If you’re yearning for a pan/tilt information processing camera for security functions, however you don’t want the top-shelf performance and style options that drive the value of a lot of business-centric models just like the Axis M5014 on the far side 5 bills, the $250 (as of August five, 2012) D-Link DCS-5222L is price thought. The D-Link model offers several of a similar options because the Axis camera will, at [*fr1] the value. It conjointly boasts a few of options that the Axis lacks: night-sight and two-way audio.
D-Link’s camera delivers sensible color fidelity, however this image appearance fuzzier than we have a tendency to expected from associate degree “HD” camera.So what does one quit in exchange? Video quality, for starters. though the DCS-5222L delivers 1280-by-720-pixel resolution—just because the Axis M5014 does—video from the D-Link camera appearance abundant fuzzier. The DCS-5222L is additionally a lot of prone to change of state, since its lens and pan/tilt mechanism area unit unprotected. And anyone WHO desires to forestall the D-Link camera from recording want solely pull out its MicroSD card; in distinction, Axis place the M5014’s card slot on very cheap, wherever it’s inaccessible once the camera is mounted.
D-Link’s code wizard walks you thru a rudimentary setup method, however a whole configuration can have you ever jumping through hoops sort of a circus animal. additionally to the wizard, you’ll got to learn the D-View native consumer interface, the MyDlink on-line interface, and (if you would like to urge deep into the camera’s firmware) the Advanced Settings interface.
D-ViewCam permits you to observe up to thirty two D-Link cameras employing a native laptop. A free companion app, MyDlink, will run on your laptop, smartphone, or tablet, and allows you to simply read video streamed from your cameras over the net. The app handily eliminates the necessity to sign on for a dynamic DNS service and to line port forwarding on your router, however it’s some limitations: you’ll read just one stream at a time, you can’t size the video window any larger than concerning 645 by 350 pixels, and streaming mechanically times out once some minutes.
The D-Link DCS-5222L provides plenty of options and adaptability for $250, however it stumbles on image quality. If image quality is preponderating to you, check up on Logitech’s night-vision Alert cameras, which provide far better image quality despite having a lower resolution than the D-Link will.