DVR Security System Review

The Axis 250S video server is designed to transmit the output of attached surveillance cameras over a network, the video server is compatible with both PAL and NTSC video signals.  The Axis 250S uses MPEG-2 video compression and you can configure the amount of bandwidth the device uses to transmit video.  You can configure the device to transmit video to attached clients, the devices bit rate can be set to stream video between the ranges of 0.25 and 8 mega bits per second.

There is no limit on the amount of clients that can view the video stream from the device providing they are using the same LAN.  This feature could prove useful if you need to set up multiple monitoring stations.  One BNC composite input is built in to the video server to accommodate surveillance cameras.  In NTSC mode the video sever has a maximum pixel resolution of 720*480, in PAL mode the maximum image resolution is 720*576.

Audio streams can also be routed to the device so you can hear the activities in the vicinity of your surveillance cameras.  To handle audio the video server has a stereo microphone input as well as a line input, you can also attach the system to external alarms.  Four digital alarm inputs are built in to the video server, attaching external alarms to it is a means of activating video recording.  You can use the video server to notify you via email when alarms attached to the system are activated.

Pan tilt and zoom cameras can be attached to the Axis 250S, the device is fitted with one RS-485/422 transceiver and one 9 pin D-SUB RS-232 connector.  As far as internal hardware goes the video server has a ETRAX 100 LX 32 RISC CPU, 16 MB of system RAM and a supplementary 4 MB of flash memory.  The video server runs on a 9 volt DC external power supply (Axis PS-K) and this is included with the package.

Check the latest price on the Axis 250S Video Server

The Axis 241Q is another video server from Axis designed to prevent your analogue CCTV cameras from becoming redundant. The Axis 241Q is very similar to the Axis 240Q and accommodates the same number of surveillance as its counterpart however the 241Q is capable of capturing smoother video and has more video compression capabilities. The Axis 241Q uses motion JPEG compression and also has MPEG-4 part 2 video compression, the video server is compatible with both PAL and NTSC video signals.

In NTSC mode the maximum frame rate for the video server is 20 frames per second, in PAL mode the maximum is 25 frames per second. The maximum pixel resolution for the video server using NTSC is 704*480 and in PAL mode maximum is 704*576. You can adjust the level of video compression used by the cameras attached to the video server so you can strike a balance between usage of network bandwidth and image quality. There Axis 241Q has 11 preset levels of video compression you can select.

You can modify the image output of the video server by converting color images into black, you also have the option of rotating the images it picks up to varying degrees. As with the other video servers ion the axis range you can assign labels to cameras attached to the video server with its overlay capabilities. Using the overlay capabilities of the video server gives you the means of identifying cameras attached to it quickly, you can give each camera a name or simply overlay a cameras image with the time.

Video recording is activated by a variety of means, these include motion detection as well as audio detection. Recording can also be triggered when the video server detects alarms attached to it have been activated, for connecting external alarms to the device it is fitted with four alarm inputs. The video server also has four alarm outputs, an RS-485/422 half duplex port and it supports pan tilt and zoom surveillance cameras.

As with other video servers in the range the Axis 241Q can be connected to a LAN or Internet connection, networking the video server gives you the ability to control your surveillance cameras remotely. The device is fitted with an ETRAX 100LX CPU, 64 megabytes of RAM and a supplementary 8 megabytes of flash memory. The video server comes with software for installing on Windows so you can control the surveillance system from a PC, mounting brackets and a connector kit.

Check the latest price on the Axis 241Q Video Server

The Axis 240Q allows you to integrate analog security cameras into a digital surveillance system. The video server has four BNC ports for accommodating your analog cameras and it uses motion JPEG compression, the device has a significantly lower frame rate than its 241s counterpart. At maximum your looking at 6 frames per second when recording in video in NTSC format and five frames per second when recording video in PAL mode. The frame rate for the video server is adjustable and you can also adjust the bandwidth usage of the device.

Video recording can be activated by connecting external alarms to the video server, the Axis 240Q has four inputs for the connection of external alarms. The Axis video server also has four alarm outputs, Another way of activating video recording is with its built in motion detection feature or by the use of scheduling. The video server has a maximum image resolution of 704*480 in NTSC, in PAL mode the maximum image resolution is slightly higher at 704*576.

The images from the Axis 240Q can be manipulated in numerous ways, the video server has the ability to rotate images and it can display them in both color and black and white. A de-interlace feature is also built in and it has overlay capabilities so details such as the date or time can be incorporated into images. Connecting analog cameras to the video server gives you the ability to view their output over the Internet.

A variety of network protocols are supported by the video server and these include HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, DDNS and more. The software included with the video server allows you to set up a system that will keep you informed about key events picked up by your surveillance cameras. When specific alarms attached to the video server are activated you can configure the system to email you images picked up by the cameras.

PTZ cameras can be attached to the video server and you can control their position through a PC with a Windows compatible joystick. Other ports not yet mentioned include an RS-232 port and a 485/422 half duplex port. The Axis video servers on board processor is an ETRAX 100LX and it also has 32 MB of RAM that is supplemented by 8MB of flash ram.

Check the latest price on the Axis 240Q Video Server

The Axis 241s is a solution for anyone who has analog security cameras they wish to integrate into a digital surveillance system. The Axis 241s prevents analog cameras from becoming redundant by converting their analog output into digital format. The video server uses both MPEG-4 and motion JPEG video compression and can record video at resolutions up to 704*480 in NTSC mode, PAL offers the slightly higher resolution of 704*576.

You can only attach one analog surveillance camera to the Axis 241s, other models of the video server can accommodate additional cameras. The maximum frame rate for recording video footage is 30 frames per second for NTSC, the frame rate lowers to 25 when recording in PAL. Motion detection is built in to the 241s and the video server also has an alarm notification feature that informs you when external alarms attached to the device are activated.

The internal hardware of the Axis 241s consists of an ETRAX 100LX processor, 32 MB of RAM and there is also 8 MB of flash memory. Your analog camera is connected to the device through its BNC input and the video server also has a BNC output. External alarms are connected to the video server through its four alarm inputs and it has four alarm outputs. The video server also has RS-485/422 ports and it supports security cameras that have pan, tilt and zoom functions.

Connecting your analogue cameras to the Axis 241s gives you the ability to view their output on a PC. The device includes software on CD that you can install on PC’s so you can use it as a means for monitoring your surveillance cameras. Your PC needs to have at least a 500 MHz processor and 128 MB of RAM in order to run the video server software. A mounting bracket and connector kit also comes with the video server and it includes instructions on getting the device up and running.

Check the latest price on the Axis 241s Video Server

Here are some very cool demonstrations of Axis security cameras that you can take control of yourself. The first camera is situated in the Lake Mendota area near Wisconsin and it gives you a direct experience of what it is like to control a surveillance system remotely. You control a security camera that has pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) functions and automatic focusing, the user interface is very straightforward to use.

You can try out the live camera demonstration here

You may or may not see any activity dependant on the time of day you visit, some of the camera demonstrations have cameras you can control, others are in a fixed position. This live camera demonstration shows you the output of four surveillance cameras simultaneously.

Quad Camera Demonstration

Here is a full screen image of a construction site, I wonder what they’re building?

Construction site live security camera demo

Another 4 camera demonstration

Here you can see people snowboarding and skiing, the demonstration displays four cameras at once. Notice how the frame rate improves when you view the surveillance cameras individually.

Live Snowboarding and Skiing

Four surveillance cameras situated around busy roads