best image results.
• Backlight comp: Enabling backlight compensation makes the
subject clearer if the image background is too bright, or if the
subject is too dark.
• IR cut filter: When set to off, the camera will be able to “see”
infrared light, e.g. at night, it increases light sensitivity. The
image is shown in black & white when the IR cut filter is off.
Set to Auto to automatically turn the filter off when the
available visible light falls below the minimum requirement.
Note: There are different buttons in the Control Panel depending on the computer’s operating system but the
descriptions and functionality are the same.
AXIS 233D - Using the Network Dome Camera
The AMC viewer toolbar (AXIS Media Control), available from Microsoft Internet
Explorer, displays the following buttons:
The Play/Stop buttons start and stop the live video stream.
The Snapshot button takes a snapshot of the currently displayed image. The
Snapshot function and the target directory for saving snapshots can be configured
from AMC (AXIS Media Control), which is available from the Windows Control
Panel (Internet Explorer only).
Click the View Full Screen button and the video image will fill the entire screen
area. No other windows will be visible. Press Esc (Escape) on the computer
keyboard to cancel full screen view.
Click-in-image movement
Click the Set emulated joystick mode button and click in the image to move the
camera in the desired direction
Click the Center button and the camera view will center on the position that was
clicked. The location to move to has a definite position, e.g. position x,y.
Area Zoom
This allows you to draw a box over a desired area to zoom into. To activate, click the
Center button described in the AMC viewer toolbar or in other Internet browsers choose
PTZ > Center. Using your mouse click in the image and while holding down the left mouse
button draw a square over the area you would like to zoom into.
11
Pan/Tilt/Zoom Controls
The Live View page also displays the Pan/Tilt/Zoom controls. The administrator
can enable/disable the control for specified users under System Options >
Security > Users > User List.
Pan/Tilt/Zoom Control Queue
The time the user is in control of the PTZ settings is limited and a queue of users has been
set up. Use the buttons to request or release control of the Pan/Tilt/Zoom controllers.
AXIS 233D - Using the Network Dome Camera
12
The Pan/Tilt/Zoom Control Queue is set up by the administrator under:
Dome Configuration > Advanced > Control Queue.
The Toolbar available from Mozilla Firefox, displays the following buttons:
The Play/Stop buttons start and stop the live video stream.
The Snapshot button takes a snapshot of the currently displayed image. The
Snapshot function and the target directory for saving snapshots can be configured
from AMC (AXIS Media Control), which is available from the Windows Control
Panel (Internet Explorer only).
Click the View Full Screen button and the video image will fill the entire screen
area. No other windows will be visible. Press Esc (Escape) on the computer
keyboard to cancel full screen view.
Click the Set emulated joystick mode button and click in the image to move the
camera in the desired direction
Click the Center button and the camera view will center on the position that was
clicked. The location to move to has a definite position, e.g. position x,y.
AXIS 295 Video Surveillance Joystick
The AXIS 295 is a USB device that gives responsive and accurate control of the pan, tilt,
zoom functionality. On installation, the joystick is automatically detected by AXIS Media
Control where the 12 buttons can be programmed for a customized video surveillance
system. For more information, please visit the Axis Website at http://www.axis.com
AXIS 233D - Video Streams
Video Streams
The AXIS 233D provides several different image and video stream formats. The type to use
depends on your requirements and on the properties of your network.
The Live View page in the AXIS 233D provides access to Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 video
streams, as well as to single JPEG images. Other applications and clients can also access
these video streams/images directly, without going via the Live View page.
Stream Types
Motion JPEG
This format uses standard JPEG still images in the video stream. These images are then
displayed and updated at a rate sufficient to create a stream that shows constantly updated
motion.
The Motion JPEG stream uses more bandwidth, but also provides excellent image quality
and access to each and every individual image contained in the stream.
Note also that multiple clients accessing Motion JPEG streams can use different image
settings.
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MPEG-4
This is a video compression standard that makes good use of bandwidth, and which can
provide high quality video streams at less than 1 Mbit/s.
