Axis Communications 243Q Blade User Manual
AXIS 243Q Blade
Video Server
User’s Manual
About This Document
This manual is intended for administrators and users of the AXIS
243Q Blade Video Server, with firmware release 4.46. The manual
includes instructions for using and managing the AXIS 243Q Blade
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! - I
Do not proceed beyond any of the above notices until you have
lly understood the implications.
fu
Intellectual Property Rights
Axis Communications 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
tem “About” in the product’s user interface for more information.
i
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 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 measures required to correct the
interference.
Europe - This digital equipment fulfills the requirements
for radiated emission according to limit B of EN55022/1998, and the
quirements for immunity according to EN55024/1998 residential,
re
commercial, and light industry.
Australia - This electronic device meets the requirements of the
Radio communications (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Standard
AS/NZS CISPR22:2006.
Canada - This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian
ICES-003.
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 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.
ndicates a hazard that can seriously impair operation.
Liability
Every care has been taken in the preparation of this manual. Please
inform your local Axis office of inaccuracies, if any. Axis
Communications AB cannot be held responsible for technical or
typographical errors and reserves the right to change 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, 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 technical assistance, please contact your Axis
reseller. If your questions cannot be answered immediately, your reseller
will forward your queries 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 243Q Blade 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
he manufacturer.
t
• Dispose off used batteries accord
instructions.
AXIS 243Q Blade Video Server User’s Manual
Revision 3.0
Dated: July 2008
Part No: 32637
Copyright© Axis Communications AB, 2006-2008
ing to the manufacturer's
AXIS 243Q Blade
Contents
Product description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LED indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Switches & connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Accessing the video server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Access from a browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Setting the root password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Live View page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Video streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Video stream types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How to stream MPEG-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
AXIS Media Control (AMC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Other methods of accessing the video stream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Other MPEG-4 clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Configuring the video server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Accessing the Setup link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Video & Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Image settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Advanced - MPEG-4 settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Advanced - MJPEG settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Overlay/Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Live View Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Pan Tilt Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Installing PTZ devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
PTZ configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Preset positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
PTZ controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Preset positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Guard tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PTZ control queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using PTZ on video inputs 2-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Event configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Event servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Event types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Port status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
System options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Date & time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Network 42
4
AXIS 243Q Blade
SOCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
QoS (Quality of service) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
SMTP (email) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
UPnP™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
RTP / MPEG-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Bonjour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Ports & devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Resetting to the factory default settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
I/O Terminal connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Schematic diagram - I/O terminal connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
RS-485 COM port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Checking the firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Upgrading the firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Technical specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
General performance considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Optimizing your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
5
AXIS 243Q Blade - Product description
Control button
LED Indicators
Video inputs 1-4
DIP switches
Product description
Overview
The AXIS 243Q Blade Video Server is a fully featured video server intended for security
surveillance and remote monitoring needs. It is designed for mounting in the AXIS 291
Video Server Rack, which provides power and network connectivity.
6
The AXIS 243Q Blade video server is a four-in-one solution,
physical blade unit contains four separate video servers, one for each video input. The
individual video servers display as AXIS 243Q(1) Blade, AXIS 243Q(2) Blade, AXIS 243Q(3)
Blade and AXIS 243Q(4) Blade. The descriptions that follow apply to all four video servers,
except where otherwise indicated. Each input has its own IP address.
The four BNC inputs on AXIS 243Q Blade
video server digitizes up to four analog video sources and makes them available on the
network as real-time, full frame rate MPEG-4 and/or Motion JPEG video streams.
