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Remote viewing of web cam

Sounds like you are using a USB web cam. If you ever decide to use a wireless web cam, might I suggest using the IP Cam Viewer app (free w/adds, $10 for full version). I use it every day and its awesome. The developer, Robert Chou, sends-out updates almost every week (supporting new cameras, features, fixes, performance improvements, etc.). The app also supports a bazillion traffic cameras (although I've never used this feature).

You can test the waters with a fairly cheap wireless web cam (assuming you have a wireless router) and this will free you up from having to be tied-down to a PC. Its pretty cool.
 
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Scary, what web cam are you using?

I have one D-Link DCS-920 and three Axis 207W cameras. Watching them right now as a matter of fact (my form of home security monitoring :D).

The DCS-920 was about $100 (about two years ago) and was my first wireless webcam. The Axis ones are a little pricier, but these are very good cameras, although they are fixed. My next one will be a PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) that will give me a little more flexibility.

Its pretty cool...I can check on things where ever I'm at...
 
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I use Orb to view and access my computer at home. Pretty easy process, just install the Orb media server on the computer that you want to share with yourself. Select the files to share, music, video, my docs, whatever and let the media server run.

Then, on the phone (or any computer) navigate to "mycast.orb.com" and select "video" and select the webcam you want to watch from your phone. Thats it.

Additionally, you can stream music and video from your home PC.

Orb makes an app for android, but I heard it is glitchy. Its actually better just to save a shortcut to the website to your homescreen. I set mine to "home theater view", which is the easiest for me to navigate on the phone.
 
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Scary, can the app record what the webcam sees?

Roze,

Sorry for the belated reply... Not yet...Robert Chou, the app author, has talked about creating a separate DVR-like app that would record video to the /sdcard. I haven't been to his support forum for a while...I'll check it out and get back to you (and post the link).

Cheers!

quick edit: IP Cam Viewer links:

http://hit-mob.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=18http://hit-mob.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28

http://hit-mob.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=47

I also emailed the developer to ask about the possibility of recording...stay tuned.
 
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Oh, I also forgot about Tiny DVR (free in the Market). It says its "an app for remote surveillance, control and video recording for network/IP cameras and video encoders."

Its a nice app and works very well with my cameras, but I cannot figure-out how to make it record to anywhere (despite its name ;)).

I remember stumbling across it several months ago and wished then that it really did the DVR function. Anyone know how to make it really work as a DVR?
 
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I received an email reply from Robert Chou, the developer of IP Cam Viewer and he indicated that the DVR app or functionality is still on his to-do list. So, at this point, we'll have to explore other options to try to do this.

FYI, when I initially started playing with webcams, I used an app for my (gasp! :eek:) iPod Touch called Mobiscope (www.mobiscope.com). Its basically like IP Cam Viewer but for the iPhone or iPod Touch.

There is also a PC-based component to their software that will let you setup and manage your webcams on your PC and have their images recorded to your hard-drive (for archiving and playback). This works well, but I quickly grew tired of booting-up my PC everyday and launching the app. This would not preclude you from using this with your webcams and using something IP Cam Viewer or Tiny DVR on your Android device--it just wouldn't record directly to your phone. Additionally, there is a web-based view to your webcams (web.mobiscope.com) that allows you view your webcams from a web-browser or connect to your Mobiscope software running on your PC at home (i.e., to view the recordings). Very versitile and flexible.

Cheers!
 
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I went with a Panasonic BL-C1 wired IP camera that I got from Amazon. It took all of 15 minutes to setup so that I could access it directly from the internet through my router. I view it with tinydvr from my android phone and directly from a web browser when on a remote PC. While there is no video recording option, it does have a motion sensor which can trigger a series of snapshots which I setup to save on an ftp server on my PC.
 
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Well... I come to Android Forums with a question and yet again do I find Scary Alien offering a metric S#!T ton of support.

After 2 home burglaries in a year I've decided to go the home surveillance from my phone (or other mobile device) route. It appears most of the research has been done for for me!
 
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Well... I come to Android Forums with a question and yet again do I find Scary Alien offering a metric S#!T ton of support.

After 2 home burglaries in a year I've decided to go the home surveillance from my phone (or other mobile device) route. It appears most of the research has been done for for me!

Lol! My people are everywhere....:eek: [we come in peace--mostly :D]

We had one break-in about 15 years ago (nothing was taken, just a window broken-in and some muddy footprints). Then, about a year and a half ago, my neighbor was broken into. This spurred me to do something and I decided to do this instead of a 3rd-party system.

I started small with $30 USB web cams and moved up from there to the wireless ones. The sucky part of USB web cams was the limit on USB bandwidth (I'd get warnings that I'd exceeded the USB bus' threshold). But after dipping my toe in the water with the USB cams, it was time to move up to the wireless web cams.

