Setting up an IP Camera differs from a USB webcam. In principle, a USB webcam is plugged in to a USB port and then a window pops up prompting the user for driver software; which is usually on a supplied CD. An IP Camera is a stand-alone device which does not need a computer. So how does one configure an IP camera?

IP cameras can be configured using either a web browser or, a camera setup wizard, which is supplied on a CD with the web-camera. After the IP camera is plugged into the network, the wizard is run on a computer attached to the same network, and the wizard locates and logs into the IP camera. A default administrator account is available on the IP Camera which, will allow the camera to be configured either by using the setup wizard or, remotely with a browser. For network savvy person, the wizard is not strictly needed. Read the manual to discover how to configure without installing software. Other software to expect with an IP Camera is a browser plug-in to view the camera streaming in real time and possibly, some security-style monitoring software.

Configuring a web camera is always device specific, but in principle configuration deals with image and network settings. The image settings are those that deal with how the web camera processes its image. Network settings are those that deal with how the camera interacts with the network. Pictured, before removing a brand-new camera from its carton, always read the manual first!

The common sizes for web cameras are 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 pixels. These are sometimes called VGA and CGA sizes respectively, as they relate to computer screen dimensions.

For video servers running from a PAL video source, some common sizes are 768 x 576 and
352 x 288 pixels. For NTSC video sources, common sizes are 486 x 648 and 243 x 324 pixels.

Diminutive 160 x 120 pixel sized images (and smaller) are often used for video streaming.

Some web-camera services based on digital cameras produce images with dimensions of 1024 x 768 and even, 2400 x 1800 pixels. These also produce file sizes in the region of 300 kilobytes per image and, are not recommended for ordinary weather web-camera use.

Configuring an IP camera's video or image settings is straightforward. Settings often include:

• Saturation. This tells the camera how colourful to make the image. A very low value will produce a near black and white image. A very high value will make the colours very garish. Saturation should be set slightly high as this will help keep the sky blue and accent the colours in sunsets.
• Contrast. To maintain the detail in bright clouds the contrast should be kept on the low side, otherwise clouds in bright sun will turn into white blobs.
• Exposure. Exposure should be set so that the scene looks bright, but not to the point where the clouds become white blobs.
• Frame Rate. This dictates how often the camera refreshes the image inside the camera. With a weather web-camera, this need only be once a second.
• Video Resolution. Typically, web-camera's offer resolution in pixels of 320 x 240 and 640 x 480. Typically, 320 x 240 is a standard size used in most websites, although 640 x 480 gives much more detail and is friendlier to persons with large monitors.
• Compression or quality. This governs the size of the final image in bytes. At the lowest compression value (highest quality), the image will be sharp, but the file size will be large.
  As the compression value increases (quality lowers), the file size decreases, but the image becomes indistinct. A normal setting will do for most uses. See below for issues with image compression.
• Sharpness. Some web-cameras allow an image to be sharpened. This has the effect of returning definition to objects with strong lines and edges, like buildings and tree branches. Useful for small sized images.
• Date and time. Sets the date and time for the web-camera. Often a web-camera can be configured to find the correct time from a network time server; this is a computer on the internet whose clock is synchronised against an atomic clock.
• Tarry light. On some cameras the monitoring light on the front of the camera can be turned off for discretion. Turn off the tarry if the camera can see it's own light as a back reflection in a window or when mounted inside an enclosure.
• On image Text. Most, but not all, cameras support on-image titles and time stamping. Enable this feature as to emboss the camera's identity on the image. If there is space, mark the image as copyrighted thus: (c)
• Anti flicker and light frequency settings are only required for live streaming under artificial light; these are ignored for a weather web-camera.

Often a web-camera's default factory settings are only suitable for use indoors and under strong artificial lighting. When used as a weather web-camera, the settings will need to be experimented with over a range of sky conditions. Generally, most web-camera's will not reproduce sky scenes as well as that viewed by the human eye; some parts of the sky will block out (turn to black) and others will burn out (turn to white), and sometimes the colours will just not seem quite right! Aim to achieve optimum settings for the most interesting weather phenomina such as sunsets, cumulonimbus clouds and cirrus. The midday Sun often produces harsh contrasts which are difficult to reproduce successfully, on any camera.



There is often very little control when it comes to configuring a video camera attached to a video server. This is because settings such as colour, contrast and brightness are controlled automatically by the video camera itself. Some video cameras may have small screw terminals for trimming their video settings, but unlike an IP web-camera that can be calibrated using a web-browser from anywhere in the world, a video camera has to be set up on site and in situ. Most video servers do have browser controlled colour, contrast and brightness settings, but these affect the output image and not the input video.