Each video input provides one alarm input and one
connect various third party devices, such as door sensors and alarm bells. The AXIS
243Q(1) Blade provides an RS-485 port for connecting to third-party PTZ systems. PTZ
devices can also be used on AXIS 243Q(2) Blade, AXIS 243Q(3) Blade and AXIS 243Q(4)
Blade, by creating an internal connection to these from AXIS 243Q(1) Blade.
are for connecting analog video devices. The
alarm output that can be used to
which means that each
AXIS 243Q Blade - Product description
Up to 20 viewers can access each video input on the AXIS 243Q Blade simultaneously
when using Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 unicast. The number of simultaneous viewers can
be increased by using multicast MPEG-4. When using AXIS Media Control (AMC) to view
MPEG-4 video streams, each MPEG-4 viewer requires a separate MPEG-4 decoder license.
One license is included, and further 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.
7
Video can be viewed in five resolutions (up to 4CIF),
and image compression is
configurable. The AXIS 243Q Blade contains support for video motion detection, which
allows the unit to trigger activity in the video image, and advanced scheduling tools which
can also be used to trigger an event. As the AXIS 243Q Blade is designed for use in
security systems, it is equipped with several security features, such as IP address filtering,
user levels with passwords, and HTTPS.
Each video input on the AXIS 243Q Blade has a built-in web
server, providing full access
to all features through the use of a standard web 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 VAPIX® API (see
www.axis.com/developer for further information).
LED indicators
After the startup and self-test routines are complete, the multi-colored LED indicators
signal the following conditions:
Network
Status
Power
Green Steady green - no network activity
Flashes green - network activity
Green Steady green - normal operation
Red One flash - one or more units starting up
Two flashes - a unit is resetting to factory default settings
Steady red - hardware error on one
Green/red Flashes for no connection to AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service
Green Normal operation
Green/Amber Flashes for unit upgrade
or more units
Switches & connectors
DIP switches - A corresponding line termination switch is supplied for each video input.
Unit, that is, with the DIP switch set in the down position.
AXIS 243Q Blade - Product description
Control Button - Press this button to restore the factory default settings, as described in
Resetting to the factory default
Dynamic DNS Service (see the Installation Guide).
settings, on page 49, or to install using AXIS Internet
8
Video Input - Each video input
connections made using 75 ohm coaxial video cable have a recommended maximum
length of 250 meters (800 feet).
is connected using a coax/BNC connector. Physical
AXIS 243Q Blade - Accessing the video server
Accessing the video server
For information on installing the video server, please refer to the Installation Guide.
9
The AXIS 243Q Blade can be used with most
standard operating systems and web
browsers. The recommended browser is Internet Explorer with Windows, and Firefox with
other operating systems. See also the Technical specifications,
To view streaming video in Microsoft Internet Explorer, you must set your browser to allow the AXIS Media
Note:
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 streams. As a license is required for each instance of
the decoder, the product administrator may have disabled the installation. See Viewer Settings, on page 23
for more information. If your computer restricts the use of additional software components, the camera can
be configured to use a Java applet for viewing JPEG images. See the online help for more information.
on page 57.
Access from a browser
1. Start a browser (such as, Internet
Explorer, Firefox).
2. Enter the IP address or host name of the
video input on the AXIS 243Q Blade you
wish to configure in the Location/Address field of your browser.
3. If this is the first time the camera is accessed, see Setting the root password, on
page 10. Otherwise enter your user name and password, as set by the
administrator.
4. The Live View page is displayed in your browser.
Notes:
If your computer restricts the
use of additional software components, the AXIS 243Q Blade
can be configured to use a Java
applet for viewing JPEG images.
Please see the online help for
more information.
When using a browser other
than Microsoft Internet Explorer
with AMC, instead of a stop, a
snapshot and a full screen button, there is a stop and a play
button in the bottom left corner
of the Live view page. For a
description of these buttons see
The Live View page below.
AXIS 243Q Blade - Accessing the video server
Setting the root password
When accessing the camera for the first time, the
Configure Root Password dialog is displayed on the
screen.
1. Enter a password and re-enter to confirm
the spelli
Note:
Before you enter your password at this point, you can secure
configuration of the root password via HTTPS by creating a
self-signed certificate. To do so, click the Create self-signed
certificate... button in the Create Certificate window, and
then proceed as follows.