Its really more of a peace-of-mind kind of thing--knowing I can at least check on things from wherever I'm at (plus, my son lives just across the street now, so I can call him if I see anything suspicious going on).

Let me know if you have any questions...I'll try my best to answer what I can.
 
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I received an email reply from Robert Chou, the developer of IP Cam Viewer and he indicated that the DVR app or functionality is still on his to-do list. So, at this point, we'll have to explore other options to try to do this.

FYI, when I initially started playing with webcams, I used an app for my (gasp! :eek:) iPod Touch called Mobiscope (www.mobiscope.com). Its basically like IP Cam Viewer but for the iPhone or iPod Touch.

There is also a PC-based component to their software that will let you setup and manage your webcams on your PC and have their images recorded to your hard-drive (for archiving and playback). This works well, but I quickly grew tired of booting-up my PC everyday and launching the app. This would not preclude you from using this with your webcams and using something IP Cam Viewer or Tiny DVR on your Android device--it just wouldn't record directly to your phone. Additionally, there is a web-based view to your webcams (web.mobiscope.com) that allows you view your webcams from a web-browser or connect to your Mobiscope software running on your PC at home (i.e., to view the recordings). Very versitile and flexible.

Cheers!

very new to this site, I signed up for this mobiscope but cant get it to work. I have a droid x. Any suggestions?
 
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very new to this site, I signed up for this mobiscope but cant get it to work. I have a droid x. Any suggestions?

timber70, welcome to AndroidForums!

Well, I still use MobiScope on my iPod Touch, but I use IP Cam Viewer on my Android (Droid X). I think the free version of IP Cam Viewer works identically to the paid version, but it is ad-supported.

I would highly recommend IP Cam Viewer since its very easy to setup and use and supports a ton of cameras. The developer, Robert Chou, is always updating the app and adding support for new cameras, features, bug fixes, enhancements, etc. He even recently added a DVR recording feature too which is really cool.

Its been a while since I've have to reconfigure or do anything with my MobiScope app on my iPod Touch (the configuration / access is a little weird because they make you "authorize" each license (which I've paid for twice (ten-bucks a pop)).

Let me know if you have a specific question about either...like I said, its been a while since I've messed with MobiScope and I don't have the Android app itself--just the license to use it over the web, so I don't know how the Android app differs in setup.

Cheers!
 
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Hey Scary,

I don't know if you knew this but Robert Chou now has IP Cam Viewer on the iPhone/iTouch. I have IP Cam Viewer on my DroidX and my iTouch and it works great...

Z.

zoxxo,

Yeah, I actually saw he put comments in the app's market description that he's got it for Apple iOS, Blackberry 6.0, and Windows Phone 7.

The man has been crazy busy, eh? ;) :).

I have trouble keeping up with must my two apps on Android :eek: ;) :).

I've exchanged emails with him before (not for support issues, by the way), just to say thanks and get updated license keys after I flashed different ROMs on my Eris. Super nice, super cool guy. Was and am very impressed with him.

I keep my iPod Touch (1st gen :eek:) parked on my desk and watch the cams with the MobiScope app most of the day. That little device just keeps on chugging away, LOL. I use the IP Cam Viewer when I'm away from my desk and/or out and about.

Cheers!

P.S., I love your avatar...very entertaining :) [from Finding Nemo, right?]
 
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P.S., I love your avatar...very entertaining :) [from Finding Nemo, right?]

Yeah, the seaguls from "Finding Nemo." I always found them quite entertaining... ;)

I've got two LinkSys PTZ cams setup and straming wirelessly through my network. I monitor them with IP Cam viewer throughout the day and I have full control to pan and zoom as needed. I use my iPod touch to view them when I'm around the house.

At some point I would like to add more cameras when I can afford them. I would also like to add an IR flood for my front yard cam, but that is a very expensive and probably won't happen in this lifetime... :eek:

Z.
 
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I have a HP touchsmart 310. It has a built-in camera and HP doesn't list make or model. I think this is their own internal HD cam, and I don't find it on the list of models on the IP Viewer software I loaded on my DroidX2. The phone/IP viewer software links up to network but does not see camera . Is there anyway to link to this internal cam or do I just go and buy an external cam? :pepsi:
 
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I have a HP touchsmart 310. It has a built-in camera and HP doesn't list make or model. I think this is their own internal HD cam, and I don't find it on the list of models on the IP Viewer software I loaded on my DroidX2. The phone/IP viewer software links up to network but does not see camera . Is there anyway to link to this internal cam or do I just go and buy an external cam? :pepsi:

Welcome to the AndroidForums, escoro!

Well, its likely that its actually a USB camera internally connected in the PC, so you wouldn't be able to access over a network connection.

Good luck and glad you signed-up with us here at AF :).
 
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