Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607W Wifi Wireless b/g/n IP Network Camera with built in MicroSD DVR and Infrared Night Vision

by Sharx

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 1.2 x 3.5 inches ; 1.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B003OER7CI
• Item model number: SCNC2607W
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,297 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 28, 2010

Product Description

This indoor night vision IP camera works on 10/100 Ethernet with Cat5 wiring or on 802.11 b/g/n wireless networks secured with WEP, WPA or WPA2 encryption. Multiple viewers can see video or snapshots in any of the supported formats including MPEG4, MJPEG, 3GPP and JPEG. Both HTTP and RTSP streaming protocols are supported for use with browsers or media players on Windows or Mac computers as well as iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or other web enabled cell phones. Multiple streams with 3 separate choices of image quality are available simultaneously. Video can be adjusted from near DVD quality with audio and full motion (2048K, 640 x 480, 30 fps) all the way down to a bandwidth saving mobile stream (20K, 176 x 144, 5 fps). With an optional MicroSD memory card the camera functions as a standalone DVR for motion detection or continuous video. Recording time ranges from 1 hour/GB to almost 100 hours/GB based on selected video quality. The camera can automatically upload recorded video files to an FTP server or standalone network drive with FTP feature. The included desktop stand can be used as wall or ceiling mounting bracket. Power is supplied by the included international standard 100-240V AC adapter. This camera can see up to 30 ft in absolute darkness with its built in infrared LEDs. A wired or wireless router is required for operation. Access from outside the home network requires internet service. Automatic setup for remote viewing requires a recent model router with the UPnP feature. Older routers, networks with multiple routers, or Apple Airport require manual configuration. Step by step instructions included for current version of Airport Extreme or Time Capsule. Includes 30 days unlimited free email tech support and up to 30 minutes of free telephone support during the first 30 days after purchase.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprised by feature-laden camera!, August 6, 2010

By 

Oji John "Oji" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607W Wifi Wireless b/g/n IP Network Camera with built in MicroSD DVR and Infrared Night Vision (Electronics)

Yes, feature-laden camera the size of the palm of my hand. We've been agonizing over which of today's modern home security cameras we could purchase to replace the old VEOs we've used for years.

We read an article in a magazine which mentioned Sharx as a possible solution, so we decided to take a look at its website.

We were encouraged enough to order one of the Sharx SCN2607W indoor cameras. After trying it out for a spell, we can relate what we like about it:

-> Manual = well-written. Kudos to the tech writer!

-> We can set up a camera using LINUX which is our primary operating system at home. Yes, we can use a Mac or a PC, too.

-> We can use the camera's wireless functions or we can hook the camera directly to our home CAT5/6 network. We tried both and had no problems.

-> We can have images emailed to our ISP email account (e.g. Yahoo! or Gmail).

-> We can monitor the camera with our Smartphone, Touch or any browser at any internet cafe in the world (where politics allow it ;-).

-> If we want to archive images/video, we can use a computer already on the home network to receive files for storage. We *don't* need a separate digital video recorder (DVR) or network-attached storage (NAS) as part of a package to store images or video files generated by the camera.

-> OR, we can insert a MicroSD card which the camera will manage for us by overwriting the oldest file if the card is about full. If we don't want to lose a file from the card, we can ask the camera to send the files to whatever storage device we're using on the home network.

-> If you know how to set one up, your home network storage device can be an ftp or http server. Maybe you already subscribe to an ISP that lets you ftp or http files to remote storage. You can send your files there.

-> The point of much of the above is: maybe you already have the basics of home security video monitoring - you just lack a good camera. This is an excellent camera!

-> The built-in motion detector works fine. We can adjust the sensitivity and threshold with Firefox running on LINUX but an ActiveX add-on for IE7 provides an additional GUI flourish that's nice to have.

-> Video resolution, frame rate, etc., are adjustable. Various streams are available from the camera to suit different viewing/receiving/storage devices. For instance, there's a stream available that's suitable for a mobile phone. (This feature we have not tried yet. . .)

-> The IR LEDs light up a large room at night.

-> The camera comes with a mounting bracket that you don't have to mount. Just set it on a shelf and it won't fall over! Don't like where you put it the first time? Pick it up and move it (which illustrates one of the advantages of the WiFi feature!)

