AXIS 25896R3 User Manual

AXIS 213 PTZ Network Camera

User’s Manual

About This Document

This manual is intended for administrators and users of the AXIS 213 PTZ Network Camera, and is applicable for software release 4.30. 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.

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. This product contains source code copyright Apple Computer, Inc., under the terms of Apple Public Source License 2.0 (see http://www.opensource.apple.com/apsl/). The source code is available from: http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/bonjour/

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.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

USA - This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio

frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause interference to radio communications. It 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. Shielded cables should be used with this unit to ensure compliance with the Class B limits.

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 ba sed on the stand ard of the

Voluntary Control Council for Interference from Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). If this is use d ne ar 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 Com patibility) 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 n otice. Axis Communications AB makes no warranty of any kind wit h 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 con seq uential damages in connection with the furnishing, performan ce or use of th is materi al.

Trademark Acknowledgments

Ethernet, 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.

Implementers Corporation. Axis

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 213 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 213

Table of contents

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

Hardware Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

AXIS 213 PTZ Network Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Accessing the camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Accessing from a browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Setting the Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Accessing the camera from the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Live View page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

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

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

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

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

How to stream MPEG-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Other methods of accessing the video stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Accessing the setup tools from a browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Event Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Event Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Event Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Motion Detection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Port Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

System Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Date & Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Network - SOCKS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Network - SMTP (email) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Network - UPnP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

RTP/MPEG-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

AXIS 213

Ports & Devices - I/O Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

LED Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Resetting to Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Connection Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

AUDIO IN/OUT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Inputs and outputs (I/Os). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

VIDEO IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

VIDEO OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

RS-232C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Schematic Diagram - Connection Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Checking the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Updating the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Technical Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

General performance considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Optimizing your system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Frame rates - Motion JPEG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Frame rates - MPEG-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Bandwidth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

AXIS 213 - Product Description

Product Description

The AXIS 213 is a full-featured PTZ Network Camera for security surveillance and remote monitoring. The images from the camera are made available on the network as real-time, full frame rate Motion JPEG streams and/or MPEG-4 video streams. The AXIS 213 also has an infrared (IR) lamp and a removable IR filter for day and night operation.

The AXIS 213 can optionally be equipped with a connection module that provides 2 inputs and 3 outputs, which can be connected to external devices, e.g. door sensors. The connection module also provides Audio IN/OUT connections, thus providing support for 2-way audio. For more information on the connection module see

51. Video can be viewed in 5 resolutions (up to 768x576). Up to 20 viewers can access the

AXIS 213 simultaneously when using Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 unicast. The number of simultaneous viewers can be increased by using multicast MPEG-4.

The AXIS 213 contains advanced scheduling tools that can be used to trigger an event. As the AXIS 213 is designed for use in security systems, it is equipped with security features such as IP address filtering and multilevel passwords. The AXIS 213 has a built-in Web server, providing full access to all features through the use of a standard Web browser.

page

Hardware Inventory

Check the items supplied with your AXIS 213 against the following list:

Item Title/Variants

PTZ Network Camera AXIS 213 Indoor power adapter with

power cable

Printed documentation AXIS 213 Installation Guide Warranty document CD Contains complimentary software and docu-

Optional Accessories Connection Module

Europe UK Australia USA/Japan Korea

mentation.

The power adapter is country specific.

AXIS 213 - Product Description

AXIS 213 PTZ Network Camera

IR Light - infrared light for

night vision. Activated from the AXIS 213 web page.

Network Indicator - the

multi-colored network indicator flashes as follows:

•Amber - flashes for activity on a 10 Mbit/s network

•Green - flashes for activity on a 100 Mbit/s network

•Red - flashes for failed firmware upgrade

•None - no connection or disabled by the administrator

Network Connector - The AXIS 213

connects to the network via a standard RJ-45 connector. The AXIS 213 detects the speed of the local network segment (10BaseT/100BaseTX Ethernet).

Output/Input Connector - For connection

of the connection module cable. See below for further information.

Power Connector - For connection of the

power adapter (included).

The Reset Button is located on the underside of the unit. This button is used to restore the factory default settings, as described in

Resetting to Factory Default

Settings, on page 50 or to install the AXIS 213, see the Installation Guide for more

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

AXIS 213 - Product Description

Optional Accessory: Connection Module - The connection module provides the physical interface to 3

relay outputs, 2 digital inputs, audio in/out, video in/out and the RS-232C serial port.

Connection Module, on page 51 for more information.

