Darksaber
10-14-2007, 02:03 PM
[page=Introduction]
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/images/logo.jpg
I would like to thank OvisLink (http://www.airlive.com) for supplying the review sample.
About AirLive and OvisLink
AirLive is a wireless series launched by OvisLink in 2001 with the "Living in a World without Boundaries, Building a Network without Wires" as the main motto. Their goal and direction for the series is best described on the AirLive about page:
AirLive has since brought the freedom of wireless communication to millions of users. Connecting people's lives together across the globe. Therefore, OvisLink Corp. implement the AirLive trademark and the "simple yet powerful networking" philosophy across its entire product lines. Be sure to look for the AirLive trademark for genuine and quality products by OvisLink Corp.
OvisLink was established in 1993 in Taiwan, as a network solutions provider. They now offer over 200 unique and useful networking products for both small businesses and home use. OvisLink Corp. was the first company in Taiwan to introduce Fast-Ethernet NICs and Switches when IEEE 802.3u standard was established in 1996. Moreover, OvisLink Corp. entered the WLAN market in 2001 with the AirLive series and became the major provider of wireless solutions
Today we take a look at the AirLive WL-5460CAM, which is a WLAN Internet IP Camera just like the WL-5400CAM. The one on our test bench today also features a built-in microphone and can actually be moved around remotely.
Specification
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="ramtable" width="450">
<tr>
<th scope="row">Model</th>
<td scope="row">AirLive WL-5460CAM Wireless-G MPEG4 Pan Tilt IP Camera</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Wireless</th>
<td scope="row">802.11b/g Wireless, 20dBm, WPA and WEP support</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Upload configuration</th>
<td scope="row">Time Schedule & Manual Operation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Camera Specification</th>
<td scope="row"> Sensor resolution 640 x 480 pixel
Sensor Color CMOS Sensor
Automatic Gain control (AGC) Yes
Automatic Exposure (AE) Yes
Automatic White Balance Yes
Signal/Noise ratio 57dB
Lens:F2.8 f4.5mm Board Lens
Light Sensivity: 0.5 Lux</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Audio</th>
<td scope="row"> Internal Microphone (mono), Sensitivity: 42 dB, Sampling Rate: 8Kbps</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Image (Video Setting)</th>
<td scope="row"> MPEG4 compression
Image frame rate: 30fps@QQVGA, 30fps@QVGA,30fps@VGA
Compression Rate selection: 5 levels, very low, low, middle, high, very high
Frame rate setting: 5, 7, 10,15, 30
Video resolution: 160x112@30fps, 320 x 240@15fps, 640 x 480@10fps
Auto Brightness control
Auto Contrast control
Auto Gain Cotrol
Up and Down reversal: Yes
Mirror: Yes
Digital Zoom: Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Communication</th>
<td scope="row"> LAN port
RJ45, 10/100M auto-sensed
Wireless LAN
Built-in 802.11b wireless LAN module
Communication protocol
HTTP, FTP, TCP/IP, UDP, ARP, ICMP, BOOTP, RARP, DHCP, PPPoE, SMTP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">System</th>
<td scope="row"> CPU Infineon-ADMtek 5120
RAM 32MB Byte
Flash ROM 4MB Byte
OS: Linux</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Power</th>
<td scope="row">
DC 5V, 2.5A switching type power supply
Power consumption
6 Watt (1200mA x 5V), Maximum</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">LED Indicators</th>
<td scope="row">Power LED Blue color, Activity LED Orange color</td>
</tr>
</table>
[page=Packaging & Contents]
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packfront_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packrear_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packrear.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packopen_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packopen.jpg)
Airlive keeps the packaging of all their devices quite similar. That way you will always find them on a crowded shelf. The front of the box shows the WL-5460CAM and lists a few of the general features. The rear goes into greater detail, in multiple languages. The device itself is placed in a cardboard tray, just like the WL-5400CAM we reviewed previously.
