Canon network camera VBS900F User Manual

							[Date and Time] Setting Date and Time
41
4
Setting Page
 If [Synchronize with NTP server] is selected and the IP address 
of the NTP server is incorrect or a connection with the NTP 
server cannot otherwise be established, the date and time will 
not be changed. 
 The NTP server query interval is 300 seconds. 
 The cameras NTP broadcast mode does not support IPv6. 
 If the [Time Zone] setting is changed, the date and time 
display will update automatically according to the specified 
time zone. 
						

							42
Camera Name
[Camera Name] 
Be sure to enter [Camera Name (alphanumeric 
characters)].
Up to 15 ASCII characters (spaces and printable 
characters) may be used for [Camera Name 
(alphanumeric characters)]. 
Note
 The camera name set here will be shown when the camera is 
registered for use with included RM-Lite. 
Initial Camera Settings(1) [AE Mode], [Slow Shutter], [Shutter Speed] 
Set the exposure control and shutter speed for the 
camera startup. 
[AE Mode] 
[Auto] 
The exposure is controlled automatically. 
[Auto (Flickerless)] 
In this mode, video flickers caused by fluorescent 
lights, etc., can be reduced. The shutter speed is 
automatically adjusted according to the brightness 
of the environment in which the camera is used.
[Auto (Shutter-priority AE)] 
In this mode, a desired shutter speed can be 
specified. 
[Slow Shutter] 
Slow shutter can be used only if [Auto] or [Auto 
(Flickerless)] is selected in [AE Mode]. 
Set the maximum slow shutter time to be used when 
in auto exposure mode when capturing video in a 
dark place. Select [Disable], [1/15], [1/8], [1/4] or 
[1/2]. As slower shutter speed generates residual 
video when capturing a moving subject, select an 
appropriate time according to the capture conditions. 
[Shutter Speed] 
Shutter speed can be used only if [Auto (Shutter-priority 
AE) ] is selected in [AE Mode]. 
Select a desired shutter speed from the 16 levels from 
[1/2] to [1/16000]. When capturing a moving subject, 
selecting a higher shutter speed can reduce blurry video 
capture. 
(2) [Exposure Compensation] 
The exposure compensation when the camera starts 
can be set in the range of [-4 (Dark)] to [4 (Bright)]. To 
brighten the video, set a positive value. To darken the 
video, set a negative value. 
(3) [Metering Mode] 
Set the metering mode when the camera starts. 
[Center-Weighted] 
The entire screen is metered by focusing on the 
center of the screen. 
Even when slightly darker/brighter areas are present 
on the periphery of the screen, an appropriate 
exposure can be achieved for the subject near the 
center. 
Use this mode if the subject is positioned near the 
center of the screen. 
[Camera] Setting Initial Camera Settings and External Device Name
The following can be set here. 
 Camera Name
Enter the name of the camera. The camera name 
is required for use with RM-Lite. 
Settings
Sets shooting settings at camera start up.
 Camera Control
Set the digital zoom, AGC limit, and smart shade 
control strength.
 Day/Night
Set the day/night switching mode. 
 Installation Conditions
Sets installation conditions, such as LED settings.
 Camera Position Control
Set whether or not to limit the pan, tilt and zoom 
operations to the preset positions. Also, set the 
camera position when nobody has control 
privileges. 
 External Device Name
Set the external input device name and external 
output device name.  
						