-> Sharx' *outdoor* cameras have an additional interface that can send/receive triggering signals to/from professionally installed security systems (e.g. window breaking sensors, perimeter intrusion, etc.)

That's all we've had time to investigate in one evening. There are more features we'd like to investigate, but we're impressed by the camera so far. We've decided this is our solution and will order more of the cameras.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Customer support, set-up issues and limitations of use, September 14, 2010

By 

Joachim Kohn (Piscataway, NJ, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607W Wifi Wireless b/g/n IP Network Camera with built in MicroSD DVR and Infrared Night Vision (Electronics)

First, in a phone call, SHARX assured me that the VIPcella-IR SCNC2607W has the same technical specifications as the VIPcella-IR SCNC2607 except that one is black and the other is white. The only difference with the other model (VIPcella SCNC2606) is that the 2606 models do not have infrared lights for night vision. The rest of the electronics, set-up etc are all identical. Therefore, virtually all of the customer comments made about the other SHARX cameras apply to this camera as well.

My initial problem with purchasing from SHARX was the very poor website. As of August 30, 2010, there was no contact phone number, no manual to download, no specific technical information, no help with set-up issues. Just an e-mail. This bothered me as it did not inspire confidence that the vendor will provide adequate support for the product. This concern was proven wrong. As mentioned by others, in spite of the poor web site, the actual customer support is outstanding.

I received a shipment that was incomplete, I emailed SHARX customer support and within a few hours someone called me back, worked out the problem and then stayed on line patiently for over an hour to help me set up the camera till I was satisfied.

I learned a lot about the set-up process during that one hour interaction. Basically, from the cable modem, I connect to a router and one of the router ports connects further into an Apple Airport Extreme WiFi station. If my router and WiFi station would have been the latest models with all the new automatic features (such as UPNP), the camera would have set itself up almost without any sophisticated user interaction. In my case, the router was from 2005 (Ancient stuff as far as computer equipment is concerned), and my Apple WiFi station was an older model for which no further firmware upgrades were available.

Because of this situation, set up of the camera was a quite complex. Without help from someone knowledgeable in networking, it would have been impossible for even a relatively experienced computer user to get this camera (or any other camera) to work. The SHARX technical representative knew exactly what he was doing and got me through this process with great skill and with a helpful and patient attitude. It was actually a pleasure to work with this person on the set-up.

This experience solved one of the great puzzles in my mind: How come that some people reported that set up was easy while others reported such frustrating experiences and couldn't get it to work? I think the answer is that there is nothing wrong with the camera - the problem is that the more outdated and unusual the individual cable modem and router configurations are, the more difficult it will be to set up the camera.

In summary, once the camera was up, it performed exactly as advertised. I love the ease of using the many features of the camera, the manual is very well written, and the camera provides relatively good images AT CLOSE RANGE.

HOWEVER, there is a limitation: This is NOT a professional security camera. In case of a break-in, for example, the video and images produced by the camera will most probably NOT allow police to identify the intruder based on facial recognition unless the intruder directly looks into the camera at close range. If the subject moves fast or is more than 3 yards from the camera, the image will be rather blurry. Further, all WiFi equipment can be rendered useless by a WiFi jammer that is readily available to potential intruders. In short, this is a great product to watch the baby or the cleaning lady, but it is not designed to be a robust home security system.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pink Grass Pink Trees Pink Shrubs, December 21, 2010

By 

MM - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607W Wifi Wireless b/g/n IP Network Camera with built in MicroSD DVR and Infrared Night Vision (Electronics)

Everything is great about this camera except one thing. The color rendering is terrible. Due to its missing an ICR filter, my entire garden of green grass and trees becomes pink with this camera. A person wearing a blue shirt, black pants, and black shoes appears uniformly a pastel purple. Absolutely useless for providing suspect identification in a security application. The worst part about this camera is the documentation that does not admit to this color rendering failure until page 20 in the manual. Perhaps this nugget of information should be in bold type, upfront, before the sale. Needless to say, I returned the camera the next day. The rule of thumb is, if a camera has IR illuminators, make sure it has an automatic mechanical ICR filter.