Panasonic Camera, Still images to guests

[staze]

So, we use a lot of panasonic cameras, and it seems the current models, when you exceed the 2-3 simultaneous connections, Vitamin D loses contact with the camera, and doesn't automatically reconnect (which could just be a bug, not sure).

Anyway, I'd like to change the cameras to only give static images to guests (and have them refresh every 5-10 seconds), to avoid this problem. This is no problem from setting up the camera, but if I do this, it breaks Vitamin D's ability to grab video from the camera, even though I've provided it with a username and password for the camera that CAN get full video. Does this seem correct? Is the username and password function only used for moving the camera within Vitamin D, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks!

[Semper Vaporo]

I am guessing that the problem of the camera not allowing both full video streaming to VDV and letting Guest accounts access the camera to obtain snapshots might be more of a problem with the camera. I have a TrendNET camera that I can access via VDV and simultaneously view the same video with another PC on my LAN, but they both have to be doing full video. If one connection changes the settings of the camera, the other PC sees the changes. It seems to be that the camera has one place to look for how to produce an output and everybody gets that mode, no matter what each program wants/needs... Last guy in sets the mode for everybody.

As for VDV disconnecting from the camera and then not being able to reconnect to it. I used to have a big problem with that with all 3 of my WEBCAMs and 1 NETCAM. Although it did happen a couple of times just moments after I started with a fresh install of VDV, it was usually something that became a problem only after VDV became busy with deleting old videos from the HDD, which was after about a month of data from all the cameras. I had VDV set to save all video for 99 days, and that was much more than the HDD could possibly hold, so it was doing clean up to make room for more video. It was like one of them sent a data packet and the other missed it, so they were both stuck waiting for something from the other one. They seemed to be miffed at each other and the only way to make them kiss and make up was to reboot. But just rebooting didn't reduce the frequency with which it occurred.

I found it necessary once per month to delete all the data, do a complete un-install of DVD, then re-install it, define the cameras again and turn it loose. This became a very simple 10 to 20 minute task for me (I didn't even have to refer to my notes to remember what brand/model of camera was in which window! )

Then I began to have all kinds of problems with the computer, not just VDV, but running Notepad was problematic along with a random "Blue Screen of Death" at times. So I decided that a Laptop is just not designed for 24/7 operation in a high computing use enviroment (VDV is a BUSY program!) I replaced the Laptop with a tower PC and nearly all the problems went away. I have not seen a WEBCAM disconnect since going to the new PC. But I still see the NETCAM disconnect randomly, but so far it reconnects in a few seconds and all is well. I know I have filled the HDD and that VDV is busy cleaning space often, but that does not seem to be a problem now. I did have a problem with the NETCAM where it began to refuse other connections and I found that it needs to have power cycled on it after a couple of months and other connections are again accepted and the random disconnects occur less often.

Granted, I went from a Triple Core to a Quad Core, but I also added two more WEBCAMs.

What model of Panasonic camera are you using? Also, what PC/MAC are you using and which operating system? And how much memory (RAM) and disk space is available? Is the computer required to do other things beside run VDV?

[staze]

This is not correct. The camera lets you set permissions for users. I can say "guests only get one image per x seconds", but logged in users can get full video. Once I set guest to only get still images, VDV stops working for that camera, even though a logged in user, via the camera's internal webserver, can get full video just fine. The issue seems to be that VDV doesn't actually "log in" to the camera even though it asks for that info during setup, or something else is going on.

The server in question is a dual 4 core nahalem xeon, with 12gb of ram. Right now, that system does NOTHING but run VDV for 6 cameras. More than adequate. The cameras are all panasonic BL-C210's. The issue isn't horsepower on the VDV machine, or the cameras (since I can confirm you can set static images for guests, and full video for logged in users) it's VDV not supporting what I'd think it would, or this is a bug, or something.

[Semper Vaporo]

I am obviously at a disadvantage in trying to help you, since I don't have that brand/model of camera, or that nice of a computer. I am just a satisfied VDV user trying to help you.

I think you have two seperate problems that may or may not be caused by the same source.


I agree, from the specs of the computer, it should be plenty of machine to handle the load without problems. That doesn't mean it does not have some annomaly that is a cause of a problem (but it sure beats anything I have ever used! WOW!) Just to eliminate that hardware as being a cause, can you substitute a totally different PC for a quick check to see if the same symptoms occur? I think I'd try with just one camera to eliminate any possible problems of the cameras interacting for some inexplicable reason. Be mindful that there could be some other problem that could be disguised with the same symptoms, but at least this would present the chance to prove the hardware (or computer/OS setup) is not the problem.


