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

lojix · Feb 17, 2015

Could this be done through the Dev/SDK tools available for the chipset?
(something i'm new to, and keen wrap my mind around)

madmas · Feb 17, 2015

TheUberOverLord said:
Could not agree more. It should be noted that the Hi3518E SoC chipset which this IP Camera is based on. Natively supports this feature. But the Manufacturer needs to place the CGI hooks in their firmware, to access it using a URL.

Which is why I really am pressing the manufacturer to add this logic in a future firmware release.

The camera does support snapshots today. It just requires the use of an IE ("Internet Explorer") browser and the ActiveX plugin or the CMS for the IP Camera. Which is using the plugin not a URL to grab the snapshot from the IP Camera.

Don

Thank you for your hard work. Let's hope that the manufacturer will hear their clients.

NetWorker · Feb 19, 2015

Just received my TOP-201 today (30 business day later..) and I'm having difficulty finding it on the network.

The "IP Search" feature in CMS turns up nothing and by default the IP is supposed to be 192.168.1.10 is what is says on the back. Not sure if I have a lemon or this thing is more of challenge than I thought.

Can someone help me get it up and running? I've downloaded the manual and docs and followed them but not getting far.

alastairstevenson · Feb 20, 2015

For ONVIF-compatible cameras - such as the TOP-201, the Windows open-source tool 'ONVIF Device Manager' from sourceforge.net does a pretty good job of finding what's on your LAN. As well as providing loads of useful info on the cameras and NVRs.

zeoclang · Feb 20, 2015

Is there a PoE version of this camera?

lojix · Feb 20, 2015

zeoclang said:
Is there a PoE version of this camera?

There is 'the long and short' answer, so I'll aim for the middle and hope for the bullseye!

There's a range of module boards that are built on the Hi3518x chipset which are used in the variants of this camera.
This is the board that came in the specific model I purchased in this review:

I have indicated the pins that are assigned to POE.

Basically, the board DOES support POE, but most likely to keep cost down it has not been utilized. Which is still great news if you're willing to open up the cam and connect it up!

The range of module board configurations built on top of the four versions of the Hi3518 chipset, come with various interface terminals. Some allowing more peripheral connection than others. The board in the TOP-201 is not as 'optioned' compared to some others available. I recently purchased another variation of this camera which has this board below.

...as you can see, it offers a fair bit more in the way of adaptability. I was happy with this one because I want to hook a mic up to it for added audio stream.

Further to the POE question, there is a few versions I have come across with POE connection, ready connected for sale.

http://epsee.en.alibaba.com/product..._security_poe_pinhole_ip_camera_peephole.html

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/1-3-Megapixel-Onvif-Poe-Mini_1571409526.html

Above are just two of the models available that are POE ready. Many more variations of module boards with different combinations of pre-built peripherals can easily be found, leaving a lot to the imagination depending on desired use and finding the right price... have a look at the source below:

http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/QmB7anA

Cheers!

Marc · Feb 22, 2015

Just want to say thanks for your work and info.
Bought a 1080p camera, http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=14186881008&spm=a1z09.2.9.42.NicY0r&_u=m1in819pda48 and tried to get snapshots from it.
Read this site, arrived at the assumption that it does not have built in support (until I ask them, they are on Chinese New Year vacation), and by looking further found that u can use avconv or ffmpeg.
To get a snapshot (can replace "avconv" with "ffmpeg") ;
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]avconv-irtsp://192.168.1.10:554//user=admin_password=_channel=1_stream=0.sdp-vframes 1 -r 1 -s 640x360 pic.jpg
(exclude "-s 640x360" and u get original picture size.
Tested on Ubuntu 14.10.[/FONT]

lojix · Feb 22, 2015

Marc said:
Just want to say thanks for your work and info.
Bought a 1080p camera, http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=14186881008&spm=a1z09.2.9.42.NicY0r&_u=m1in819pda48 and tried to get snapshots from it.
Read this site, arrived at the assumption that it does not have built in support (until I ask them, they are on Chinese New Year vacation), and by looking further found that u can use avconv or ffmpeg.
To get a snapshot (can replace "avconv" with "ffmpeg") ;
avconv-irtsp://192.168.1.10:554//user=admin_password=_channel=1_stream=0.sdp-vframes 1 -r 1 -s 640x360 pic.jpg
(exclude "-s 640x360" and u get original picture size.
Tested on Ubuntu 14.10.