Notes: • MPEG-4 is licensed technology. The AXIS 233D includes one viewing client license. Installing addi-
tional unlicensed copies of the viewing client is prohibited. To purchase additional licenses, contact
your Axis reseller.
• All clients viewing the MPEG-4 stream must use the same image settings.
The MPEG-4 standard provides scope for a large range of different coding tools for use by
various applications in different situations, and the AXIS 233D provides certain subsets of
these tools. These are represented as Video object types, which are selected for use with
different viewing clients. The supported video object types are:
• Simple - sets the coding type to H.263, as used by e.g. QuickTime™.
• Advanced Simple - sets the coding type to MPEG-4 Part 2, as used by AMC (AXIS
Media Control)
When using MPEG-4 it is also possible to control the bit rate, which in turn allows the
amount of bandwidth usage to be controlled. CBR (Constant Bit Rate) is used to achieve a
specific bit rate by varying the quality of the MPEG-4 stream. When using VBR (Variable
Bit Rate), the quality of the video stream is kept as constant as possible, at the cost of a
varying bit rate.
AXIS 233D - Video Streams
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MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods
To deliver live streaming video over IP networks, various combinations of transport
protocols and broadcast methods are employed.
• RTP (Realtime Transport Protocol) is a protocol that allows programs to manage the
real-time transmission of multimedia data, via unicast or multicast.
• RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) serves as a control protocol, to negotiate which
transport protocol to use for the stream. RTSP is thus used by a viewing client to start a
unicast session, see below.
• UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a communications protocol that offers limited service
for exchanging data in a network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP). UDP is an alterna
tive to the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The advantage of UDP is that it is not
required to deliver all data and may drop network packets when there is e.g. network
congestion. This is suitable for live video, as there is no point in re-transmitting old
information that will not be displayed anyway.
• Unicasting is communication between a single sender and a single receiver over a network. This means that the video stream goes independently to each user, and each user
gets their own stream. A benefit of unicasting is that if one stream fails, it only affects
one user.
• Multicast is bandwidth-conserving technology that reduces bandwidth usage by simultaneously delivering a single stream of information to multiple network recipients. This
technology is used primarily on delimited networks (intranets), as each user needs an
uninterrupted data flow and should not rely on network routers.
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AXIS 233D - Video Streams
How to stream MPEG-4
Deciding on the combination of protocols and methods to use depends on your viewing
requirements, and on the properties of your network.
RTP+RTSP
This method (actually RTP over UDP and RTSP over TCP) should be your first consideration
for live video, especially when it is important to always have an up-to-date video stream,
even if some images do get dropped. This can be configured as multicast or unicast.
Multicasting provides the most efficient usage of bandwidth, especially when there are
large numbers of clients viewing simultaneously. Note however, that a multicast broadcast
cannot pass a network router unless the router is configured to allow this. It is thus not
possible to multicast over e.g. the Internet.
Unicasting should be used for video-on-demand broadcasting. However, if more and more
unicast clients connect simultaneously, the server will at some point become overloaded.
There is also a maximum of 20 simultaneous viewers to be considered.
RTP/RTSP
This unicast method is RTP tunneled over RTSP. This can be used to exploit the fact that it
is relatively simple to configure firewalls to allow RTSP traffic.
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RTP/RTSP/HTTP or RTP/RTSP/HTTPS
These two methods can also be used to traverse firewalls. Firewalls are commonly
configured to allow the HTTP protocol, thus allowing RTP to be tunneled.
AXIS 233D - Video Streams
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The AXIS Media Control
The recommended method of accessing live video (MPEG-4 and/or Motion JPEG) from the
AXIS 233D is to use the AXIS Media Control (AMC) in Microsoft Internet Explorer in
Windows. This ActiveX component is automatically installed on first use, after which it
can be configured by opening the AMC Control Panel applet from the Windows Control
Panel. Alternatively, right-click the video image in Internet Explorer.
