Review - TOP-201 Super Mini 720P HD IP-Cam (The Cheapest IP Cam So Far !!)

[Stef]

Make sure you get a motion detection event, ie. enable Write log under Setting -> Alarm -> Video Motion and check the log after triggering. Also it can be quite useful to login to the camera om Port 9527 and check any debug messages when triggering motion detection (use netm -p). If you haven't rebooted the camera after enabling motion detection and send email, that's probably it.

The motion detection events detected by the camera were reported correctly in the event pane of CMS and the camera reboots automatically every day so I don't think that is the problem (and back when the email feature worked I remember not having to reboot after changing the settings: saving the config to the device was enough).
But I will check if the video motion event are logged properly on the camera and I will check for any error message using telnet. What is "netm -p"?

 

[Stef]

Make sure you get a motion detection event, ie. enable Write log under Setting -> Alarm -> Video Motion and check the log after triggering. Also it can be quite useful to login to the camera om Port 9527 and check any debug messages when triggering motion detection (use netm -p). If you haven't rebooted the camera after enabling motion detection and send email, that's probably it.

There is no "log after triggering" option in my Video Motion settings (v4.02.R12.00006510.10010.1403). On motion detection at 20:58 here is the alarm status I had:

admin$ alarm -t m​

AVenc - CaptureGetChannels(505): 1​

AVenc - CaptureGetChannels(505): 1​

SMTPD: Mail Connect...​

MpsDev_SendAlarmData​

size:160.....stream:{ "AlarmInfo" : { "Channel" : 0, "Event" : "VideoMotion", "StartTime" : "2015-11-18 20:58:40", "Status" : "Stop" }, "Name" : "AlarmInfo", "SessionID" : "0x0" }​

​

SMTPD: connect mail ip: 191.96.129.42​

NetMask(GET): 255.255.255.0​

threshold====327680​

SMTPD: cGV0ZXJz4uZnJlZGVyaWM=​

SMTPD: Y2FtMSBtbb24gZGV0ZWN0ZWQ=​

SMTPD: send email success!
​

But the email was not sent. Same thing when I do a "Mail testing", no email is sent.

 

[d00k]

Check your junk / spam mail or change to a less restrictive receiver email.

 

[d00k]

btw. netm -p was to enable network debug messages from sofia
netm -p print debug info or not!

 

[Stef]

Check your junk / spam mail or change to a less restrictive receiver email.

I already checked the spam folder but nothing in there. I also created a filter so that mails coming from the SMTP server are never sent to spam.
By the way which firmware are you using?

 

[d00k]

I am using V4.02.R12.00006510.10010.130300 (the latest)

 

[Hans Meiser]

I see On the First Page "jpeg Snapshot"

whats the adress in the browser to see them ?


Greetings Hans

 

[d00k]

There is no jpeg URL for these cameras.

 

[themow]

In gmail there is a setting for "allow access for less secure apps." that must be turned on. Hope that helps

 

[Stef]

In gmail there is a setting for "allow access for less secure apps." that must be turned on. Hope that helps

Unfortunately it doesn't help.

 

[Tomasz72]

Hello All.
I have 3 top201 cameras. I want to create surveillance system. I manage to create LAN connections, configure many parameters using ONLY Internet Explorer. I want to start recording when movement is detected. So I start to configure this feature. I see "live" "on-line" pictures from all connected cameras on my PC, and there is information (in LOG) "video motion detected".... but I can not records avi, or h246 files to disk.
"storage" place is configured, because when I can press icon "all channel record" or IE recording files to disk. Could you help me and let me know how set up device, to start recording when movement is detected?

I try to use CMS. I manage to start video recording when movement is detected, but.... files are dissapears from disk after some time. (one hour or two). I want to record video until disk will be full, and then replace the oldests files... When I made mistake? Why CMS deleting files after hour?

Last question. Is it possible to record video without PC and Windows? Directly from camera to NAS, or disk in local network?
Best regards

 

[d00k]

You may be better of installing ISpy on your PC and have it record on motion detection. The cameras work fine with ISpy, just use Onvif Camera wizard. Blue Iris can be used too if you are willing to pay for it.

If you want to record without a PC, you will need an NVR. You can use ie. the cheap mini NVR with usb harddisk or another Onvif compatible NVR.

 

[Tomasz72]

thanks for reply. I already installed ISpy. Configured successfully with top201 camera. But camera provide two streams. First is HD second... similar to PAL (low) quality. ISpy work perfectly only with LOW quality stream, and this is not acceptable. I need hd quality. When I want to see HD stream from top201 camera inside ISpy, I see good picture few seconds only, and then entire picture become green. After few second I see normal camera "live video" and again green screen. I cant find solution for "green picture" in ISpy forum. Did You try how works top201 and ISpy in HD quality stream?

 

[d00k]

Check this video, it works just fine in 1280x720:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e81dxBUUkA&feature=youtu.be

 

[Tomasz72]

thanks. I follow your steps as shown in video, and now my ISpy working perfectly. But... delay is more than one seconds. How many cameras do you have? Athlon 64 (one core) and 1GB RAM can handle ISpy with 8 cameras?

 

[d00k]

I've had up to 4 cameras running only, and I am using core-i7 (quad core). I guess if you want to record simultaneous on 8 cameras in 25 fps, Ispy is not the way to go, either lower the framerate or go for an NVR, it is well worth the money. You can pick up the mini nvr for about $35, then add a USB hd, tough I'd recommend the h.264 nvr coming from same manufacturer as the cameras with internal hdd, it has much easier setup and smoother operation, but the mini nvr is certainly capable enough.

 

[JDWX]

With Blue Iris, this cam's latency is better than an older Hikvision I have. More than one second no doubt.

 

[MistaBeak]

I just setup one of these. Pretty impressed. Also the price is going down. Got mine from BitCoin for $17.50. Has anyone figured out how to remove the time date stamp from the video ? The English in the manuals is pretty hard to follow. They have no contact support E-mail to find the solution. Cheers.

 

[ebaycam]

Wy is a 12V 2A power supply not recommended? My camera is running 24/7 (i receive the camera 10 dec.)

 

[yeme]

I've had up to 4 cameras running only, and I am using core-i7 (quad core). I guess if you want to record simultaneous on 8 cameras in 25 fps, Ispy is not the way to go, either lower the framerate or go for an NVR, it is well worth the money. You can pick up the mini nvr for about $35, then add a USB hd, tough I'd recommend the h.264 nvr coming from same manufacturer as the cameras with internal hdd, it has much easier setup and smoother operation, but the mini nvr is certainly capable enough.

Please point me to the mini DVRs you are talking about....thanks