Ffmpeg and smearing issues

[pgrunwald]

This morning I discovered one of the cameras in "smear". I cycled the function and it did not clear. I took both monitors to "none" and then back to "modect" and it did clear. Just another data point...

[johnnytaco]

Interesting considering I've stopped and restarted Zoneminder before and the smearing continues. I wonder what the magic is that "fixes" the problem temporarily? Between us, I'm pretty sure restarting the camera has fixed it, restarted zoneminder has fixed it, restarting the switch has fixed it, and even changing from modect to none (or monitor) and back has fixed it. Yet other times, some of those don't fix it.

The only good news in all this is that with Remote, I still have yet to see smearing, even when that same camera IS smearing via an identical Ffmpeg monitor. Not sure what that means... scratching head.

[pgrunwald]

Between us, I'm pretty sure restarting the camera has fixed it, restarted zoneminder has fixed it, restarting the switch has fixed it, and even changing from modect to none (or monitor) and back has fixed it. Yet other times, some of those don't fix it.

Not sure what that means... scratching head.

Yup...

Good news is that Reolink seems interested in helping solve the problem!

[johnnytaco]

I PM'd them but haven't done anything else. Care to send me what you sent them and I'll double the effort?

[johnnytaco]

I've been using TCP all along; the UDP issue is mentioned all over these forums and others. And I've upgraded to fmpeg 3.

Just did a tcpdump from my ZM box. No UDP going to/from any cameras on my network. If I change to RTP/Unicast, I see UDP. But not with RTP/RTSP.

So - I can confirm that ZM 1.30.0 uses TCP when it should for both ffmpeg and remote rtp/rstp, without any additional ffmpeg options.

jt

[johnnytaco]

Update... I saw smearing on two different cameras today. To fix one, I simply restarted ZM from the web interface (love that feature). The other one I just disabled since I have a "Remote" monitor still working fine on it.

jt

[pgrunwald]

Update: my cameras have been clear since my last post. I am running one of my low feeds also in remote but I have not seen any smearing on any feed. <fingers crossed>

Update 2: Of course, as soon as I post I had an issue. I swapped the network cable from my server from a switch to the router. One of my high res feeds started smearing. A Zoneminder reset from the console fixed it. No other symptoms noted.

[johnnytaco]

Just had smearing on another Reolink camera using ffmpeg.

After going back and forth with Reolink support, I'm giving up on them. They pointed to ZoneMinder as I suspected they would. Since both VLC, the web interface for the camera itself, and ZM using Remote as a source type don't show the smearing while ffmpeg is actively showing it, I suspect something with ZM + ffmpeg as the culprit. Typically restarting ZM fixes it (sometimes restarting the camera does too though).

I've changed all my Reolink cameras to Remote for now... Seems to work great, so I guess I really don't have any complaints (until/ if the ZM team removes the remote source).

jt

[misterpat]

Hello all!

Been using Zoneminder for awhile now with these Reolink cameras. I recently updated to 1.32.3 and the option of remote doesn't work for me anymore. So I found a way to get ffmpeg to work without smearing.

Source Type = FFMPEG
Source Path = rtmp://**ip-address**/bcs/channel0_main.bcs?token=254&channel=0&stream=0&user=admin&password=
Method = TCP

https://reolink.com/wp-content/uploads/ ... -v1.61.pdf

I posted to this thread because it comes up on the top in a google search.

Hope this helps someone!

Pat

[lewsut]

Rtmp works for my 4mp reolinks but not 5mp?!

Remote works for all cam for me in 1.32.3

Rtmp and rstp streams are absolutely fine watching in VLC and there's no smearing on the app, it's something ZM or ffmpeg I'm sure.

[juanmoura]

The same with me. If i put the source type libvlc all be fine, but when i put FFmpeg, smearing comes.

[mp_inch]

what is the low stream snap command?

This gives me the high res: /cgi-bin/api.cgi?cmd=Snap&channel=0&rs=spam&user=admin&password=neverUmind

found her:
https://reolink.com/wp-content/uploads/ ... -v1.61.pdf

This was it!!!! GOLD!

I hope I am not jinxing this, but I have not had a smear since using the URL above using a Reolink RLC-420-5MP firmware v2.0.0.448_19061408

Thanks @pgrunwald!!!!!