How X-10 Cameras Work

What I am referring to is how the wireless XCam's work. There are a few things you need to know before you buy either a wireless or a wired XCam that you won't find on their website but will later cause you at least some disappointment. First lets start with how they work.

The XCam units consist really of only 2 parts that are separate. You have the camera portion which captures the image and transmits it wirelessly to the receiver. It uses the 2.4 Ghz wireless spectrum to transmit live video to the receiver. This gives the XCams a good range. They tout the range of 100 feet, but I have personally used them at significantly greater distances than that. Here is the catch. You will have no idea what kind of range you will get until you purchase one and try it out. My recommendation if you are thinking of purchasing some XCams is to buy one first and see if it will work like you expect. If it doesn't, you might want to return it and try out the wired versions. They require a little more setup, but produce a better image anyways.

The main problem I see with the wireless version is that because it uses the 2.4Ghz spectrum, it is subject to interference from a lot of devices. If your Microwave oven is close to the camera or receiver, I can almost guarantee you that when you are using it, you will lose the image from your camera. Most can deal with this since it only happens when the Microwave is in use. The more common source of interference comes from two other sources, your cordless phone and your wireless access point. Many of the cordless phones on the market today also operate in the 2.4 Ghz range and like your Microwave, when they are in use they will almost certainly cause the quality to degrade or cause you to lose the image altogether. Also, your wireless access point, if you have one, can also cause some interference. Most people are able to change the channel their access point uses and then change the channel their XCam's use to find a good mix with little interference. Some lesser known sources of interference include fluorescent lights and even power lines if your camera or receiver is close to them. Nothnig you can do about most of these sources so buy one to test before you go crazy with the wireless cameras.

Because of all these variables the only way for you to know if you will be satisfied is to buy one and try it. If you don't like the quality, return it and get a wired version. The most common problem I see with the wireless cameras is not the quality as much as the image will always have a rolling line in it. You have seen this with a TV before, where you have a white line of static or noise that will roll from top to bottom constantly through the image. Once again, buy one camera and see how you like it and go from there.

The other part of both wired and wireless XCam's is the addressable power supply. By addressable, I simply mean that the power plug for your XCam can be controlled via other X10 devices like remotes, motion detectors and their Active Home software. If you have more than one camera, the way your system will work is that when you press the button on your camera remote to go to a specific camera, the remote will send a signal to turn off all the other cameras and will then send a signal to turn on the camera you requested. Where most people are misled are with the images on the website. If you have the Active Home software and iWitness installed, the X10 website makes it look like you can monitor all your cameras at once and simply switch to any camera with a mouse click. This is partially right. You can switch to any camera with a click or even have it automatically cycle, but you can't monitor them all at once. Think of it like this. All of your X10 cameras will transmit their signal using the same frequency so you can never have more than one running at one time. (You actually can, but it requires multiple receivers and is slightly more complicated). The way the X10 remote and software handle this is that they simply switch each camera off and on as you request to see that camera. This is probably fine for you. The problem I have is that the iWitness software pictured on the website makes you think you can see live video from all your cameras at the same time and simply click on the one you want to monitor more closely for a full screen view. But you can't. The images you will see in iWitness are the image the camera last captured before it was cut off, not live video. I just believe the site is slightly misleading on this point.

If you don't have the Active Home professional software, it is the one investment I highly recommend. This software is pretty awesome and very powerful. And if you are going to be using it with your cameras, you will also need to purchase the iWitness plugin. Together they make a great team.

One last note. There is slight delay when you switch between cameras because of the delay in turning the camera on and it warming up. It is generally around 1 or 2 seconds. If this is not acceptable to you, consider purchasing their InstantOn series. They make an InstantOn version of each of their wireless cameras that comes on nearly instantly. This is only a problem with the wireless cameras.

Lastly I will comment briefly on the video receivers. While not part of the camera, they are required to be able to view the camera. The wireless receivers simply receive the signal from your cameras and transmit it out an RCA cable to whateve you want. You can connect them directly to your TV or to your PC using their USB Video adapter. I recommend you get the USB video adapter as using your PC to record the cameras is almost always a better and more cost effective option than using a VCR. You can even setup multiple receivers in your location. For instance, we have a receiver connected to our living room TV, one to my PC and one to our bedroom PC. This allows us to monitor our wireless cameras regardless of where they are. Its kind of a nice setup and the receivers are pretty cheap. This is an advantage the wireless cameras have over the wired as you need splitters and more cable to be able to view a wired camera at more than one location.

I hope this has shed some light on how the cameras work in general. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I will be happy to help you out.

XCam2 transmits high-quality visual images to any television in your home, up to 100 feet away. The key to this breakthrough is the use of new 2.4 GHz technology. The frequency has a broad signal range which means that more video information can be transmitted. The results are cleaner pictures, reduced signal interference and multiple channels. What's more, because it's used much less than the old 900 MHz frequency, the 2.4 GHz range is virtually uncluttered.

And the best part about this technology is that it creates a circular polarization signal to provide clear, powerful re-transmission of video signals throughout your home -- unobstructed by walls, ceilings, furniture, or floors.

Easy to Add Multiple Cameras with "SCAN POWER" feature:
Monitor the front yard, doorway, and garage at the same time! When you add additional XCam2's to your system (up to 16+), you can view multiple cameras like changing channels on your TV! At the heart of XCam2 kit is the NEW addressable power supply (shown at right) that lets you control when the camera is "on" with the flick of a button on a handy palm-sized Camera Remote Controller! (shown at right). With the touch of a button you can switch the view to another camera simply by turning one camera "on" and the other camera "off", which is done automatically when you touch the "scan" button on the remote control. Add as many cameras as you need!

The secret behind the amazing XCam2 is its highly integrated design. The tiny camera unit contains everything you need to produce a color video broadcast in one palm-sized package that easily installs anywhere you want!

Just plug the XCam2 in and it begins transmitting live video! No switches or confusing controls to worry about -- simply adjust the swivel-neck lens to the proper angle for your needs. We've even pre-focused the lens for you!

The Powerful 2.4GHz transmitter broadcasts a wireless video signal to the Video Receiver unit which easily attaches to any video device using the included RCA jacks. Enjoy crisp clear video -- up to 100 feet away, with the simple to use and easy to install XCam2!

That's it! You're enjoying live color video up to 100 feet away from where the camera is! (see video receiver on top of TV in photo on right)

1. Install Camera anywhere you want to catch all the action! Mount to wall or use TriPod!
2. Plug flexible power cord into included AC power supply unit! or use Battery Pack.
3. Connect Video Receiver unit to any TV, VCR or computer using RCA jacks!