Smart Home Cameras..

[Cappy48]

Hi All!

Anyone here using the new Hi-Def cameras?  Noticed that mine , when triggered, seem to capture about 2  seconds of video PRIOR to the motion appearing on the video.

Rogers ... If it is a glitch, don't fix it!

If it is programmed that way.. well done!

Nice to have it work that way.

C

***Edited Labels***

[RogersMoin]

Hello, @Cappy48

Thank you for posting your observation about the video capturing of the Smart Home HD Cameras. Our resident experts@Gdkitty and @Meowmix use Smart Home Monitoring and would be able to provide their input to your observation. 

Cheers,

RogersMoin

[Gdkitty]

I currently dont have them (but hope to later on next year probably)

Though it doing the few seconds before, does seem quite possible.


At work, we just get up a very high end PoE centralized camera system.
The cameras there, are 'technically' recording like a 10 seconds off every camera at a time.. constantly droping off the last second as it records the next..  Then when the motion is triggered, it goed into a perminent mode... recording till the movement stops.  So it has a few seconds extra at the begining.
I would guess these are doing similar maybe?  As it always has to be WATCHING to check for the movement.

Think of it kind of like a PVR.. which allows 'rewinding' of live TV.. even though you are not recording something.. its always doing some recording in the background of the channel you are watching.

[Cappy48]

Ooooo ...... This is not going well.

I got these cams to be able to use the internal motion sensors. (Activation of the original cam sensors promised since installation)

Just activated them and formed the rules. Worky great!  Until...  it rained..

ANY precipitation, even a light mist, at night with the IR LEDs on causes the cams to cycle recording  continuously.

As you expect, the upload data from three cams recording 720 video continuously is (ahem) massive. 😞   If you have this situation with the new "ICAMERS2" cams beware your data caps could be blown through  very quickly.

A call to tech support confirmed there are no adjustable filters on the cam feeds to deal with this. (the precip causes bright slashes across the screen causin the motion algorithim to (correctly) sense motion)

OK, it is what it is, now reverting to  the previous IR motion sensors to trigger cam record.

Problem is, I was told these cams would work out doors. Tech support says they have special software  to handle this ......(ummm... no)

So I go to ICAM and DL their operators manual for the cam..    Well looky here...  They CLEARLY state that this cam is NOT SUITABLE FOR OUTDOOR USE due to the CCD  sensor being too sensitive.   When I was told by the installing tech that they used CCD detection , not IR detection, I thought that was odd, - like, how do you sort out  intruders from clothes on the line flapping in the wind, leaves of trees moving etc.   Looks like I should have asked a LOT more questions...

Reading on in the ICAM  "book of words"  I find the Operating tenperature specs.    +45 C to 0c.  (!)  Ruh roh...  Temps here in NB easily drop to -20 in winter.

Did a search on the product number on the cam....  it appears to be  a STOCK model.. nothing special from the factory   So I ask the tech support how it worked in their tests at -20C.    He had no answer. (although he strated that he was trained in the cameras)

Real reason  they are now providing ICAM2 ?  ICAM1000 is not manufactured any longer...

So the ICAM2s appear to be of little use outdoors.  So I will have to move some existing IR sensors outdoors and use the video detection of the ICAM2's for the indoor areas.

So, forumers, have at it..  any ideas?  Sure could use some guidance here...

Mr. Moderator, thanks for your last reply.       I will ask again about a separate forum for SmartHome..  ???

[h4x0rz]

I have 2 icam 2's installed in the front of my house. Great to capture what's happening, but I think the 15 seconds it records before going dorment again is a little too short. Would think a minute video capture would be more useful? Or maybe if bandwidth is an issue, maybe it can be set up in rules to pre-determine how long you want the videos to be?

I have the 250u, so bandwidth is a null point for me 🙂

[Gdkitty]

Not necessarily bandwidth.. moreso the just STORAGE of the video to begin with.. a longer 'before' time, your looking at a longer overall buffer it has to be CONTINUALLY recording.. takes up more space, etc.

Unless something is maybe moving isanely slow as to try and not trip the motion, and just gets caught near the end of the cameras view area.. most of the time, 15 secs i would think would capture them comming into frame.

[h4x0rz]

 Think it would be more helpful if it would stay recording until the cameras recognize the picture as still again. Just my two cents, but yes I do recognize the storage issue that it may cause.

Perhaps, instead of sending it through to the server, one can store the video on a SD card mounted on the side of the panel or maybe even a USB external hard disk? I have tons of spare HD's lying around!

Though this might be a mute point as I hear that the cameras may become looping at the beginning of next year.

[h4x0rz]

Unknown if it is known yet to the masses, but if you have the icam 2 cameras and a class 10 sd card, it will now loop record. Only 1 camera at a time, but I've been told they are working on getting them all to record soon...

[RedBerry11]

Rogers Smart Home Monitoring>Camera issues

Turns out that 24 hour recording has been added to low end cameras (i1000) about 2 weeks after upgrade one of my cameras decided to give option of recording.Turns out firmware upgrade required.
Did have technician delete 2 cameras and was assured that they were useless because of upgrade of system.After 1 week I decided to try to get them to upgrade their firmware. It worked so I would have,to say once again no one really knows how this system works or why going into second year that you cannot consistently keep these cameras connected. Yes they work but try connecting video online if it does work it will time out then not reconnect.
All cameras working and will record now, one at a time.Glad I did not just beleive I needed new cameras.Tech was misinformed by other Tech who had no success with removal and addition of same model cameras.

[RedBerry11]

Just was hoping other customers did not run out and buy new cameras or stress out because less then 2 years after a 3 year contract that a cable company masquerading as security company can leave you completely hanging while they do updates. And are,not sure what is going to happen afterward.