IP Cameras and bastard ActiveX

[Tim Watts]

Just got a Hikvision 3MP "cube" (aka small format) wireless cam.

It's pretty decent picture wise, for a tiny lens and a small box.
I like the flexibility of PoE or 12VC DC, wifi or ethernet.

Even the motion detection (visual based on definable zones) and/or PIR
are good.


The only thing I don't like is the web interface.

Apart from being inconsistent (to get FTP uploads working you need to
enable FTP in 2 different places) it relies heavily on ActiveX in IE.

In fact it's so broken, IE (64bit) won't work.

Whilst, with some buggering about, it's possible to view the live stream
in Firefox on Linux with the VLC plugin (and it works fine with an
Android client), it is a tad annoying to boot up windows in VMWare just
to alter the motion detection arming schedule!


I'm stuck with this as *someone* threw the box away before I could
consider a DSR and it does work in it's everyday use.

But for my next one, are there any inexpensive 3+MP IP cams that
actually work 100% with linux?


Must-have:

1) Indoor version and outdoor version;

2) Need several with wifi and DC in, but all must do PoE for later when
I get cables in. The external ones don't need wifi - will cable these.


Nice:

Motion detection, email and FTP upload.

[Bob H]

I have 2 Y-Cam,bullet ip cameras and 2 Merit Lilin LR7022E4, 1080HD IR
Bullet IP Camera, and they use ActiveX.
I can view the output in both IE and Firefox, but I also run camera
software which also shows the output of all 4 cameras togother.
Oh, and they all have motion dection, ftp upload and I think email, but
not sure.

[Tim Watts]

On 25/10/14 20:44, Bob H wrote:

> I have 2 Y-Cam,bullet ip cameras and 2 Merit Lilin LR7022E4, 1080HD IR
> Bullet IP Camera, and they use ActiveX.

Oh dear - them too? Thanks Bob.

Y-Cam and Lilin were on my list of other contenders... I won't bother
with those two as Hikvision is "the devil that sort of works".

I really though that ActiveX was dead and buried 10 years ago. But then
I have not needed an IP cam until now...

Wonder why they don't just use java? And these days, AJAX+HTML5 would
allow a good web designer to do all this without weird plugins. Are IP
Cam manufacturers still in the pleistocene era...

> I can view the output in both IE and Firefox, but I also run camera
> software which also shows the output of all 4 cameras togother.
> Oh, and they all have motion dection, ftp upload and I think email, but
> not sure.

That seems to put them in the same league as Hikvision.

Viewing is not problem - especially as the RSTP feed is VLC friendly.
And Xeoma is pretty nice if you needed central processing of several cam
feeds from linux with its own motion detection and recording.

This probably leaves Axis and Dahua. Axis used to be linux friendly -
not sure about Dahua.

[Andy Burns]

Tim Watts wrote:

> Bob H wrote:
>
>> I have 2 Y-Cam,bullet ip cameras and 2 Merit Lilin LR7022E4, 1080HD IR
>> Bullet IP Camera, and they use ActiveX.
>
> Oh dear - them too?

Swann cameras and PVRs too.

[Dennis@home]

On 25/10/2014 20:21, Tim Watts wrote:

> But for my next one, are there any inexpensive 3+MP IP cams that
> actually work 100% with linux?

Mine are linux based and the dvr I use is linux based.
I don't use the motion detect though they just record 24x7.

I do get an email with a motion detect log every day if I want to see
what has happened.

You can configure the cameras from the dvr or by using IE with an activX
control.

If you want to view/configure the nvr over the network you need IE and
activeX.

It may well be possible to hack the linux and install remote control SW,
I haven't bothered since I don't have an irrational fear of any OS.

The nvr is
http://www.securitycamera2000.com/products/8-CH-1080P-POE-Network-Video-Recorder-NVR-ONVIF-iPhone.html?setCurrencyId=2

[Tim Watts]

On 25/10/14 22:05, Dennis@home wrote:
> On 25/10/2014 20:21, Tim Watts wrote:
>
>> But for my next one, are there any inexpensive 3+MP IP cams that
>> actually work 100% with linux?
>
> Mine are linux based and the dvr I use is linux based.
> I don't use the motion detect though they just record 24x7.

