AXIS 241SA, 241S, 241Q, 241QA User Manual

AXIS 241Q, AXIS 241S,

AXIS 241QA and AXIS 241SA

Video Servers

User’s Manual

About This Document

This manual is intended for administrators and users of the AXIS 241Q and AXIS 241S Video Server (firmware release

4.30), and the AXIS 241QA and 241SA Video Server (firmware release 4.30). It includes instructions for using and managing the Video Server 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.

Safety Notices Used In This Manual

Caution! - Indicates a potential hazard that can damage the product. Important! - Indicates a hazard that can seriously impair operation. Do not proceed beyond any of the above notices until you have fully understood the implications.

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 contains licensed third-party software. See the menu item “About” in the product’s user interface for more information.

Legal Considerations

Camera and audio 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.

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.

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

Ethernet, Internet Explorer, Linux, Microsoft, Mozilla, OS/2, UNIX, Windows, WWW are registered trademarks of the respective holders. QuickTime™ is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Axis Communications AB is independent of Sun Microsystems Inc. UPnP™ is a certification mark of the UPnP™ Implementers Corporation.

Support 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 Video Server 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, 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 241Q/S/QA/SA

Table of contents

Product Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

AXIS 241Q/QA Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

AXIS 241S/SA Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Video Server Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Using the Video Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Accessing the Video Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

The Live View page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Video and Audio Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Video Stream Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The AXIS Media Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

How to stream MPEG-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Other methods of accessing the video stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Configuring the Video Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Accessing the Setup tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Video & Image Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Image Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Video Source Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Overlay/Mask Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Advanced - MPEG-4 Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Quad Stream Settings (AXIS 241QA/SA only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Audio (AXIS 241QA/SA only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Audio Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Live View Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

HTML Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

External Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Sequence Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Event Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Event Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Event Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Motion Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Port Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Pan Tilt Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Installing PTZ Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA

PTZ Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

PTZ Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

System Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Date & Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Network - Basic TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Network - Advanced TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

SOCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

SMTP (email) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

SNMP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

UPnP™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

RTP (Multicast)/MPEG-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Ports & Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Resetting to the Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Unit Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

The D-Sub Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

The I/O Terminal Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Schematic Diagram - I/O Terminal Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

COM Ports RS-232 and RS-485 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Y/C to BNC Cable (AXIS 241S/SA only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Checking the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Upgrading the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

General performance considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Optimizing your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Frame rates - Motion JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Frame rates - MPEG-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Bandwidth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Product Description

Product Description

This manual is applicable for the following Axis Video Servers:

• AXIS 241S: 1-port video server

• AXIS 241Q: 4-port video server

• AXIS 241SA: 1-port video server including 2-way audio

• AXIS 241QA: 4-port video server including 2-way audio

• Blade versions

The information provided in this manual applies to all models, unless otherwise indicated.

The Video Server is fully featured for security surveillance and remote monitoring needs. It is based on the AXIS ARTPEC-2 compression chip, and can digitize up to 4 analog video sources and make these available on the network as real-time, full frame rate Motion JPEG and/or MPEG-4 video streams.

The AXIS 241Q/241QA has 4 BNC inputs for analog video devices and the AXIS 241S/SA has 1 BNC input and a matching loop-through output. The AXIS 241S/SA can also accommodate Y/C video using an Y/C to BNC cable (not included).

The Video Server is equipped with RS-232 and RS-485 ports for connecting third party PTZ systems. It also has 4 alarm inputs and 4 alarm outputs, which can be used to connect various third party devices, e.g. door sensors and alarm bells.

The AXIS 241QA/241SA has a Line/Mic In (mono) for connecting an external microphone or other source producing a line level signal. An active speaker with a built-in amplifier can be connected to Line Out (mono) to enable two-way communication. Audio communication can be bi-directional (full-duplex), push to talk (half-duplex) or in one direction only (simplex).

