LAN DVR stream connectivity

I'm calling on you guys to help save my sanity.. pretty please with sugar on top... My task is simple enough, all i want to do is view my live stream from my pc and not my phone ....here is my dilemma

I have a 4ch DVR with 2 cameras that came as a DIY kit, it is branded "storage options" as it is maplins own brand but it is actually manufactured by "CSST (China Security & Surveillance Technology)" im guessing they also supply other outlets for their own rebranding

remote viewing is only possible via internet explorer or an android/apple app.

I dont want to access my system from outside my own network so my task i thought would be an easy one.

My DVR is in my bedroom along with computer #1, i can use internet explorer to access the DVR without any problem, and also view the stream on my phone (as long as im using my wi-fi so im on the same network..obviously) .. In my living room i have computer #2, if i use internet explorer on that pc it logs in fine but the stream is corrupted and is just purple blotches, If i install an android emulator on computer #2 and install the same app i use on my phone then i can view the stream fine but this is hogging all the pc's resources.. I have tried many many many ip cam viewers/dvr software systems but none of them will find the DVR on the network even if i tell them the I.P address and the ports. The phone app (ip cam viewer) scans my network and finds 15 possible ways to connect to my DVR and they all seem to work, so if a free android app can view the live stream without any problems why cant anything else for windows do the same.

Im not trying to access the DVR system settings or anything i purely just want to view the live stream same as i do on my phone, hopefully without internet explorer as i hate it with a passion

i have setup port forwarding and ran a port scanner from my phone to verify that they are open

im guessing that there is some sort of url to the stream but there is nothing in the handbook and ive tried a lot of ip:user:pw/picture sort of urls that seem to work on most systems but to no avail ,i tried debugging mode in internet explorer to see if i could find the source url but had no luck there either

Im hoping there is something really simple that im overlooking here as i cant see why i cant do it on a pc when i can do it so easily on a phone, that to me makes no sense at all

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions

Daz

Do you have a screen shot you can provide of what you're seeing? Have you looked into it being an issue with ActiveX, Compatibility View Settings, or malware?

Why did you forward the ports if you don't want to remotely access the device? I may have follow up questions based on your answer...

How are you currently accessing the DVR through IE on computer #1? Is it via the DVRs IP address? Is computer #2 on the same network?

Hi Don thanks for your help

The purple blotches have changed to green lines today but Ive attached 2 screenshots both from computer #2 at the same time, one with internet explorer and the other with the android app running on an emulator

both pc's are running fully updated win7, pc #2 is a fresh install, they are both on the same network only difference between them is pc #1 is wired and pc #2 is wifi but wifi signal is good and i can stream videos/music from pc #1 without any problems

i hadn't considered the malware option with it been a fresh install and never been used as a surfer except for the camera but ill give it a scan tomorrow

i set up port forwarding after a week of trying every program i could find and everything else i could think of so it was kind of a clutching at straws moment and figured it couldn't hurt

as you said, im accessing DVR through internet explorer on both computers using the DVRs ip address, taking you to a nasty looking web based ui, and as is uses an activex i cant use chrome or another browser

For now, try this: http://goo.gl/vJQzHr (YouTube video)

As long as nothing catastrophic is wrong with that computer, you shouldn't have a problem getting it to work. This should, at the very least, give you a short term solution.

In the meantime, I'll ask around about that image distortion. I have to assume that it's got something to do with that computer seeming as how it works perfectly fine on the other.

What IE version do you have on computer#1 and which one do you have on computer#2? Computer #2 might have a newer IE which is not compatible with your DVR.

If that is the case, you might want to install an older version of IE, or try to use IE compatibility mode on your current IE.

For now, try this: http://goo.gl/vJQzHr (YouTube video)

I doubt that will work. IE tab just shows IE on a Firefox tab; so if it is not working on IE, it should also not work with IE tab.

For now, try this: http://goo.gl/vJQzHr (YouTube video)

 

I doubt that will work. IE tab just shows IE on a Firefox tab; so if it is not working on IE, it should also not work with IE tab.

I've actually had a lot of success with this even when IE is at fault. I can't give you a definitive reason as to why, but I actually can't recall a time where this didn't work.

I got a reply from someone that thinks it has to do with something called DirectShow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectShow). I have a supposed solution for it, but I am admittedly not familiar with DirectShow, so it'd be nice if someone else who is could either confirm or deny whether that may be the issue. I don't like to get into the habit of fixing something when I haven't figured out the problem first.

Thanks for the suggestions

Ive just done a full virus/malware scan which came back all clear, ive uninstalled any remaining software i had tried to get working previously and reset internet explorer to its default settings.

Now when i use internet explorer to log into the DVR im happy to say the green lines have gone but the purple blotches have returned

When the green lines were there the the on screen display for the feed name, time ect was working fine but now the purple blotches are back the on screen display is flashing (intermittently, not with any pattern) but the feed does display 1 or 2 frames every 30 seconds or so that are the actual feed but again this happens with no set pattern or consistency.

I liked the idea about the ietab for chrome and firefox, i tried that too but even though i managed to log into the DVR i still had the same stream corruption problem, but if i/we get to the bottom of the stream problem ill be happily using that instead of internet explorer so thankyou for that one

both computer 1 & 2 are running ie11, both with full updates applied to both

when i saw your direct show comment i actually said outloud "ohhh yeaaah" .I have come across direct show errors in the past when trying to play games, they would always crash when the intro movies started and usually resulted in a direct show error, thats going back to windows 95/98 days and had forgotten about them fun times. not sure on how to check if it is/could be direct show related

I have installed directx, divx, .net framework, quicktime, flash player, java, only because these are installed on computer #1 and again thought it was worth trying but these made no differnce either

Seems like it may be a bad codec to me.

I thought same with the codec, a few people have had simular problems when trying to downstream to tvs, in their case they seemed to sort it by updating ffmpeg, i tried this last night but didnt cure my problem