What kind of cameras can I use?
Any IP camera or Webcam with an internet connection. The camera should use an H.264 codec and Support RTSP streaming protocol. Ideally, it will have a viewing angle of 170 degrees. A list of cameras we like! Luckily most of modern network
cameras support h.264 over RTSP,
required pre-requisites for
connecting your camera. For best support we require h.264
and RTSP - the industry standards.
In the current version, we do
support MJPEG cameras as well, even
in cloud recording. Axis - most of
their cameras have the required
protocols. They also have a service
called AVHS which allows you to
connect using "one click"
technology. No router configuration
is required and with Axis, you
always get a quality product with
good support, great image quality
and configuration options. The price
is pretty high on the other hand. Foscam - Another
well known brand which offers good
image quality for a good price. The
configuration is not that detailed,
but it gets the job done for most
users. Look for camera models marked
9xxx, the older ones don't support
h264 encoding. Dahua -
Currently the world biggest IP
camera manufacturer, a wide range of
devices for various applications,
great value for money. The price of
their basic models starts under $99
and it is a good choice for the
majority of common applications. Be
careful where you buy them, there
are frequently unofficially
distributed and you can get one with
a Chinese firmware with no firmware
upgrade option and you might
experience some glitches in the
settings, etc. Otherwise even these
versions work. Hikvision -
Another big manufacturer, it is
similar to Dahua with all pros and
cons Vivotek- A well
known manufacturer, good quality and
acceptable price. Good support. Sony - Great
image quality, some neat features.
Higher price There are many other brands, and
generic devices which function
perfectly on our site like Samsung,
Geovision, AirLive, Bosch,
Panasonic, Pelco.Trusted Brands - some of our
favorite brands include:
What power requirements are there?
Most cameras will require standard power. If you don't have power at your location you can get POE cameras and use the Power Over Ethernet (POE) to power the camera.
How fast does my Internet need to be?
Generally, it depends on the quality of the video you would like to stream. The video quality depends on the bit rate which you can set in the admin area of your camera. If your Internet connection is below 0.5 Mbit, switch to Constant bit rate minus 200kbps for overhead. We recommend at least <strong>2.5 Mbps upload speed per camera.</strong> Please note that most broadband connections have asymmetric speed − upload speed from you (your camera) is slower than the download speed from Internet. For streaming purposes it is important to have proper upload connection. Also, if you have guest WIFI access this will also reduce the actual bandwidth you have available for use and will affect the quality of your stream. Our streaming is only good as the stream you send to us.
Can you put these on indoor and outdoor courts?
Yes! Just purchase outdoor-grade cameras. If you need to save money buy one set of outdoor cameras once the weather gets cold, move the cameras indoors.
Can 1 person really manage 6 cameras and scores for 6 courts?
You bet! It takes all of about 10 seconds to update a score so it will seem like it is real-time. It takes 35 seconds to activate 6 cameras once a match starts and a another 35 seconds to disable them after the match.