The AVL437-IP PTZ camera adds another dimension to remote wireless surveillance and security, says its distributor, Audion Australia.

AV Labs says that the 10x optical zoom, with a 1/4 inch CCD colour image sensor allows the user to zoom in for extreme close-ups or pan back for a more detailed overview of the subject location, with complete clarity. "You could zoom in on a sign at the other end of a football stadium and see it perfectly," says Audion Australia's David Lemmens.

The camera is claimed to allow users to manoeuvre 240 degrees horizontally and 135 degrees vertically, all from a remote location via the Internet or infrared remote controller. The camera also has an inbuilt microphone and also the ability to add a shotgun microphone for superior audio quality. 

Images are sent to a computer which users can view via Internet Explorer live, preferably using broadband, though dial up will still work. Lemmens says "A 30 second video clip would be compressed down to about one megabyte. It is simply like a video camera in that it runs at 25 frames per second and you can manoeuvre it via control-like functions on your computer screen."

AV Labs says the self-contained network server comprises an MPEG-4 compression engine and colour camera. You can store or download the highest-quality images and audio to your computer whilst viewing via Internet Explorer or the bundled 16Ch software (The system also Supports UPnP and DDNS). Lemmens says "We have certainly had a lot of interest in the camera from schools and councils, for starters. We haven't gone out and advertised it strongly yet, but it but this is definitely the Rolls Royce of our (security) cameras".

Cost: $1400

See www.innovision.com.au