ONVIF Camera Recommendations

QVR Pro, QVR Pro Client, QVR Center and Surveillance Station
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io io
Starting out
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 3:54 am

ONVIF Camera Recommendations

Post by io io »

Hi,
I've been using network security cameras for over 20 years and experienced the avalanche of such hardware since.
One of the best and affordable cameras I have are the Panasonic BL-C131 camera and the related versions (BL-C30a, BL-C111a, etc.). It can be managed and viewed with IE without any ActiveX as a jpeg stream at 3 seconds intervals or as mjpeg and H.264 using an in-page ActiveX download. It was rated for indoors, but I've been using it on the outside wall of my house in Alaska for over 15 years. Advantages: browser friendly, very small factor PTZ, 1-way audio, wired and wireless, guest user, multi users, center view on viewer click, PIR detection. I just send the URL in a WhatsApp chat and the recipient sees my driveway in no time, and more. Downsize are max 640x480 resolution (VGA) and IE and ActiveX being dropped and unsupported anymore.

Recently I started using the Surveillance Station and the QVR Pro in order to manage all the cameras, and I discovered that every one of them has some drawbacks. For example, two cameras I had bought as ONVIF cameras work only when set as "ONVIF Cameras (Fixed Settings)" and not having the PTZ controls enabled like a "ONVIF Cameras" setting.

I apologize for my long introductory part, and here's my asking:
Could any of you, based on hands-on experience, recommend a QVR Pro compliant ONVIF camera model having these specs?

- Outdoors
- Night IR view
- H.265 at least
- PTZ
- Full 360 degrees rotation
- Optical zoom greater than 18x
- 1-way audio at least
- Ethernet enabled
- IE and Chrome managed and viewed
- Reliable

Thank you
Thisisnotmyname
Easy as a breeze
Posts: 447
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2018 1:21 am

Re: ONVIF Camera Recommendations

Post by Thisisnotmyname »

I saw IE and ActiveX and thought this was a necro'ed thread but then checked the date and it's today.

I don't have a suggestion for a camera but I do suggest you dump IE from your list of requirements, there hasn't been a new version of internet explorer for eight years. Chromium browsers (Chrome and Edge), Firefox, and Safari are the main current browsers out there.
io io
Starting out
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 3:54 am

Re: ONVIF Camera Recommendations

Post by io io »

Thank you for your reply.
I would use even Netscape browser if it matches my needs. I never fix anything if it's still working. I use professionally a document scanner deployed on Windows 3.1.
I do appreciate your suggestion.
Thisisnotmyname
Easy as a breeze
Posts: 447
Joined: Mon Nov 19, 2018 1:21 am

Re: ONVIF Camera Recommendations

Post by Thisisnotmyname »

The problem is that the rest of the world moves on without you. Manufacturers of the best hardware and developers of the best software have bigger fish to fry than worrying about supporting an obsolete platform. If you leave IE as a hard requirement you'll be limiting yourself to very likely sub-par offerings.

I'd also challenge your "it still works" perspective. IE will stop receiving all support including security updates in less than a year (June of 2022). At that point any new threats via IE will remain unplugged and your system will be sieve. Does "it still work" if it's a major security risk?

Ultimately your call but technology is a constant march forward. Stagnating carries its own risks.
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