Review-Dahua IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M Dual Starlight Cam

[looney2ns]

@fenderman first mentioned this cam back in March here: Seeing double - New Dahua dual Starlight IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M/M12

Courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY we have the, as my wife has dubbed it, the "boobie" cam IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M to checkout.
I have received this cam in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This cam can be purchased here at Andys store: Aliexpress.com - Online Shopping for Electronics, Fashion, Home & Garden, Toys & Sports, Automobiles and more
Or send him a PM here to inquire.

This is listed as a "mobile Ip cam". But I see no reason why it wouldn't work just as well at a home or business setting.

IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M/M12

IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M/M12

www.dahuasecurity.com

Image Sensor Two 1/2.8” 2Megapixel progressive scan CMOS
Effective Pixels 1920(H)x1080(V)
RAM/ROM 512MB/256MB
Scanning System Progressive
Electronic Shutter Speed Auto/Manual, 1/3(4)~1/100000s
Minimum Illumination 0.009Lux/F2.0( Color,1/3s,30IRE) 0.07Lux/2.0( Color,1/30s,30IRE) 0Lux/F2.0(IR on)
S/N Ratio More than 50dB
IR Distance Distance up to 20m (66ft)
IR On/Off Control Auto/ Manual
IR LEDs 10 x 2

I have the 3.6mm version, 2.8mm version is also available.

Data spec sheet is here:

https://www.dahuasecurity.com/asset...IPC-HDBW4231F-E2-M-M12_Datashhet-20180121.pdf

As with all of Dahua's products they come in a sturdy all metal case. Everything fits together nicely.


Remove 3 captive screws to remove the cover.








Same base size as the one that started the Starlight movement.




Temporarily mounted next to the MiniPTZ.

 

[looney2ns]

So how do you get two videos from one cam?
There is only one IP address, when you use the WebGui with the plugin, you see both cameras at the same time.


Double click on either channel, and that channel comes to full screen. Right click on the current channel, and it will return to showing both.
Then you can click on the second channel and bring it up.




Each channel has it's own set of settings. Just choose the channel number you want to set. See red arrow.


I have these cams working in TinyCamPro. In Tinycam setup, choose channel 1, and you will get channel one cam mainstream. In TCP, change the channel to 2, and you get Ch1 substream.

In TCP change the channel to 3, and you get channel 2 main stream, ch4 gets Ch2's substream.

I also have this working in BI.
In Bi you need to change the channel in the path from 1 to 2 to get the second cam.
If there's a better way, let me know.


I do want to mention that this puppy runs HOT. I first set it up in the garage where my POE switch lives, and turned out the lights to check the IR. After about thirty minutes of it running the dark, I was surprised at how warm it was.

I would think one would want to mount this with 1/8" or 1/4" spacers to hold it off the mounting surface to allow a little air flow. Or with the junction box or wall mount. Otherwise At the least, if it matters to you, it will discolor the mounting spot over time.
This is what my cheapo Ir temp gauge read off the base of the cam. Room air temp was 78.




Stay tuned, Video and more to come on this same Bat channel.

 

[looney2ns]

Some video samples. All videos recorded by BI, and exported from same.
The camera is set to factory defaults.
Nothing has been adjusted except turning off the noise filter in the audio.
Some of the background noise you hear is my air conditioner running.

I feel this cam has basically the same video quality as all the other Starlights. YMMV.

Be sure to chose 1080p in the Youtube player

 

[SkyLake]

That camera needs a bra!

I am very curious for the image quality it will give. It's quite a funny looking camera, but somehow i like the idea of not needing to mount two separate cameras. And the build quality looks quite robust. Only problem i could think of for now, would be, if they somehow manage to take down this camera, they take down two camera's at once.

Anyways, it looks cool though as an extra.

 

[looney2ns]

That camera needs a bra!

I am very curious for the image quality it will give. It's quite a funny looking camera, but somehow i like the idea of not needing to mount two separate cameras. And the build quality looks quite robust. Only problem i could think of for now, would be, if they somehow manage to take down this camera, they take down two camera's at once.

Anyways, it looks cool though as an extra.

If mounted securely, it would take quite the beating to hurt it.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

So how do you get two videos from one cam?
There is only one IP address, when you use the WebGui with the plugin, you see both cameras at the same time.
View attachment 29735

Double click on either channel, and that channel comes to full screen. Right click on the current channel, and it will return to showing both.
Then you can click on the second channel and bring it up.
View attachment 29736

View attachment 29737

Each channel has it's own set of settings. Just choose the channel number you want to set. See red arrow.
View attachment 29738

I have these cams working in TinyCamPro. In Tinycam setup, choose channel 1, and you will get channel one cam mainstream. In TCP, change the channel to 2, and you get Ch1 substream.

In TCP change the channel to 3, and you get channel 2 main stream, ch4 gets Ch2's substream.

I also have this working in BI.
In Bi you need to change the channel in the path from 1 to 2 to get the second cam.
If there's a better way, let me know.
View attachment 29739

I do want to mention that this puppy runs HOT. I first set it up in the garage where my POE switch lives, and turned out the lights to check the IR. After about thirty minutes of it running the dark, I was surprised at how warm it was.