2. The Enter Network Password dialog
appears. Enter the User name: root
Note: The default administrator user name root is permanent and cannot be deleted or altered.
3. 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 “Resetting to the factory
default settings”.
ng. Click OK.
10
If required, click Yes to install the AXIS Media
Control (AMC). You will need administrator
rights on the computer to do this.
The Live View page
If your AXIS 243Q Blade 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:
The Video Format drop-down list allows the
View page to be temporarily changed.
The Output buttons, Pu
lse and Active/Inactive below, control the 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, such as to switch a light on/off.
The trigger buttons trigger an event directly from the Live
buttons are configured under Setup > Li
ve View Config > Layout. Click
these buttons to manually start and stop events.
video format on the Live
View page. These
AXIS 243Q Blade - Accessing the video server
The Snapshot button saves a snapshot of the image currently being displayed.
Right-click on the video image to save it in JPEG format
This button is intended for use when the AMC viewer toolbar is not available.
on your computer.
11
The AMC viewer
Explorer only and displays the following buttons:
Note that these AMC toolbar functions can also be accessed by right-clicking in the image.
For information on using Pan/Tilt
toolbar (AXIS Media Control) is available in Microsoft Internet
The Play/Stop buttons start and
The Snapshot
displayed. The Snapshot function and the target directory for saving
snapshots can be configured
Control Panel (Internet Explorer only).
Click the View Full S
screen area. No other windows
keyboard to cancel full screen view.
The record button is used to record the
location where the image file is saved can be specified using the
panel. To enable recording, Select Live View Config > Layout > Viewer
Settings > Enable recording button.
button saves a snapshot of the video image currently being
creen button and the video image will fill the entire
/Zoom controls, please see Pan Tilt Zoom, on page 25.
stop the media stream.
from the AMC Control Applet, in the Windows
will be visible. Press Esc (Escape) on your
current (MPEG-4) video stream. The
AMC control
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video streams
Video streams
The AXIS 243Q Blade provides several different video stream formats. You select the type
depending on your requirements and on the properties of your network.
12
The Live View page in the AXIS 243Q Blade
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.
provides access to Motion JPEG and MPEG-4
Video stream types
Motion JPEG
This format uses standard JPEG still images in the vi
displayed and updated at a rate sufficient to create a stream that shows constantly updated
motion.
The Motion JPEG stream uses considerable
excellent image quality, and access to every individual image contained in the stream.
Note also that multiple clients
settings.
MPEG-4
This is a video compression standard that makes good
provide high-quality video streams at less than 1 Mbit/s.
The MPEG-4 standard provides scope for a large
various applications in different situations, and the AXIS 243Q Blade 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:
accessing Motion JPEG streams can use different image
amounts of bandwidth, but also provides
deo stream. These images are then
use of bandwidth, and which can
range of different coding tools for use by
• Simple - sets the
• Ad
vanced 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,
control of bandwidth. 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.
Notes:
•MPEG-4 is licensed technology. The AXIS 243Q Blade includes one viewing client license.
Installing 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 set of coding tools.
coding type to H.263, as used by e.g. QuickTime™.
which in turn allows the
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video streams
MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods
To deliver live streaming video over IP networks, various combinations of transport
protocols and broadcast methods are employed.
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• RTP (Real-Time Transport Proto
the real-time transmission of multimedia data, via unicast or multicast.
• RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) serves
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
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 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
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
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.
col) is a protocol that allows programs to manage
as a control protocol, to negotiate
offers limited
sender and a single receiver over a
that reduces bandwidth usage by
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
even if some images do get dropped. This can be configured as multicast or unicast.
Multicasting provides the most effic
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 the Internet.
it is important to always have an up-to-date video stream,
ient usage of bandwidth, especially when there are
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video streams
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 us
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 firewall
configured to allow the HTTP protocol, thus allowing RTP to be tunneled.
s. Firewalls are commonly
ed to exploit the fact that it
AXIS Media Control (AMC)
The recommended method of accessing live video from the AXIS 243Q Blade 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.
