X10 Community Forum
📸Cameras & Camera Software => Legacy non Wi-Fi X10 Cameras => Camera General Discussion => Wireless Cameras(non IP) => Topic started by: Don N on January 18, 2007, 07:44:49 PM
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I sent the following email to techsupport at X10.
When the video from a camera is being recorded onto the PC, what determines the length of the recorded video? It seems that the recorded video is always in increments of 1 minute.
My setup is as follows. Motion sensor delay set at 1 minute. When recording macro is setup for a 2 minute delay between start/stop recording, I get two 1 minute recordings.
When I change the recording macro setup to a 3 minute delay, I get three 1 minute recordings.
If I change the motion sensor delay to 2 minutes (or any other delay setting), I still get the same multiple 1 minute recordings.
If I just use my motion sensor on to start recording and motion sensor off to stop recording ... I still get multiple 1 minute recordings.
Is there a change/setting that would give me a continuous video recording on my PC?
This was X10's answer.
Greetings!
ActiveHome Pro will always fragment recordings to prevent hard drive
fragmentation. These files will play back seamlessly in AHP or if
enqueued in a media player. If you have any more questions, please reply to
this email. Thanks for choosing X10!
I'll be very honest ... I don't understand X10's reply. I was expecting a reference to some parameter in the ahp_config file or the Preferences file. Maybe, I'm wrong and X10's reply actually gives me the answer (albeit hidden in their message). I don't understand their first sentence. In reference to their second sentence ... I click on Video under Media ... so I'm assuming that's the only method for viewing videos. Has anyone experienced this situation and/or found a solution? Or is this as good as it gets?
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Don N:
I have had extremely good luck with the macros I posted
http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=11477.0
My videos are all exactly what I have set them to.
The response times are very good for camera/record turn on time less then 1 second.
I know its not done in hardware but what do you expect from a software engineer. ;D
Sounds to me like the support person doesn't understand their own product.
I have been recording 8 minute videos as one big video file for a long time now.
I was getting the same results as you were before that.
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ajleduc -- yes, I looked at your setup before. As I mentioned in that thread our setups are very similar.
You say you've been recording 8 minute videos as one big video file for a long time now. But yet, I only see in your Recording Control Marco a delay of 2 minutes. But, even at that I would be happy with a continuous 2 minute video Anyway, I'm going to duplicate your setup (exactly) and test it this weekend and see what happens. Currently my response times are good. All my Macros work fine. My whole setup is very reliable. I just want to be able to record continuous videos instead of multiple 1 minute videos when motion is detected.
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Don N:
It just happened that the delay was set to 2 minutes the day I created the post.
I have set it as high as 10 minutes and got a 10 minute file.
When duplicating the macros its really important that the Recording Control macro be stored in the interface.
Things didn't start working well until I did that.
Anyway best of luck trying the macros.
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ajleduc -- well, I'm really puzzled now. I duplicated your Macros exactly. I duplicated your Preferences setup too. There were no changes in the results. I still get multiple 1 minute videos. There must be something different in our ahp_config.xml file. Well, it's time for an adult beverage this evening ... maybe that will help. Anyway, I'll spend some more time on it tomorrow and see if I can figure it out.
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Don N:
Sorry to hear it didn't work for you. Could it be AHP version I am running 3.206 came with OnAlert.
Another note - When I get home every day I check the videos and delete them, that said.
I wanted to record a video sort of as proof I am successfully recording longer videos.
Then post a picture of the size.
Today for what ever reason I am unable to record any video so I have to work that out first.
Last night LATE! I made the antenna modification to my interface.
It appeared to work ok but I may have messed up something.
Anyway I will check it out and get this thing working again and post a result.
As I was testing this morning I noticed a bug in my logic.
I use the sensor to turn on the camera....
I never changed the turn off delay to greater than 1 second.
So it would turn off the camera after 1 minute.
Recording would still go for the full length of time though.
I never noticed it in the video because I seldom view a video.
I just check that only the ones I expect to be there are there.
Not much happens around my house during the day (WAY back in the woods 1/2 mile off the main road)
Got DSL though :D.
