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Remote viewing solution?

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The plan: we have a customer with several sites, many with IP cameras. They want to be able to have a monitor at each site that will randomly display a live camera from another site. The sites are already all connected via VPN, so I can access the cameras on any site from any other site.

 

What I need, is software that will automatically switch from one to the next on a schedule, maybe every few minutes. These are all IQeye cameras, and I can use the IQstream utility to do a single camera in full-screen, but it has no option to sequence cameras or close after a set period of time. My one thought is to put it in a loop in a batch file, then schedule another process to kill the IQstream app every so often, but that would be glitchy at best. These sites also all have Vigil DVRs, so I can use the Vigil HD Viewer app, but while it will do a split-screen of multiple cameras, it won't do a sequence of full-screen views either.

 

I don't need to record anything, just display. I know there will be bandwidth concerns; we'll deal with that when we get to that stage. Ideally this solution would have the ability to work with a streaming media server at the client's head office, where they have lots of upstream bandwidth available, so the stores only need to support a single stream... but before any of that happens, I first need to find something that will handle the displays the way I need.

 

Thanks!

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I'm fairly sure you can do something like that in VLC, with playlists and optional syntax arguments/ scripting.

 

I say fairly, because I looked through the documentation, and found so many options, I'm pretty sure it's there... Some heavy reading, though.

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This seems like a unique, but not unheard of request. What I might suggest is that you get in touch with IP camera providers directly and see if they would be willing to work with you or the customer.

 

That said, other companies like Mobotix, Y-cam, D-Link, and Avaak might do the same. Never hurts to at least try.

 

WIsh you the best.

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I actually got an email from an IQ rep, in reply to this post, with some suggestions and the full docs for the 511. Gonna work on that over the weekend, see what I can come up with.

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The plan: we have a customer with several sites, many with IP cameras. They want to be able to have a monitor at each site that will randomly display a live camera from another site. The sites are already all connected via VPN, so I can access the cameras on any site from any other site.

 

What I need, is software that will automatically switch from one to the next on a schedule, maybe every few minutes. These are all IQeye cameras, and I can use the IQstream utility to do a single camera in full-screen, but it has no option to sequence cameras or close after a set period of time. My one thought is to put it in a loop in a batch file, then schedule another process to kill the IQstream app every so often, but that would be glitchy at best. These sites also all have Vigil DVRs, so I can use the Vigil HD Viewer app, but while it will do a split-screen of multiple cameras, it won't do a sequence of full-screen views either.

 

I don't need to record anything, just display. I know there will be bandwidth concerns; we'll deal with that when we get to that stage. Ideally this solution would have the ability to work with a streaming media server at the client's head office, where they have lots of upstream bandwidth available, so the stores only need to support a single stream... but before any of that happens, I first need to find something that will handle the displays the way I need.

 

Thanks!

 

Does it really have to be random ?

I can offer you solution which I implemented long time ago

Example..

Customer have about 10 sites

1. web page will display 1 or few cameras from any locations u want

for as long as you want

2. after set time you will get second web page

with other cameras from any other locations

and so on...

that all

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Nope, doesn't have to be random... predefined sequence is fine. It ideally should work with the existing cameras (a mix of IQ511s and IQA11 domes), and display full-screen at high res (no visible browser windows).

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Nope, doesn't have to be random... predefined sequence is fine. It ideally should work with the existing cameras (a mix of IQ511s and IQA11 domes), and display full-screen at high res (no visible browser windows).

 

If IQ's have some kinda pop up with no visible browser windows

then I can't see big problem

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So what is this solution, Alex?

 

I've been playing with VLC to do it, and if I could get the cameras to play the stream for a short period and then stop, it would work. If I could get VLC to switch to a new stream after a set period of time, it would work.

 

It SORT of works in that I can force a new instance of VLC after a delay, and that loads another camera, but it doesn't re-read the command line parameters or config file, which means I can't have it load a new caption or logo overlay for each view, which isn't a REQUIRED feature, but would be a good selling point (ie. a title stating which camera is currently displayed).

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we sequence in our mobile o/s apps. so for larger screen you could use an ipad or any Android based device such as similar sized tablets. just jpg (we may do mjpg for iqeye. don't remember offhand) video though. sequence is in order or the camera list you setup and you setup the timer based in seconds. then you just hit 'play' and it will cycle through the list for you automatically. since the apps are mobile o/s based you can use the tablets + supported mobile devices themselves like Android, Blackberry, Iphone/Itouch, or Winmo.

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Interesting... cost-wise, a iPad would make as effective a display device as a large LCD monitor/TV... only problem is, I think they'll want something significantly bigger that an iPad. In their newer stores, they have extensive centrally-managed A/V systems that we may be able to tie into as well, so a self-contained setup wouldn't really work in this instance (unless the iPad can output HDMI/DVI/VGA).

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vga on the ipad. keep an eye out for Android tablets though. they will be less restrictive and our apps works the same on those as well.

 

here is a good one people are waiting for to be released. compared here to an ipad.

 

http://www.taranfx.com/notionink-adam-android-tablet

 

has the hdmi out you were asking for.

 

Tons of Droid tablets coming out that will blow the Ipad away. And for much less $$

 

Here is another one:

http://wepad.mobi/en

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