Y-Cam Bullet
UK-based IP camera specialist Y-Cam has launched its first fully all-weather model, the Bullet. Its casing is weatherproof to the equivalent of IP66 standards and is also night-capable thanks to an array of 12 infrared LEDs around the lens that give a range of up to 15m. In another first for a Y-Cam product, these are combined with an infrared cut filter that's removed at night to improve image quality. This filter is activated during the day to filter out infrared light and give 'true' daylight images without the colour distortion that often plagues IR-sensitive cameras. An optional sun visor can be added if needed.
The rugged, night-capable, Y-Cam Bullet costs £295
The Bullet has an adjustable wall/ceiling mount and can operate between temperatures of -5 to 45˚C. Viewing angles are fixed at 60˚ horizontal and 45˚ vertical. Connection is via either wired 100Base-TX Ethernet or 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and it also supports 802.3af PoE, drawing 4.5W. For use in non-connected environments, it can store images direct to a microSD card (not included, but cards up to 8GB capacity are supported), giving it a useful standalone mode of operation. The 310,000-pixel 1/4in. CMOS sensor is capable of capturing video at a maximum of 30fps at 640 by 480 resolution, and is compressed for streaming in MPEG-4 or MJPEG formats.
There's 2-way audio via an audio jack to which a speaker can be attached and a microphone, and twin digital I/O connectors allow easy integration into recording systems. Its vector-based motion detection system can trigger email alerts or upload images to a website, and remote viewing of the live image feed is possible via a standard browser or web-enabled mobile phone. A demo page using the Bullet can be freely viewed here.
Y-Cam’s free MultiLive network video recorder software is available for the Bullet, which allows simultaneous viewing and recording of up to 36 live camera feeds. Free viewer apps are also available for iPhone and Android smartphones. The Y-Cam setup software supports Windows and OS X, but the MultiLive application is Windows-only.
Priced at £295, the Bullet is a useful addition to Y-Cam’s range and should appeal to those looking for a reasonably-priced outdoor surveillance solution.
Kelvyn Taylor