Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera and Pet Cam (BL-C30A) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Panasonic BL-C30A is a wireless camera with embedded web server. It can be connected to your home network through an ethernet cable or wirelessly (the initial setup has to be performed through the ethernet connection). Once you've properly configured it for wireless mode, you don't need a computer: just plug the power adapter into an outlet and place the camera wherever you want (within the range of your wireless network).
Anyone can connect and view/control the camera remotely. If you have a broadband connection and know how to configure your router to open a port and assign it to the camera's IP address, you can see your webcam from anywhere in the world. Very handy to keep an eye on your office or empty apartment while you're away.
The embedded web server supports access restrictions through passwords of course; and users can pan/tilt the camera lens -- the only drawback is that Internet Explorer is required to use the camera (the display and controls are handled through an ActiveX control, which basically means that only Windows PCs with IE will be able to use access it).
Image quality is pretty good: you have a choice of straming video at 320x240 or 640x480 (at a reduced frame rate) and you can control brightness and video quality from remote. Users can also take 'snapshots' (i.e. save individual images).

I have another wireless webcam (a Linksys WVC11B) and the Panasonic's image quality and features are definitely superior (on the other hand the Linksys is also $100 cheaper).
The camera also offers additional advanced features like heat detection (which can turn the camera on automatically and send an email alert if someone, or something, warm gets within the sensor's range) and scripting. I've never used this, but I suppose it can be useful if you plan to set up the camera as part of a rudimentary security/surveillance system. Some cameras offer motion detection, but it can be triggered by changes in light -- heat detection seems to make more sense.
Main caveat: configuration can be tough, especially if you're a newbie. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable and it still took me a while to get it work with my wireless network until I figured out that I had to set the WEP encryption mode to 'open key' on my wireless access point (shared key mode is not supported, though this fact is buried in the documentation).
Overall, I recommend the BL-C30A but I wish Panasonic provided a way for non-IE users to access the camera (and the configuration software could also be vastly improved).

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Wireless Network Camera 802.11g, Automatic Network Configuration, Universal Plug and Play, Set-up Wizard, Remote Pan/Tilt Control, Built in PIR motion detector

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Linksys Compact Wireless-G Internet Video Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)The image quality of this camera isn't great, and as the other reviewer states, it needs lots of light. The resolution of the video is fairly poor, comparable to a very cheap 4-year-old webcam. If you need to see detail in the image (e.g. for certain security-camera purposes), then it will not work.
Another thing to note is that this camera is much bigger than it looks--it is about the size of your hand. I was hoping to squeeze it into a tight space, but the camera's size took me by surprise. It will be difficult to hide this camera if you are hoping to use it for hidden security purposes.
In sum, if you need a cheap camera that can sit out in the open and take low-detail video of a well-lit room, then this is your product. Otherwise, you should look for more professional (or wired) cameras.

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The Linksys Compact Wireless-G Internet Video Camera sends live video through the Internet to a web browser anywhere in the world! This compact, self-contained unit lets you keep track of your home, your kids, your workplace -- whatever's important to you. Unlike standard "web cams" that require an attached PC, the Internet Video Camera contains its own web server, so it can connect directly to a network, either over Wireless-G (802.11g) networking, or over 10/100 Ethernet cable. The advanced MPEG-4 video compression produces a high-quality, high-frame rate, up to 320x240 video stream. The Compact Internet Video Camera's unique form-factor and wireless connectivity allows you to mount it on a wall nearly anywhere, or slip it into its included stand for desktop use. Once it's connected to your home network, you can "see what it sees" from any Windows-based PC in the house, while the video stream is secured from the outside world, hidden behind your Router. If you want the video to be visible from outside your home network, you can open an appropriate port on the Router, and then create password protected accounts to manage access to the camera, or leave it wide open for the world to see. The SoloLink domain service (trial sign-up included) lets you access your camera using an easy-to-remember "name", even if your home Internet connection uses a dynamic IP address.

