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Panasonic BL-C30 VGA Network CameraPrice:
$9.99
Panasonic's BL-C30A Wireless Network Camera gives you a new window into the world. This wireless camera offer remote viewing of...
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Panasonic's BL-C30A Wireless Network Camera gives you a new window into the world. This wireless camera offer remote viewing of high-quality 640x480 live Video feeds. Use multiple settings and options to get the picture you want, wherever you are. It's fully UPnP Compatible, for easy Plug And Play installation. -Connects wirelessly through 802.11b or G Wireless port -Tilt/Scan tools for moving the camera vertically, with Pan/Scan tools for horizontal motion-Pan and tilt, center the image automatically or choose from 8 preset positions -Compact design with hideable lens, for added comfort and privacy -Automatically Upload images to an FTP Server or Web page -- images can be viewed by 30 users at once -Built-in thermal sensor can be programmed to Email an alert with an image attached, whenever someone gets near your Computer -Password-protection for added security -Links to other cameras, for a wider multi-angle view -Control and view your Webcam from virtually anywhere in the world - just log in to the built-i
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6 Reviews from Shopping.com
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Nice Try - But Missed
| Author's Rating: |
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Pros: Affordable
Cons: Cheap construction, Poor install SW, Poor quality, Poor customer service, Cumbersome configuration controls
The Bottom Line:
Spend your money elsewhere
I've waited for an affordable 11g wireless cam for a while. When the BL-C30A showed up I quickly plopped down the $250 and got one. Bad move. This cam is very disappointing. General construction is cheap. Installation tool messed up my router so bad I had to download new firmware for it to recover (after 3 days of debugging). Never could get the wireless interface to work. While trying, on day 5, the camera failed. The image suffered a constantly changing color shift and a flipped (left to right) image. I called customer service several times. I will say that I was never on hold for more than a minute or two - that was nice. However, they were of no help with my install troubles.
When they viewed the defect in the image over the web they wouldn't replace the camera. I can't understand how a 5-day old, proven defective product isn't eligible for replacement. I was told I had to send it in for repair on my time and shipping expense. I sent it in. That was a month ago. I've heard nothing. Now I have no camera and I'm out $250. I'm very disappointed.
If you're looking for a wireless cam, I can't in good conscience recommend the Panasonic BL-C30A. Buy something else.
[6 weeks later]
Update to my original message: 6 weeks after sending in my defective cam, it was returned. The repair shop fixed all the problems I reported. The flipped image, color shift and wireless connect were all corrected. This restored my hope a little. I played with the cam for a couple of weeks - and even started to like it a little. But, a few days ago it failed again. The auto exposure feature now fails to stabilize on a good exposure and instead gets lost hunting for the right exposure and cycles for long periods of time changing back and forth between very over exposed and very underexposed (light and dark picture). It will eventually stabilize most of the time but it takes so long (hours) it makes the cam useless. Once it stabilizes, panning/tilting the view to a lighter or darker scene causes it to start cycling again. Sometimes it never stabilizes until I pan it to a different view.
Now what? Send it in at my expense and wait another 6 weeks for a repair? The garbage can might be its new home. I must have a lemon. No cam could really be this bad.
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