Contents
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/contents_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/contents.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/ethernetcable_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/ethernetcable.jpg)
Inside the box you will find a clear plastic bag with a CD, a well illustrated manual in multiple languages and a wireless antenna to connect the device using your existing WiFi network. A blue ethernet cable gives you the ability to connect the WL-5460CAM to your network directly.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/psu_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/psu.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/wallmount_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/wallmount.jpg)
A small and compact power supply is required to power the unit. The motors inside the camera require too much power, which an Ethernet cable cannot supply. The solid metal wall mount holds the unit in place as it it best installed upside down from the roof or off a wall with the help of this metal contraption.
[page=A Closer Look & Software]
A Closer Look
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/camera_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/camera.jpg)
Taking a look at the camera, it is kept symetrical. This is no big surprise as it can be turned in any direction you wish. If Airlive manages to make this unit with a black casing, you may end up seeing it in a few action movies as it looks great, even in blue. Any camera suddenly following your every move in a room should be somewhat intimidating and the Airlive WL-5460CAM is no exception here.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/connections_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/connections.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/leds_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/leds.jpg)
The rear holds all the usual connections. On the left you will find the DC, 5V plug. In the middle there is the wireless antenna connection, which is of the usual kind found on routers. You may place a larger, stronger antenna instead, if needed. All the way to the right is a traditional Ethernet connection for a wired network. The front features two LEDs to denote power and status within the network.
Software
The included software is quite similar to that of the smaller Airlive WL-5400. The big technical differences are the remote pan and tilt function as well as the built-in microphone. We will not cover all the software, only the applications which are different to those of the WL-5400 will be looked upon further. If you wish to read up on the others, not covered, take a look at the WL-500 review here (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/4.html).
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture001_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture001.jpg)
The CD autoruns the above menu as soon as it is inserted. Most of these items are self explanatory. We will cover FFDShow, AVISavior & IPVew Pro. The latter is also included in on the WL-5400 CD, but only the "LE" version, not the full fledged "PRO" variant.
IPView Pro
Setup Process:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture008_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture008.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture009_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture009.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture010_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture010.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture011_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture011.jpg)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture012_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture012.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture013_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture013.jpg)
IPView Pro serves the same purpose as the LE variant we looked at in the WL-5400 review. The major differences are the amount of cameras which can be accessed at the same time. The LE variant was limited to four, while the Pro can access up to a whooping 16. The interface looks completely different and the settings menu is displayed in the location where you would look at the video feed. The above image is just a cutout of that area.
AVISaver
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture014_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture014.jpg)
The AVISaver application does not require a software, and starts right away when selected in the CD menu. Apparently it is used to fix the AVI files from recordings of the CSViewer, which the camera uses to record any surveillance of the WL-5460. There could be a need to fix the end of these files, as they may not be completed properly due to ongoing recording of surveillance. AVISaver is only guaranteed to work with these AVI files and no others.
ffdshow
ffdshow is something you may know as it is quite popular in certain circles. Wikipedia has the following summary of the application:
ffdshow is a media decoder and encoder mainly used for the fast and high-quality decoding of video in the MPEG-4 ASP (e.g. encoded with DivX, Xvid or FFmpeg MPEG-4) and AVC (H.264) formats, but supporting numerous other video and audio formats as well. It is free software released under the GPL license, runs on Windows and is implemented as a DirectShow decoding filter.
It is available as freeware and is licenced under the GNU licence. If you have ever installed a well known codec pack, odds are ffdshow has already been installed on your system. The installation below shows what to expect when installing the application.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture015_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture015.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture016_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture016.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture017_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture017.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture018_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture018.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture019_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture019.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture020_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture020.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture021_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture021.jpg)
[page=Video Quality & Conclusion]
Video Quality
The video quality is the exact same as with the WL-5400CAM. Both are able to record 10 FPS at VGA resolution. This is quite sufficient for surveillance purposes. We will no go into great detail about the quality. Videos can be recorded "on the fly" through IPView Pro. Another option to save video is via an FTP server of your choice. In this case the camera sends a 3 FPS video to the server, to avoid any strain on the network. You may set more frames, but it is not recommended unless you have a dedicated wireless network with an FTP server, just for surveillance. So check out the videos of the WL-5400CAM to get a feel for the quality.