							[Camera] Setting Initial Camera Settings and External Device Name
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Setting Page
[Average] 
The entire screen is metered by averaging. 
A stable exposure can be achieved even in a 
capture environment where there are notable 
brightness differences within the screen. 
Use this mode to stabilize the exposure in locations 
where vehicles or people are moving. 
[Spot] 
The center of the screen is metered. 
An appropriate exposure can be achieved for the 
subject at the center of the screen regardless of the 
brightness/darkness on the periphery of the screen. 
Use this mode if you want to adjust the exposure to 
the center of the screen because the subject is 
receiving a spotlight or backlight, etc. 
(4) [Focus Mode]
Set the focus mode when camera starts. 
[Auto] 
Automatically brings the subject into focus. Normally 
[Auto] is selected. 
[Fixed at infinity] 
The focus can be fixed to near infinity. 
(5) [Smart Shade Control] 
Set the smart shade control strength when the camera 
starts.
[Disable]
The smart shade control function is not used.
[Manual]
Set the smart shade control strength. Select a 
strength from [1 (Mild)] to [7 (Strong)] in [Smart 
Shade Control Level].
[Auto] 
Combines the smart shade control function and the 
exposure compensation function to automatically 
adjust the video so that there are no blown out 
highlights or blocked up shadows. Accordingly, 
when [Auto] is selected, [Smart Shade Control 
Level] and [Exposure Compensation] are not 
displayed.
(6) [White Balance] 
Select the white balance according to the light source 
to achieve natural color in the video. 
[Auto] 
The white balance is adjusted automatically. 
[Manual] 
Set the values of red and blue gain according to the 
light source. Enter a value from 0 to 1023 for both 
the [R Gain] and [B Gain]. [Daylight Fluorescent] 
Select this option to capture video under daylight 
fluorescent lighting. 
[White Fluorescent] 
Select this option to capture video under daylight 
fluorescent or white fluorescent lighting. 
[Warm Fluorescent] 
Select this option to capture video under warm 
fluorescent lighting. 
[Mercury Lamp] 
Select this option to capture video under mercury 
lamps. 
[Sodium Lamp] 
Select this option to capture video under orange 
sodium lamps. 
[Halogen Lamp] 
Select this option to capture video under halogen 
lamps or incandescent bulbs. 
(7) [Noise Reduction]
Select a level from [Mild], [Standard], or [Strong] for 
the noise reduction setting.
Principally, this setting is more effective in low-light 
conditions. When set to [Strong], the noise reduction 
effect is increased, but the afterimage of moving 
subjects becomes easier to see. When set to [Mild], 
the noise reduction effect is decreased and resolution 
is increased, but the video file size becomes larger. 
(8) [Sharpness]
Select a level from [1 (Mild)] to [7 (Strong)] for the 
sharpness setting.
When set to [Strong] the video becomes sharper, and 
when set to [Mild] the video becomes softer. Also, 
when set to [Strong] the video file size becomes 
larger. 
(9) [Color Saturation]
Select a level from [1 (Light)] to [7 (Dark)] for the color 
saturation setting.
(10)[Day/Night]
Set Day/Night mode to [Manual] or [Auto] when the 
camera starts.
You can also switch between [Day Mode] and [Night 
Mode] using the Day/Night mode function of the 
Admin Viewer (p. 137).
Important
 The initial camera settings (1) to (10) define the defaults that 
apply when the camera is started. Setting changes will be 
reflected only after the camera is reconnected or rebooted. 
Specify the settings used in the actual operating environment 
from the Admin Viewer (p. 133).
 If the subject is a traffic signal or electronic scoreboard, etc., 
the captured video may flicker. 
In this case, try changing the [AE Mode] setting to [Auto 
(Shutter-priority AE)] and selecting a shutter speed lower 
than 1/100 to see if the problem improves. 
						

