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Reviewer: Buckeye| Date:2009-11-27

I have to agree with Scott's review almost verbatim. The IK-WB21A has the best specs in its class, but has a lousy interface, with no alternate browser or mobile device support. The optics are fantastic, but the IK-WB21A is designed only to be accessed from a Windows desktop or laptop computer with Internet Explorer, with pop-ups enabled. Forget accessing the camera from any mobile device, period. In fact, there is no mention of any mobile device compatibility in the documentation. This is deceiving because Toshiba advertising states "[Using an] Internet-ready cell phone, a user can remotely view video and control the camera's PTZ and multiple presets without additional software or plug-ins." I have confirmed that the IK-WB21A is not compatible with Windows Mobile Professional Internet Explorer. If not WMP IE, then what cell phone would possibly work? None, except maybe some kind of hybrid palm running Windows XP Tablet with full-blown IE.

The interface consists of a parent window with a camera pop-up, and another control pop-up. So three separate windows on your screen, totally unnecessary. While the interface supports multiple connections, it's a one-setting-fits-all, so you cannot customize individual users, or even set-up individual accounts. Even the most basic Panasonic netcam exceeds this. I previously owned a cheap Panasonic PTZ netcam, and never dreamed the Toshiba, which costs five times as much, would be a step backward in firmware. If you like Panasonic's camera interface, don't buy the Toshiba. I certainly would not again.

If you can get past disliking the interface, the IK-WB21A has a lot of features to love. You can set-up as many presets as needed, and the camera speed to each preset is amazingly fast. You can move from a normal wide shot to a 22X optical zoom of a preset within a second or two. A comparable Panasonic takes several times as long. The Toshiba motor is that good. The sharpness is so good you can literally zoom in and read printed text from an open book 50 feet away. This would be great to watch dealers and cards in a casino, monitor financial transactions, or patrol a quarter mile in every direction on a large property. The optics are easily 5 stars, so depending on your needs, this could be the best camera for you. Since I need mobile access, and the ability to set-up individual user accounts and preferences, the IK-WB21A's interface shortcomings are a deal-killer and I will be making a lateral move to a Panasonic in the future.

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: E. PENNEMAN| Date:2008-01-15

great product, best of what's to be found upnow ! just missing a software that get it's stream from several other cams as well ! great value for money.

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Reviewer: Patrick M. Killough| Date:2007-12-11

Toshiba 22X Optical Zoom Ptz Netcam 30 Fps 2WAY Audio with Sd Card Slot

I bought this camera to use in the laboratory to allow remote viewing of samples by customers and experts from other laboratory sites around the world. Some times, there is just no substitute for a visual inspection by the expert or to get the customer to show you what they need analyzed. The fact that it has its own web server was crucial, but the 22X optical zoom is what sold me on this camera. I was able to read a telephone list from 20 feet away.

Setup was easy on our internal network. We were up and running within 30 minutes of receiving the camera. The fact that the web cam has the built in web server allows me to move it from lab to lab cutting the cost to us because it can be shared.

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Reviewer: R. Motta| Date:2007-07-31

I highly recommend this camera, however trying to integrate the video feed into your website can be tricky + use a lot of bandwidth off of your server. To solve this, I recommend using a live hosted video streaming service such as US Relay eLiveStream

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: Scott B. Carle| Date:2007-07-26

I am giving this camera a bad review because of the support from toshiba.

Pros
the camera is an amazing camera for image quality, speed and range of PTZ, optical zoom... note all this is hardware related..

streaming over the internet over an average highspeed connection the activeX control is very fast and responcive. However note that this camera is only viewable from IE on windows.. Firefox, Macs, Linux need not apply, it wont work for you.

cons
However note that this camera is only viewable from IE on windows.. Firefox, Macs, Linux need not apply, it wont work for you.

Toshiba support is cursory and for the most part does not exceed the "this is where this option in the interface is" level of support. Even at this low level of support they are not very responcive to getting back to you. I have on average in a two year period and 4 camera installations for different clients contacted Toshiba 8 or 9 times for advanced help in implementing web integrations, as well as some basic problems with bugs in the firmware. The first level support is friendly but very slow to help. I would get the I need to look that up, can i call you back responce.. 4 to 8 days later I might get a call back. Developer support which the first level refers you to for anything other than interface help, is useless. they might email you the sdk but other than that responce is non existent to monosylibic. I have multiple times asked very detailed questions and 4 out of 5 times got no responce at all. The time i did get a responce it was not oh this is how you do that but a one line reply that was not in context to my question. For a product that costs as much as this I expected more documentation and examples of integrations and also expected at least a minimum of support from toshiba in implementing these solutions.

So my end summary is that it is amazing hardware but if you want to do more than watch a live image on a windows computer with internet explorer I would look elsewhere.
To date I have been unable to implement succesfully a web integration with this camera due to how the firmware is setup and based on the SDK tha was supplied to me. Toshiba support has refused to help.. well maybe refused is to strong... lets say it has been apathetic and non responcive. I have even filed a review of my support with them complaining about not getting support and got no responce to that.

Review from Review from Amazon