Tech
Test
Low-cost Xcam2 Web camera can provide home
security
By Matt Moore / AP Business Writer
NEW YORK -- Don't say
you've nver heard of the Xcam2 wireless camera.
If you're online at all you've likely seen its pop-up
ads. They scroll languorously up and down, over a shapely model or across
a furnished living room.
Turns out that, advertising inundation notwithstanding,
this Web-based product was not what I expected. Instead, it was
well-built, easy to use and fairly priced.
Made by Seattle-based X10, the camera costs around $100
(sometimes less). It is marketed as an inexpensive alternative for home
security -- low-cost but not low-quality. And it fits that bill perfectly.
I hooked mine up to my TV and set up the camera in the
living room, ostensibly to see what exactly it is my goldfish do during
the day when I'm not around to keep them in line.
The results were what I expected. The fish didn't do
anything. They just swam around for hours and nibbled on the time-release
krill brick I had thrown in the bowl.
With its 2.4-gigahertz antenna, the camera can beam
color video to its receiver, which you can plug into a television, VCR or
computer.
I got crystal image quality, fluid motion and good
color, though I did notice some jerkiness when I viewed the camera's
pictures through my laptop.
My model featured the Ninja Pan N' Tilt, a clever device
that made it all the more useful by enabling camera movement. That
afforded a wider view of the goings on outside my apartment when I placed
the camera outside the window. And with the included remote control, I
didn't have to get up from the sofa, either.
It's a nice effect, though the novelty wears off
quickly. (the Pan N' Tilt camera kit goes for around $170 on the X10 Web
site).
Connected to a computer using an RCA video jack (a USB
adaptor is available, too) the Xcam2 can do duty as a high-tech nanny cam,
dog cam, refrigerator cam or watch-the-children cam. Remote viewing over
the Internet allows you, if you so desire, to log in from work. Mono audio
is also an option for a little more money.
A word of warning: the software drivers for this don't
come with the camera but must be downloaded. Others I talked to about the
Xcam2 said they had problems installing their software, but I didn't.
X10 sells nearly all its cameras direct from its Web
site and runs sales from time to time. Its offerings include Xcams bundled
with security lighting, motion detectors and digital cameras.
The Xcam2 camera itself is small and sports an
adjustable 2-inch square antenna. The plastic lens is 2mm and fixed-focus
and has a depth of field from five inches to infinity.
The camera does have some failings -- not major ones --
including low light. With the lights down low in the apartment, it was
sometimes hard to pick up images clearly. However, this camera isn't
equipped with ultravision or infrared, so I can't complain.
Another drawback: the transmission range isn't very good
beyond 100 feet. And because it shares the same spectrum as my cordless
phone, I did notice some unusual streaks in the picture when I had it on
my TV.
For professional use, the camera won't do, but for the
casual hobbyist or someone who just wants to see who's coming down the
hall or even up the driveway, the camera works fine.
It can be used outdoors, although the company warns that
it shouldn't be exposed to the elements. So that means no watching life
outside my window on the fire escape, at least when it's raining.
On the Net: www.x10.com
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