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ajleduc
I appreciate your diligence in helping me. I have AHP version 3.204. I looked for information on what fixes (if any) were incorporated in version 3.206. I couldn't find any information other than OnAlert was added. So I'm assuming the other aspects of our two versions are the same.
In a wild stab at fixing the problem this morning ... I changed my motion sensor's delay to two minutes instead of my usual one minute delay. But I still get the same results (multiple one minute videos).
In another test, I bypassed my macros and just recorded video by activating the camera manually. Again, all I got were one minute videos. So I'm pretty convinced that either the Preferences, the ahp_config file or your (djleduc) AHP version 3.206 holds the secret. I just need to figure out which one holds the secret for recording continuous video.
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Don N
Here is a picture of video I recorded today its not 8 min its 3 min but its more than 1 min.
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p307/ajleduc/VideoLen.jpg)
It was recorded from another camera using basically the same macros.
I still haven't got my test camera to record anything files are all zero length?
This is what bugs me about AHP, everything works fine, one day you look at it cross eyed then nothing works.
I am betting that there is a difference in the version I have that you don't
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Don N
I finally have my Test system working again.
Even though I am sure I have recorded a bunch of 8 minute files.
I have no way to prove it and I cannot reproduce it.
:-[ Sooooo.
The latest is - I can record 3 minute videos -
If I set the delay to 10 minutes I get 4 video files 3 at 3 minutes and 1 at 1 minute +-.
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ajleduc
With your latest post, I think you convinced me there is no difference between our versions of AHP in regards to the multiple videos.
Let's look again at X10's response at the beginning of this thread; "ActiveHome Pro will always fragment recordings to prevent hard drive fragmentation". Perhaps another way of saying this is; AHP's video files will be recorded, on disk, in multiple segments thus preventing fragmentation of one large disk file. It's not clear to me why this is important ... but it does help explain why we get multiple videos.
Now, if we look at the second sentence of X10's response; "These files will play back seamlessly in AHP or if enqueued in a media player," I think this is the part that's not working. Ideally I shouldn't have to worry about where the videos are recorded as long as I get the seamless playback. But how do we get that seamless playback? Is it possible that you were getting that seamless playback at one time? The method I use to playback my recorded videos is; 1. click on the pulldown menu VIEW, 2. select STORED MEDIA, 3. select VIDEO. It's here that I see the multiple videos. I can only play them one at a time. I don't get a seamless playback from one file to the other. I have to individually click on each video segment So where do we go from here? I guess I will explore X10's comment of a seamless playback and contact them on Monday. Unless you have some other ideas.
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Don N:
Sounds like a plan.
I am still trying to reproduce the 8 minute video - as long as I have ideas I never give up.
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Well, two additional email messages and one phone call has not yielded much information regarding X10's earlier email comment that; These files will play back seamlessly in AHP or if enqueued in a media player. I had hope to get clarification on their comment as well as a "how to do it." I've gotten no responses from the two additional emails to X10.
The technician at I talked to on the phone said initially that playback is seamless. He directed me to the Preferences pull down menu for proper configuration. After he "stumbled" guiding me through the proper settings (there were none), he placed me on hold to talk to his supervisor. He eventually came back with the comment; " that software development is working on that now." I think what he meant was, you won't be able to get seamless playback currently and perhaps sometime in the future it .........
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I'm not sure I fully understand your configuration but something occurs to me:
If you actually turn on a cam when the sensor turns on, the video recording will cease when the sensor times-out after 1 minute (default time)...then, depending upon how you are set up, may turn back on (instructed by the macro) which will repeat the process. If this is the situation, there are at least a couple ways to deal with that.
* Alter your sensor to a period longer than 1 minute;
* or....delete the SENSOR OFF macro and, in the SENSOR ON macro, after the sensor trigger, allow the macro to run for 2 minutes or however long you desire.
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Don N:Sorry I missed this post earlier!
can't catch them All the first time ;) :(
It seems your sensor is not your problem!
You don't say what the addresses of each are( or I missed it!)
This should be done regardless Set your cam to a different address then the motion sensor and macro!
Under "Preferences" go to "Video Settings" and change the Codec Settings or try a different one.
Many users have noticed improvements just changing to a different Codec
Just because one codec works on Akasonnys setup doesn't mean it will for you!