Video quality downloads:
320 x 240 pixels AVI file. Size: ~1.42 MB (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/images/320.avi)
640 x 480 pixels AVI file. Size: ~1.76 MB (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/images/640.avi)
.
Value & Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The AirLive WL-5460CAM will set you back around 210 - 220€. While this may seem a lot, it is well priced for this type of hardware</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Justified price
Very well built
Very good video quality
Very simple and well organized Setup Wizard
Detailed web interface
Pan and tilt function
Device can be managed over network
Built-in microphone
Software allows simultaneous control of up to 16 cameras
FTP, local storage and E-Mail upload
Antenna can be removed
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
No autofocus
Nothing for "fun" home use
A 2 dbi antenna may not be strong enough
Only Fast Ethernet 100 MBit/s
</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.3</th>
<td>
The AirLive WL-5460CAM is the bigger variant of the WL-5400CAM. The added features are well worth the added price premium of around 60 - 70€. The pan & tilt feature is a great feature for active surveilance when you need to cover a lot of ground with a single camera or to follow subjects around within a larger space. The built-in microphone is also a useful feature, but may not be a requirement for most scenarios. The WL-5460CAM builds on the great setup and ease of use, just like the WL-5400CAM. The inclusion of IPView Pro instead of LE also underlines the large scale use of such a surveillance device, as you are able to view 16 such cameras in a grid view. AirLive made a wise choice in keeping the video capabilities the same, as there is no real need for high resolution videos. This would only increase file size, without offering more usability. The difference between the two versions is perfect, as the included features of both aim at different uses for private home/small business use or in a large scale surveillance operation.
</td></tr><tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/images/logo.jpg
I would like to thank OvisLink (http://www.airlive.com) for supplying the review sample.
About AirLive and OvisLink
AirLive is a wireless series launched by OvisLink in 2001 with the "Living in a World without Boundaries, Building a Network without Wires" as the main motto. Their goal and direction for the series is best described on the AirLive about page:
AirLive has since brought the freedom of wireless communication to millions of users. Connecting people's lives together across the globe. Therefore, OvisLink Corp. implement the AirLive trademark and the "simple yet powerful networking" philosophy across its entire product lines. Be sure to look for the AirLive trademark for genuine and quality products by OvisLink Corp.
OvisLink was established in 1993 in Taiwan, as a network solutions provider. They now offer over 200 unique and useful networking products for both small businesses and home use. OvisLink Corp. was the first company in Taiwan to introduce Fast-Ethernet NICs and Switches when IEEE 802.3u standard was established in 1996. Moreover, OvisLink Corp. entered the WLAN market in 2001 with the AirLive series and became the major provider of wireless solutions
Today we take a look at the AirLive WL-5460CAM, which is a WLAN Internet IP Camera just like the WL-5400CAM. The one on our test bench today also features a built-in microphone and can actually be moved around remotely.
