For those interested in true home security video, forget the X-10 cameras and check out the Vantum Video Appliances. These cameras can stream real-time video at up to 1M bit/sec - full frame video. Plug in a microphone and you have a full A/V experience.

The camera connnects to a standard Ethernet jack and can run using a dynamic or static IP address. It can be used with IP Multicast, but that requires that all routers in the network be multicast-enabled. Also, our tests had problems going across our corporate network because we were on different network segments. To complete the test, we used an Asante DSL/Cable router to hook the camera and a laptop together. All configuration and viewing takes place via a browser. A discovery application that ships with the product automatically looks for cameras on the network that are active and links to them.

Vantum sells versions of its Video Appliance with hard drives built in for recording video as well. A built-in scripting language can be used to customize the devices functionality. The high-end M1D camera can capture and store 550 hours of audio and video on its 100G Byte hard drive.

A great looking, small form-factor videoconferencing appliance that can sit on a desktop or be mounted to a wall. The unit comes with a built-in camera, microphone and high-resolution LCD screen. It can support both ISDN and IP networks, with speeds up to 384K bit/sec and 768K bit/sec, respectively. It also can be expanded with ports for document viewers and laptop connectivity.

We tested the unit on a video-dedicated IP network between two locations. Picture quality and sound were booth good at the maximum 768K bit/sec data rate. Two drawbacks: The remote control is bulky with too many buttons; and, the built-in camara uses a software pan, tilt and zoom, so it's not as flexible for filming multiple people in a conference room. But for someone looking for an all-in one conferencing unit that doesn't take up a lot of space, this is your device.