If your still having problems and if you have the SmartMacro Plug-in (http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/plugins/plugin-smartmacros.html) [/color]: Set and clear a flag in your macro as well as use it as a condition!
eg:
trigger is motion sensor b2
Condition if flag 2 is set
Turn on Cam C3
clear flag 2
Start video record
Delay 10 min stop video record
Turn off Cam C3
Set flag 2
A work around (which I use) is to do Auto stills every 5 sec, not streaming video but close! ;) :D
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Tuicemen/Akasonny -- thank you for your interest in trying to help me solve this problem. And yes, Tuicemen I know the workaround is doing auto stills. But at this point I'm still stubborn enough to try and figure this out. (lol)
This is what I'm trying to do.
Motion sensor E1 is triggered
Sensor E1 trigger is on and camera C1 is off, turn camera C1 on, start recording
Sensor E1 trigger is off, stop recording, turn camera C1 off
The Activity Monitor shows.
9:20:50 pm Receive E1 (Front Sensor)
9:20:51 pm Receive E On (Front Sensor)
9:20:52 pm Transmit C1 (Front Camera)
9:20:53 pm Transmit C On (Front Camera)
9:21:02 pm Receive E1 (Front Sensor)
9:21:02 pm Receive E On (Front Sensor)
9:21:14 pm Receive E1 (Front Sensor)
9:21:14 pm Receive E On (Front Sensor)
9:21:26 pm Receive E1 (Front Sensor)
9:21:26 pm Receive E Off (Front Sensor)
9:21:28 pm Transmit C1 (Front Camera)
9:21:28 pm Transmit C Off (Front Camera)
Everything works great, except I always get multiple one minute recorded videos on my PC regardless how many minutes the E1 sensor is on.
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Don N:
Try setting your frame rate to 1 fps.
I was able to record 5 minute videos at this rate.
Before that I was recording 3 minute videos at 12 to 15 fps.
I tried a couple of other codecs but they didn't appear to make a difference.
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ajleduc -- Good to have you back working the problem (LOL). You may be onto something. I did a quick test this evening and changed my fps to 2. I got a continuous video recording of 1 minute and 52 seconds. That was the exact time between when the motion sensor triggered on and when the motion sensor triggered off. I will do some more testing tomorrow.
I never was successful in using any other Codec other than the Microsoft Video 1. Today I did try all 12 Codecs that show up under Preferences just to verify differences. Only 4 work actually work and three of them always cause the dreaded "Active Home Pro has encountered an error and ...." Like I said only Microsoft Video 1 works for me.
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Don N:
I never stopped working on the problem.
I just didn't have anything more that I though would help.
It appears the support person in the beginning was correct after all.
They are controlling the size of the files.
I guess we can chalk it up to another thing AHP does that we don't want it to do, the list goes on.
If I come up with anything more I will post to this thread but I think the software has gotten the better of me this time.
Actually I am thinking of doing my own IWitness module using Windows Media Player/SDK.
I've done a lot of work with that, at least I will be in control.
Its just hard to come home and write code after coding all day.
WAF usually drops way off when I start doing that also.....
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ajleduc
Yes, they seem to be controlling the file "size" somehow. However, I've seen files as large as 60MB when I have the fps set at 12-14. With the fps set at 1-2 the file is only around 2-4MB. So I'm not quite sure how they control the size. With the fps set at 1 I get a 5 minute video. It's a little herky-jerky (tech talk). With the fps set at 4 I get a 3-4 video and the movement is a little more smooth. So I can live with that.
Hmmm, doing your own iWitness module ... sounds interesting. Keep us posted here on the forum. Thanks for your help. One attaboy coming your way.
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Don N:Sorry I missed this post earlier!
can't catch them All the first time ;) :(
It seems your sensor is not your problem!
You don't say what the addresses of each are( or I missed it!)
This should be done regardless Set your cam to a different address then the motion sensor and macro!
Under "Preferences" go to "Video Settings" and change the Codec Settings or try a different one.
Many users have noticed improvements just changing to a different Codec
Just because one codec works on Akasonnys setup doesn't mean it will for you!
