My first post was a long dribble on my opinion on ZM lbuntu 1.29, finishing with storing a clone for possible future.
I have since bought two 1 Megapixel H.264 generic no-name brand IP cameras that came with software called CMS for $20 USD each. Actually pretty good for what you get and happy with the image quality.
So I thought I'd give ZM another try restoring the clone from previously. I wasn't going to try the nightmare of installing it.
Generic No name IP camera: One camera used and setup for 'Modetect' local and remote PC's on Gigabit LAN.
Took 4 odd hours to find a setting that would work. Eventually this is what worked.
First you need the following:
1- Make sure you know the IP address of your camera and that it is on your network including being able to access it. Internet Explorer (not Edge) worked after downloading the 'Activex' component for the cameras web viewer if you haven't installed the full program.
2- Confirm that the RTSP protocol is enabled on the camera and the port is 554.
3- If you haven't changed Passwords then the default should be user=admin and password=(blank).
General Tab-
Source Type: Remote
Source Tab-
Remote Protocol: RTSP
Remote Method : RTP/RTSP
Remote Host Name: <your camera IP address>
Remote Host Port: 554
Remote Host Path: /user=admin&password=&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?
That should pick up the camera using remote source.
For Ffmpeg using RTSP..
Source Tab-
Source Type: Ffmpeg
Source Tab-
Source Path: rtsp://<your camera ip>:554/user=admin&password=&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?
Remote Method: RTP/RTSP
That should pick up the camera using Ffmpeg source.
Image Quality:
CMS local and remote > FireFox ZM Remote > Internet Explorer ZM Remote. Note: jpeg settings quality are at 100% the defaults are bad.
CMS local and remote: Best quality. Obviously designed to work with it. Viewing through Internet Explorer perfect.
Firefox ZM Remote: Not as good as CMS, blurry, as it also cannot proportion windows but works fine. Firefox local quality as good as CMS.
Internet Explorer ZM Remote: close with CMS quality but it cannot stream smoothly it takes about 13 seconds for next image. Not usable, it also needs a java plugin to view events, Firefox doesn't. I downloaded IE java but then I get an error 'ClassNotFoundException' cmabozola.viewer. I enabled cambozola in ZM but I guess I have to install it as well in ZM. Not worth the effort.
At Java I should have stopped. I kept going....
I generated some events from event files in mpeg, mpg, avi, mov and others they were horrid. the only one of any quality was 'mov' and I can't find/comprehend a setting to change/remove compression. Whilst viewing events in the browser is fine but the generated quality is atrocious.
I also exported all for an event and when you select the browser link it brings up the Master Browser page but no images. Both FF and IE couldn't display anything though the images are in a subdirectory.
If anyone can tell me how to rectify the image/streaming/video quality files please do for it is really bad. As mentioned above the quality jpegs are 100% and if I view these exported images in Ifranview it's excellent so there is something really bad in how ZM deals with images/streams/videos.
Anyway one of my needs was to be able to only motion record with + and minus 6 seconds or so either side of an alarm. For those whom wish to do it: Setup as 'Modetect' and at least one zone active.
1-Select the camera settings
2-Select 'Buffers' tab
3-Image Buffer Size (frames): 100
4-Warmup Frames: 75
5-Pre Event Image Count: 75
6-Post Event Image Count: 75
In my case the above settings give me about 5 seconds either side of an event.
Howto Setup No-Name Chinese Camera and Modetec Pre/Post time and Video quality issues
Re: Howto Setup No-Name Chinese Camera and Modetec Pre/Post time and Video quality issues
Hi,
I have a vcatch camera which only works with RTSP_TRANSPORT=HTTP or using ZM language, setting source type of the camera as Ffmpeg and as Remote Method RTP/RTSP/HTTP. That is the only way to avoid Video from cameras becomes unusable after sometime, kinda of one hour on the average. I face such issue if I use any other option. I tried to follow some suggestion to use RTP/RTSP to force the TCP usage ( having set that on the cameras as well ) without any luck. Do you have a similar problem on yours ? How did you address that in case ?
Ciao
L
I have a vcatch camera which only works with RTSP_TRANSPORT=HTTP or using ZM language, setting source type of the camera as Ffmpeg and as Remote Method RTP/RTSP/HTTP. That is the only way to avoid Video from cameras becomes unusable after sometime, kinda of one hour on the average. I face such issue if I use any other option. I tried to follow some suggestion to use RTP/RTSP to force the TCP usage ( having set that on the cameras as well ) without any luck. Do you have a similar problem on yours ? How did you address that in case ?
Ciao
L