							44
Note
 Focusing may be difficult for the following types of subjects 
when [Focus] is set to [Auto] or [One-shot AF]. 
Subjects Difficult to Focus On
 After rebooting the camera, it is recommended that you check 
whether the camera is focusing correctly.
 The focus ranges (approximate) are shown in the table below.
Camera Control 
(1) [Digital Zoom] 
Set digital zoom to [Disable] or [Enable]. 
The higher the digital zoom ratio, the lower the video 
quality becomes. 
(2) [AGC Limit]
Select one of 5 levels from 1 to 5 to automatically set 
the upper gain limit. The greater the value, the higher 
the sensitivity becomes. If you do not want to use the 
automatic gain adjustment, select [OFF]. Setting 
[AGC Limit] allows you to reduce noise when 
capturing video in low illumination.
(3) [Smart Shade Control Strength (Auto)]
Select [Mild], [Medium], or [Strong] for the control 
strength when [Smart Shade Control] (p. 43) is set to 
[Auto].
Day/Night (when Auto is set)
(1) [Switching Brightness] 
Set the brightness at which Day Mode and Night 
Mode will be switched when [Auto] is selected in 
[Day/Night]. Select [Darker], [Slightly Darker], 
[Standard], [Slightly Brighter] or [Brighter]. Select 
[Darker] if you want to capture video in color as much 
as possible. 
Select [Brighter] to reduce noise. Note that this mode 
switches to black & white sooner. 
(2) [Response (sec.)] 
Set the time in seconds needed for judgment on 
switching between Day Mode and Night Mode when 
[Auto] is selected in [Day/Night]. Select [60], [30], 
[20], [10] or [5]. 
The mode will switch between Day Mode and Night 
Mode if brightness remains above or below the level 
set in (1) for the number of seconds specified. 
 Even if [AE Mode] is set to [Auto (Flickerless)], some screen 
flicker may still occur under unstable light source conditions. 
 Setting a slow shutter speed may make it impossible for 
intelligent functions to work correctly. Select a shutter speed 
that suits the capture conditions and purpose.
 In conditions where an outdoor scene is captured 
from an indoor location through a glass window, the camera 
may focus on the glass surface if there is dust or water there. 
Install the camera at the shortest possible distance from the 
glass surface. 
 If [Auto] is selected for [Day/Night], conduct a thorough 
operation test to check the effectiveness of the setting 
beforehand. 
 If [Auto] is selected for [Day/Night], set [Exposure] of the 
Admin Viewer to [Auto], [Auto (Flickerless)] or [Auto (Shutter-
priority AE)] (p. 135).
However, when [Auto (Shutter-priority AE)] is being used, 
night mode may not be activated even if [Day/Night] is set to 
[Auto], depending on the shutter speed.
 Though the camera has an infrared filter, there is no effect on 
lighting due to infrared light as the camera does not have an 
insertion/removal mechanism for the filter.
 When Day/Night Mode is set to [Manual], in addition to the 
Day/Night function of the Admin Viewer (p. 137), it is also 
possible to switch Day/Night Mode via settings in [Setting 
Page] > [Event] > [External Device Input] (p. 57) or [Event] > 
[Timer] (p. 58).
A white wall or other 
subject lacking 
bright/dark contrastA slanting 
subjectA subject 
reflecting 
strong light
A subject consisting 
of only slanted lines 
or horizontal stripesA subject having 
no form, such as 
flame or smokeA subject seen 
through glass
A fast moving 
subjectA dark area or 
night viewSubjects both 
near and far
Important
 [AGC Limit] is disabled when [Exposure] is set to [Manual] or 
[Auto (Flickerless)] in the Admin Viewer.
 Minimum subject illumination may change when [AGC Limit] 
is set. 
Focus Mode
Fixed at infinityAutoDay Mode/Night Mode
0.3 m  (12 in.)  –  infinity 0.3 m  (12 in.)  –  infinityMax. Wide-angle Max. Telephoto
Focused at infinity 
						

							[Camera] Setting Initial Camera Settings and External Device Name
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Setting Page
Select [30] or [60] if brightness changes frequently, 
such as when a light source passes in front of the 
camera. Select [5] or [10] if change in brightness is 
minimal. 
Installation Conditions
(1) [LED Setting]
Select [Turn Off] or [Turn On] for the LED operation 
status on the camera. Set to [Turn Off] if you do not 
want to turn on the LED.
(2) [Image Flip]
Select [Disable] or [Enable] for the orientation of the 
camera video. 
Note
The LED will light for several seconds when booting even if the 
[LED Setting] is set to [Turn Off]. 
Camera Position Control
(1) [Restricted to Presets]
Set the camera control preset to [No Restriction] or 
[Preset Only]. The administrator can limit camera 
control by non-administrators to preset angles by 
selecting [Preset Only]. 
(2) [Camera Position without Control] 
Select either [Do not return to Home Position] or 
[Return to Home Position] as the action when no 
control privileges are requested by users and the 
home position has already been set. 
When [Return to Home Position] is selected and no 
users have control privileges, the camera moves 
automatically to the home position. This function 
requires the home position of the camera be set in 
advance. Set the home position using Preset Setting 
Tool (p. 90).
External Input Device / External Output Device
[Device Name] for external input device/external output 
device 
Be sure to enter each device name in order to identify 
the corresponding external device being connected. 
Enter [Device Name (alphanumeric characters)] using 
up to 15 characters (ASCII characters (space or 
printable characters) excluding the double quotation 
mark (“)). 
Note
The external device name set here will be shown when the Admin 
Viewer or included RM-Lite is used.  
						