Specification
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="ramtable" width="450">
<tr>
<th scope="row">Model</th>
<td scope="row">AirLive WL-5460CAM Wireless-G MPEG4 Pan Tilt IP Camera</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Wireless</th>
<td scope="row">802.11b/g Wireless, 20dBm, WPA and WEP support</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Upload configuration</th>
<td scope="row">Time Schedule & Manual Operation</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Camera Specification</th>
<td scope="row"> Sensor resolution 640 x 480 pixel
Sensor Color CMOS Sensor
Automatic Gain control (AGC) Yes
Automatic Exposure (AE) Yes
Automatic White Balance Yes
Signal/Noise ratio 57dB
Lens:F2.8 f4.5mm Board Lens
Light Sensivity: 0.5 Lux</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Audio</th>
<td scope="row"> Internal Microphone (mono), Sensitivity: 42 dB, Sampling Rate: 8Kbps</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Image (Video Setting)</th>
<td scope="row"> MPEG4 compression
Image frame rate: 30fps@QQVGA, 30fps@QVGA,30fps@VGA
Compression Rate selection: 5 levels, very low, low, middle, high, very high
Frame rate setting: 5, 7, 10,15, 30
Video resolution: 160x112@30fps, 320 x 240@15fps, 640 x 480@10fps
Auto Brightness control
Auto Contrast control
Auto Gain Cotrol
Up and Down reversal: Yes
Mirror: Yes
Digital Zoom: Yes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Communication</th>
<td scope="row"> LAN port
RJ45, 10/100M auto-sensed
Wireless LAN
Built-in 802.11b wireless LAN module
Communication protocol
HTTP, FTP, TCP/IP, UDP, ARP, ICMP, BOOTP, RARP, DHCP, PPPoE, SMTP</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">System</th>
<td scope="row"> CPU Infineon-ADMtek 5120
RAM 32MB Byte
Flash ROM 4MB Byte
OS: Linux</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Power</th>
<td scope="row">
DC 5V, 2.5A switching type power supply
Power consumption
6 Watt (1200mA x 5V), Maximum</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">LED Indicators</th>
<td scope="row">Power LED Blue color, Activity LED Orange color</td>
</tr>
</table>
[page=Packaging & Contents]
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packfront_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packrear_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packrear.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packopen_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/packopen.jpg)
Airlive keeps the packaging of all their devices quite similar. That way you will always find them on a crowded shelf. The front of the box shows the WL-5460CAM and lists a few of the general features. The rear goes into greater detail, in multiple languages. The device itself is placed in a cardboard tray, just like the WL-5400CAM we reviewed previously.
Contents
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/contents_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/contents.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/ethernetcable_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/ethernetcable.jpg)
Inside the box you will find a clear plastic bag with a CD, a well illustrated manual in multiple languages and a wireless antenna to connect the device using your existing WiFi network. A blue ethernet cable gives you the ability to connect the WL-5460CAM to your network directly.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/psu_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/psu.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/wallmount_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/wallmount.jpg)
A small and compact power supply is required to power the unit. The motors inside the camera require too much power, which an Ethernet cable cannot supply. The solid metal wall mount holds the unit in place as it it best installed upside down from the roof or off a wall with the help of this metal contraption.
[page=A Closer Look & Software]
A Closer Look
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/camera_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/camera.jpg)
Taking a look at the camera, it is kept symetrical. This is no big surprise as it can be turned in any direction you wish. If Airlive manages to make this unit with a black casing, you may end up seeing it in a few action movies as it looks great, even in blue. Any camera suddenly following your every move in a room should be somewhat intimidating and the Airlive WL-5460CAM is no exception here.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/connections_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/connections.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/leds_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/leds.jpg)
The rear holds all the usual connections. On the left you will find the DC, 5V plug. In the middle there is the wireless antenna connection, which is of the usual kind found on routers. You may place a larger, stronger antenna instead, if needed. All the way to the right is a traditional Ethernet connection for a wired network. The front features two LEDs to denote power and status within the network.
Software
The included software is quite similar to that of the smaller Airlive WL-5400. The big technical differences are the remote pan and tilt function as well as the built-in microphone. We will not cover all the software, only the applications which are different to those of the WL-5400 will be looked upon further. If you wish to read up on the others, not covered, take a look at the WL-500 review here (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/4.html).
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture001_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture001.jpg)
The CD autoruns the above menu as soon as it is inserted. Most of these items are self explanatory. We will cover FFDShow, AVISavior & IPVew Pro. The latter is also included in on the WL-5400 CD, but only the "LE" version, not the full fledged "PRO" variant.