Up to 20 viewers can access the Video Server simultaneously when using Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 unicast. Each MPEG-4 viewer requires a separate MPEG-4 decoder license, of which one is included. Additional licenses can be purchased separately from your Axis dealer. If using other clients to view the MPEG-4 video stream, no further MPEG-4 decoder licenses are required.

Video can be viewed in 5 resolutions (up to 4CIF), and image compression is configurable. The Video Server contains support for video motion detection, which allows the unit to trigger on activity in the video image, and advanced scheduling tools which can also be used to trigger an event. As the Video Server is designed for use in security systems, it is equipped with several security features, such as IP address filtering, several user levels with passwords and HTTPS.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Product Description

The Video Server has a built-in web server, providing full access to all features through the use of a standard browser. The built-in scripting tool allows basic applications to be created, providing basic surveillance solutions. For advanced functionality, the Video Server can be integrated via the use of the AXIS HTTP API (see www.axis.com/developer).

AXIS 241Q/QA Front Panel

AXIS 241Q

Control Button

AXIS 241QA

Control Button

Indicators - After completion of the startup and self-test routines, the multi-colored Network, Status and Power Indicators flash as follows:

Unlit No connection.

Network

Status

Power Green Normal operation.

Green Steady for connection to a 100 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activity.

Amber Steady for connection to a 10 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activity.

Unlit When configured for “no flash” on camera access.

Green Steady for normal operation. Can be configured to flash green at intervals

whenever the camera is accessed. See the online help for more information.

Amber Steady during startup, reset to factory default or when restoring settings.

Red Slow flash for failed upgrade.

Amber Flashes green/amber during firmware upgrade.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Product Description

DIP Switches - A corresponding line termination switch for each of the supported video inputs. All units are shipped with the line termination enabled for each supported video input; that is, with the DIP switches set in the down-position.

Note: If the video source is to be connected in parallel with other equipment, disable the input termination by

turning the corresponding DIP switch to the up-position (OFF). Failure to do so may cause reduced image quality.

Control Button - Press this button to restore the factory default settings, as described in Resetting to the Factory Default Settings, on page 53, or to install using AXIS Internet

Dynamic DNS Service (See AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA Video Server Installation Guide).

Video Inputs - Accommodates up to 4 separate video sources (VIDEO 1 - VIDEO 4) simultaneously. Each supported video input is connected using a coax/BNC connector. Physical connections made using e.g. 75 Ohm coax video cable have a recommended maximum length of 800 feet (250 meters).

Line Out (AXIS 241QA only) - Mono audio output (line level), which can be connected to a public address (PA) system or an active speaker with a built-in amplifier. A pair of headphones can also be attached.

Line/Mic In (AXIS 241QA only) - One 3.5mm input for a mono microphone, or for line-in mono signal (only the left channel is used from a stereo signal).

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Product Description

AXIS 241S/SA Front Panel

AXIS 241S

AXIS 241SA

Indicators - After completion of the startup and self test routines, the multi-colored Network, Status, Power Indicators flash as follows:

Control Button

Unlit No connection.

Network

Status

Power Green Normal operation.

Green Steady for connection to a 100 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activ-

Amber Steady for connection to a 10 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activity.

Unlit When configured for “no flash” on camera access.

Green Steady for normal operation. Can be configured to flash green at intervals

Amber Steady during startup, reset to factory default or when restoring settings.

Red Slow flash for failed upgrade.

ity.

whenever the camera is accessed. See the online help for more informa tion.

DIP Switches - upon delivery the AXIS 241S/SA is configured for composite video input.

Switch 1 2 3 4

Description

Composite video input

Y/C video input on on off n/a

75 ohm video in

termination

on off on n/a

75 ohm video out

termination

Connects video in and

video out

Not used

Note: If the AXIS 241S/SA is to be connected in loop-through with other equipment, disable the input termina-

tion by setting switch 1 to the up-position (OFF). Failure to do this may cause reduced image quality.