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Cisco-Linksys WVC54GC Wireless-G Internet Video Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)With a long history of many failed attempts at IP wireless cams, Linksys creates what others could not; one that works.
Configuration with WEP was pretty easy. It's a little temperamental with distance compared to the tolerances of other G devices, but it works. It does not react well to low light levels and tries to compensate via its own gain. If you are using this in a home without AMPLE light, expect a grainy picture.
Frame rate is about 20FPS and is annoying. The security feature works. It senses movement and mails a captured video file. With only 4 seconds at the medium setting, the video images were over 500Kb. This is not for a dial-up AOL user.
There is a remote viewing option that lets you use their web servers to hit your cam from anywhere. Of course expect to pay about $40 for two years access.

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The Linksys Compact Wireless-G Internet Video Camera sends live video through the Internet to a web browser anywhere in the world This compact, self-contained unit lets you keep track of your home, your kids, your workplace -- whatevers important to you. Unlike standard web cams that require an attached PC, the Internet Video Camera contains its own web server, so it can connect directly to a network, either over Wireless-G (802.11g) networking, or over 10/100 Ethernet cable. The advanced MPEG-4 video compression produces a high-quality, high-framerate, up to 320x240 video stream. The Compact Internet Video Cameras unique form-factor and wireless connectivity allows you to mount it on a wall nearly anywhere, or slip it into its included stand for desktop use.

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D-Link 10/100 Fast Ethernet Internet Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought DCS910 in Nov.2008 and DCS920 one month later. I am quite satisfied with both of them and I did not meet any problem till now, or say I could solve the problems that I have found.
The network attached camera supports up to 640x480 in resolution. It is higher then lots of other network attached camera which has only 320x240. So the image quality is quite good. It has good vision in dim light. you could see image or video on your web browser. It supports both MS ActiveX and Sun Java for live video monitoring but it does NOT support sound :(
You may need to install ActiveX control plug-in and Sun Java plug-in for your browser to support live video.
The supplied DViewCam software also supports monitoring up to 32 cameras and you could record videos into computer hard disk. I have not used video record feture till now because it requires turning on computer and consumes too much router/switch band width. I think check from web from time to time is good enough for my needs.
It support user account management, NTP time sync, DDNS name service, FTP and email deliver of photos at the frequency you defined.
The device does not support SSL protocol, so your password could not be encrypted for delivery. So you could not use https or ftps for secured communication. But this is understandable because encryption cost too much resources for the embeded system. You could not expect too much from tiny embeded device. Anyway, normal web access and FTP upload are good enough if you do not have too much security concern.
It is quite simple to access the device from within the internal/home network because you PC and the camera are in the same network segment. But if you want to access the device from external/Internet, there are some other things to take care. You need to have some basic networking concept for the setup.
I have seen one user complain the tech support and blame the device to be not usable. I could understand the mensioned situation. It is not the user's fault nor the product's fault. Tech support is not wrong on what they said but they should explain clearly on the technical background and guide the user for a smooth set up. User is not network expert so it will be a little difficult for them to understand and follow the network rules.
Normally, ISP will only give one dynamic IP address to a user. The IP address will change when you turn on the router or after a certain period of time. So you need to keep track to your current IP address on the WAN port of your router. This is usually done by register a DDNS service(free or paid service). Most router support DDNS auto update service and this camera also supports it but you need to set it up in your device. All the devices in your home network will share this single IP address. Network applications will monitor communication port for TCP/IP communication. Different devices in your network have different unique IP address. The IP address for a specific device is unique in the network. So if you want to access your camera through the internet in a remote location, you need to have DDNS service set; set up a internal static IP address to your camera; setup your router port forward to your camera IP address. For example, use http://dcs910.mydomainname.com:9011/ to access your camera, you need to buy(or register a free child domain name from some website) your domain name 'mydomainname.com'; register your domain name to a DDNS server(paid or free service); setup your router to auto update DDNS for your current IP address; set router to forward 9011 port request to the 80 port of the static internal IP address that you have assigned to your camera(such as 192.168.0.3 depends on the settings on your router and camera). You may need an experienced friend to help you for the setting.
Even if you have set everything correctly, it not necessarily means you could watch live video in your office. You should be able to access static current image from web browser in your office but live video is another story. Normally office network is protected by firewall on gateway. Most office firewall uses proxy and only open ports for web requests and some predefined application ports and bann all other communications. The ActiveX and Java live video of this device may need dedicated port connection to open communication session but this will not be allowed by default on the proxy. So unless you know your network administrator and could ask them open the port for you, you will not able to access live video in office. This is not the problem of the device, it is the rule of the network security. But anyway, you could see still image of your home which is good enough.
I have used my DCS910 and DCS920 for 3 months and I am quite satisfied with the device. I would like to highly recommand this device to you for its clear image, easy setup(if you understand networking in and out), and resonable price.

