The Synology TC500 IP camera is tailor-made for the Synology ecosystem. If you combine the device with an NVR (or NAS) from the manufacturer, the simplicity is noticeable.

At the beginning of the year, Synology launched two of its own IP cameras. The company wants to expand its focus on camera surveillance to the site. Synology is no stranger to video surveillance. The manufacturer’s NAS devices have been used to capture camera images for many years.

The software used is Surveillance Station, which is available on every Synology NAS and offers a virtual surveillance center. You get an overview of all your connected cameras and can set intelligent functions and alarms. Many IP cameras are compatible with Surveillance Station, but setup and configuration may take some time.

Why a Synology camera?

With the introduction of the TC500 (and the similar BC500, both 243 euros plus VAT), Synology wants to emerge as one of the most successful manufacturers One stop shop: Why connect third-party cameras to Surveillance Station and manage them via external solutions when you can easily use a Synology camera yourself?

“Our cameras are NDAA and TAA compliant and meet European safety regulations. This is an important difference compared to some other manufacturers who do not meet the standards and have connections to questionable companies,” says Miléna Laurent, Product Manager Benelux at Synology.

She explains the what and why of the cameras for our test. “When you connect a device to the network, Surveillance Station detects it immediately. This way you can add it straight away. In addition, you can manage all settings directly from Surveillance Station.” Simplicity and integration are the key words, and that sounds interesting. Anyone who gives up a camera wants it to work.

Electricity and cables

In the box of the TC500 we find the camera itself, with a cable with a network connection and a branched connection for a twelve-volt power connection. An adapter is missing from the box. Synology appears to be primarily focused on companies with Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities.

PoE is of course the easiest and cleanest way to power an IP camera, so we understand that. A network cable is also missing from the box, presumably with the idea that the cabling is already in place in the locations to be monitored and a Cat -6 cable of 25 centimeters can hardly offer any added value. Should the power (or connection) fail, the camera can record to a microSD card, which is also not included.

We tested the camera with a DVA 1622: a 2-bay NVR that looks indistinguishable from a DiskStation NAS from Synology, but has some additional features on board. Finally, both the camera and the NVR support smart detection functionality, but more on that in a moment.

Configuration as promised

First we need to add the camera to the Surveillance Station and this is really extremely easy. As soon as the device is connected to the network, a popup appears asking if we want to add the camera. A few mouse clicks and a newly chosen secure password for the camera later, the feed appears in the dashboard.

Thanks to the very high resolution of 2,880 x 1,620 pixels, the image quality is clear and has sufficient dynamic range. At night, an infrared LED illuminates the room so that even the smart intruders waiting for the sunset are visible. The fisheye lens is particularly eye-catching. With a wide 110 degree field of view, this camera has truly seen it all.

Intelligence behind the lens

Both the camera and the NVR support intelligent detection tasks. For example, you can set the camera to count people or vehicles, but facial recognition is also an option. These tasks are performed not only through Surveillance Station, but also on the camera itself. What we noticed in our test is that we can only assign one task per camera, so keep in mind that you can’t both count people and activate facial recognition, for example.

Actually, everything runs smoothly in our tests. Surveillance Station itself is a fairly sophisticated solution, so you can access the expected features from this tool (e.g. detection zones, quick access to recorded events and alerts).

Robust and redundant

Finally, the camera itself is IP67 and IK10 certified. This means that rain can’t do any harm, and a targeted stone shouldn’t cause too many problems. In the event of a power failure, the camera continues its work without the server in the backend, but via the SD card. When the connection is restored, any missed images will be synced.

The Synology TC500 (243 euros plus VAT) is robust, delivers clear images day and night and has smart functions combined with redundancy via SD card. We have no complaints about the camera. The trump card of this IP camera is of course the integration with Synology, and the manufacturer does not disappoint. Configuring the TC500 in Surveillance Station literally takes no more than two minutes. This simplicity makes the devices the first choice for anyone who already relies on a Synology NAS or NVR.