Access my webcam via my IIS server?

[telijah]

So, I know there are some free sites where you download their software, enable the camera for the software, and then you can view it using on of their web sites. I have a dyndns domain that I use to access my home PC running IIS (right now serving a web page and an FTP server). I know how to configure my router and such as needed, but I am simply wondering if there is a simple script that can activate my camera and stream it? I'd like to be able to simple host a web file running the script such as http://name.dyndns-web.com/myreeftank.[ext]. Anyone aware of that kind of script?

I already can access it via remote login like TeamViewer, but I eventually want to share the feed with others by just giving the url.

[fishgate]

I have a linksys IP web camera. It calls into the linksys website and registers and works really well. You could take that image and iframe it into any web page to have it appear on whatever site they have. You'd need to find out the API for the camera to be able to make your own controls.

[telijah]

Yeah, I guess I skipped that part in my logic. I have experience in embedded video files, but thats of course a video file that has been saved. No experience in streaming a video from a live feed. I mean, if sites chat roulette can tap into my webcam, there has got to be a similar script (although that's using flash).

[mcgyvr]

There is tons of code/free sites,etc..
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=stream+webcam+code

[telijah]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

There is tons of code/free sites,etc..
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=stream+webcam+code

Thanks for the half-effort, only half as I am not new to using Google, and if you ran and looked at all the search results yourself, there is only one moderately useful site.

Not trying to be rude, but I am only new to fish tanks, not searching Google And on that same note, as I said, there was 1 somewhat helpful site. I did not use the same search term you did, and have come up with a lot of the same results: most requiring the use of multiple sites/services/applications to do so. I am also not aware of your level of knowledge in dealing with self hosted web servers, but a lot of the results are very specific to server capabilities and requirements. I do not have php installed on my IIS, which is what a lot of free scripts use, so that wont help, but I also understand I did not mention I am not running php on my IIS.

The reason I posted it here is because a lot of folks are doing this, but with little info on the "how". I also know there are some aquarium-specific products doing this, but are likely out of my budget range as well.

[telijah]

Do add to the research, I have found useful starting point here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9...media-services

However, that only gets me part of the way as the built-in capabilities with IIS and some extensions require a "pro" version, which is not free, but still getting there. Hope it helps somewhat.

Of course, a much easier option would be to build another box dedicated for this running Ubuntu as it has some stupid easy ways of doing this all for free. I have a VPS running Ubuntu and Apache with php, but my camera is obviously not hooked up to that...

[telijah]

OK, so the method I found in my last post is a major PITA. Its using Live Smooth STreaming, an extension of IIS. Pains of this process:

- End users have to install Silver Light on their PCs for their browsers to support the Silver Light Player. This basically applies to any player you try to use that supports ISML streams :/
- You have to keep the Expressions Encoder open and running, the full app, in order for the stream to stay active
- The player script, at least for Silver Light, requires the full URL of the hosted player, so testing internally and externally from the host or from a remote computer requires me to constantly update the player script from the internal IP of the host to the full domain...
- Oh, and you have to buy the Expressions Encoder Pro. Luckily through work I was able to test with a trial edition.

It worked, but the feed was kind of buggy and the Silver Light player was also twitchy. Scrapping that idea. It worked, but what a pain in the arse... my searching continues...

[mcgyvr]

and did you see this
http://blog.abettergeek.com/software...n-ten-minutes/
or heck even this
http://webstarts.com/support/2011/02...am-on-my-site/

[Ted_C]

Is there a specific reason to pump the camera feed through IIS? with dyndns - couldn't you just forward a port to the camera IP (so users type in http://your.url.com:8181 and they're right into the webcam)?

Sorry - I don't know a thing about webcams - so don't know of that's feasible.

If that is possible - then it's simply a matter of using IIS port fowarding to take the myreeftank site and forward the traffic directly to the webcam.

[telijah]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

and did you see this
http://blog.abettergeek.com/software...n-ten-minutes/
or heck even this
http://webstarts.com/support/2011/02...am-on-my-site/

The first link I found before and is out dated. Microsoft replaced WME with Microsoft Encoder 4, and the free one does not offer the live streaming offers.

The second I have seen, and while it seems to be one of the easier ways, I am trying to find a solution that doesn't require an Internet service constantly retrieving the feed to it's site first.