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The D-Link 10/100 Fast Ethernet Internet Camera (DCS-910) connects to a wired network to provide remote high-quality video recording. With its compact and sleek design, the DCS-910 is a low-cost Internet camera ideal for your home or small business. The DCS-910 connects quickly and easily to your existing 10/100 Fast Ethernet network, allowing you to steam high-quality MJPEG to your computer.

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Panasonic Network Camera and Pet Cam (BLC1A) Review

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(More customer reviews)The BL-C1A is listed as "requiring" both Windows and Internet Explorer. After a bit of experimenting, it seems it doesn't, and is perfectly usable with Ubuntu (or indeed any OS) and Firefox. No need for Windows at all.
So, for anybody else who wants to use the BL-C1A camera with something other than Windows here's how.
First, ignore the shiny Windows CDROM in the box. Plug the camera into your router with your own network cable (they don't supply one!) and plug in the power supply. Wait a minute. If your router is 192.168.0.1, the camera should default to 192.168.0.253 (or 192.168.1.253 for a 192.168.1.1 router, etc).
From Firefox on the local network just go to the IP addess of the camera (as above) followed by ?mode=local and you should get the camera's built in web server. (The mode=local is essential, to activate it). Create an admin userid/password, hit enter. That's it.
Configuring the cameras for static addresses, different ports etc is all done via the web interface after that point, so still doesn't need Windows or IE in any way.
With a few lines written in the manual they could drop the Windows/IE requirement.
Camera works very nicely, and so does emailing, and the viewnetcam dynamic dns service (after a bit of a battle with router settings). One warning: you can't test the viewnetcam service from the same network that the camera is on, so before you think it's not working try it from elsewhere!
Camera does the job fine for the price, one point deducted for not having any non-Windows installation instructions.

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Package Contents: Panasonic BL-C1A Wired Network Camera, bracket, power supply, mounting hardware, CD-ROM, software and instructions.
The Panasonic BL-C1A Wired Network Camera handles your digital photography needs at a price that won't hurt your wallet! This color surveillance camera allows remote video monitoring of a home or business. Remote home and business surveillance just got a lot more affordable. Receive an e-mail image when the home security camera detects motion--you'll always know what's going on at home or at your business. The 10X digital zoom and color night viewing makes sure you don't miss a detail. It's easy to install, easy to operate and requires no additional software for viewing on your PC. Indoor use only.
Server Features: Image Buffer--About 250 frames (320 x 240, standard image quality). Image transfer via e-mail (SMTP) or FTP. View snapshots and control them from a compatible cellular phoneSupports up to 12 camerasIPv4 Multi-Language Interface -English, German, Spanish, Italian, French and Japanese
Camera Features -1/4 320,000 pixel CMOS image sensor 10 digital zoomViewing Angle -53° horizontal, 41° verticalAuto exposureAperture -F2.8Illumination -10 - 10,000 lux (normal), 4-10,000 lux (night view) Motion Sensor with Email AlertAuto & manual White Balance Network Connection -RJ45 Ethernet (10Base-T/100Base-X) System Requirements -Windows 98SE, 2000, ME and XP; Internet Explorer 6.0 or later Camera Dimensions(WxHxD) -3-3/8 x 3-3/8 x 1Weight -0.22 lbsNetworking Protocols -HTTP, FTP, SMTP, TCP, UDP, IP, DHCP, DNS, ARP, ICMP, and POP3 before SMTP

