Live Streaming

[Holygral]

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/reef

Someone had ask awhile about live streaming. It is a good way to keep tabs on your tank when you are away (power outages ect). Simple to do and is free. Tank is a 75, external camera on a laptop.

 

[ronj]

that's pretty cool.....so i guess you have to leave your computer turned on all the time??

 

[Holygral]

Yes you do, I use my extra laptop whenever I am out of town. It is a good use for that old computer that we all have and don't use.

 

[ronj]

it won't overheat being on for that long???.. my laptop gets really hot after being on for an hour.. also, how do you get it to stay on and not hibernate ???

 

[Holygral]

It is a Mac and I do not really have a heat issue even thou I have a cooling pad that I don't use, I just sent the computer to not sleep but I do let the screen sleep as it does not affect the broadcast

 

[NC2WA]

do you need a static IP address for this to work?

 

[brady816]

cool thanks for the feed man

 

[Holygral]

No you do not need a static IP. You just need a free account and then go live.

Good Luck to all

 

[theJ]

I use a program called webcamXP, there are several other free webcam hosting apps you can run on your own machine, and don't need to use a portal service like the one in the link above. I don't have the bandwidth to show up on someone else's browser heh.

About the static IP address, I use dyndns.org, which uses an application on either your desktop or your router (almost all netgear/dlink routers support dydns.org) that updates dyndns with your real ip every 5 mins or whatever. Its really handy to have. Its also nice because I can use the dyndns hostname to remote desktop my machine, and restart MyReef (reefkeeper2 software) and do other misc tasks to the pc while I am away.

 

[NC2WA]

I have a Verizon FIOS router, have any idea if dyndns.org is supported??

 

[burning2nd]

I SEE YOU, why did the lights go out at 7:41?

 

[theJ]

I have a Verizon FIOS router, have any idea if dyndns.org is supported??

No idea, look for 'dynamic dns' somewhere in the configuration. If you dont/cant find it, you can run the app on your pc. It just sits in the task bar and tells dyndns if your ip has changed or not

 

[DonW]

That is really cool. I concidered putting one of the wireless IP cams in my light fixture looking down but thought it would be to close see much of the tank. Ant idea if that would work? The fixture is about 18" above the water.

Don

 

[theJ]

with surface agitation and glare off your fixture, you might not be able to see much. I have my cams facing glass for that reason. I also have crappy cams though :/

 

[DonW]

with surface agitation and glare off your fixture, you might not be able to see much. I have my cams facing glass for that reason. I also have crappy cams though :/

There is no surface agitation, you can see clearly right to the bottom. I was more concerned about the width I guess you would call it for lack of a better word.

Don

 

[theJ]

width? like viewing width of the camera?

 

[DonW]

width? like viewing width of the camera?

Ya I guess thats how you would phrase it. I dont want to waste money and only see 12 square inches..

Don

 

[theJ]

18 inches above the tank should get you a lot of view, more than a 12x12 square for sure. Its going to be based off the IP cam you use for sure, do you have one in mind? Is this for the overflowing rimless?

 

[DonW]

18 inches above the tank should get you a lot of view, more than a 12x12 square for sure. Its going to be based off the IP cam you use for sure, do you have one in mind? Is this for the overflowing rimless?

Yes its for the rimless/overflowing. No real idea on the camera. I saw one at office depot and almost bought it but backed out until I did some more research.

Don

 

[theJ]

Man that tank is going to be so sweet... SO sweet. Yea, IP cams are expensive, so it is a good idea do a your research as they are all a little different in one way or another. Most have web servers built into them, which could be good or bad depending on what you are looking for. Personally I like usb cameras, as I need a PC next to the tank for the reefkeeper2, and I run IIS/mysql on it for other purposes. I have 8 free USB ports, and webcams are cheap enough these days (30$ for a decent one), I am planning on packing the reef full of cams when I get some extra $$

USB cams are cheap, so they don't have the optics you will get in an IP cam, does anyone else have an IP cam who can comment on the viewing angle?