Other methods of accessing the video stream
Video/images from the AXIS 233D can also be accessed in the following ways:
• If supported by the client, the AXIS 233D can use Motion JPEG server push to display
video. This option maintains an open HTTP connection to the browser and sends data as
and when required, for as long as required.
• As single JPEG images in a browser. Enter e.g. the path:
http://<ip>/axis-cgi/jpg/image.cgi?resolution=CIF
• Windows Media Player. This requires AMC and the MPEG-4 decoder to be installed. The
paths that can be used are listed below, in the order of preference.
• Unicast via RTP: axrtpu://<ip>/mpeg4/media.amp
• Unicast via RTSP: axrtsp://<ip>/mpeg4/media.amp
• Unicast via RTSP, tunneled via HTTP: axrtsphttp://<ip>/mpeg4/media.amp
• Unicast via RTSP, tunneled via HTTPS: axrtsphttps://<ip>/mpeg4/media.amp
• Multicast: axrtpm://<ip>/mpeg4/media.amp
Other MPEG-4 clients
Although it may be possible to use other clients to view the MPEG-4 stream, this is not
guaranteed by Axis. For some other clients, e.g. QuickTime™ the Video Object Type must
be set to Simple, under Video & Image > Advanced > MPEG-4. It may also be necessary
to adjust the advanced MPEG-4 settings.To assess the video stream from e.g. QuickTime™
the following path can be used:
rtsp://<ip>/mpeg4/media.amp
This path is for all supported methods, and the client will negotiate with the network
camera to determine exactly which transport protocol to use.
Notes: <ip> = IP address
AXIS 233D - Configuring the Network Dome Camera
Configuring the Network Dome Camera
This section describes how to configure the AXIS 233D and is intended for the product
Administrator who has unrestricted access to all Setup tools and Operator who has access
to Video & Image, Live View Config and Event Configuration. See the section on
on page 39 for more information on user access control.
The AXIS 233D is configured under Setup from a standard browser.
Accessing the Setup Tools
Follow the instructions below to access the Setup Tools from a Web browser.
1. Start the Web browser and enter
the IP address or domain name
of the AXIS 233D in the
location/address field.
2. The Live View page is now displayed. Click Setup to display the Setup configuration
tools.
Security,
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Overview of the Setup Tools
Setup Configuration
AXIS 233D - Video & Image Settings
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Video & Image Settings
The following descriptions offer examples of the available features in the AXIS 233D. For
details of each setting, please refer to the online help files which are available from each
page. Click
to access the help files.
Image Settings
To optimize the video images according to your requirements, modify the following
settings under Image Appearance. Each setting is described in the online help files
All configuration of images and overlays will affect the performance of the network
camera, depending on the usage and the available bandwidth.
• High resolution generates larger files
• Lower compression improves image quality, but generates larger files
• Black & White uses less bandwidth than Color
See also the specifications for frame rates and bandwidth in General performance
considerations, on page 65.
AXIS 233D - Video & Image Settings
Overlay Settings
Use these settings to include an image
as an overlay, and/or the date and
time, along with text of your own.
Text overlays are all included on one
line at the top or bottom of the video
Date &
Time
Overlay
image
image. Use text overlays in
combination with OSDI (On-Screen
Directional Indicator)
on page 31 to aid the viewer in navigating the camera.
Example:
To set up
PTZ coordinates in
text overlay.
To show the Preset and OSDI Zone name as text overlay use #P #L
Video Stream
The Maximum video stream time can be set as Unlimited, or a maximum stream time per
session in seconds, minutes or hours can be defined. When the set time has expired, a new
stream can be started by refreshing the page in the Web browser. Note that the maximum
video stream time does not apply to clients connecting via multicast.
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To avoid bandwidth problems on the network, the frame rate allowed to each viewer can
also be limited. Select either Unlimited or define a maximum frame rate per viewer.
For a preview of the image and overlay settings before saving, click Test. When you are
satisfied with the settings, click Save.
Please use the online help files for more information.