You're very welcome Marc
and thanks for sharing the info, I'll try it out! ...madmas and TheUberOverLord will be pleased.

Cheers!

IRONSIDE · Feb 22, 2015

I purchase one of these because it is the first hd pinhole cam I have seen that is an IP camera. I noticed you mentioned software on the enclosed disk and mine did not install either, and you mentioned your setup on you network with two subnets. I have a similar setup. May I enquire the url of the software you used to find the cam on your network.
Second is this really on 192.168.1.10
I was not able to find the cam typing this in directly, may have been the subnet I was accessing it from?
Would you share what you did to find and configure the TOP-201 cam on your network, The would be a great help as the documentation is in chinese and I am not having very much luck getting this to work.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Oh by the way an outstanding review on this product.

lojix · Feb 23, 2015

IRONSIDE said:
I purchase one of these because it is the first hd pinhole cam I have seen that is an IP camera. I noticed you mentioned software on the enclosed disk and mine did not install either, and you mentioned your setup on you network with two subnets. I have a similar setup. May I enquire the url of the software you used to find the cam on your network.
Second is this really on 192.168.1.10
I was not able to find the cam typing this in directly, may have been the subnet I was accessing it from?
Would you share what you did to find and configure the TOP-201 cam on your network, The would be a great help as the documentation is in chinese and I am not having very much luck getting this to work.

Hi IRONSIDE,
I recorded a short video going through the basic setup and uploaded it to Youtube. Check the source at the following post:

http://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread.php?1812-Review-TOP-201-Super-Mini-720P-HD-IP-Cam-(The-Cheapest-IP-Cam-So-Far-!!)&p=17539&viewfull=1#post17539

IRONSIDE said:
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Oh by the way an outstanding review on this product.

You're very welcome! ...let us know how you go after the previous suggestions and if you're still having any trouble with it

NetWorker · Feb 24, 2015

TheUberOverLord said:
Please make sure the DC Power adapter you are using is good and that it's seated in the cameras power connector. It should be 12V DC 1-2 Amps. I use a 12V DC 2 Amp DC power supply. Runs somewhat hot but works.

Can you swap Ethernet cables and see if you have a bad Ethernet cable?

If possible try and plug the IP Camera into the Router/AP that the system you are using is communicating with. With no bridges/switches or wireless extenders in between the IP Camera or the System trying to find the IP Camera.

Also. You may want to download the device manager for this IP Camera. Link can be found here and try seeing if it can find the IP Camera:

http://www.ipcamtalk.com/showthread...P-Cam-So-Far-!!)&p=19499&viewfull=1#post19499

Don

Well looks like the power supply was the culprit. It's a 12V DC 1 Amp DC power supply but the connector was not seated properly.

To make sure it's working properly I also used the CMS software (thanks for the link) and it found the camera right away. Now that I know it's working, should I upgrade the firmware to the latest and greatest? I will follow the in depth post you made about it if you recommend doing it. Thanks for taking the time to write that up!

alastairstevenson said:
For ONVIF-compatible cameras - such as the TOP-201, the Windows open-source tool 'ONVIF Device Manager' from sourceforge.net does a pretty good job of finding what's on your LAN. As well as providing loads of useful info on the cameras and NVRs.

