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[JJtech]

Hi Everyone,

To try to escape the in-escapable incompatibility between AHP and Windows Media Center, I started up my old XP PC (Pentium 3, 797 MHz, 512 mb of Ram).

For days I could not get iWatch/myhouseonline to load without have them hang and generate an error saying that it could not find MSVCR70.dll (attached).

I tried following the directions of plugging in the VA12a at the appropriate time, at the inappropriate time.  Every possible combination I could think of.  I even tried it while my back was to the screen standing on my head!!!!

After 2 days, somehow, some power had mercy on me and I got video.  Now my “only” problem is that it is taking around 97% of my CPU cycles and approximately 61,00K of ram (#2 right under the system task).  I could make a sandwich by the time the application switches from one room to another or turn on a light or does ANYTHING!!!

The VA12a is listed under the sound/video and game controllers but not under the USB controllers like the directions say it should be.

What’s the story here.  X10 told me that I only needed a 400 MHz processor.

Should my system be powerful enough?  It is the ONLY application running.

Did it not install correctly?  Is that why it is a hog?

How do you get it to install cleanly in less than 2 days?

Is there anyone at X10 that I could write to about their fine software???

Thanks,

JJ

   I feel like I am the horse!

[Brian H]

There are on line web sites to fine missing .dll files if you need it.
Is the USB port you are using 2.0 and can the port supply the full power a USB2 can?
We have seen reports of the VA12 needing lots of power and a USB 2.0 speed port.

[Kramer Chins]

There are on line web sites to fine missing .dll files if you need it.
Is the USB port you are using 2.0 and can the port supply the full power a USB2 can?
We have seen reports of the VA12 needing lots of power and a USB 2.0 speed port.

Yes the VA12A is a Power Hog !! I had to butyy a Powered USB Hub for my VA12A in order to get my cameras to work. I was like $15 at Wal-Mart......But I didn't have any missing .dll files, so I can't help on that one.

[hawk1]

Have you tried playing around with the video settings in the preferences?  Changing the codec to microsoft 1, change the quality settings, framerate?  I don't know too much about the va12 but the va11 seemed to do the same thing until..... I found blue iris security software.

It seems to me that the va11 or even maybe the va12 isn't the problem it's AHP Iwitness plugin.  I switched to Blue Iris and everything is running alot more smoothly.  Not saying it will work with your situation, but it is worth a try. You can find it here: http://blueirissoftware.com/index.html   They have a 15 day trial and also have two options of buying, a one video input (which is okay for using the va11 or va12) or the unlimited video source.  Both are under $50.00 .

There is a third party program for it called bicommand that is a commandline tool to start recording, stop recording, triggering and etc...  That way you can use the macros in AHP to start a batch file or autohotkey script from the run windows command when a motion sensor is tripped to start the recording, delay 1 min and stop the recording.

Before using Blue Iris I was using AHP, BVC, PCC and my system would barely run!  BVC would stutter, commands were lost or would wait for 5 minutes before firing.

My suggestion is to play with the preferences in AHP first and then maybe try the Blue Iris software.  It is well worth the money, hasn't crashed yet either.  And you can use any kind of camera or video input you want... IP cameras, x10 cameras, personal webcams, any kind of capture device,  anything! 

Just make sure you start Blue Iris before you start AHP so AHP doesn't steel the va12 from you.

[JJtech]

Thank you Hawk1, Kramer & Brian!

To answer the questions:

Yes, the VA12a is connected to a USB 2 but it is an aftermarket board that I inserted into my XP machine.  It has one internal port and 2 external which is where I have it connected.  I could try the internal but I don't think that would be any different.

Something is just not right.  Most of the time when it is connected, before it started "working" it would report that the va12a was not connected when it was.  When I reboot the system, it hangs.  I have to disconnect the 12a to get it to reboot.

Maybe it doesn't have everything that it needs to run smoothly.

Do you guys think that my system is powerfull enough?

I will look for those adjustments, check to see if I finally have that dll and also look at that 3rd party software.