							46
All Videos
(1) [Video Size Set]
Select the set of video sizes used by the camera from 
[1920 x 1080 / 960 x 540 / 480 x 270], 
[1280 x 720 / 640 
x 360 / 320 x 180], or [1280 x 960 / 640 x 480 / 320 x 240].
All options in the [Video] menu and the size set that can 
be selected in [Video Size] are determined by the set 
selected here.JPEG
(1) [Video Quality] 
Select a desired video quality from 1 to 5 (5 levels) for 
videos transmitted at each video size in JPEG. 
Greater values have higher quality.
(2) [Video Size: video Transmission] 
Select the size of the transmitted video. The video 
sizes that can be selected depend on the [Video Size 
Set] setting. This becomes the start-up video size 
used by each viewer if no video size has been set.
(3) [Maximum Frame Rate: Video Transmission] 
Limit the maximum transmission frame rate per 
second to reduce the viewer load. The maximum is 30 
frames/sec. Enter a value of between 0.1 and 30.0. 
(4) [Video Size: Upload / Memory card] 
Select the size of video when using the upload 
function (p. 51) or when recording to a memory card 
(p. 69). The video sizes that can be selected depend 
on the [Video Size Set] setting. Use [Event] > [Video 
Record Action] (p. 56) to specify the destination of a 
video recording (upload or memory card recording).
H.264(1)
Configure settings using H.264(1) when using H.264 
video for upload or memory card recording. H.264(2) 
video cannot be used for upload, memory card recording, 
and RM-Lite.
(1) [Video Size] 
Select the size of the transmitted video. The video 
sizes that can be selected depend on the [Video Size 
Set] setting.
(2) [Bit Rate Control] 
Select [Do not use bit rate control] or [Use bit rate 
control].
Select [Use bit rate control] when [Video Format] 
under [Upload] is set to [H.264(1)] or when [Video 
Format] under [Memory Card] is set to [H.264(1)].
[Video] Setting Video Size, Quality and Frame Rate
The following can be set here. 
 All Videos
Specify the set of video sizes used by the camera.
 JPEG
Set the video quality, size, maximum frame rate 
and upload size in JPEG. 

Set the bit rate, video size and capture frame rate 
in H.264. 
 On-screen display
Set time, character string, etc. displayed over 
video. 
[Video Size Set]CategoryAspect ratio
[1920 x 1080 / 960 x 540 / 
480 x 270]1080p 16:9
[1280 x 720 / 640 x 360 / 
320 x 180]720p 16:9
[1280 x 960 / 640 x 480 / 
320 x 240]4:3 4:3
Important
 Changing the [Video Size Set] setting will disconnect all 
connections and then change all the video sizes. 
Consequently, users connected to the camera must 
reconnect.
 If the [Video Size Set] selection is changed and you click 
[Apply and Reboot], review the following settings and check 
the operation. 
- Privacy mask settings
- View restriction settings
-Preset settings
- Intelligent function settings 
						