I would think one would want to mount this with 1/8" or 1/4" spacers to hold it off the mounting surface to allow a little air flow. Or with the junction box or wall mount. Otherwise At the least, if it matters to you, it will discolor the mounting spot over time.
This is what my cheapo Ir temp gauge read off the base of the cam. Room air temp was 78.

View attachment 29740


Stay tuned, Video and more to come on this same Bat channel.

Thanks @looney2ns fast review, i know the camera just delivered this morning , Last week when i got this camera, i also don't know how to watch 2 videos, the camera pic quality is great. LOL

 

[marku2]

Dahua you have given us the teddy bear ptz and now the Marty Feldman cam there design team
Is awesome what a cool looking cam

 

[Arjun]

Holy Macro, that was quick! Thanks @looney2ns

btw, For anyone curious, power consumption is 6.5W

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Holy Macro, that was quick! Thanks @looney2ns

btw, For anyone curious, power consumption is 6.5W

@Arjun have you get the cam too?

 

[bug99]

I did not quite follow the channel selection above. i assume that it can record two 2MP streams to the NVR and local SD simultaneously?

 

[Arjun]

Received a 3.6mm too (should have a better field of view than the 2.8mm), have the perfect area for setting this up. I might need to customize one of the PFB mounts in order for a clean setup.

@Arjun have you get the cam too?

 

[Arjun]

At the moment, since @looney2ns connected his camera to his local network and was able to view both lens via Web UI, I instead tried connecting this model alternatively directly to the NVR, and am only able to view one stream (from only one camera)--and can only view that same one stream through SmartPSS. Haven't tried with BI yet, but I can imagine the same limitation there as shown by @looney2ns .
Are there additional configuration steps involved here?

What's crazy is that the image quality is superb and very sharp

Now need to get both integrated cams working and viewable on screen.
It seems its best to configure and view this cam through its Web UI, and not through the Camera Registration portal within the NVR

I did not quite follow the channel selection above. i assume that it can record two 2MP streams to the NVR and local SD simultaneously?

 

[looney2ns]

I did not quite follow the channel selection above. i assume that it can record two 2MP streams to the NVR and local SD simultaneously?

Let me know what is it that you don't follow about the channel selection and I'll try to explain it.

I have yet to test the NVR and the SD card...it's on the todo list. But I'm pretty certain that will be possible.

 

[Arjun]

Through the Web UI its relatively simple--the problem is that the NVR doesn't seem to detect this as two separate cameras. Was under the impression that it would allocate two channels for this particular camera model, but it has only reserved one channel. When viewing the camera live, there's no option to switch over to the other lens.

Let me know what is it that you don't follow about the channel selection and I'll try to explain it.

I have yet to test the NVR and the SD card...it's on the todo list. But I'm pretty certain that will be possible.

 

[Arjun]

I'm able to see both cameras through Web UI, not sure how recording would be possible through NVR. For BI it would be easier as per what you showed, changing 1 to 2 works. Also, SmartPSS shows only one of the two cameras

 

[Arjun]

Temperature-wise, mine shows 107 degrees Fahrenheit

 

[Bavery]

Speaking of degrees, I see angle markings on the camera bodies themselves. Can the cameras be rotated a full 90 degrees for vertical orientation like the turrets can? We've got a storefront with a small alley on the side and this could be perfect if I can get a vertical-oriented FOV in both directions with a single camera install.

 

[looney2ns]

At the moment, since @looney2ns connected his camera to his local network and was able to view both lens via Web UI, I instead tried connecting this model alternatively directly to the NVR, and am only able to view one stream (from only one camera)--and can only view that same one stream through SmartPSS. Haven't tried with BI yet, but I can imagine the same limitation there as shown by @looney2ns .
Are there additional configuration steps involved here?

What's crazy is that the image quality is superb and very sharp

Now need to get both integrated cams working and viewable on screen.
It seems its best to configure and view this cam through its Web UI, and not through the Camera Registration portal within the NVR

Just spent an hour and I have not found a way to view the second channel in SmartPSS, even tho there is an option to change the Channel number in SPSS Device config.

As these are only listed under Mobile & Traffic subject section on Dahua's site, that means that is the sole market they are targeting,

https://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/allProducts/4472/406?tab=4652&subtab=541

that they have Mobile NVRs' that would make use of the second channel out of the box. NON mobile NVRs either don't have the ability yet, or they don't intend for a normal NVR to make use of the 2nd channel. But this group being rebels, we need to try.

I'll mess with the NVR I have when I get a chance to see if I can find anything.

 

[looney2ns]

Speaking of degrees, I see angle markings on the camera bodies themselves. Can the cameras be rotated a full 90 degrees for vertical orientation like the turrets can? We've got a storefront with a small alley on the side and this could be perfect if I can get a vertical-oriented FOV in both directions with a single camera install.

As stated in the spec sheet I linked in the first post, yes. See that for more info.

 

[looney2ns]

Also, SmartPSS shows only one of the two cameras

Yet it recognizes there are two channels.