You know the picture is jerky as the camera moves and is maybe 1 or 2 seconds behind time but it did that with my Vista system that is running a quad processor with 3 gigs of memory.  I thought that was about par for x10.

JJ

[JJtech]

I switched to Blue Iris and everything is running alot more smoothly.  Not saying it will work with your situation, but it is worth a try. You can find it here: http://blueirissoftware.com/index.html   

Hey Hawk1,

Do you know if this software would also resolve the issue of AHP not working with Windows Media Center?

JJ

[hawk1]

The Blue Iris software is just a video recording software.  It really doesn't have any home automation capabilities.  I just use it because of the quality and the many options it has.

I haven't been following anything about AHP not working in MCE so I really can't give you any advise on that.

I use the cm15 to receive motion sensor codes to switch cameras automatically. I use a third party programs called LEXI that can let me switch them manually.  And then I have the Blue Iris do all the recording for me.  Works pretty good.

The Blue Iris has a 1 video input version which is great for x10 cameras since you only have one video input.  But if you get the unlimited version you can add any kind of camera you want. Web, IP, basically any capture device.

There is so many ways that you can setup cameras in Blue Iris.  Take a look, free 15 day trial.  You won't regret it.   

[JJtech]

Thanks Hawk1.

I am talking with them now.

JJ

[x10dude]

JJ,

I started out with a 1.3ghz laptop with 1g RAM and thought I needed more power since the VA12a would cause the system to halt. I went to a 3ghz, 2 gig RAM, P IV desktop machine and got the same results. After further troubleshooting, I realized that the VA12a driver had memory leaks, which after about 24hrs, AHP would just crash. That required that I reboot Windows and start all over.

The problems that I discovered in the process included 2 main things: 1) VA12a driver bugs and 2) AHP 3.236 bugs. Because I needed OnAlert (doesn't work well with 2.236), I went to AHP 3.228, which is  where I am now. I also ended up scrapping the VA12a and X10 cameras since they don't work with 3.228.

If you don't need OnAlert, it sounds like your best bet is to move the already-tried non-AHP video solution. Note, however, that you MUST remove the video plug-in from AHP. Otherwise, it will "steal" the VA12a from other applications.

[JJtech]

Hey x10dude,

Good to hear from you.

Not sure what you mean by the "already-tried non-AHP video solution."

Right now I don't have any need for "onalert."  God, I can even depend on X10 to turn on a light much less protect my house!!!

When I got it to work on my Vista Q6600 2.4GHz with 3 GB, there were still multiple stupid bugs that a high school programmer would have caught before they released it.  Dates are wrong on the JERKY captured video, can't erase it, only will record in 1 min intervals, etc., etc.

I can't even reboot my XP maching if the VA12a is attached!

I bought a bunch of X10 equipment.  Although I think their software is atrocious, it would certainly hurt to scrap it all and move to something else.  That being said, what would you replace it with and what components could I keep from the X10 pile???

Did you have any thoughts on the Windows Media Center conflict?

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=17906.0


Hawk1,

I talked to Ken (nice guy) from Blue Iris.  My XP machine is not powerful enough and I would have to buy another board for $150.  Even then, he didn't know if that would resolve my Windows Media Center problem.

Thanks guys!

JJ

[hawk1]

Sorry to here that.  Hopefully someone here can help solve your challenge!   

[x10dude]

hey JJ,

What I meant to say is that you might want to try what's been suggested by others (the blue iris solution), but it sounds like even that might not work for you. It's a tough situation you're in. If you got your camera bundle less than 30 days ago, you might want to return it and stick with the other parts of X10 equipment (home automation, security.) I would have done that, but I left my video testing to the end and ran out of time to return it. I ended up buying a dedicated security dvr system, which doesn't interact with AHP, but works for what I wanted.

The X10 home automation and security components are what I currently use and depend on. I too bought a bunch of X10 stuff (close $1k)

As for the WMC issue, did you look at my reply from one of your other posts?

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=17965.msg100153#msg100153?