Great info! I'm not a fan of the software so far and for a basic task like this, seems like the perfect utility to have in the arsenal. Plus I'm not sure what other "goodies" come with a CMS installation that I might not have asked for.

alastairstevenson · Feb 24, 2015

Agreed, ODM deserves its place in the toolkit. Tells you things you need that the manufacturer doesn't bother to.
Another smart piece of Russian software...

harrijs · Feb 25, 2015

Something else that I would suggest is that you block outbound traffic from this camera to the internet at your firewall. I don't have a capture available now, but when I put this thing on my network it was pretty chatty outbound. I just made a rule to deny outbound traffic and left it at that, but it is something to think about when connecting devices to your networks.

klasipca · Feb 25, 2015

alastairstevenson · Feb 25, 2015

This is the varifocal one I got - $24
http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/cUUR3R0M
And some sample pics from it are at post #28 on this thread.
And no - I haven't yet decided what to do with it ...

sprucecams · Feb 25, 2015

I also have one of these, plus one of the fixed lens types. My plan is to use them for indoor locations where the space is very small and/or where I do not want the camera to be easily seen. They seem perfect for that, plus they are so cheap and have excellent images.

msantic · Feb 25, 2015

harrijs · Feb 25, 2015

I don't think I will ever use this because of the horrible WDR I am getting from it. The attached image is in a basement and is completely blown out by the exterior light coming in the windows. I initially thought I would use it in an interior application somewhere in the house, maybe hidden on a bookshelf. The WDR performance I am seeing with the camera almost makes that worthless as light transitions throughout the day.

It is a decent picture for the ~$25 I have in it, but the picture color issues, WDR issues, and the necessity to use that awful software to manage the device lead me to believe the additional $60-80 for a 3MP Hik bullet will work better in almost every situation.

They are a neat novelty, but that is about it. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone unless they just wanted something to tinker with for a weekend.

klasipca · Feb 25, 2015

harrijs said:
I don't think I will ever use this because of the horrible WDR I am getting from it. The attached image is in a basement and is completely blown out by the exterior light coming in the windows. I initially thought I would use it in an interior application somewhere in the house, maybe hidden on a bookshelf. The WDR performance I am seeing with the camera almost makes that worthless as light transitions throughout the day.

It is a decent picture for the ~$25 I have in it, but the picture color issues, WDR issues, and the necessity to use that awful software to manage the device lead me to believe the additional $60-80 for a 3MP Hik bullet will work better in almost every situation.

They are a neat novelty, but that is about it. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone unless they just wanted something to tinker with for a weekend.

Thank you for your input, saved me a few bucks from an impulse buy

I'll wait for next gen of these. I agree though, Hiks for $80 are just better value and more usable. They even offer tiny cam option, although 8x the price of this one.

lojix · Mar 2, 2015

harrijs said:
I don't think I will ever use this because of the horrible WDR I am getting from it. The attached image is in a basement and is completely blown out by the exterior light coming in the windows. I initially thought I would use it in an interior application somewhere in the house, maybe hidden on a bookshelf. The WDR performance I am seeing with the camera almost makes that worthless as light transitions throughout the day.

It is a decent picture for the ~$25 I have in it, but the picture color issues, WDR issues, and the necessity to use that awful software to manage the device lead me to believe the additional $60-80 for a 3MP Hik bullet will work better in almost every situation.

They are a neat novelty, but that is about it. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone unless they just wanted something to tinker with for a weekend.

That is a pretty bad image. I wouldn't advise camera's of this quality to be used for any serious application where the image may be relied on. Although in my experience with two different versions of this camera, they well exceeded my expectations and perform very well.

I have tested them in a range of lighting situations but have not experienced image quality as poor as what you have shown, even using the default camera parameters. Did you try changing the settings from the default at all to work with the lighting conditions?

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

Getting the hang of it

n3wb

BIT Beta Team

Young grasshopper

Getting the hang of it

Attachments

n3wb

Getting the hang of it

n3wb

Getting the hang of it

BIT Beta Team

Young grasshopper

Banned

Getting the hang of it

Young grasshopper

Attachments

Young grasshopper

Attachments

Banned

Getting the hang of it

Attachments