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Synology’s camera licensing policy has changed for part of its 2026 camera generation. The BC510, TC510, and BC800Z are now listed by Synology as requiring a Surveillance Device License, with Synology’s license documentation stating that these models require 1 license per camera. This means these Synology-branded cameras are now treated in the same basic licensing structure as regular IP cameras, where each camera consumes 1 available Surveillance Station camera license. This is a significant change because Synology’s own cameras previously had a clear licensing advantage inside Surveillance S

The affected 2026 Synology camera models listed as requiring a Surveillance Device License are the BC800Z, BC510, and TC510. The BC800Z is the higher-end 8MP model with PoE connectivity, optical zoom coverage, longer night vision range, IP66/IP67/IK10 protection, a 5-year warranty, and additional analytics such as License Plate Recognition and Smoke Detection. The BC510 and TC510 are 5MP PoE cameras, offered in bullet and turret designs respectively, with 2880×1620 resolution, 30 FPS video, a 110° horizontal field of view, 30 m night vision, people and vehicle detection, intrusion detection, a

Synology’s stated reasoning appears to centre on making its newer cameras more flexible across different deployment environments. The BC510 and TC510 are being positioned not only as Surveillance Station cameras, but also as cameras for third-party NVR and VMS systems through ONVIF, as well as Synology’s upcoming cloud-based surveillance platform. By separating the camera hardware from the Surveillance Station license entitlement, Synology can sell the cameras into environments where a bundled Surveillance Station license would not be useful, while also lowering the hardware entry price for us

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