2.6 Viewing Buffered Images
If you have configured the camera to buffer images (see 2.1 Configuring a Timer Trigger or 2.2 Configuring an Alarm or Motion Detection Trigger), you can access the camera and view the buffered images.
Note
If you have configured the camera to transfer images by FTP, E-mail, or HTTP, images are deleted once they have been successfully transferred and you cannot view the images using the procedure described in this section.
When buffering MPEG-4 videos, the videos cannot be viewed until buffering has ended. Buffering ends in the following situations.
When the camera has buffered images by alarm or motion detection for the length of time set for [Image Buffer Frequency].
When the memory is full (up to 1 minute when buffering images to the internal memory).
When the buffered file size reaches 20 MB (when buffering images by timer to an SD memory card). When the 20 MB limit is reached, a new file is created. Note that it may take 20 minutes or more for a 20 MB file to be buffered.
1.
Click the [Buffered Image] tab.
The oldest buffered image for triggers 1–5 are displayed.
If an image was buffered in MPEG-4 format, a black screen is displayed.
If a trigger is disabled, or if the trigger has not yet buffered images, a gray screen is displayed.
Date and time overlays, status overlays, and text overlays may be displayed on buffered images according to the [Overlay Setting] (see 7.1 Changing Image Display Settings). See The single camera page (JPEG) for an example of a camera image overlays.
2.
Click the trigger title corresponding to buffered images you want to view.
Viewing and downloading buffered JPEG images (videos and still images)
A.
Start and end date and time when the image was buffered
B.
Camera image
C.
Date and time when the displayed image was buffered, current image number, and total number of images buffered
D.
Playback controls (explained below)
E.
Click to select how many images will be downloaded when [Download] is clicked
F.
Click to download the selected number of images
Playing images
[Play]: All buffered images are played back in sequence beginning with the current image
[First] or [Last]: The first or last image is displayed
[<10000], [<1000], [<100], [<10], [<1]: “Rewinds” by the corresponding number of frames
[10000>], [1000>], [100>], [10>], [1>]: “Fast-forwards” by the corresponding number of frames
Note
Date, time and image number are not displayed during playback.
The 10× digital zoom feature (see 1.2.6 Zooming) can be used during playback.
Downloading images
Select the number of frames you want to download, click [Download], and specify a location on your PC to save the images. The selected number of frames will be downloaded, beginning with the frame currently displayed. You can save every frame beginning with the current frame to the last frame by selecting [remaining]. Images are saved in PNC format. You can view them conveniently using the Network Camera SD Viewer software. This software can be found on the included CD-ROM, and can be installed by following the instructions in the “Read Me” file (CD-ROM Drive:\NCV\SDVIEWER_README.txt). You can also download this software from the Panasonic Network Camera website (http://panasonic.net/pcc/support/netwkcam/support/info.html).
You can also download a still image by right-clicking in the image area and selecting [Save Picture As...].
Note
If a large number of images are downloaded from an SD memory card to the PC, it may take several hours for the download process to be completed.
The camera allows up to 30 users to view MJPEG images (live images and buffered images) simultaneously, and allows 10 users to view MPEG-4 images (live images and buffered images) simultaneously. Additional users will see a gray screen.
Viewing and downloading buffered MPEG-4 videos
A.
Start and end date and time when the image was buffered
B.
Camera image
C.
Windows Media® Player controls (refer to the Windows Media Player help file for details)
D.
Playback controls (explained below)
E.
Download button
Playing videos
[Play]: All buffered MPEG-4 files are played back in sequence beginning with the current file
[First] or [Last]: The first or last file is played back
[<10000], [<1000], [<100], [<10], [<1]: “Rewinds” by the corresponding number of files
[10000>], [1000>], [100>], [10>], [1>]: “Fast-forwards” by the corresponding number of files
Note
A video file cannot be played back while it is still being recorded.
When buffering MPEG-4 videos by timer to an SD memory card, the videos can be quite long (several minutes, or even hours, in length). Because it may take a long time to download the video from the camera to your PC, it may take a long time before you are able to play back the buffered video.
BB-HCM581 only: The G.726 audio codec must be downloaded and installed on your PC in order to view buffered videos. Click the link below [If images are not displayed or audio cannot be heard, click here.] to view information and download the codec.
Date, time and file number are not displayed during playback.
If you click [Play] to play all MPEG-4 files, playback may stop in the middle of a file when using Windows Vista. In this case, click the play button in Windows Media Player to resume playback.
Downloading videos
Click [Download], and specify a location on your PC to save the file. The current video file will be saved on your PC in ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) format, which is a file format used by Windows Media. You can view video files later using Windows Media Player.
Note
The maximum length of videos that can be buffered in the memory, as well as the total number of videos that can be buffered in the memory, varies on image resolution, MPEG-4 frame rate and bit rate settings, and the content of the videos being buffered.
See the Panasonic Network Camera support site (http://panasonic.net/pcc/support/netwkcam/support/info.html) for more information about viewing or downloading buffered MPEG-4 videos.