Is there a network camera forum? Or can we have one?

[deanbrown3d]

Hello all - I see that (unless I have just missed it) there is not a section here on network cameras, so I was wondering if anyone knows of a good alternative forum where I should take all my (many) questions.

Of course, a new section on this fabulous forum here would be great too, especially since I think that such systems are about to explode onto the current scene - such cameras (with built in servers so you don't need to leave on a PC) are becoming standard on-the-shelf items in all the big stores.

Well I suppose I could ask my noob question here (assuming my noob status will excuse such an intrusion!): What is the best way to convert (large numbers of) jpegs to an mjpeg (basically with no time delay, so its like a time lapse)? I only need this because I am having problems handling hundreds of thousands of jpegs under windows XP. The alternative for me is to zip them up by the day-load.

Well, thanks for reading and for any advice. I've attached a snap-shot from my Panasonic WV-NP1004 security camera's web interface (which I can monitor from work) - on lowest resolution


Dean

[redwudz]

This thread may help: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic336873.html#1752037 Mainly the part about using AviSynth.

Or you can try this using VirtualDub Mod: Open the first pic (example: "00001.JPEG") then it should self append the others in the folder -> "00002.jpg", "00003.jpg", "00004.jpg"... etc. As long as the filenames end in '.jpg' and the numbers are consecutive, it's easy and fast. The photos also have to be the same size and specifications or VDM will warn you. You can save out as a Xvid or similar to conserve space.

[Krispy Kritter]

Off topic, but is there really a reason to save all of the pics. Since this is a "security" cam, you would know if the images were needed or not right? I wouldn't expect anyone to notice something missing and then need to go looking at video from last week to verify if someone broke in or not. Or maybe these "videos" aren't for security purposes? ; )

[Heywould3]

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic331383.html thread on how to do it.. read through you will find a few pgms listed

[deanbrown3d]

Since this is a "security" cam, you would know if the images were needed or not right? I wouldn't expect anyone to notice something missing and then need to go looking at video from last week to verify if someone broke in or not. Or maybe these "videos" aren't for security purposes? ; )

Krispy - Here's the thing: I don't want to find that after 6 months when I have 1 billion pictures in one dir, that I can't access any of them quickly (or at all), because of some windows limitation. I guess I will have to monitor the system and make sure I can retreive data at will over the coming months, and hopefully I won't have to do any conversion.

[deanbrown3d]

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic331383.html thread on how to do it.. read through you will find a few pgms listed

Hi Heywould3 - Almost what I need, but I'm really looking for an MJPEG generator to stitch together untouched JPEGS.

[Krispy Kritter]

Since this is a "security" cam, you would know if the images were needed or not right? I wouldn't expect anyone to notice something missing and then need to go looking at video from last week to verify if someone broke in or not. Or maybe these "videos" aren't for security purposes? ; )

Krispy - Here's the thing: I don't want to find that after 6 months when I have 1 billion pictures in one dir, that I can't access any of them quickly (or at all), because of some windows limitation. I guess I will have to monitor the system and make sure I can retreive data at will over the coming months, and hopefully I won't have to do any conversion.

I was mostly just being a smartass. But my main point was why do you need 6 months worth of pictures/video? If anything were to happen, you would know. There shouldn't be any reason to need to find a picture/video from weeks/months ago...not for security purposes anyway. Even quality video surveilance is usually only kept 24-48 hours, then the tapes are reused unless an "event" occurs. Then the tape is pulled and a new tape used in its place.

You could change folders on a daily/weekly/? basis. then you could just name your folders by date or whatever.

[Cornucopia]

I disagree with Krispy Kritter re: length of time an archive is saved. I've known shops to keep 'em weekly/biweekly/monthly, and I've known "security firms" to keep some forever (offloaded to disc/tape). I don't know, maybe they're anal or worried about legal repercussions or something.

I think you'll have a much harder time accessing a single picture file ONCE the folder starts getting quite full (i.e. ~over 1000) than in accessing a particular frame of a single video file. So I would recommend assembling/converting it to video.
You want the best quality though--security cams aren't known for their immaculate quality in the 1st place, and the police/lawyers/etc. will have a much easier time if the best quality is retained THROUGHOUT the process.

Therefore, from the cam app, see if you can save it to something better than JPG (PNG/BMP/TIFF). Or if not, as high a quality of JPG as possible.
Then, use Vdub to save as an AVI. If you particularly want MJPEG, you could get a codec for it, although I highly recommend you use a lossless codec--HUFFYUV or Lagarith, etc. They'll be somewhat larger than MJPEG (Hi-qual MJPEG would be 2:1 or 3:1 compression though it's often crunched even more, while Lag would be 1 1/2-2 1/4:1 compression), but the "lossless" moniker comes in handy with CHAIN OF EVIDENCE questions. Note: other than assembling (and possible color space conversions as required by the codec type), you shouldn't do any processing or filtering of the image at this stage. If the powers that be need a version that is "enhanced", they'll ask for it separately (and you can charge extra for it) so they'll have BOTH copies. It's almost always required to have a "raw" as well as an "enhanced" version, to show NO BIAS.

Another recommendation: save off after certain intervals (as is required by the cam framerate and available space) to data CD/DVD/BR/tape. Build a library of these. Catalog them. Use rewritables if allowed (but usually it isn't). Make duplicates and place the copies OFF-SITE.

Scott