A Panasonic IP Camera which I've got connected to my Home Network and which is accessed through the web browser has started to have problems displaying images. This may be related to the browser it is using. It worked without problem under IE8 on Windows 7 (64) but is giving problems since I upgraded to IE9. Basically it won't show full motion images any more, only time lapse stills. The camera requires the installation of an Active X add-in application to the browser before it can display full-motion video through the browser. IE9 will happily display stills without the add-in present.

Since the update to IE9, the system will not install the Active X signed Panasonic Active X add-in software to the browser - there was no problem installing this software with IE8. It gives no indication why this is occuring in the application - and a quick scan of the system error reports didn't show anything recognisable.

I've tried adjusting the Active X security settings in IE's tools/internet options menu and temporarily turned-off the firewall in Norton, but it didn't change the situation.

I switched to Opera (Which I believe doesn't use Active X) and full motion video was restored. However, once I did that, almost immediately afterwards Opera downloaded an update and since then, like IE 9, it will not show full motion video, only stills.

The camera works fine under Chrome.

Has anybody else had problems with Active X on IE9 ? I've read that Microsoft haven't, as yet, produced any 64 bit Active X add-in application interfaces. Is this correct ? If so is there a workaround ? - I don't want to chuck IE9 as my browser because i'll loose integration features with other Microsoft packages i've got installed.

Nick

No browser uses ActiveX technology except IE, so whatever broke Opera, it's nothing to do with ActiveX.

Are you using the 32bit or 64bit version of IE9? It could be that your default has changed to the 64bit version and your 32bit ActiveX control doesn't work.

My IE9 is the 64 bit version (Update 9.0.9) and the camera is at least 8 years old (But still supported by Panasonic and not classed by them as "Legacy" hardware.). The Camera software automatically, without prompting by me, detects the Active X add-in isn't installed on the system and then downloads it and goes it limbo when it attempts to install (No error messages).

I've looked, without success, on the Panasonic web-site to see if there is an updated 64 bit add-in, even for the successor models. So it looks as if any future windows/IE9 purchasers of these cameras will be stuffed without a software rewrite of the add-in - I suppose they are hoping that most people will be accessing these cameras via Android phones.

Postscript

Just tried viewing full motion on the Playbook and that doesn't work.

Nick

Edited 31 August, 201213 yr by Clunkclick

Not really. Just start up the 32 bit version of the browser, and the ActiveX control should work. That's why, on 64 bit Windows 7, IE8 32bit was the default browser with 64bit an option. No plugins were 64bit compatible at release time. Long term, a re-write of the control will be necessary, but they won't be focusing their efforts on an 8 year old camera (even though it's not legacy) when there's an acceptable workaround. And IMO a 32 bit browser is better anyway, it's more compatible and there's no way a browser process should need to address more than 4GB of RAM.

http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/Setting-IE9-32-bit-as-default-browser-as-opposed-to-IE9-64-bit may be useful to you.