Review: AVer DL10 AI Tracking Camera
The ‘DL’ stands for ‘distance learning’ and this small yet capable camera is as comfortable in the classroom as it is at home.
20 July 2022
Review:/ Christopher Holder
Remote and hybrid learning has become its own AV category. Accelerated by covid lockdowns the ability to set up a motion tracking camera that plugs straight into your Teams or Zoom call via USB makes many educators’ lives a lot easier.
Aver is now well known in the PTZ market and has a strong education sector presence, so it should come as no surprise that it would join the remote-learning fray with a motion tracking camera like this. It has all the hallmarks of an installation camera but is small enough and portable enough to fit in a handbag, which means it’s just as at home… at home.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Teachers are increasingly operating hybrid classrooms — teaching to kids in the room and at home via VC.
The DL10 is well suited to classroom installations. There’s a thread on the base and a bracket for mounting on the ceiling or wall, and the camera can sit on the network.
The 3x optical zoom is sufficient for most K12 classrooms, and there’s another 3x digital zoom just in case.
The camera comes with an IR remote but it also responds to a number of gestures to activate certain features — handy if you can’t find your remote or you don’t want to interrupt your flow.
MORE INFO
SMART WEBCAM
The camera is ideal for remote use as well. Just plug it into the USB port of your laptop like you would any webcam, only the DL10 is more like a webcam with a PhD… and not one of those honorary ones that rich people get for being famous.
First up, it works first time straight out of the box. I’d feel very comfortable about handing the DL10 to a technology novice. You can have the camera up and following you around in less than a minute.
If you must, you can rely on the DL10’s built-in microphone which turns the product into a one-stop solution for teachers presenting remotely. Of course, you’ll get a better audio result if you use a lav or headset mic. Just plug the wireless receiver’s output into the back of the DL10 and you’re good to go.
HOW’RE YOU TRACKING
The motion tracking is impressively responsive and smooth, especially for a camera in this price range — smoother than the ePTZ cameras I’ve seen.
There’s nothing generic about the remote control, it’s tailor-made for the camera with the key functions only a pushbutton away. It’s easy to switch tracking on and off; to toggle between full body and upper body tracking; switch to preset positions; and to hand over from one presenter to another that’s entered the frame.
There’s a web GUI, which is handy if you have a tech controlling the camera’s operation; The GUI also provides access to all of the deeper camera and system settings. For example, you can switch between Presenter, Zone and Hybrid tracking modes. Establishing a ‘zone’ means the camera will stick ’n’ stay on the whiteboard shot, for example, when the DL10 detects the presenter in that zone — this feature works well and made me happier about the DL10’s ‘AI’ credentials.
TAKEAWAYS
The DL10 is an impressive piece of kit. It’s cost effective and about as portable as any genuine PTZ camera I’ve seen. It can’t be powered by PoE, there’s no NDI support, and you could possibly argue for an onboard SD card slot for recording. But it does happily sit on your network for control and monitoring purposes, and the software support is good.
RESPONSES