[telijah]

Originally Posted by Ted_C

Is there a specific reason to pump the camera feed through IIS? with dyndns - couldn't you just forward a port to the camera IP (so users type in http://your.url.com:8181 and they're right into the webcam)?

Sorry - I don't know a thing about webcams - so don't know of that's feasible.

If that is possible - then it's simply a matter of using IIS port fowarding to take the myreeftank site and forward the traffic directly to the webcam.

Well, kind of. Some web cameras come with their own software that can tie the USB-connected camera to a IP:Port combo, but again, it is only because it is likely running a service in the background that ties it to an IP. Had I known I was going to later want to live stream my camera, I would have spent a few more bucks on a decent camera that comes with this instead of the cheap Logitech C270 I got... which by the way is great if just wanting to Skype or similar.

The way I see it, streaming from a webcam involved two basic functions: 1) something that takes the feed from the camera and makes it available to stream; and 2) the player script to embed into your web site that can read the stream generated by #1.

Flash looks like it would be the easiest way to go, but it would require me installing FCS on my server. I saw this late last night and have not had a chance to look into this yet, but if it is free it may be the way for me to go as I also have Macromedia (now Adobe) Dreamweaver that makes it a cinch to embed a streaming flash source.

[mcgyvr]

flash will work until you want to view it on an apple device or android device that doesn't support flash..

how about http://www.yawcam.com/ ?

[telijah]

I'll look into this when I leave the office. I also remembered my Buffalo router has a USB port on the back and is running the dd-wrt software. While I think the port is supposed to be for USB drives, an initial search shows some folks talking about webcam use, so I'll have to give that a shot as well.

[telijah]

Well I'll be damned, yawcam.com was flawless! Thanks mcgyvr.

http://telijah.dyndns-web.com:8888

Obviously, my camera is back to my TV so there is no tank shot, but it worked flawlessly.

Edit: Disabling it for now until I can get home and properly mount the camera on the tank, but MAN was that easy. For those interested in using yawcam, all you need to know is how to port forward and have a dynamic DNS account setup somewhere. But for now, no need for people to watch me eat lunch in a moment when I go home for a break Whats is interesting is when you disable the java stream, instead of the page just saying Offline, it bring up a whole Server Not Found error... I'll have to find a way around that.

[nanoreef heaven]

Can't wait to see.

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[telijah]

OK, I've gone ahead and re-enabled it. Gotta find a clever way of a better mounting option though. My tank is in a weird spot for a webcam to view it.

[nanoreef heaven]

Thats neat. I like your little damsel. I can see it straight from cellphone. I want to figure how I can do that but I don't know anything about that stuff LOL.

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[telijah]

I'd be more than happy to help you with it. If you know how to log into your router (if you have one), I can try to help you out.

[telijah]

Man, I need to get some proper lights and some more rock soon...

[nanoreef heaven]

LOL I'll PM you later when I have time. Thanks.

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[nanoreef heaven]

Originally Posted by telijah

Man, I need to get some proper lights and some more rock soon...

LOL maybe.... Haha

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by telijah

Well I'll be damned, yawcam.com was flawless! Thanks mcgyvr.

I passed along the thanks to the IT guy at my work.. I asked him about it and he pointed me right to that site.. First time hes done something right..

[lostmyz]

Looks awesome!!!! Great ideas in this thread... unwanted to do his myself for my tank! I am in FL (work) and my tank is in AZ (home) and I miss staring at it!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[nanoreef heaven]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

I passed along the thanks to the IT guy at my work.. I asked him about it and he pointed me right to that site.. First time hes done something right..

Lmao

*Sent from my little corner of the reef. Nano nano!*

[telijah]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

I passed along the thanks to the IT guy at my work.. I asked him about it and he pointed me right to that site.. First time hes done something right..

Hah, this made me "lol" literally. Again, stupid simple, it runs as a small service in the system tray. Now to check their forums and see if someone made a simple Android app to remote control the settings without me having to remotely tap into the PC with TeamViewer.

Originally Posted by lostmyz

Looks awesome!!!! Great ideas in this thread... unwanted to do his myself for my tank! I am in FL (work) and my tank is in AZ (home) and I miss staring at it!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Yeah, best free solution so far. I may update the OP here to include yawcam as the best solution as of now.