Control Button - Press this button to restore the factory default settings, as described in Resetting to the Factory Default Settings, on page 53, or to install using AXIS Internet

Dynamic DNS Service (see AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA Video Server Installation Guide).

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Product Description

Video Input - Coaxial BNC connector supporting a single composite video source. The physical connection is made using 75 Ohm coax video cable with a recommended maximum length of 800 feet (250 meters).

Note: The AXIS 241S/SA supports conversion between composite video and Y/C (S-video) using an Y/C to BNC

cable.

Video Output - A single video loop-through (VIDEO OUT) connected in parallel with VIDEO IN and terminated with a coax/BNC connector. Allows direct connection of e.g. an external monitor. Set DIP switch to OFF when in use.

Line Out (AXIS 241SA only) - Mono audio output (line level), which can be connected to a public address (PA) system or an active speaker with a built-in amplifier. A pair of headphones can also be attached.

Line/Mic In (AXIS 241SA only) - One 3.5mm input for a mono microphone, or for line-in mono signal (only the left channel is used from a stereo signal).

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Product Description

Video Server Rear Panel

The Serial Number is located on the label on the underside of the unit.

Power Supply Connector - A single socket for connection of the PS-K power adapter.

I/O Terminal connector - The I/O Terminal connector provides the physical interface to 4

digital transistor outputs, 4 digital inputs and an RS-485 interface. See page 54 for more information.

Note: The I/O Terminal connector also provides an auxiliary connection point for DC

power.

Network Connector - The Video Server connects to the network via a standard network cable, and automatically detects the speed of the local network segment (10BaseT/100BaseTX Ethernet).

Unit Connectors, on

RS-232 Serial Connector - A 9-pin D-sub connector providing an RS-232 serial connection. Typically used for connecting Pan/Tilt/Zoom devices. See page 54 for more information.

Unit Connectors, on

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Using the Video Server

Using the Video Server

The Video Server can be used with most standard operating systems and browsers. The recommended browser is Internet Explorer with Windows, and Mozilla with other operating systems. See also the

Note: For information on installing the Video Server, please refer to the Installation Guide.

Accessing the Video Server

1. Start your browser.

2. Enter the IP address or host name of the Video Server in the Location/Address field of your browser.

3. Enter the user name and password set by the administrator.

4. A video image is displayed in your browser.

Technical Specifications, on page 63.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Using the Video Server

Notes: •To view streaming video in Microsoft Internet Explorer, you must set your browser to allow the

AXIS Media Control (AMC) to be installed on your computer. AMC is required to use audio in the AXIS 241QA/SA. AMC also provides an MPEG-4 decoder for viewing MPEG-4 video streams. This decoder is installed the first time an MPEG-4 video stream is accessed. Please note that the product administrator may have disabled the installation of the decoder, as a license is required for each instance. See page 31 for more information.

•If your workstation restricts the use of additional software components, the Video Server can be configured to use a Java applet for updating JPEG images. Please see the online help for more information.

The Live View page

If your Video Server has been customized to meet specific requirements, the buttons and other items described below may or may not be displayed on the Live View page. The following provides an overview of each available button:

To resize the displayed image, click the View Size buttons: half-size

/2), full-size (x1), x2 or x4. This will not change the resolution of the

(x image (not available in Sequence Mode).

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 2 or more video sources at set intervals.

From the Source list, select the desired video image(s). The list can contain internal video sources, external video sources, or the Quad Stream view (AXIS 241Q/QA only). The Quad Stream option displays all four video images in one stream.

The Action buttons trigger an event 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.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Using the Video Server

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 on your computer.

The AMC viewer toolbar (AXIS Media Control) is available in Microsoft Internet Explorer only and displays the following buttons:

The Play/Stop buttons start and stop the media 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 your keyboard to cancel full screen view.

Audio controls for AXIS 241QA/SA

Click the Speaker and Microphone buttons to switch the sound off and on for the speaker and microphone, respectively.