See

RS 232C

Audio In/Out

Video In/Out

Note: For information on installing the AXIS 213, please refer to the Installation Guide.

3 Relay Outputs

2 Digital Inputs

Connector to AXIS 213

AXIS 213 - Accessing the camera

Accessing the camera

The AXIS 213 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.

Note: To view streaming video in Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows, you must set your browser to

allow the AXIS Media Control (AMC) to be installed on your computer. The first time an MPEG-4 video stream is accessed, AMC also installs an MPEG-4 decoder for viewing the video stream. As a license is required for each instance of the decoder, the product administrator may have disabled the installation. If your workstation restricts the use of additional software components, the camera can be configured to use a Java applet for updating JPEG images. See the online help for more information.

Accessing from a browser

1. Start a browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape Navigator).

2. Enter the IP address or host name of the AXIS 213 in the Location/ A ddress field of your browser.

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

4. A video image is displayed in your browser.

Notes:

•User functions in the AXIS 213 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.

•If the AXIS 213 is to be placed upright on a desktop, the image must be rotated. Go to Setup > Video & Image and set Rotate image to 180 degrees.

AXIS 213 - Accessing the camera

Setting the Password

1. When accessing the camera for the first time, the ‘Configure Root Password’ dialog will be displayed on the screen.

2. Enter a password and then re-enter it, to confirm the spelling. Click OK.

3. The ‘Enter Network Password’ dialog will appear. Enter the User name: root Note: The default administrator user name root is permanent and cannot be deleted or altered.

4. Enter the password as set in step 2 above, and click OK. If the password is lost, the camera must be reset to the factory default settings. See page 50.

5. If required, click Yes to install the AXIS Media Control (AMC). You will need administrator rights on the computer to do this.

Accessing the camera from the Internet

Once installed, the camera is accessible on your local network (LAN). To access the camera from the Internet you must configure your router/firewall to allow incoming data traffic. For security reasons this is usually done on a specific port. Please refer to the documentation for your router/firewall for further instructions.

For more information, please visit the AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service at www.axiscam.net or, for Technical notes on this and other topics, visit the Axis Support Web at www.axis.com/te chsup

AXIS 213 - Accessing the camera

The Live View page

The following provides an overview of each button on the Live View page. If the AXIS 213 has been customized, the buttons will be displayed accordingly:

To resize the displayed image, click the View Size buttons:

half-size (x resolution of the 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.

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

The 2 types of Output button each control the output directly from the Live View page. These are configured under Setup > Live View Config > Layout.

These buttons start/stop the Sequence Mode which automatically displays the view from preset positions at set intervals. Sequence mode is configured in Setup > PTZ Configuration > Sequence Mode.

The source list is used to select the preset positions already configured in the camera. These are created in Setup > PTZ Configuration > Preset Positions.

The Manual trigger 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.

Pulse - click this button to activate the output 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.

AXIS 213 - Accessing the camera

Pan/Tilt/Zoom controls

The Live View page also displays the Pan/Tilt/Zoom controls. These are enabled/disabled for specified users by the administrator under System Options > Security > Users > User List..

Note: Setting the iris and focus manually will disable Auto iris/Auto focus.

The control panel

Click the Ctrl panel button to display the control panel, where the following settings are available:

• Auto focus: Automatically adjusts the image focus.

• Auto iris: Automatically adjusts the amount of light reaching the camera and gives the best results, This also protects the image sensor from strong light.

• Backlight comp: Enabling backlight compensation makes the subject clearer if the image background is too bright, or if the subject is too dark.

• Navigation mode: “Center” will move the camera view to center on the position that was clicked. “Joystick” moves the camera in the direction indicated by a mouse click, relative to the center of the image. The further from the center the image is clicked, the greater the movement.

• IR cut filter - when 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.

• Shortcuts - These buttons can be configured to provide direct access to various built-in auxiliary commands provided by the PTZ driver. See Advanced - Ctrl Panel

on page 35.

AXIS 213 - Accessing the camera

Viewer controls

The default viewer to use for displaying moving images is selected from Setup >> Live View Config >> Layout.

The AMC viewer toolbar is available in Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows only. See toolbar displays the following buttons:

AXIS Media Control, on page 15 for more information. The AMC viewer

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 for Windows 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 Mute /Microphone buttons to switch the sound off and on. Only available if Audio is enabled and the Connection Module with a loudspeaker/microphone is connected.

