X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Automated Home Showcase => Topic started by: yancy on December 07, 2009, 02:04:04 PM

Title: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: yancy on December 07, 2009, 02:04:04 PM
Very simply put, I can control my X10 devices at home from my iPhone, including my Cameras, and watch my cameras on my iPhone as well, all while being away from home.  I've seen a few links that mentioned Mellowares X10 Commander, which I use to control the devices.  I also use Orb's OrbLive product to stream all my media, including my WebCam configuration.  Using the X10 VA11 Video to USB convertor, the Orb recognizes it as a connected Web Cam to the computer.  All my cameras are setup in X10 Commander as a seperate controlable device.

To use, I go into X10 Commander and select a camera, turn it on.

Then I exit X10 Commander and to into Orb, select Video, WebCams, then the selection for the VA11 cam and see the stream from the camera I turned on.  To change cameras I have to exist Orb and repeat the above process (including turning off the previous cam first).

Yes, it's a bit cumbersome, but I don't mind since I have full control and access to viewing my cameras from my iPhone.
Title: Re: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: HA Dave on December 07, 2009, 04:42:46 PM
.... I can control my X10 devices at home from my iPhone, including my Cameras, and watch my cameras on my iPhone as well, all while being away from home. 

Awesome!
Title: Re: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: tlchris on August 25, 2010, 09:43:25 AM
How did you ( or how did he )  manage to get ORBLIVE to see your va11 as a web cam ?  When i try to open the web cam in messenger , it work no problem, but once i try to open it whit ORBLIVE it doesnt.
Title: Re: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: yancy on August 26, 2010, 08:12:38 AM
First it has to be added as a WebCam in your Orb Control Panel on the PC that you are running Orb and ahve the VA11 plugged in.  It should come up as "X10 Video Capture, VA11A Version 2.55".  (Version may be different, this is what mine shows.)  Once this is setup you should see it as one of your Webcams under the Video group on your iPhone Orb app.

In order for you to see any video, you have to make sure the camera is turned on first, which you can't do inside of Orb.  This is where I use X10 Commander to turn on the camera first, then go to the iPhone Orb app and select the webcam to view it.
Title: Re: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: tlchris on August 26, 2010, 09:28:44 AM
thanks,  il try that tonight.
Title: Re: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: tlchris on August 29, 2010, 04:16:23 PM
i see my cam in vanguard but not in ORBLIVE, i dont see aplace to ADD a webcam, only a WEBCAM folder in TV/WEBCAM,  but my cam is not present.

Any suggestions ?

ORB see my VA12A as a TV video capture card, it doesnt see it in the WEBCAM section.
Title: Re: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: yancy on September 05, 2010, 10:34:22 AM
There may be a difference in how Orb sees a VA11A and a VA12A.  I didn't have to do anything setup wise to make it see mine as a webcam.  Also, there may be a difference in the version of ORB used.  Sorry, but I think any further troubleshooting is beyond my capabilities.
Title: Re: Remote Camera Monitoring from iPhone
Post by: bitshift on September 08, 2012, 02:11:14 PM
This sounds just like what Im wanting to do.  What I am not sure of is if I want to get additional wireless motion sensors that send a signal to a base station which sounds an audible alert based on which sensor was triggered.

Also, I want to be able to remotely disable/enable all cameras such as when I am home and about to go out and mow the lawn.  No sense in recording all that!  I want to be able to control that with my smart phone.  The other option is to simply use the cameras with email motion alerts, and use the X10 controllers with a credit-card type remote to enable/disable?

Can someone list some products to review?
- 2 or 3 wireless IP cameras with motion detection and email alerts
- X10 remote control via web/phone app OR remote control that will work with cameras

Only thing that Im not sure about is if my Verizon FIOS router will allow me to do this, as Verizon blocks most outbound type traffic.

How does the X10 connection intereact witht he cameras - do the cameras plug into an X10 controller?