Images produced by web cameras are compressed using Jpeg compression. Without Jpeg compression, a web-camera would produce an image with a potential file size in the megabytes, instead of one compressed into kilobytes. Which is a good thing; an image a thousand times smaller loads a thousand times faster.

Jpeg compression works by analysing the complexity of an image and then, reduces the numbers of bytes required to represent the least complex parts of that image. When an image contains more complexity, such as a tree, a larger file size is always produced. When an image contains less complexity, such as a blue sky, the file size is always smaller. With a weather web-camera, subtle changes in the sky will always affect the final file size; even a bird walking along on a wire will produce a minor change in file size. For most applications, the web-camera's normal compression setting will be adequate.


The degree of Jpeg compression is dictated by the quality setting. A high quality setting (left) produces an image that is sharp in detail but, with a file size of 45,430 bytes. The low quality setting (right) produces a file size of only 8,991 bytes, but it suffers significant loss of
'image information'. Even so, the highly compressed image is still recognisable!

Image artefacts are a fact of web-camera life. They are intrusive degradations on the image that may lead to the loss of contrast, colour, sharpness, white balance and even, the entire image. If an artefact is a persistent intrusion, the web-camera should be repositioned to avoid the cause.

Some common artefacts seen on a weather web-camera include:

	A cyan colour cast. Often seen in twilight, this is caused by a confused white balance. Try restarting the camera as the white balance may have been set for a different colour temperature. However, this may impact the colour balance at other times of the day.
	A pink colour cast on the edges of clouds during the afternoon. This is a result of the way the sensor chip inside the camera reacts to ultraviolet light, and just has to be lived with.
	Burn out. The whole scene turns white due to over-exposure. Try lowering the brightness and, or, the contrast settings. With a weather web-camera, to resolve the detail in clouds, a low contrast should be selected.
	Block out. Much of the scene turns dark due to under-exposure. Try increasing the brightness setting.
	De-saturation. At low light levels or under cloudy skies, an image will lose the intensity of it's colours. Try increasing the saturation setting, remembering the image may look overblown in bright sunlight.
	Noise. Typical of low light, this is where the scene turns grainy. Even the most expensive web-cameras suffer low light noise.
	White lines. When too much light enters the web-camera, the excess photons bounce around the sensor chip creating bright horizontal lines. Usual offenders are the Sun or sunlight reflecting off bright objects like car windscreens. Potentially, street lights and the Moon will also cause white lines. Decreasing the exposure will not reduce the effect.
	Bad-ass pixels. At low light levels, some pixels misbehave as they glow red, green, blue or a mixture thereof. In normal daylight, these pixels should function correctly or, go unnoticed.
	Broken images. Where an image has failed to render completely, this may indicate a fault with either the camera or, some intervening equipment. Check all interconnecting cables and ensure the the camera is receiving a correct and clean power supply. The fault may also be down to a timeout on a remote FTP server; the image did not upload fast enough or, the FTP server did not respond fast enough. Ensure FTP connections are set to passive.
	De-focusing. Some web-cameras seem to de-focus all by themselves. This is often due to the mechanical stresses on the lens assembly from temperature cycling. Set the lens in place with a small piece of tape. Avoid using glue.
	Maltemps. Condensation, rain, snow and ice will all deposit around the lens. In a maritime environment, salt crystals may also form. Cameras should be positioned where they are least likely to be affected by the weather. External cameras must be placed in enclosures that are weather proof and, are accessible for easy and safe cleaning.
	Fogging. Where condensation is an issue, the lens may become wet. In worse cases, water condenses on the lens which does not evaporate at ambient temperatures. Ensure housings are water proof, otherwise condensation will occur inside the enclosure.
	Hazing. In dusty or smoky locations, pollutants will deposit over a lens, reducing contrast. Clean the lens when symptoms occur.
	Combing. With interlaced web-cameras or video cameras connected to video servers, when an object moves at speed across the scene, the outline of the object can resemble a comb. This is an effect and not a fault.
	Bending. With non-interlaced or progressively scanned web-cameras, an object moving at speed across the field of view will appear to bend away at the bottom of the object. This is an effect and not a fault.
	Fauna. It is normal to see spider webs spun across a web camera, along with any flies caught in them. A web camera may also be unfortunate to suffer a bird strike. Always ensure a camera is accessible for easy and safe cleaning.

• Respect the bandwidth; aim for the most readable image, with the lowest file size.
• Experiment with video settings under varying lighting conditions.
• Live streaming is unnecessary for a weather web-camera service.
• Update the image every five to thirty minutes.
• Image artefacts may have to be lived with.
• Always read the manual first!