Previous topicNext topic

VideoStream / VideoCapture

Questions, comments, feedback, etc.
Post Reply
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by blackdot »

hello. i have several scenarios using a life feed i need clarification on.

- i want to use the life feed of a webcam in magic: no-brainer, right? i assume webcam's are connected via usb/wireless and magic recognizes them easily?

- i want to use a regular video camera to also send a life stream into magic. here's what i dont know: how would you connect a regular video cam to the computer? also usb? or some hdmi-output that has to go into another device first, and then into the computer? or something completely different? and how is magic regocnizing these things?

- also can regular video cameras both send out the live feed and record it at the same time?

thanks :)
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

- i want to use the life feed of a webcam in magic: no-brainer, right? i assume webcam's are connected via usb/wireless and magic recognizes them easily?
Yup. Every USB webcam I've tested has worked in the VideoCapture module (formerly VidCap) without any issues.

For wireless cameras (IP cameras), you can use the new VideoStream module. It also works with iOS and Android apps that stream smartphone cameras.
- i want to use a regular video camera to also send a life stream into magic. here's what i dont know: how would you connect a regular video cam to the computer? also usb? or some hdmi-output that has to go into another device first, and then into the computer? or something completely different? and how is magic regocnizing these things?
These are a bit more finicky, and not all of them work with Magic. But usually you would need a separate HDMI video capture box. Most of them are HDMI to USB 3.0. I haven't tested very many of them, but I'm hoping to improve support in the future.
- also can regular video cameras both send out the live feed and record it at the same time?
I think so, but it really just depends on the camera.
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by blackdot »

Okay thanks, thats what i feared :D. That would again mean that i'd need to extend over kat either the usb or the hdmi back to my computer and also buy a hdmi to usb3 thingy. I guess that settles it :)

Btw, do you know a good app for android camera streaming?
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

i'd need to extend over kat either the usb or the hdmi back to my computer and also buy a hdmi to usb3 thingy.
If by chance you have another computer to use, you could connect a camera to it directly (without extending) and set up a streaming server with VLC or something. Then you could use the VideoStream module on your Magic computer to receive the stream. Know what I mean?

I should say that I once tried to set up a server with VLC and I got it to work but it was a real pain in the ass. Googling "stream camera software" comes up with a bunch of other options, some of which might be better.
Btw, do you know a good app for android camera streaming?
I've used DroidCamX and it works well. The pro version supports 720p/1080p, although there is a bit of a lag and some dropped frames (maybe just due to my wi-fi connection). I'd be curious if people have had better results with other Android apps.
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by blackdot »

Eric wrote:
i'd need to extend over kat either the usb or the hdmi back to my computer and also buy a hdmi to usb3 thingy.
If by chance you have another computer to use, you could connect a camera to it directly (without extending) and set up a streaming server with VLC or something. Then you could use the VideoStream module on your Magic computer to receive the stream. Know what I mean?
hm yeah that would be an idea, i mean i could go all wifi and set up a local wlan network. but i imagine the latency is then even bigger. but let's say, i'd do this, how would i get the hdmi-out of a camera into a computer anyway? i imagine nothing happens if i plug that into the hdmi socket of the gpu as it's supposed to go out of that and not into that, right?
Eric wrote:I should say that I once tried to set up a server with VLC and I got it to work but it was a real pain in the ass. Googling "stream camera software" comes up with a bunch of other options, some of which might be better.
Btw, do you know a good app for android camera streaming?
I've used DroidCamX and it works well, the pro version supports 720p/1080p, although there is a bit of a lag and some dropped frames (maybe just due to my wi-fi connection). I'd be curious if people have had better results with other Android apps.
I just now tried "IP Webcam" by Pavel Khlebovich. It seems to work pretty solid. Latency feels low, but noticable, but i guess that's the case anyway with wlan.
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

but let's say, i'd do this, how would i get the hdmi-out of a camera into a computer anyway?
For that you would still need a USB capture box. Or firewire or thunderbolt or something like that. No way around it. I was just saying that, with a streaming server, you wouldn't need to run a long cable. But a long cable might be worth the tradeoff, because you'd get lower latency and less dropped frames compared to wi-fi. Up to you.

