NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: NEAL WEINBERG on
PRODUCT REVIEWS
01/17/02
Today's focus: Vantum's video appliances

Dear Wincenty Kaminski,

In this issue:

* Vantum's video appliances make video capture and streaming a
breeze
* Links related to Network World product reviews
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: Vantum's video appliances

By Neal Weinberg

We recently tested Version 1.1 of Vantum's C1d and M1d video
appliances, and found that the systems are ideal for impromptu
video content-capture and streaming.

The Vantum video appliances are compact video recording,
storage and streaming devices: one model has a threaded mount
in its base and comes with a lens; the other relies on third-
party video- and audio-capture devices and mounts into a rack.
Just add power and a network, and you can capture or stream in
minutes.

Both video appliance models behaved exactly as promised - it
was just like plugging in a toaster. We liked how easily the
devices adapted to our network, then recorded at specific
intervals or in response to scripts, and how they let us
manipulate digital video files from their browser-based user
interface.

Despite these attributes, we were disappointed in the choice of
MPEG-1 for video compression, which, at 30 frame/sec, could be
a bandwidth or storage hog on the network. MPEG-1 also doesn't
take advantage of the potentially exciting object-based
properties available with the MPEG-4 file format.

The Vantum C1d weighs 2 lbs., 12 oz., and it has a mount in the
middle of its base so it can be attached to a U bracket hanging
from the ceiling or to the top of a piece of furniture.

Once the appliance was mounted, connected to a network via a
standard Ethernet connection and powered up, we could either
assign a fixed IP address or use Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol. Although the user manual is almost 80 pages, the
information contained was not necessary to use the device's
components.

A video appliance-discovery tool finds all the appliances on
the network and when you hit a hotlink, the application
launches a new browser window set to the resolve home page on
the appliance's built-in Web server.

Once you've configured the video appliance, you can see the
media streaming from the appliance almost in real time. If a
network is multicast-enabled and the appliance is configured to
send its stream to a multicast-addressable server, the stream
can be viewed anywhere on the enterprise LAN or WAN.

For the full review, go
http://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/2002/0107rev.html
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To contact Neal Weinberg:

Neal Weinberg is features editor at Network World, in charge
of product reviews, Buyer's Guides, technology primers,
how-tos, issue-oriented feature stories and the Technology
Insider series. You can reach him at mailto:nweinber@nww.com.
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RELATED LINKS

Start-up gear zooms in on streaming video
Network World, 05/21/01
http://www.nwfusion.com/archive/2001/ 120802_05-21-2001.html

EyeCast service delivers remote video feeds
Network World Fusion, 01/17/01
http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/0117eyecast.html

The archive for Reviews is:
http://www.nwfusion.com/reviews/index.html
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE

Network World Fusion's Net.Worker site

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retaining and recruiting star employees. One smart solution -
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Network World's Net.Worker Web site bridges the gap between the
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Visit http://www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/index.html
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