From the specs of the camera is appears it has some limitations that "COULD" be associated with one of the problems, it says you can have only 2 simultaneous viewers if using the H.264 image compression, 4 if using MPEG-4 and 10 if using Motion JPEG. I am only guessing, but this would seem to be because the camera's processor/computer has either limited memory or speed to be able to build data streams for multiple simultaneous users. I assume those 3 forms can be in various combinations, (e.g.: 1/H.264 and 1/MPEG-4 and 2/Motion JPEG), but it doesn't specifically say so. I'd think that Guest users being given single images would not tax the camera processor enough to be a problem, but 'ya never know'.

Does VDV follow the format set for the Guest account on the camera or the format set by the username/password?

I can't think of another troubleshooting method to try on the camera other than to experiment with different data stream connections (if possible).

[staze]

I assure you, none of this is the issue. As I said, I can get it to do exactly what I want manually. I set the camera to serve still images to guests, and live video to logged in users. This works, perfectly. But when I do this, VDV can no longer connect to the camera (since I'm guessing it is just hitting the camera as a guest, and getting still images).

The computer isn't the problem (the system never has more than 20% load). This really isn't something that can be troubleshot from a fellow user... it needs "ryan" or someone familiar with the VDV code/process to say "yes, this should work" or "no, this will never work, don't bother, since VDV doesn't support it".

Thank you for your time... I'm sorry it's not something that can be run through like this. I'm a systems admin by trade, and have gone through the logical progression of "is this the issue, what about this, etc". The only thing left is that VDV asks for the camera username/password for some other reason than to login to get video (maybe eventual control of the camera angle?).

At this point, I'd even settle for the cameras having network acls... but that's a panasonic issue, and I don't see them implementing something like that.

[staze]

And to answer, VDV is 1.4.2. The server is a last generation Xserve. Dual 4-core Nehalems at 2.26ghz (total of 16 logical cores). Running 10.6.8 Server. As I said, it never gets above about 20% load, and it's currently doing nothing else but VDV. All the video is being saved to a 3rd HD in the system rather than relying on the potentially taxed boot drives. It's, really, a pretty simple setup when VDV is working.

[ryan]

Hi staze,

What model cameras are you using? I know that some cameras have multiple streaming URLS. It might be the case that when you make this change it alters the function of stream1 (which VDV is using), leaving stream2 as an option with a URL change in the VDV configuration. The video shown when you connect to the built in web server for a camera will always be uninterrupted as it is pulling from a different source than any of the public feeds.

I'd be happy to try to look up what I can if you provide me with the model numbers. As far as the simultaneous connection resulting in dropped feeds - do you mean when vdv connects to more than 2-3 cameras it starts losing feeds? or when more than 2-3 people are connected to the same camera VDV loses connection to that camera?

- ryan

[staze]

Ryan,

They're Panasonic BL-C210's. And yeah, when VDV is working fine, and more than one other person also connects to the camera and starts watching the feed, VDV loses the stream, and doesn't reconnect automatically (I'll find this sometimes days later that VDV has lost a connection to a camera, and therefore has no video from it for some time). Manually reconnecting (right clicking on the disconnected camera, and saying reconnect) brings it back online shortly.

This is VDV 1.4.2. I haven't looked to see if there's another stream, I'll do that when I'm back in the office tomorrow.

Need any other info?

[ryan]

For the disconnection issue - Are all the users logging in with the same username/password, or are they separate? No idea how the internals of the camera work and if separate accounts might help or not. The camera should be automatically trying to reconnect, so the manual reconnect should never be necessary. If you see this (you know it has been disconnected for a large amount of time (an hour is more than sufficient) and right clicking and choosing reconnect works use the "report a bug" feature inside the application. This will send us logs we can look at to shed more light on the situation.

Unfortunately none of the pdf manuals on the panasonic site for your camera have relevant information, and the one that might (operating instructions) is only contained within a .exe. I don't have access to a PC at the moment, but will try to look it up later. In the meantime, what stream are you using within VDV? The settings for the BL-C230? You might try with Panasonic (other MJPEG) or Panasonic (Other MPEG-4) to see if those exhibit the same behaviors or not.

Hope that helps,
- ryan

[ryan]

Hi again Staze,

I was able to check your camera's manual and it indeed supports multiple types of simultaneous streams and also has configurable limits to the number of users who can access each stream at a given time. Even if you bump this number up for a given stream, the manual explicitly says it is not guaranteed to honor your new number and might boot or block new users anyway.

I'm going to stand by my previous recommendation that you try changing Vitamin D to record from a different stream type than it is now (MJPEG instead of MPEG-4, or vice versa).
- ryan