Synology launches a low-power gadget for viewing IP camera video feeds

 

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Posted on 18 Nov 2009 at 12:56

We've been impressed with Synology's Disk Station NAS drives of late, especially the sheer number of software features they include. One is the Surveillance Station, which manages all your IP cameras, recording video on a schedule or by motion detection.

Until now, though, it hasn't been too easy to view the live feeds of your cameras, but Synology's new VS60 lets you easily monitor up to six IP cameras on a monitor or TV with a VGA input. It also has a minijack audio output so you can hear the sound from cameras that have a built-in microphone.

A second USB port allows you to connect a mouse for controlling pan, tilt and zoom functions on cameras that support them. Video feeds are shown side by side, but clicking on a camera's video makes it full-screen for a clearer view. You can connect a USB flash drive to take snapshots of particular feeds.

The box itself looks a lot like a single-bay Disk Station, and is designed to be mounted upright. We can't imagine many people wanting to place it by their TV in the lounge as it isn't the prettiest device we've seen. Since it has only an Ethernet port, you'll need to use powerline network adaptors, or a conveniently placed router to connect the VS60 to your network.

You can find a list of supported IP cameras on Synology's website. Most popular models are on the list including cameras from D-Link, Y-cam, Linksys and Panasonic. The VS60 is available immediately and costs around £200. We'll bring you a full review shortly.

Author: Jim Martin