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Avaak Vue Personal Video Network Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been using the Vue system for several months (part of their beta test program). If you understand the intended purpose and application for this product I think you'll be happy with it. The cameras are completely wireless - no network or power, plus they are extremely small and unobtrusive. This allows you place them almost anywhere. Because they are wireless, the product isn't designed for constant recording (battery life). The Vue system is intended to provide you with the ability to remotely check in and view your home for a few minutes at a time. While not perfect, it does this job very well.
I use this to check on my lake house when I'm not there. I have one cam pointed out a window looking out over the dock and another at the main living area. I always wonder if a storm or high wind has created any problem with the boat - so this allows me to check in, take a peek and put my mind at rest. Plus I can see if the lawn guy cut the grass or not. And when I'm at work and wish I was at the lake, I can get a quick fix ;)
Pros: extremely simple setup. Wonderful design for the cams - no wires and extremely compact. Easy to login online and view images from cameras live.
Cons: website is a bit flaky and controls are somewhat strange (but I expect that will improve over time). Image quality is adequate.
Bottom line: If you want high quality streaming video 24x7, this is not the product. If you want an easy to install, easy to use camera system to check in remotely periodically for a live view this fits the bill.


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Remote video viewing. Unplugged. Create your own personal video network and view your life from anywhere. Vue is incredibly simple to set-up with no camera wires or power cords to install, and no software to load. Unique patented mounts let you position and place cameras in minutes. Your personal video network can be viewed from anywhere at anytime. Simply access cameras to view live video from any browser or flash-enabled mobile device on your personal, secure page at my.VueZone.com. Live streaming video, recorded video or snapshots are easily and securely shared across the web with family and friends. Vue Personal Video Network – See what you’re missing.

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Panasonic BL-C210A Internet Security Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)Bought this camera through one of Amazon's Gold Box Deals for $130. For the price, it's a great camera. This is my second Panasonic network camera. A few years ago I bought their BL-C1A model Panasonic Network Camera and Pet Cam (BLC1A). The BL-C210A is a much nicer camera. The picture image is several times better, especially when motion is involved. You have the option of pan and tilt to look around. You can disable the indicator lights on the camera that lets you know the camera is on. You can also disable or override the privacy mode button on top of the camera. You can configure the camera to email you a picture when it detects motion in your house. Now how's that for peace of mind while you're away? And my favorite is that the camera is powered through the network cable which eliminates the need for a power outlet near the camera. The camera has a threaded mounting hole in the back that can be used to mount the camera to a standard tripod or an optional wall mount. The cube design is nice because it allows you to just set the camera on a shelf or table. The camera is light, so a tug on the network cable can bring it crashing down if it's not secured.
There are limitations with the camera. If you want to view an entire room, you'll need to mount the camera in a corner. It can only pan 41 degrees to the left or right, 10 degrees up and 32 degrees down. The camera is powered through the network cable, but it doesn't support the industry standard PoE. Luckily it comes with its own power injector. You'll need to purchase two network cables to use this camera. One cable connects the camera to the power injector and the other connects the power injector to your router/switch. The cable between the camera and power injector must be shorter than 98 feet. The box says you can only view still images from a cell phone. The website says you can't listen to audio with a cell phone. I haven't tried either. The software works pretty good, although I have found a few minor bugs in it. You have the option of viewing multiple cameras on one screen, but the max resolution for multiple cameras is only 320x240 and not the 640x480 max camera resolution. You don't need a computer onsite to use the camera, but you'll need one to do the initial setup.
Panasonic has nicer cameras than this model, but the prices also get outrageous. $185 (current Amazon price) is not bad for one camera. But after you buy one, you'll want more so you can monitor the rest of the house. That's when $185 per camera starts adding up. If the price drops again, I'll definitely buy another.
Note: The zoom function is not obvious. There are buttons on the screen to do everything but zoom. I discovered you can right-click on the top half of the video to zoom in and right-click on the lower half to zoom out. You can also use the wheel on your mouse to zoom in and out.
Update (March 9, 2010): I did a little research on the camera model (BL-C111A) that the BL-C210A replaced. This camera has a larger CMOS sensor but the same resolution. The old model can pan 50 degrees to the left or right while this model can only pan 41 degrees. The old model can tilt down 40 degrees while this model can only tilt down 32 degrees. The old model had a 10x digital zoom while this model only has a 3x digital zoom. The digital zoom is not very good. If you have a need to zoom in on objects, you'll want a camera with an optical zoom. Some new features added are SSL data encryption for secure viewing over the Internet, power through the network cable, H.264 video compression, and the ability to operate the camera with some models of Panasonic flat screen TV's.
I bought another camera from Amazon to monitor the back door and kitchen area. It comes with mounting holes on the back of the camera so you can slide it down on a couple of screw heads. It frustrates me that you can't mount it flat on a wall and pan 90 degrees to the left and right. I ended up purchasing mounting brackets VideoSecu Ceiling Mount Bracket for CCTV CCD Box Body Pro Camera 2-6 inch Adjustable MCB1w 1A2 so I can mount the cameras in a corner. Again, I really like the ability to power this camera through the network cable. I have the cameras and my network equipment all plugged into the same UPS. This way I can still monitor my house in the event of a power failure. If you're looking for a camera to monitor the baby's room, this is not it. You can't see much with only a night light on in the room. You're better off with a dedicated baby camera. We've had good luck with a baby camera made by Astak Astak 2.4 GHz Pan & Tilt Baby Camera with 2.5" LCD Color Handheld Monitor with Night Vision. It can pan and tilt to see the whole room, can see very well in the dark even with no lights on, and comes with a handheld color monitor. The monitor eats batteries so we just turn it on when we hear something or want to check up on the kids. It also comes with an AC adaptor for continuous monitoring. Another reason why a baby camera works better for monitoring babies than this camera is that you don't have to fire up your computer in the middle of the night to see if your child is awake. A word of warning, many baby camera's operate on the same frequencies as your wireless network. You might need to play around with the channels on both the baby camera and your wireless network until they don't interfere with each other.