							[Video] Setting Video Size, Quality and Frame Rate
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Setting Page
(3) [Target Bit Rate (kbps)] 
If [Use bit rate control] is selected in (2), select a 
desired target bit rate from the 17 levels from [64] to 
[16384].
(4) [Video Quality] 
If [Do not use bit rate control] is selected in (2), select 
a desired quality from 1 to 5 (total 5 levels) for H.264 
video transmission. 
Greater values have higher quality. 
(5) [Frame Rate (fps)] 
Select [30], [15], [10], [6], [5], [3], [2] or [1] (fps) for 
the frame rate of video transmitted.
(6) [I Frame Interval (sec)]
Select [0.5], [1], [1.5], [2], [3], [4] or [5] for the I frame 
interval (sec) for H.264 video.
H.264(2)
(1) [H.264(2)]
Select [Enable] to distribute H.264 video using two 
streams.
Note that H.264(2) video cannot be used for upload, 
memory card recording, or RM-Lite.
Refer to the settings for “H.264(1)” for details about 
[Video Size], [Bit Rate Control], [Target Bit Rate 
(kbps)], [Video Quality], [Frame Rate (fps)], and [I 
Frame Interval (sec)] settings.On-screen display
(1) [Date display] 
Select whether to enable date display over video. If 
[Enable] is selected, date information will be 
displayed over video. 
(2) [Position of date display] 
Select [Upper left], [Upper right], [Lower left] or 
[Lower right] for the position of date display 
information. 
(3) [Format of date display] 
Select [YYYY/MM/DD], [DD/MM/YYYY] or [MM/DD/
YYYY] for the format of the date display. 
(4) [Time display] 
Select whether to enable time display over video. If 
[Enable] is selected, display time information will be 
displayed over video. 
Important
When streaming two H.264 videos, setting the video size 
settings for H.264(1) and H.264(2) to the following 
combinations restricts the frame rate to a maximum of 15 fps.
For all other combinations, a frame rate of up to 30 fps can be 
selected.
H.264(1)H.264(2)
1920 x 1080 All sizes
All sizes 1920 x 1080
1280 x 960 1280 x 960
1280 x 720 1280 
X 720
Important
 When [H.264(1)] is selected for the memory card recording 
and upload settings, the following restrictions apply to the 
[H.264(1)] setting.
- Only [Use bit rate control] can be selected for [Bit Rate 
Control].
- Only [3072] or less can be selected for [Target Bit Rate 
(kbps)].
- Only one of [0.5], [1], and [1.5] can be selected for [I 
Frame Interval (sec)].
 Network load will increase if a larger video size is set or 
higher video quality and target bit rate are set, as this 
increases data size per frame. As a result, the following could 
occur:
JPEG: The frame rate may drop
H.264: Video may be temporarily disrupted
 Block noise may become noticeable if a large video size and 
low target bit rate are set. 
 The data size may increase depending on the type or 
movement of the subject. If the frame rate remains low or 
other undesirable conditions continue for a prolonged 
period, lower the video size or quality setting.
 Note that if you are using included RM-Lite, the hard disk 
usage will also be affected during recording.
 H.264 video can be displayed using Admin Viewer and RM-
Lite. However, it cannot be displayed using VB Viewer. 
						

							48
(5) [Position of time display] 
Select [Upper left], [Upper right], [Lower left] or 
[Lower right] for the position of time display 
information. 
(6) [Text display] 
Select [Display nothing], [Display designated string] 
or [Display camera name] for the text string to display 
over video. 
If [Display designated string] is selected, the [Text 
string display] set in (8) will be displayed. 
If [Display camera name] is selected, the text string 
set in [Camera Name (alphanumeric characters)] 
under [Camera] will be shown (p. 42). 
(7) [Position of text display] 
Select the position of text display from [Upper left], 
[Upper right], [Lower left] or [Lower right]. 
(8) [Text string display] 
If [Display designated string] is selected in (6) [Text 
display], you can enter a text string of up to 15 ASCII 
characters (spaces and printable characters) for 
superimposed display on the video. 
(9) [Color of text] 
Select [Black], [Blue], [Cyan], [Green], [Yellow], 
[Red], [Magenta] or [White] for the color of text to be 
displayed over the video. 
(10)[Color of text outline] 
Select [Black], [Blue], [Cyan], [Green], [Yellow], 
[Red], [Magenta] or [White] for the color of text 
outline. 
(11)[Color depth of text and outline] 
Select [Fill text and outline], [Make text only 
transparent], [Make text only translucent] or [Make 
text and outline translucent] for the color depth of text 
and outline to be displayed over the video. 
Note
 The on-screen time display may not correspond with camera 
time by several seconds (p. 40).
 Depending on video quality settings, on-screen display may 
become difficult to decipher. Set after confirming appearance 
on actual video. 
Important
The on-screen time display is not suitable for usage where high 
reliability is required. Use as reference information only where 
utmost and constant reliability is required for surveillance.  
						