If your still having problems and if you have the SmartMacro Plug-in (http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/plugins/plugin-smartmacros.html) [/color]: Set and clear a flag in your macro as well as use it as a condition!
eg:
trigger is motion sensor b2
Condition if flag 2 is set
Turn on Cam C3
clear flag 2
Start video record
Delay 10 min stop video record
Turn off Cam C3
Set flag 2
A work around (which I use) is to do Auto stills every 5 sec, not streaming video but close! ;) :D
This is the only way I can record at the moment. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I finally got my cameras working with the TM751. Tested it with the remote and a TV and it worked so I replugged it back inot the computer and tried reinstalling the software and it works now.
Anyway, my current problem. I have a motion sensor set to B1, I have tow cameras set to B1 and B2 and can switch to them no problem via the mouse, and the remote. My setup, a 4 grid view with the two cameras, I have B2 active, I take my hand off of the B1 motion sensor and the B2 grid switches and starts showing the B1 feed. After a minute, about 50% of the time the B1 gird cell will become active with the B1 feed. In the meantime, there's lots of frame freezes. I have my Vanguard preferences set to take a snapshot every hour and my B1 motion detection set to take snaps every second for 30 seconds. When the motion detector tells it to switch to cam B1 I don't get any recordings. The only way I can record anything is to have "Take a snap every 5 seconds" set at the preference level. Who wants that? I don't. Also, if I set the B1 motion detector prefs associated with camera B1 set to record a video, I don't get and recorded video at all. I can however get a recording if I manually click on "Record" at the bottom of the screen. Can anyone please help me? I'd like to be able to have the B1 sensor tell Vanguard to seemlessly switch to cam B1, have it not only switch cams, but have the image show up listed under B1 cam in the software right from the word go, not under B2 cam in the software, and be able to record either 1 second snaps or a video.
Thanks
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Drews, see my answer here about the recording and motion sensor problem:
http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=12228.msg68953#msg68953
I assumed Vanguard and not AHP, but that motion sensor "feature" would be good to rule out.
The problems with video files and recording times I think is partially due to the codecs. I wouldn't expect seamless playback of a bunch of 1 minutes files in Windows Media Player, but it should play back seamlessly in the AHP media viewer. Looking at the version history to refresh my memory, we made a couple changes to the video saving scheme in version 3.203 and 3.204 to help problems that some people had with framerate and performance. We could have introduced the chunking of the files there. I don't remember.
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Thanks, but it's not even recording one second snaps nor is it showing the movie clip icon. When I record a video by clicking on the movie icon in the software it will in fact record a video and show up as a different color recording blip on the History Timeframe. The only way I can get it to record anything is to set the snapshot interval to every 5 seconds, or something other than never, which I don't want. I'd like the automatic snapshot set to NEVER, but still be able to record either a video clip or one second clips for say 30 seconds, which it doesn't do, even if I have snapshot set to 5 seconds. I figured maybe snapshot set to NEVER was messing me up and overriding ANY snapshot or video record ability, but it would seem to me that the idea was snpashot was one thing, and setting up for recording motion sensor activity was another thing.
Also, if the sensor is sending a signal to the transceiver to turn on a specific camera, why do I need to associate it in the software, other than for recording, which doesn't seem to be working anyway?
Thanks
Drews, see my answer here about the recording and motion sensor problem:
http://www.x10community.com/forums/index.php?topic=12228.msg68953#msg68953
I assumed Vanguard and not AHP, but that motion sensor "feature" would be good to rule out.
The problems with video files and recording times I think is partially due to the codecs. I wouldn't expect seamless playback of a bunch of 1 minutes files in Windows Media Player, but it should play back seamlessly in the AHP media viewer. Looking at the version history to refresh my memory, we made a couple changes to the video saving scheme in version 3.203 and 3.204 to help problems that some people had with framerate and performance. We could have introduced the chunking of the files there. I don't remember.
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Even though this is under Vanguard, it appears you guys are talking about AHP. Which is it?