Just as an example: http://www.startech.com/AV/Converters/V ... ~USB3HDCAP
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by blackdot »

Ok thanks. I think ill stick to webcams for now :).
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by blackdot »

just to verify: those video capture devices all need to convert to usb, right? no other signal can be understood by a computer for an incoming stream?

also if a camera also has an usb 2 output, that's just for hooking it up to the computer for data transfer, right? not for recieving a stream.
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

just to verify: those video capture devices all need to convert to usb, right? no other signal can be understood by a computer for an incoming stream?
For wired devices, it could be USB, Firewire, Thunderbolt, or even internal PCI cards (for desktops). But yes, it has to be a data connection, not a video connection.
also if a camera also has an usb 2 output, that's just for hooking it up to the computer for data transfer, right? not for recieving a stream.
If I'm understanding correctly, yes :).
blackdot
Posts: 528
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 10:18 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by blackdot »

Thank you very much
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

Eric wrote:
- i want to use the life feed of a webcam in magic: no-brainer, right? i assume webcam's are connected via usb/wireless and magic recognizes them easily?
Yup. Every USB webcam I've tested has worked in the VideoCapture module (formerly VidCap) without any issues.

For wireless cameras (IP cameras), you can use the new VideoStream module. It also works with iOS and Android apps that stream smartphone cameras.
- i want to use a regular video camera to also send a life stream into magic. here's what i dont know: how would you connect a regular video cam to the computer? also usb? or some hdmi-output that has to go into another device first, and then into the computer? or something completely different? and how is magic regocnizing these things?
These are a bit more finicky, and not all of them work with Magic. But usually you would need a separate HDMI video capture box. Most of them are HDMI to USB 3.0. I haven't tested very many of them, but I'm hoping to improve support in the future.
- also can regular video cameras both send out the live feed and record it at the same time?
I think so, but it really just depends on the camera.

Wich ios app should I get to do this?
Thanx!
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

Wich ios app should I get to do this?
I have used one called "WebOfCam" on my iPad. Seemed to work well enough, but I haven't tried it recently.
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

I used to use Miniwebcam ios app on my iPhone 5 https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/mini-we ... 96463?mt=8 and it worked great! I just putted the ip adress in the Video streaming module and bingo! But the Miniwebcam developper stopped developping it and it dosen't work anymore with ios 11 :evil:

I tried dozens of ios apps similar to miniwebcam but when I enter the ip adress in the video streaming module, it disappears and Magic on my Mac Book Pro and my iPhone don't connect together... What am I missing here?

Any insights is welcomed!!

Thanx!!
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

Sometimes the IP address isn't enough by itself. It depends on the app though. In the User's Guide, there is an example URL which has mjpg/video.mjpg after the domain: https://webcam1.lpl.org/mjpg/video.mjpg
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

I can't make work my iPhone 6s has a streaming source trough Magic's Video Stream module. Any ios app that I tried doesn't work. When I enter the http:// address provided buy my iOS IP cam app and press enter the address disapear in the Video Stream module. I have tested with a web browser (Safari) and it works. I can see the stream from my iPhone to Safari.

What am I doing wrong? Wich free iOs app works with Magic's streaming module?

Thanx!!
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

You probably need to get the direct address of the stream. If you can see the stream in Safari, then right-click on it, and copy the address. Then paste it into the VideoStream module.

It's kind of like how you can right-click on an image in Safari, and get the direct link to the image. This is different than the link to the page that the image is contained in.

This post has an example: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1226&p=5677#p5675
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

Thanx for your time Eric!

Unfortunately, it doesn't work... It does the same thing: I pasted the address in Magic's stream module and when I refresh or press enter the address disappears.

Any other solutions? I use the iOs app named "iPCamera" https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ipcamer ... 12928?mt=8

Any suggestions for another iP camera iOs app that will work with Magic?

Thanx!

P.S. I tried Resolume and Modul8 and Magic is so much better... At least for me... So many happy accidents happening!!
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

That app worked for me when I tried it on my iPad:
Capture.PNG
Capture.PNG (251.15 KiB) Viewed 12355 times
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

The only difference is “/live” at the end of the address.
I’ll try it out thanx!
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

It works! Thanc man!!

For a less sluggish stream, what values should I put in the ios iPCamera app?
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

I don't think you can improve the sluggishness with the app settings. The sluggishness comes from your network itself, especially your router. Network cameras always have a lot of sluggishness.

My best advice is that you shouldn't use a network camera if sluggishness is a concern for you.
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

Ok right! Maybe I’ll have better performances with an Ad Hoc connection?
Magic
Site Admin
Posts: 3440
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:28 pm

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Magic »

Maybe, not sure. You just have to try it :)
jenz
Posts: 33
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:47 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by jenz »

Aight! Thanx Eric for all your help!
Keep your Magic tutorials comming! Well explained and super informative!

JS
Slavi
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2016 7:15 am

Re: VideoStream / VideoCapture

Post by Slavi »

Hi,

I can share my experience as well.

Different cameras have different URL, depending on the manufacturer set up.

I have documented my struggles here - viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1226&p=5676#p5676 .
Where I had to find the URL stream address of the camera and also to use username & password in my VideoStream module. It might help you in the future.

Regards,
S.
Post Reply