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Panasonic BL-C210A Internet Security Camera

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Panasonic Wireless Network Camera and Pet Cam (BL-C20A) Review

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(More customer reviews)Compact, very easy to set up and the image is sharp and clear. Free DDNS service makes this the best buy. I have another camera, Linksys, and I had to pay for this service. I defitely will drop it when it comes up for renewal. No more Linksys camera for me!
After a few days of use..I still love it! I just found out that I can access the camera with my Mac via Firefox browser. This alone beats all other cameras in the market! Set up the motion detector to email pictures is a breeze. You can also set the camera to periodically send a picture, motion or not. The only thing that you could say it is less than the Linksys is it could not send a video. Linksys video only lasts 30 seconds anyway. Highly recommended.
8/21/08: I have 2 of these cameras and the first one (3 yrs old) just failed. It is just not powered up doesn't matter how many times I tried. I guess it is expected. It has been reliably in service for 3 yrs. I will buy it again, when Amazon has a good deal.
The camera's software works flawlessly in Mac OS. I regularly access my camera via Safari web browser. This alone beats most other camera out there. You can get to it from either Windows or Mac. I set it up to email the jpeg to my Blackberry and view the picture there. Could not figure out how to do this on an iPod though.
3/20/09: When the 2nd camera failed, I thought the power supply was the culprit. I bought a $15 power supply from W**T and guess what? It works again. So I now both of my cameras work again! If your camera failed, likely it is the power supply!
Also, I can access my cameras from my iPod touch (live) using the supplied Safari browser when I have a wifi connection. COOL!!

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Wireless Network Camera Automatic Network Configuration, Universal Plug and Play, Set-up Wizard, Remote Pan/Tilt Control, Built in PIR motion detector

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TRENDnet SecurView Wireless Internet Surveillance Camera TV-IP110W (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this on a Gold Box deal and am very glad I did. First, the image quality is superb. TRENDnet supplies software to assist in setting up the camera but people with a bit of technical experience can go straight to the web interface and set things up there and there are some great features that allow you to set this camera up pretty much however you want.
All of the camera settings are configurable - brightness, contrast, saturation, frame rate, resolution, and even settings to synchronize with 50 or 60 Hz lighting or outdoors. It also supports WPA2 encryption and three levels of password-protected access. You can have it grab images based on movement (requires accessing the camera with Internet Explorer to configure that for some reason) or on a time schedule, and either have it e-mail the images or ftp them somewhere. And it supports dynamic domain name configuration so you can access the camera even if your IP address changes.
It also supports time and date stamping the images - pretty much a necessity - but it also supports accessing an NTP server to make sure the onboard clock is accurate.
And once you get the camera all set up the way you want it, you can save out the configuration file to make it a snap to reconfigure it in case you ever do a hard reset that restores all the defaults.
Not that it will matter to most, but this camera server is actually a full ARM-based computer running Linux. If you go to the TRENDnet website, besides getting the latest firmware, you can also get the source code for the camera OS for those that want to tinker.
The final issue is just the value. You are getting a video camera and a web-serving computer with both wired and wireless interfaces for this price. I'm glad I got mine and am using it to monitor my front porch for visitors and also as a way to monitor the weather at home. With multiple cameras, it's easy to monitor all sorts of things if someone wants to.