Use the slider to control the volume on the speaker and microphone. The volume can be set between 0 and 100.

When using Half-duplex mode, this button toggles between allowing you to speak and listen. The first icon indicates that you can talk and the speaker attached to the Video Server will play your voice. The second icon indicates that you will hear

audio from the Video Server, but no audio will be sent to any web clients. When in simplex talk mode, the icon toggles between allowing you to speak and is dimmed when you do not want other clients to receive any audio.

Note that these AMC toolbar functions can also be accessed by right-clicking in the image.

For information on using Pan/Tilt/Zoom controls, please see Pan Tilt Zoom, on page 38.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video and Audio Streams

Video and Audio Streams

The Video Server provides several different video and audio stream formats. The type to use depends on your requirements and on the properties of your network.

The Live View page in the Video Server provides access to Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 video and audio streams, as well as to single JPEG images. Other applications and clients can also access these video and audio streams/images directly, without going via the Live View page.

Video 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 considerable amounts of 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.

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.

The MPEG-4 standard provides scope for a large range of different coding tools for use by various applications in different situations, and the Video Server 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

• Advanced Simple - in Axis products, this sets the coding type to MPEG-4 Part 2

AMC (AXIS Media Control) supports both object types, whilst e.g. QuickTime™ requires the Simple object type.

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 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video and Audio Streams

Notes: •MPEG-4 is licensed technology. The Video Server includes one license for the decoder required

for viewing in AMC. Installing additional unlicensed copies of this decoder is prohibited. To purchase more decoder licenses, contact your Axis reseller.

•All clients viewing the MPEG-4 stream must use the same image settings.

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 (Real-Time 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.

The AXIS Media Control

The recommended method of accessing live video (MPEG-4 and/or Motion JPEG) and audio from the Video Server 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.

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. Setting the preferred method(s) is done in the control applet for AMC, which is found in the Windows Control Panel. When this has been set, AMC will test all the selected methods in the specified order, until the first functioning one is found.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video and Audio Streams

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, so that there is no video traffic on the network until a client connects and requests the stream. 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.

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.

Other MPEG-4 clients

Although it may be possible to use other clients to view the MPEG-4 stream, it is not guaranteed to work in all cases.

For some other clients, e.g. QuickTime™ the Video Object Type must be set to Simple. 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 Video Server to determine exactly which transport protocol to use.

Notes: • <ip> = IP address.

• # = video source number or the quad stream. This is set to 1 if omitted.

Audio transmission methods

The audio stream can be accessed in the Live View page when viewing either Motion JPEG or MPEG-4.

Using Motion JPEG

The basic transmission method of audio used in conjunction with Motion JPEG video streaming is transmission over HTTP. The video and audio streams are not synchronized when using Motion JPEG so the streams may be slightly out of sync. The latency in any stream should be low, but this will depend on the network infrastructure.

Using MPEG-4

When using MPEG-4, audio is streamed using the same protocol as the video stream.

When audio is transmitted using MPEG-4, the Axis product sends synchronization information along with the streams to the client that is performing the synchronization.

Note: Audio is streamed from the client to the server over HTTP when using Motion JPEG and MPEG-4.

Accessing the Audio Streams

In addition to accessing audio in the Live View page using AMC, audio from the Video Server can also be accessed in the following ways:

HTTP-API

You can read about accessing audio for the other protocols through the HTTP-API at http://www.axis.com/techsup

QuickTime/Windows Media Player

It is possible to use QuickTime and Windows Media Player to listen to the audio stream using the same methods to access video streams.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video and Audio Streams

Java Applet

The Java applet supports simplex audio.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Configuring the Video Server

Configuring the Video Server

This section describes how to configure the Video Server and is intended for:

• administrators, who have unrestricted access to all the Setup tools

• operators, who have access to the Video & Image, Audio, Live View Config and Event Configuration settings.