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Other methods of accessing the video stream
Video/images from the AXIS 243Q Blade can also be accessed in the following ways:
• If supported by the client, the AXIS 243Q Blade can use
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
http://<ip>/axis-cgi/jpg/image.cgi
To specify other parameters refer to the VAPIX® API in the Developer pages at the Axis web site
Note:
www.axis.com/developer.
• 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/medi
• 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
<ip> = IP address.
Note:
. Enter the path:
a.amp
Motion JPEG server push
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video streams
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.
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For some other clients, such as, QuickTime™
may also be necessary to adjust the advanced MPEG-4 settings.
To assess the video stream from QuickTime™
rtsp://<ip>/mpeg4/media.amp
This path is for all supported methods, and the cl
Blade to determine exactly which transport protocol to use.
<ip> = IP address.
Note:
the Video Object Type must be set to Simple. It
the following path can be used:
ient will negotiate with the AXIS 243Q
AXIS 243Q Blade - Configuring the video server
Setup link
Configuring the video server
This section describes how to configure the AXIS 243Q Blade and is intended for
administrators, who have unrestricted access to all the Setup tools
16
The AXIS 243Q Blade is configured from the Setup lin
more information on supported browsers, see Technical specifications,
that each video input
must be configured separately.
k, in a standard web browser. For
on page 57. Note
Accessing the Setup link
Follow the instructions below to access the Setup link from a web browser.
1. Start the browser and enter the IP address or host name of video input on the
AXIS 243Q Blade you wish to configure in the location/address field.
2. The Live View page is now displayed. Click the Setup link. The menu that
appears helps you configure your network camera.
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image
Video & Image
The following descriptions show examples of the available features in the AXIS 243Q
Blade. For details of each setting, please refer to the online help available from each page.
Click to access the online help.
Image settings
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Image appearance
Modify the I
requirements.
mage Appearance to optimize the video images according to your
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image
All configuration of images and overlays will affect the performance of the video server,
depending on usage and the available bandwidth.
• High resolution generates larger files
Selecting the Aspect ratio correction
from analog video sources, that are displayed on computer monitors.
When using MPEG-4 as video format, any aspect ratio
applied by the viewing client (the correct aspect ratio is contained in the MPEG-4
stream).
Resolution - 4CIF de-interlacing monitor may produce distortion when there is movement in the image. Selecting
this option reduces the distortion.
• Lower compression improves image quality
• Rotating the image 90 or 270 degrees will
• Black & White uses less bandwidth than Color
For more information on all these options, please check the online help .
Text overlay settings
Include date, time and/or text of your
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
bottom of the image.
choice to be viewed on the image. The color of the
option improves the appearance of images
correction for the image is
Showing interlaced video on a computer
, but generates larger files
lower the maximum frame rate
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Video stream
The Maxi
per session in seconds, minutes or hours. When the set time has expired, a new stream on
the Live View page 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 fram
also be limited. Select either Unlimited or define a maximum frame rate per viewer.
Test
For a preview of the image and overlay
satisfied with the settings, click Save.
mum video stream time can be set as Unlimited, or set a maximum stream time
e rate allowed to each viewer can
settings before saving, click Test. When you are
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image
Video source settings
These settings allow you to eliminate black borders surrounding the image, by making
Offset adjustments. By entering values in these fields you can change the horizontal and
vertical synchronization for the image. See the online help for more information.
Advanced - MPEG-4 settings
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These are tools for adjusting the MPEG-4 settings and for controlling the video bit rate.
The MPEG-4 standard provides many different coding
different situations. As most MPEG-4 clients do not support all these tools, it is usual to
instead define and use subsets for different clients or groups of clients. These settings allow
you to define the type of client to use.
Under C
ISMA compliant option to use for your viewing client.
The GOV Settings describe the composition of the MPEG-4 video stream and
basic elements.
The GOV Structure can take
included in the video stream, as well as their internal order.
