This is what may be contributing to my problem. See if this makes sense: I think that after iCam sent the motion event images to Dropbox my iMac was then downloading those images via the Dropbox app. This constant syncing may have made my HDD work overtime copying and sending the images and then downloading them. Once I took Dropbox out of the loop everything calmed down (I noticed that the menu bar icon for Dropbox was always spinning but now it too is calm).
Deleting three of the four cameras had no effect on the HDD activity, BUT, when I changed the location for the motion event saves from Dropbox to a local drive the activity slowed way down. This is despite the fact that motion detection was off on the one camera that remained. I loaded the other three cameras back and it had no effect on the HDD, still nice and quiet. iCamSource is still at about 20% of CPU but I expected that. Right now, with the same four cameras running, there's zero HDD activity when I check it with "sudo iotop -P -C 5 10".
I used Dropbox so I'd still have the images in case my iMac was stolen. I moved the save location to a thumbdrive connected to my AirPort. If potential thieves go into another room and target the AirPort then I'm screwed but those are low odds.
With four cameras streaming and none of them set to detect motion the CPU for source is about 20%, sometimes 15% and sometimes 24%. The instant the app is launched the HDD starts grinding away and the instant the app is quit the activity ceases.
iCam Source continually writes/reads from my HDD. I have four wifi cams set to low frame rate. Only one has motion detection (less sensitive) and it records motion events to DropBox. When Source is running the HDD is constantly active. The instant I quit the app the HDD is silent. Some Terminal mumbo-jumbo showed that Source is the most active application on my Mac (10.8.2 iMac with 4gb RAM, early 2009). Is there a setting that I need to check/uncheck.
How many cameras are you running and what is the Brand/Model of each?
I have four D-Link DCS-920 wireless G cameras.
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Also, try reducing the frequency of motion detection or even disabling it completely to see if that has any effect.
That seems to have fixed the HDD activity issue. Thanks. I'll turn the motion detection on for the one camera I think is most important and see how that effects the HDD.
The app still uses close to 20% of my CPU but I can live with that.
I have noticed constant HDD activity on my 2009 iMac if iCamsource is running. I does not have to be streaming to cause the activity. When the app is quit the activity immediately stops. I have done the following to try to correct it:
- Reinstall the app - Delete the pref file - Reboot the Mac - Turn off photo uploads - Turn off detection zones
The problem remains. According to Activity Monitor, iCamsource uses about 22% of the CPU even when it's window isn't visible on screen.
I am on ML 10.8 with 4GB RAM and the newest (non-beta) version of iCamsource. I found an Apple Support thread that showed how to use Terminal to see what app is active and iCamsource filled the screen.
Any idea how to tame the app? I'm afraid the constant reading/writing is going to shorten the life of my HDD.
There's an app on the Android market called Tiny Cam (I think) that works with the cameras you have on your network. This will suffice until SKJM gets iCam on GoogleTV.
I did a clean install of 10.4 and then there were nine or ten Java updates. Still can't view the iCamWeb page. This is not a deal breaker. I love the app and iCamWeb is just a nice add-on. (I have the iBook in the basement so I can see the front of my house while I play Xbox 360 )
I brought my dell Mini 10v (running OS X 10.6) into the basement and am able access iCamWeb from there using the wireless router there.
I've been trying to use an old iBook running Tiger 10.4 to access iCamWeb. The can't access broker error comes up under Safari and Firefox just doesn't show the cams (no errors). Another Mac running Leopard can access the page fine. I figure that the problem is so consistent that there must be a known issue. Just looking for confirmation.
First, awesome application. Worked flawlessly the first time I ran it and has run so for days.
My only complaint is this: the application window(s) on my Mac have to stay on the screen. There's no way to minimize the windows to the dock or hide them in any way. (I don't mean hide as in I'm secrectly monitoring people, I mean that the windows are just in the way and I'd like them off the screen).
In the next version could the option to hide or minimize be added?
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