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The Wireless Internet Camera Server (TV-IP110W) transmits real-time high quality video over the Internet. View your camera from any Internet connection. Complimentary SecurView camera management software provides advanced monitoring of up to 16 cameras to protect what you value most. This stylish and compact Internet camera provides crystal clear MJPEG video streams. Mount the wireless camera on most surfaces with an included mounting kit. Intuitive software features motion detection recording, email alerts (Does not support SSL, 32-bit only, monitoring multiple cameras will require a high performance CPU and graphics card), and scheduled recordings. The camera\'s brilliant image quality, intuitive setup and complimentary software make it ideal for your home or office. SecurView cameras are not compatible with TRENDnet\'s IPView Pro camera application for ProView cameras.

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Panasonic BL-C230A Wireless Internet Security Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted a "nanny cam" to monitor a new nanny, but felt a little uncomfortable about having one of the hidden ones. I felt that having a visible camera known to the nanny was a more respectful approach, although I would need several of them to monitor multiple areas since the locations would be known (and could potentially be avoided).
The Panasonic BL-C230A seemed like a great choice as it is from a major international brand and the reviews of its other wired and wireless cameras indicated that they were well received.
PROS
1. It's cute - It could star as a character in a Japanese cartoon. The nanny cam is a cube about 3" x 3" x 3 1/4" (approximately) and actually looks cute with its single eye and single antenna that looks like an ear. It has a high quality look to it with its high gloss white finish and reminds me of a smaller version of an old Sony Dream Machine alarm clock. It actually looks like it belongs on a nightstand in the bedroom or in a kitchen. It does not look out of place in a home and does not have a "tech" feel to it. I think this is a major plus as I really don't want the nanny to feel like I'm trying to determine if she is a terrorist.
2. Uses Wi-Fi 802.11 b only, g only, b/g both
3. Free lifetime use of Panasonic's "dynamic DNS server" - (more on this later)
4. Easy setup (maybe) - Easy to use paper instructions limited to 3 sheets of paper (of which only 2 are necessary). Sheet 1 shows step-by-step instruction on how to plug the camera into your router with a cable (not supplied and necessary even for wireless in the setup phase) and to connect the power cable. Sheet 2 is the sheet on how to configure the camera using your computer. This is the part that has the potential to be alarming or at least uncomfortable if you're not lucky enough to have UPnP (universal plug and play) on your router. (More on this later.)
5. Great interface with web browsers - Once your device is set up for internet access (more on this later) it has a fairly intuitive interface using Internet Explorer with an Active X control (and also on my Apple Safari although I used my PC with Vista for the camera setup with my Apple Mac for the router changes). There is a viewing screen that allows for 3 resolutions (192x144, 320x240, 640x480). There is a graphical control on the left of the viewing screen with arrows up/down and left/right for tilt and pans. What's nice is there is an auto tilt and auto pan button that will cause the camera to sweep back and forth quickly to give a quick overview of the room. Clicking on a part of the viewing screen will redirect the camera to focus on that spot. There is also multi-camera support for what appears to be up to 16 separate cameras.
6. Fantastic image quality! (It is definitely grainy in low-light, but that's to be expected.)
7. Infrared body heat detection system - does not work if using only browsers but works well using the optional record software install
8. Sound detection - Camera can be set to record not just with body movement triggers but sound triggers.
9. Zoom ability - Only with the optional recording software installed. Does not zoom using browsers only.
10. Audio - (Not on iPhone browser or Google Chrome, however)
11. Mountable - Comes with mounting screws and a safety wire in case it falls from your wall
12. Seems to be Apple compatible (except the initial setup and for video recording which appears to require installation of software different from using just a web browser, although I have not yet tested the video recording feature yet) - Works on my Apple Safari web browser as well as Internet Explorer (with Active X).
The system requirements written on the outside of the Panasonic box seem to indicate only Windows XP SP2 and Vista with Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8 are compatible, but this may be true only for the additional software to set up video recording and the initial camera setup. The browsers seem adequate so far for just watching streaming video and taking still photos as well as maneuvering the camera. I cannot get sound, however, using my Apple iPhone Safari browser or Google Chrome on my PC. Sounds works well on Internet Explorer with Active-X.