							49
Setting Page
4
RTP Server
(1) [RTP]
Set RTP to [Disable] or [Enable].
(2) [RTSP Authentication Method]
Set the RTSP authentication method to [Basic 
Authentication], [Digest Authentication], or [No 
Authentication].
(3) [RTSP Port]
Set the RTSP port number to 554 or in the range of 
1024 to 65535.
Normally [554] (factory default setting) is used.
Audio Multicast
(1) [Multicast Address]
Set the multicast address for audio transmission in the 
range 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 (IPv4) or an 
address beginning with ff00::/8 (IPv6).
To disable Multicast, set to [0.0.0.0] (IPv4) or [::0(::)] 
(IPv6).
(2) [Multicast Port]
Set the multicast port number for audio transmission 
to an even number in the range 1024 to 65534.
To disable Multicast, set to [0].
(3) [Multicast TTL]
Set the effective scope of multicast distribution 
between 0 and 255.
To disable Multicast, set to [0].
The TTL (Time To Live), representing the effective 
scope of multicast distribution, is decremented each 
time the signal passes through a router. When the value reaches 0, the signal can no longer be 
distributed. For example, if TTL is set to [1], multicast 
distribution is confined to the local segment only and 
cannot be distributed by the router.
RTP Streaming 1 to 5
You can make settings for each stream, RTP Streaming 1 
to RTP Streaming 5, in a 5-session RTP stream 
distribution.
(1) [Video Size]
Select [480x270 JPEG], [960x540 JPEG], [1920x1080 
JPEG], [H.264(1)], or [H.264(2)] for the format and 
size of video for RTP streaming.
[H.264(1)] and [H.264(2)] cannot be set for multiple 
RTP streams.
(2) [Frame Rate]
Set the frame rate if the RTP stream is JPEG video.
Cannot be configured for H.264.
(3) [Multicast Address]
Set the multicast address for RTP streaming in the 
range 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 (IPv4) or an 
address beginning with ff00::/8 (IPv6).
To disable Multicast, set to [0.0.0.0] (IPv4) or [::0(::)] 
(IPv6).
(4) [Multicast Port]
Set the multicast port number for RTP streaming to an 
even number in the range 1024 to 65534.
To disable Multicast, set to [0].
(5) [Multicast TTL]
Set the effective scope of multicast distribution for 
RTP streaming between 0 and 255.
To disable Multicast, set to [0].
The TTL (Time To Live), representing the effective 
scope of multicast distribution, is decremented each 
time the signal passes through a router. When the 
value reaches 0, the signal can no longer be 
distributed. For example, if TTL is set to [1], multicast 
distribution is confined to the local segment only and 
cannot be distributed by the router.
(6) [Audio Transmission]
Set RTP streaming audio transmission to [Disable] or 
[Enable].
[RTP] 
RTP Server, Audio Multicast and RTP Streaming
The following can be set here.
Server
Enable RTP, and set the RTSP authentication 
method and port number.
 Audio Multicast
Make settings for multicast audio transmission.
Streaming 1 to 5
Make settings for RTP streaming of video, 
multicasting, and audio transmission. 
						

							50
Note
 RTP stream URL
rtsp://IP_address:port_number/rtpstream/config1(~5)=r|u|m
[=r|u|m] is optional and can be omitted. If specified, specify 
only one option.
r: Requests RTP over TCP
u: Requests RTP over UDP
m: Requests multicast
Example: RTP streaming 1 request using RTP over TCP
rtsp://192.168.100.1:554/rtpstream/config1=r
Note that the actual operation is dependent on the RTP client 
application, so the URL does not necessarily specify the 
method used for transmission.
 The video quality and, when H.264 is selected, bit rate control, 
video size, and frame rate, are determined by the [Video] 
settings.
 Regardless of the [Server] > [Audio Server] > [Audio 
Transmission from the Camera] setting, RTP streaming audio 
will be used.
However, to use audio settings, select [Enable] for [Audio 
Transmission from the Camera] and make the settings.
 The [Access Control] > [User Authority] > [Video Distribution] 
and [Audio Distribution] settings are not used for RTP.
 RTP streaming video may not be viewable on systems using a 
proxy server or firewall. If the video cannot be viewed, contact 
the system administrator.
 If host access restrictions are applied to a client while it is 
streaming using RTP over UDP, it may take from a few to 
several seconds until streaming ceases.