IPView Pro
Setup Process:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture008_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture008.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture009_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture009.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture010_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture010.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture011_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture011.jpg)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture012_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture012.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture013_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture013.jpg)
IPView Pro serves the same purpose as the LE variant we looked at in the WL-5400 review. The major differences are the amount of cameras which can be accessed at the same time. The LE variant was limited to four, while the Pro can access up to a whooping 16. The interface looks completely different and the settings menu is displayed in the location where you would look at the video feed. The above image is just a cutout of that area.
AVISaver
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture014_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5460CAM/images/Capture014.jpg)
The AVISaver application does not require a software, and starts right away when selected in the CD menu. Apparently it is used to fix the AVI files from recordings of the CSViewer, which the camera uses to record any surveillance of the WL-5460. There could be a need to fix the end of these files, as they may not be completed properly due to ongoing recording of surveillance. AVISaver is only guaranteed to work with these AVI files and no others.
ffdshow
ffdshow is something you may know as it is quite popular in certain circles. Wikipedia has the following summary of the application:
ffdshow is a media decoder and encoder mainly used for the fast and high-quality decoding of video in the MPEG-4 ASP (e.g. encoded with DivX, Xvid or FFmpeg MPEG-4) and AVC (H.264) formats, but supporting numerous other video and audio formats as well. It is free software released under the GPL license, runs on Windows and is implemented as a DirectShow decoding filter.
It is available as freeware and is licenced under the GNU licence. If you have ever installed a well known codec pack, odds are ffdshow has already been installed on your system. The installation below shows what to expect when installing the application.
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[page=Video Quality & Conclusion]
Video Quality
The video quality is the exact same as with the WL-5400CAM. Both are able to record 10 FPS at VGA resolution. This is quite sufficient for surveillance purposes. We will no go into great detail about the quality. Videos can be recorded "on the fly" through IPView Pro. Another option to save video is via an FTP server of your choice. In this case the camera sends a 3 FPS video to the server, to avoid any strain on the network. You may set more frames, but it is not recommended unless you have a dedicated wireless network with an FTP server, just for surveillance. So check out the videos of the WL-5400CAM to get a feel for the quality.
Video quality downloads:
320 x 240 pixels AVI file. Size: ~1.42 MB (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/images/320.avi)
640 x 480 pixels AVI file. Size: ~1.76 MB (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AirLive/WL_5400CAM/images/640.avi)
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Value & Conclusion
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The AirLive WL-5460CAM will set you back around 210 - 220€. While this may seem a lot, it is well priced for this type of hardware</td>
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Justified price
Very well built
Very good video quality
Very simple and well organized Setup Wizard
Detailed web interface
Pan and tilt function
Device can be managed over network
Built-in microphone
Software allows simultaneous control of up to 16 cameras
FTP, local storage and E-Mail upload
Antenna can be removed
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No autofocus
Nothing for "fun" home use
A 2 dbi antenna may not be strong enough
Only Fast Ethernet 100 MBit/s
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The AirLive WL-5460CAM is the bigger variant of the WL-5400CAM. The added features are well worth the added price premium of around 60 - 70€. The pan & tilt feature is a great feature for active surveilance when you need to cover a lot of ground with a single camera or to follow subjects around within a larger space. The built-in microphone is also a useful feature, but may not be a requirement for most scenarios. The WL-5460CAM builds on the great setup and ease of use, just like the WL-5400CAM. The inclusion of IPView Pro instead of LE also underlines the large scale use of such a surveillance device, as you are able to view 16 such cameras in a grid view. AirLive made a wise choice in keeping the video capabilities the same, as there is no real need for high resolution videos. This would only increase file size, without offering more usability. The difference between the two versions is perfect, as the included features of both aim at different uses for private home/small business use or in a large scale surveillance operation.
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