Bird box camera uses cloud p2p - possible to configure and use locally?

[wallport]

An update, I have ordered one from Green Backyard - a new product just launched which claims to be waterproof in addition to being capable of local operation without cloud p2p. Will be a couple of weeks before I get it but will post an update when I try it out.

Not sure why Green Feathers and Green Backyard branding looks so similar but it doesnt sound like they use the same software.

Wallport

 

[wallport]

OK so after a little while evaluating the Green Backyard wifi birdbox camera (the new waterproof one), I can say that it can be made to work locally without insisting on communicating via a cloud server. They do suggest the same software and there is a lot in common with the other kit but it does address my main issue.

One problem I still have is finding suitable Windows software. I really want to find something which will work with my existing UNV camera as well as this one (which seems to be Golbong but sold as Green Backyard) . Live viewing is not really the issue as I could always resort to RTSP which I have tested. The problem is ability to view and download recordings from the SD card in the camera.

BTW the CMS software they suggest, I just cant get it to display icons and fonts big enough to read - it just wont scale to the screen resolution (I'm running at 4K) despite having tried all the compatibility mode settings which usually solve this problem. I don't think there is a 64 bit version. So far I have been using IE but that can't be a long term answer.

Has anybody got any suggestions for a Windows App which will allow SD card viewing and downloads? (BTW it doesn't seem to work with FTP).

TIA

Wallport

 

[jack7]

Here's a 4K monitor workaround that works for some other PC video management software.

Right click the CMS icon / Properties / Compatibility / Change High DPI Settings / Check the box "Override high DPI scaling behavior" / select scaling performed by SYSTEM (or SYSTEM enhanced) / OK.

Does CMS do all the things you want to do?
If not, do your two cameras have ONVIF? Do you have a link to the CMS user manual pdf?

Do you have the new Green Backyard Long Range Wireless Outdoor IP Birdbox Camera? That long range feature looks interesting. Have you observed anything regarding the long range part?

 

[wallport]

Hi thanks for that but I already tried that workaround (although I'm in the process of completely uninstalling all the versions of CMS I tried and will try again with a clean install - not at all confident though). I don't know if CMS would do everything as I find it unusable at the moment - I will get a magnifying glass on it when I reinstall

ONVIF device manager works fine on my UNV camera and I have got it working by changing the default URI on the Golbong camera so there is at least some ONVIF support there. Is SDcard access part of any standard?

The camera I have is Wifi rather than wireless - its this one - Outdoor WiFi Bird Box Camera - Green Backyard

Wallport

 

[jack7]

Ways to just test CMS would be to temporarily reduce the 4K monitor resolution significantly or attach another low resolution monitor. If CMS works OK, you may be able to find another version of CMS somewhere that works with 4K monitor.

ONVIF has a standard for camera edge storage but the birdbox camera may not support Profile G.

Profile G - ONVIF

For edge storage and retrieval Configure, request and control recording Receive audio and metadata stream Profile G is designed for IP-based video systems. A Profile G device (e.g., an IP network camera or video encoder) is one that can record video data over an IP network or on the device...

www.onvif.org

Another option is to use a PC VMS that receives rtsp camera stream, does motion detection, and records 24/7 and/or motion detect videos on PC. One example of that is Blue Iris which is a popular subject on this forum. Blue Iris has a trial period available and a ~$60 price. PC would always be on during recording periods. There are also other PC VMS softwares.

 

[wallport]

I reinstalled CMS5, set compatibility settings as above in properties, when I ran the app I got a login box which is bigger and looked promising but when I clicked OK, I got a black box (window) in the top left of my screen which refused to resize and a disconnected oval box top right of the screen with a picture of person in a target and an orange number zero next to it.

In this state, the app was unresponsive to anything I tried, had to close with task manager. I can only conclude that this app doesnt behave as it should.

I then reduced the screen resolution to 1280x768 and tried with and without compatibility settings - I could never get the app to display its screen. It showed the disconnected window top right but no other window at all.

I also tried the app (where necessary with the help of a magnifying glass) and I have to say it did most of what I would want. Could display both cameras live pictures and playback worked on the Golbong camera (couldnt get a file list but I managed to watch one clip) unfortunately not on the UNV camera. I couldnt work out how to download a file from the SDcard of the Golbong camera.

I have been using EZstation to view the UNV camera but this doesnt recognise the Golbong camera at all. Pity.

Still in search of a solution.

Wallport

 

[jack7]

This won't help much but I don't know right now another solution that would not cost a good bit more.

You wrote:
"I then reduced the screen resolution to 1280x768 and tried with and without compatibility settings - I could never get the app to display its screen. It showed the disconnected window top right but no other window at all."
--Change the actual resolution of your 4K monitor to 1920x1080 if possible. That may be the resolution most likely to work with CMS5 and with no compatibility settings.

"I couldnt work out how to download a file from the SDcard of the Golbong camera."
--To download a SD card file, you apparently have to replay it in CMS5, and record the replay on PC by clicking record start/stop.

 

[wallport]

OK, so I changed Windows resolution to 1920x1080 (not sure if you meant to change the monitor resolution itself but no ability to do that), undid the compatibility settings and ran CMS - got the black box top left and the detached panel top right again.

Then, with the program still running, I changed the resolution back to 3840x2160 and, low and behold, it worked.

Of course, this isn't a very practical final solution but does show that it can work and does make evaluating the software a lot easier. I will think on.

Thanks for that answer regarding file downloading but now that I can see the screen properly I can see a download button to the right of the list of recordings after doing a search. Tried this and it worked (after making sure the folder its trying to use actually exists - no error it just jams up with the default VMS folder).

Progress! Just need to make the screen workable and this software could work for me (though a pity that one piece of software won't work for both cameras - open standards still not there I guess.

Wallport

 

[wallport]

Cracked it! - I downloaded a similar but different Golbong app called VMS rather than CMS and this worked with the compatibility mode settings.

Seems to have the same functionality and still won't work for playback with the UNV camera but is a workable solution for Golbong camera.

Wallport

 

[jack7]

Cracked it! - I downloaded a similar but different Golbong app called VMS rather than CMS and this worked with the compatibility mode settings.

Seems to have the same functionality and still won't work for playback with the UNV camera but is a workable solution for Golbong camera.

Wallport

Congratulations!
If you can, I would appreciate it if you could post a screenshot or snapshot of in-birdbox camera image at day and at night. Also of your birdbox, and how big it is...

Jack

 

[wallport]

Hi Jack, the birdbox is actually a Green Feathers one that I bought with the original camera as a kit but kept the box when I sent the camera back. I can't seem to find it on their website though so I'll do a picture and post.

I will also post some captures as you ask but I'm guessing you are thinking of buying one of these and I still have an ongoing dialog with Golbong re day/night settings so give me a day or two for that to conclude.

Wallport