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

Server push (not available for Microsoft Internet Explorer)

With this method, the AXIS 213 maintains and controls an open HTTP connection to the browser and sends data as and when required, for as long as required.

QuickTime

For use with MPEG-4 only. Note that in the settings for Video & Image > Advanced > MPEG-4, the Video object type must be set to Simple.

Java applet

This alternative uses a Java applet to update the images in the browser. No download is required. Note that when this alternative is selected, external video sources will not be available on the live view page, and audio will be mono-directional only (to the client only).

Still Image

Displays still images only. Hit your browser’s Refresh button to view a new image.

AXIS 213 - Accessing the camera

PTZ Control Queue

Only one user can use the Pan/Tilt/Zoom controls at any one time. When multiple users are accessing the AXIS 213’s Live View page, they must be placed in a queue and assigned a set period of time during which they have the use of the PTZ cont rols. Use the buttons to request or release control of the PTZ controls.

The PTZ Control Queue is set up by the administrator under PTZ Configuration >

Control Queue.

AXIS 213 - Video and Audio Streams

Video and Audio Streams

The AXIS 213 provides several different image and video formats. The type to use depends on your requirements and on the properties of your network.

The Live View page in the AXIS 213 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 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 AXIS 213 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 213 - Video and Audio Streams

Notes: •MPEG-4 is licensed technology. The AXIS 213 includes one viewing client license. Install-

ing additional 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.

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 cli ent 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 alternative 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 users. This technology is used primarily on delimited networks (intranets), as each user needs an uninterrupted data flow and should not rely on network routers.

AXIS Media Control

The recommended method of accessing live video (MPEG-4 and/or Motion JPEG) and audio from the AXIS 213 is to use the AXIS Media Control (AMC) in Microsoft Internet Explorer for 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.

AXIS 213 - Video and Audio 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. 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.

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, as more and more unicast clients connect, the traffic on the network will increase and may cause congestion. Although there is a maximum of 20 unicast viewers, note that all multicast users combined count as 1 unicast viewer.

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.

AXIS 213 - Video and Audio Streams

Setup

The AXIS 213 is configured from the setup tools, which are available from the link in the web interface. The setup tools can be used by:

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

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

See the section on Security, on page 41 for more information on user access control.

Accessing the setup tools from a browser

Follow the instructions below:

1. Start the browser and enter the

IP address or host name of the AXIS 213 in the location/address field.

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

configuration tools.

Setup tools

AXIS 213 - Setup

Video & Image settings

The following descriptions offer examples of the available features in the AXIS 213. For details of each setting, please refer to the online help files which are available from each page. Click

To optimize the video images to your requirements, modify the following settings under Image Appearance:

• Resolution (including Aspect ratio correction and 4CIF de-interlacing)

• Compression • Color Setting

• Rotate Image • Brightness

Note: All configuration of images and overlays will affect the performance of the AXIS 213, depending on

the usage and the available bandwidth. Please keep in mind the following when changing the image settings:

•Lower compression improves image quality, but generates larger files

•Color uses more bandwidth than Black & White

•Rotating the image 90 or 270 degrees will lower the maximum frame rate

•When using MPEG-4 as the video format, the compression setting will define the minimum compression level. The compression level will temporarily increase as and when required, i.e. when the bit rate approaches the maximum value as defined in the current profile@level combination.

to access the help files.

You may need to press the Stop and Play buttons on the Live View page before the settings take effect.

Overlay Settings

Include an image and date and time with your own text which

Date & Time overlay

image

is placed on one line at the top or bottom of the video image.

See Overlay Image Settings, on page 21 for instructions on how to upload an overlay image to the AXIS 213.

AXIS 213 - Setup

Video Stream

Define the maximum video stream time per session in seconds, minutes or hours. When the set time has expired, a new stream can be started by refreshing the page in the browser.

Define the maximum frame rate (fps - frames per second) allowed for each viewer, to avoid bandwidth problems on the network.

Test - For a preview of the image and overlay settings before saving, click Test. The Brightness setting does not affect the Test image. When satisfied with the settings, click Save. Please note that the preview image will be in JPEG format, even though the settings are valid both for Motion JPEG and MPEG-4.

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 image to the AXIS 213, 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.

Overlay image requirements:

Image Formats Image Size

• Windows 24-bit BMP (full color)

• Windows 4-bit BMP (16 colors)

There are a number of limitations when using overlay images, such as the size and positioning of images. Please use the online help

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

for more information.

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