Dropping camera connection DH-IPC-HFW4300S-V2-0360B

[mrl0926]

I have 2 Dahua PoE cameras model DH-IPC-HFW4300S-V2-0360B connected via Ethernet cables.
I am running Sighthound on an iMac.
Install of Sighthound to access the 2 cameras was ultimately successful.
Now I have a problem after I minimize Sighthound.
When I restore Sighthound from the minimize, Sighthound has lost the connection to the 2 cameras and seems to go into a "frozen" state trying to connect. After several minutes I need to turn off the cameras and then back on. Sighthound then connects.
Do I need to do this each time I restore Sighthound from the minimize state? Is anything being recorded while in the minimize state?
I moved the cameras from a PC to my iMac. The software on the PC (Blue Iris - no iMac version) had absolutely no problem with the cameras and no problem coming out of minimize state.
Do I need to go back to the PC?
I would like to keep the cameras on my iMac but this connection issue is annoying.

[ryan]

Hi mrl0926,

Minimizing the app is likely a coincidence - the user interface can be closed completely and everything will continue running. Is your mac perhaps further from a wifi signal than your PC was, or any other potential network issues? If you haven't yet please submit a bug report from "Help->Report a Problem..." and we'll be glad to take a look.

[mrl0926]

I do not think that coming out of minimize is a coincidence.
Here is a long running test.
I left the app running in a window. Both cameras show in the little windows. The current camera shows in the large window ok. When I switch to the other camera, the resolution is pixelated. I need to click on reconnect to camera to get the image to appear correctly. This continues to happen as I switch between cameras after leaving the current camera running for a while.
After I resume after minimize I get the trying to reconnect message and both cameras are disconnected and it takes minutes for the previously current camera to reconnect and then minutes for the second camera to reconnect. This happens every time I resume from minimize.
So two problems: (1) switching between cameras causes image to be pixelated as if incorrect resolution and (2) after resume from minimize it takes minutes to reconnect to each camera.
My cameras are directly connected via Ethernet cable (using a PoE device) to a switch connect to my router. I have no problem directly accessing the cameras.

[ryan]

The user interface has (for the most part) no control over camera connections, these are running in completely separate processes.

The pixelation you describe when clicking between camera happens because large images are not constantly being sent for all cameras - this would would be wasteful since only one is active at a time and all others only need a small view. When you select a new camera it's last frame will be shown in the large view, obviously upscaled and therefore 'pixelated'. This should either not be visible at all or quickly replaced with the next frame. If this small frame is stuck there, it seems to imply that the camera may have already encountered connection issues (no longer receiving new frames) and simply has not timed out yet, unless you are seeing these frames actually updating.

[mrl0926]

I believe I have found a problem with you Mac version since I was able to test your Windows version with the identical cameras.
I have a PC running the latest Windows 10 Pro and an iMac running the latest OSX.
I changed the cameras to 1280x720 rather than 1920x1080 and then reinstalled the cameras to SH.
On Windows SH is working perfectly. No problem switching the monitor view, the resolution almost instantly adjusts. Restoring the monitor view is no problem - images instantly are correct
On the Mac using the identical cameras, the problem switching the monitor view where the view pixelates and freezes is still there.
After coming out of minimize, the cameras are disconnected and take minutes to reconnect.
So, the problem might be in your Mac communication services. I cannot think of anything else at this point.
The Windows version has been running perfectly for hours in and out of minimize.
The Mac version, not so much!
I really want to use the Mac version for my cameras as I do not want to run the PC 24/7.
I will be happy to test any other scenarios you may want.

[mrl0926]

I'll say one thing for you guys, your Windows version is running flawlessly and your image detection is the best I have ever seen - not that I am an expert on image detection by any means. Outdoes the Windows Blue Iris software by a long shot.
Now if only the Mac version would run as well I would be a very happy camper.

[ryan]

Thanks, that's great to hear! This definitely isn't an issue that has been reported before, and I suspect something else is at play. If you haven't already please submit a bug report and we'll check out your logs to see if there is information that points to what might be occurring. Feel free to reference this forum post so the person who first sees the bug report will have some context.

[mrl0926]

I am currently running your Windows version. I guess I need to go back to the Mac version and let it run before I submit a bug report since you indicated you can look at logs - unless you have been storing logs on the Mac all along.
I will stay on the Windows version overnight and switch back to the Mac version tomorrow morning if necessary.

[ryan]

You can zip and send your logs directory to [email protected]. The logs directory is located in the data directory: https://www.sighthound.com/support/wher ... store-data

[mrl0926]

Strange? Problem with Mac SH solved by setting camera to 720P and doing a complete re-install?
I decided to re-install SH on my Mac after deleting all SH directories I could find.
I made sure both cameras were set to 720P rather than 1080P.
Did a re-install and then configured the cameras.
The Mac SH has been running all weekend with NO PROBLEMS.
When I resume the window after minimize the video appears almost instantly.
I have 2 days of motion capture all looking great!
Did the 1080P cause the problems?
I do not care and I have no intention of finding out.
Mac SH is working just fine with 720P and I am a happy camper!
Finally, perfect video software on my Mac.
My PC has now been relegated to occasional use.