I'm running Vanguard and having nothing but problems recording. I got the camera switching a little more reliable. Dawn.dusk set to off, 80% of the time it will switch the cameras correctly (even more reliable with the remote). Seems like the camera switching is fairly reliable both ways as far as seeing a live feed due to motion or the remote control (more reliable with the remote control), although there are times when even though the live feed switches to the proper camera, the camera the software thinks it is is out of whack. So say due to motion the sensor tells it to switchh to a live feed in B1, it will in fact switch to that camera, but more often then I'd like (I'd like zero times) it will stay in the B2 window in the software. Now if I have the software set to record action on B1 and it's still sitting in B2 window, even though I'm getting a live feed from B1 in B2 window, the recording (if I could get that to work) will be recording the action in B1 window, which is just an old still because it never switched.
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The difference between the cameras switching and Vanguard matching the correct window is that in order for the cameras to switch your transceiver needs to receive the switch commands from the motion sensors and pass them on to the camera, and in order for Vanguard to match the right window to the video coming in, the CM19A needs to receive the commands and pass them on to the software. I'd guess that CM19A isn't getting as good reception from your motion sensors (maybe only one of the sensors) that your transceiver is, so the selected window and the picture don't stay in sync. You might try moving the CM19A to a different location especially if it's close to your PC case.
I'm not sure I'm understanding the video recording problems. Is the problem that Vanguard won't record video when triggering from a motion sensor?
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The difference between the cameras switching and Vanguard matching the correct window is that in order for the cameras to switch your transceiver needs to receive the switch commands from the motion sensors and pass them on to the camera, and in order for Vanguard to match the right window to the video coming in, the CM19A needs to receive the commands and pass them on to the software. I'd guess that CM19A isn't getting as good reception from your motion sensors (maybe only one of the sensors) that your transceiver is, so the selected window and the picture don't stay in sync. You might try moving the CM19A to a different location especially if it's close to your PC case.
I'm not sure I'm understanding the video recording problems. Is the problem that Vanguard won't record video when triggering from a motion sensor?
Thanks, I'll try moving the CM19A. That's the Firecracker that plugs into the USB on the computer, right?
Yes, Vanguard won't record video when triggering from a motion sensor? Is there another way to test this, because this recording feature is associated with the motion sensor set up. I tried setting it to the default of 1 snap per second for 30 seconds. Nothing. I tried setting it to record a video for 30 seconds. Nothing. I can click on the movie film button at the bottom of the Vanguard software and record a video of the active camera. That's it. The only automatic recording I have is if I set the SnapShot in the SnapShot tab to something other than NEVER. So if I set it to every 5 seconds it'll save a snap every 5 seconds of the active camera. I don't want all of those contextless snaps though. I don't want any snaps (Snapshot set to NEVER) and only want snaps or video that was triggered by the motion sensor. Otherwise how do I know what's relevant recordings when I go back and look at them at the end of the day. If I have snaps every 5 seconds and a few relevant blips I'd not only have a hard time sorting it out, I'd also have a harddrive full of meaningless snaps tieing up disk space.
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If you press the On button on a PalmPad set to the same address as your motion sensor right near the CM19A (that's the USB Firecracker interface), will Vanguard start recording? What I'm wondering is if the problem is not with the recording, but the PC receivingt the signals from the motion sensor.
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If you press the On button on a PalmPad set to the same address as your motion sensor right near the CM19A (that's the USB Firecracker interface), will Vanguard start recording? What I'm wondering is if the problem is not with the recording, but the PC receivingt the signals from the motion sensor.
I'll double check it when I get home, but I'm going to guess "No", the remote will not cause Vangaurd to start recording on B1, even though B1 sent on the remote control will start the camera up. The CM14A sensor will activate the camera (most of the time, I think that's an issue with the Firecracker not always getting the signal) but when activated by the sensor it will not record. Seeing as how the remote control sends the same B1 signal as the motion sensor, I'm going to guess that the remote will not fire up recording either, even though they're both the remote and the sensor are able to switch to the camera. I've already ruled out dawn/duck on the sensor and just set it to All The Time for now while I'm setting up and testing.
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Just for information, I am using AHP, Smart Macros, and Iwatch. I cannot get a camera to record UNLESS I put the "Select Camera" function before the "Video Recording" function in my macros.
The symptoms were, everything looked normal. Camera came on, rec icon flashed, but nothing recorded. I mean nothing. It did not even put an icon in the file folder. Added the Select Camera and everything works fine.
Thought it might help someone else who is searching for an answer.