Curiously the Hikvisions are running linux - I have telnetted in to be
greeted by Busybox.

> I do get an email with a motion detect log every day if I want to see
> what has happened.
>
> You can configure the cameras from the dvr or by using IE with an activX
> control.
>
> If you want to view/configure the nvr over the network you need IE and
> activeX.
>
> It may well be possible to hack the linux and install remote control SW,
> I haven't bothered since I don't have an irrational fear of any OS.

For me it is just a PITA - especially if VMWare Player has thrown a
strop (sometimes happens with a host kernel update).

[Davey]

On Sat, 25 Oct 2014 20:21:05 +0100
Tim Watts <tw_u...@dionic.net> wrote:

> Just got a Hikvision 3MP "cube" (aka small format) wireless cam.
>
> It's pretty decent picture wise, for a tiny lens and a small box.
> I like the flexibility of PoE or 12VC DC, wifi or ethernet.
>
> Even the motion detection (visual based on definable zones) and/or
> PIR are good.
>
>
> The only thing I don't like is the web interface.
>
> Apart from being inconsistent (to get FTP uploads working you need to
> enable FTP in 2 different places) it relies heavily on ActiveX in IE.
>
> In fact it's so broken, IE (64bit) won't work.
>
> Whilst, with some buggering about, it's possible to view the live
> stream in Firefox on Linux with the VLC plugin (and it works fine
> with an Android client), it is a tad annoying to boot up windows in
> VMWare just to alter the motion detection arming schedule!
>
>
> I'm stuck with this as *someone* threw the box away before I could
> consider a DSR and it does work in it's everyday use.
>
> But for my next one, are there any inexpensive 3+MP IP cams that
> actually work 100% with linux?
>
>

> -have:
>
> 1) Indoor version and outdoor version;
>
> 2) Need several with wifi and DC in, but all must do PoE for later
> when I get cables in. The external ones don't need wifi - will cable
> these.
>
>
> Nice:
>
> Motion detection, email and FTP upload.

Have you tried Zoneminder for Linux? I have three cameras feeding a
video input card, and one IP camera which uses a booster to get its
signal to the router, and they all work fine. Motion detection is done
in the PC by Zoneminder, and is fully programmable.

--
Davey.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo <3chthb-...@squidward.dionic.net>, Tim Watts
<tw_u...@dionic.net> escribió:

>For me it is just a PITA - especially if VMWare Player has thrown a
>strop (sometimes happens with a host kernel update).

VirtualBox, and all you need after a kernel update is
'/etc/init.d/vboxdrv setup' to rebuild the VirtualBox kernel modules.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

[Adrian Caspersz]

On 25/10/14 20:21, Tim Watts wrote:
> Just got a Hikvision 3MP "cube" (aka small format) wireless cam.
>

>

> Whilst, with some buggering about, it's possible to view the live stream
> in Firefox on Linux with the VLC plugin (and it works fine with an
> Android client), it is a tad annoying to boot up windows in VMWare just
> to alter the motion detection arming schedule!

Try Pipelight. A wrapper for running Windows plugins in Linux browsers.

http://pipelight.net/cms/installation.html

hikvision is supported

--
Adrian C

[Tim Watts]

On 26/10/14 12:05, Adrian Caspersz wrote:

> http://pipelight.net/cms/installation.html
>
> hikvision is supported

Wow - that actually works in Firefox - except for "webcomponents live
view" (but I can switch to VLC). I can now edit schedules at least.

The only broken bit is the preview view in some config dialogues - might
be able to figure that with a bit of googling...

Thank you sir!

I checked Axis and even they want ActiveX (WTF are all IP cams
programmed by the same bugger who lives in 1998?)

I think I will stick with Hikvision - but I am tempted to look at a
local server doing image processing from the raw streams.