CONS
1. Setting the camera up for internet access outside of your home can either be very easy or can be scary for technophobes. Your router must support something called UPnP, Universal Plug and Play for this to work smoothly (I imagine). When I say smoothly, I mean, being able to follow the step-by-step instruction on sheet #2. If you do NOT have a router that supports UPnP then the step-by-step instructions basically tell you to go to the manual on the CD which gives a great introduction on private IP addresses, WAN addresses, static IP addresses, and the usefulness of something called a "dynamic DNS server".
If you are now thinking that you will be over your head by all of this jargon, realize that most routers support UPnP and thus you can follow the step-by-step instructions which use an "automatic" mode in the configuration steps using your web browser. I am using an Apple Airport Base Extreme which does NOT support UPnP. My experience was that it required about 10 extra minutes for me to figure out that I needed to set up something like "port mapping" for my Apple router.
2. Although this is a "wireless" network camera, the description is slightly deceptive. It is wireless only in the networking sense. I should have thought about this more carefully, because what I really expected was a "cordless" camera. This camera has a powercord attached to it, although is "wireless".
3. It seems that there are 2 versions of video recording software that is an optional install. Oddly, the one for single camera support versus multiple (16) camera support are compatible with different Windows versions.
4. I have installed the optional software to my Windows Vista PC to support up to 16 cameras and found that the software works well and is intuitive to use for motion-detection recording. The software appears to be fine for my uses, but you have to pay for a retail version of the software if you want expanded features such as the ability to export their video data files to JPEG or MPEG format, or if you want to use their video backup feature. (I have separate third party software that mirrors my internal hard drives to external drives, so the lack of a built-in video backup feature is not critical to me.) I have not yet tried to see if this optional recording software will work with Bootcamp or VMWare on my Apple Macbook Pro.
TIPS
For those of you who also use an Apple Airport Base Extreme (which does not support UPnP), here's what I had to do:
A. Launch "Airport Utility" software from my Mac then select "Manual Setup"
B. Select "Advanced" from the top tab
C. Select "Port Mapping" from a sub-tab
D. Click on the "+" to add a device to this mapping so that an outside computer can access my device and is thus "mapped"
E. In the drop-down menu select "Personal Web Sharing"
F. Make sure the "public" and "private TCP" ports have the same number such as "80" in the text fields (which they do by default if you selected "Personal Web Sharing"
G. Save and update the modem (requires restart)
H. Go to the installation CD for the Camera and using Internet Explorer to configure the camera, choose "Setup" from the top in the web page
I. Select "Static" and NOT "Automatic Setup" and type in a number such as "80" into the "Port No." field, and save
J. Go to the "Internet" tab of the web page
K. Select "Disable" from the "Auto Port Forwarding (IPv4) option. This is DIFFERENT from the step-by-step instructions given which only work for those who have UPnP.
L. Select "Register with ...........com"
M. Select "Save"
N. You will then be directed to the "..............com" website which is Panasonic's "Dynamic DNS server" which basically will allow your router if it does not support UPnP to work. This website is also how you will be able to view your camera using a web browser outside of your home and local network.CONCLUSION
I am impressed enough to have ordered two additional "wireless" cameras. Its ease of use with the iPhone's standard web browser is simply awesome. My colleagues at work were so impressed by it that they have also placed orders for the device within hours of them seeing for themselves the streaming video on my iPhone and on my desktop at work.
I also suspect that my nanny will not feel like I'm some crazy overly zealous parent either, but that I just want a logical way to check up on the kids. It is a non-intimidating appearing piece of houseware that just seems fun and entertaining while being a legitimate surveillance camera.
I hope this review was of some help!

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Panasonic Pan/tilt network camera- Wireless- 2 Input external connectors- Sends H.264 or MPEG-4 and JPEG images simultaneously- Image transfer by timer, alarm, motion, sound or human presence- HTTPS Data encryption deters electronic eavesdropping.

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