The GOV Length determin
next type is sent.
lient Compatibility, select the correct combination of Video object type with the
two different forms; I or IP, which describe the type of images
es how many images of the one type (I or P) are sent before the
tools for various applications in
this format's
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image
Adjusting the Maximum bit rate and setting it to Variable or Constant helps control the
bandwidth used by the MPEG-4 video stream.
Bit Rate control
Adjusting the maximum bit rate and setting it
controlling the bandwidth used by the MPEG-4 video stream.
to variable or constant is a good way of
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Leaving the Maximum bit rate as unlimited
but at the expense of increased bandwidth usage whenever there is more activity in the
image.
Limiting the bit rate to a defined value will prevent
will be lost when the limit is exceeded.
Note that a maximum bit rate can be used
The bit rate type can be set as Variable Bit
will adjust the bit rate according to the images' complexity, and thus uses a lot of
bandwidth for a lot of activity in the image and less when the monitored area is quiet.
When using CBR you can set a fixed Target bit
bandwidth consumed is predictable and will not change, whatever happens in the image.
Priority
cannot when CBR is selected, the frame rate and image quality will both be affected
negatively. To go some of the way towards compensating for this, it is possible to prioritize
either the frame rate or the image quality whenever the bit rate would normally need to be
increased. Not setting a priority means the frame rate and image quality will be affected
approximately equally.
Video Stream
This parameter can be set to frame rate to incr
resolution. This means that under normal conditions the maximum frame rate can be
increased from 17 fps to 22 fps in PAL, and from 21 fps to 27 fps in NTSC.
- As the bit rate would usually need to increase for increased image activity, but
will provide consistently good image quality,
excessive bandwidth usage, but images
for both variable and constant bit rates.
Rate (VBR) or Constant Bit Rate (CBR). VBR
rate, which will ensure that the level of
ease the frame rate by 30% in 4CIF
Note also that depending on the amount of motion,
bandwidth by 1-15% for each frame.
This parameter has no effect when the resolution
is a risk of increased bandwidth usage. In this case the parameter should be set to
bandwidth.
For more information on MPEG-4 settings, refer to the
this may also increase the required
is set to lower than 4CIF, although there
online help .
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image
overlay
Image o
verlay
Text
Advanced - MJPEG settings
Sometimes the image size may be large due to low light or complex scenery. Adjusting the
Maximum frame size is a good way of controlling the bandwidth and storage used by the
MJPEG video stream in these situations. Defining the frame size as Unlimited will provide
consistently good image quality at the expense of increased bandwidth and storage usage
during low light. Limiting the frame size helps optimize bandwidth and storage usage, but
gives poor image quality. To prevent increased bandwidth and storage usage, the
maximum frame size should be set to an optimal amount.
Overlay/Mask
Overlay/Mask Settings
When using an image overlay,
select the Overlay/Mask Type fr
the following options:
• Uploaded image as overlay usually used
to provide extra
information in the video image.
• Configurable areas as privacy
ma
sks - up to three black areas
are used to conceal parts of the
video image.
The difference between an overlay
a privacy mask is that a
and
privacy mask cannot be bypassed by accessing the video stream with the help of the AXIS
HTTP API, whereas an overlay can.
om
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Selecting the overlay/mask type will display further settings
See the online help for further information.
Upload and use an overlay image
Select Uploaded image as overlay in the Overlay/Mask Type drop-down list.
1.
New options appear.
2. Click the Browse button by the Upload own image field 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.
Note:
The x and y coordinates, and the width and height of the overlay/mask are relative to the maximum available resolution of the product.
available for the selected type.
3. Click Save.
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.
AXIS 243Q Blade - Video & Image
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Overlay image limitations:
• The maximum overlay image size supported by the AXIS 243Q Blade is the same
as the maximum i
mage resolution. See Technical specifications,
• When a text overlay is also used, this reduces the amount
on page 57.
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 p
art of it is outside the video image, it
will be relocated so that it appears over the video image, that is, it is always the
entire image that is displayed.
Please see the online help for more information.
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