Overlay Image Settings
An overlay image is an image included in the video image. This might, for example, be
your own company logo. Follow these instructions to upload and use an overlay image:
1. Go to Setup > Video & Image > Overlay Image.
2. To upload the file (a logo or image) to the AXIS 233D, click the Browse button and
locate it on your computer or server.
3. Click the Upload button and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. The image is now available in the Use overlay image drop-down list.
5. Click Save.
6. Go to Setup > Video & Image and modify the parameters under Overlay Settings.
AXIS 233D - Video & Image Settings
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Overlay image requirements Overlay image limitations
Image Formats Image Size
• Windows 24-bit BMP (full color)
• Windows 4-bit BMP (16 colors)
• OS/2 4-bit BMP (16 colors)
The height and width of the overlay
image in pixels must be exactly
divisible by 4.
• If the image overlay and text overlay are larger
than the video image, no overlay will be displayed. When also using a text overlay, this
will occupy 16 pixels in height and as many in
width as the video image.
• If the overlay is initially positioned so that
part of it is outside the video image, it will be
relocated so that it appears over the video
image, i.e. the entire image is always displayed.
• The maximum overlay image size supported by
the AXIS 233D is the same as the maximum
image resolution. See Technical Specifications,
on page 46.
Privacy Mask
Privacy masks allow you to mask areas in an image that are prohibited for the viewer. A
3D mask, covers the area regardless of the camera’s angle or zoom position.
To set up a privacy mask:
1. Go to Setup > Video & Image > Privacy Mask and click on the Add button.
2. Move the camera’s view so that the area to be masked is at the center of the image.
3. Use zoom or change the Width and Height values to adjust size of the masked area.
4. Click Save.
Advanced Camera Settings
To optimize the lighting settings according to your requirements, modify the following
settings under Lighting Conditions:
• Color level, Brightness and Sharpness- Find the level that best suits your image
needs by testing.
• Exposure control - this setting is used to adapt to the amount/type of light being
used. Allow slow shutter can be enabled/disabled when the exposure control is
set to Automatic.
• Exposure area-This setting determines which part of the image will be used to
calculate the exposure.
• IR cut filter - when the IR cut filter is set to OFF, the camera will be able to ‘see’
infrared light, e.g. at night, thus making the image clearer. The image is shown in
black & white when the IR cut filter is off.
Note: If set to Auto, the camera will automatically switch between IR cut filter ON
and OFF, according to the current lighting conditions. This is only possible when
the iris is set to Auto Iris, and the exposure control is set to Automatic.
• Wide dynamic range - Corrects the exposure when the contrast is extreme
AXIS 233D - Video & Image Settings
between light and dark in an image. Test the different levels to find the one that
works best of your light conditions.
• Backlight compensation - this setting is used to make the subject appear clearer,
e.g. against a bright background.
Low Light Behavior
The settings for Low Light Behavior determine how the camera will behave at low light
levels. These settings affect video image quality and frame rate.
Exposure control - This setting is used to adapt to the amount or type of light used.
Automatic is the default setting and can be used in most situations. The shutter speed is
automatically set to produce optimum image quality. Use Manual if you have special
requirements for the exposure setting
Max exposure time - Increasing the exposure time will improve image quality, but at the
expense of the total frame rate. There may also be an increase in motion blur.
Max gain - Measured in decibels (dB), the default value is 36 dB. A high level of
amplification may provide a better image in very low light situations.
Shutter speed - A slower shutter speed in dark conditions will help to produce a brighter
image, but will produce fewer frames per second which may cause images to be blurry
during motion.
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Please use the online help files for more information.
Image Settings
• Auto focus enabled (default setting).
• Stabilizer - When monitoring an environment that is subject to vibrations (i.e.
traffic control) the images can appear to be unsteady. Choose the frequency (High
or Low) that best applies to your environment to improve image quality.
• Image freeze on PTZ - Set this option to On to freeze the image during camera
movement. Once the camera reaches its position the current image is shown. Auto
freezes images only between preset positions.
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