The Video Server is configured from the Setup link, in a standard browser (see also the Technical Specifications on

Accessing the Setup tools

Follow the instructions below to access the Setup Tools from a browser.

1. Start the browser and enter the IP address or host name of the Video Server in the location/address field.

2. The Live View page is now displayed. Click Setup to display the Setup tools.

page 63).

Setup

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video & Image Settings

Video & Image Settings

The following descriptions show examples of the available features in the Video Server. For details of each setting, please refer to the online help available from each page. Click

to access the online help.

Image Settings

Image Appearance

Modify the Image Appearance to optimize the video images according to your requirements.

All configuration of images and overlays will affect the performance of the Video Server, 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

• Rotating the image 90 or 270 degrees will lower the maximum frame rate See also the specifications for frame rates and bandwidth on page 67.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video & Image Settings

Text Overlay Settings

Include date, time and/or text of your choice to be viewed on the image. The color of the text may be set to white or black, while background color may be set to white, black, transparent or semitransparent. The position of the text is set either to the top or the bot tom of the image.

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.

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.

Test

For a preview of the image and overlay settings before saving, click Test. When you are satisfied with the settings, click Save.

Video Source Settings

These settings allow you to enter a descriptive name for the video source, and also to eliminate any black borders surrounding the image, by making Offset adjustments. See the online help for more information.

AXIS 241S only:

Select the physical connector the video source is connected to, BNC or Y/C. The AXIS 241S supports conversion between composite video and Y/C (s-video) using an ACC Y/C to BNC cable.

• BNC (composite video) connects a standard video camera or other video equipment

• Y/C (S-video) connects a Y/C (S-video) camera or other video equipment

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video & Image Settings

Overlay/Mask Settings

Overlay/Mask Type

Overlay/Mask Type allows you to place an overlay, or up to three privacy masks over the video

Date &

Time

image

Overlay

image:

• Upload and place an image as an overlay - usually used to provide extra information in the video image.

• Place up to three privacy masks

- up to 3 configurable masks can be used to conceal different areas of the video image.

Selecting the overlay/mask type from the menu will display further settings available for the selected type. See the online help for further information.

Note: If you need to see an area of the video that is covered by an overlay or mask, a privacy mask cannot be

bypassed. An overlay image, however, can be bypassed with the help of the AXIS HTTP API.

Upload and use an overlay

To upload an overlay image to the camera:

1. Select Uploaded image as overlay in the drop-down list for Overlay/Mask Type. New options appear.

2. In the field Upload own image, click the Browse button and locate the image file on your computer or server.

3. Click the Upload button and follow the on-screen instructions.

To use an already uploaded image:

1. Select an uploaded image from the Use image drop-down list.

2. Place the image at the required location by entering the x and y coordinates.

3. Click Save.

AXIS 241Q/S/QA/SA - Video & Image Settings

Overlay image requirements:

Image Formats Image Size

• Windows 24-bit BMP (full color)

• Windows 4-bit BMP (16 colors)

The height and width of the overlay image in pixels must be exactly divisible by 4.

Overlay image limitations:

• The maximum overlay image size supported by the Video Server is the same as the maximum image resolution. See Technical Specifications,

on page 63.

• When a text overlay is also used, this reduces the amount of space available to the overlay image. To keep the text readable at lower resolutions, the text overlay occupies proportionally more of the image at lower resolutions.

• 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. it is always the entire image that is displayed.

Please see the online help for more information.

Use a Privacy Mask

To use privacy masks to hide different areas of the video image:

1. Select Configurable areas as privacy mask in the drop-down list for Overlay/Mask Type. New options appear.

2. Enter the (x,y) coordinates of the top left hand corner of the mask, and the height and width to define the masks’ placement and size.

3. Select the privacy masks’ color: black, grey, white, or red.

4. Click in the box beside Enable to enable one or more of the masks you have defined and click on Save.

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