iCamSource 2.2.1.1 BETA - Audio Support For Select Network IP Cameras

[Stefan]

UPDATE : This functionality will also be included in the next release version (2.2.2) of the iCamSource
UPDATE #2: An iCam user has confirmed that audio also streams from his TRENDnet TV-IP422W camera, so other TRENDnet cameras may also be compatible.
UPDATE #3: Audio is also now supported on select Foscam network IP cameras: http://skjm.com/forum/index.php?topic=3932.0

iCamSource 2.2.1.1 BETA includes preliminary audio support for the following network IP cameras (basically the ones that we own):

AirLink101 SkyIPCam500
AirLink101 SkyIPCam500W
AirLink101 SkyIPCam747W

Other AirLink101 cameras may also be compatible, but those listed above are the only ones we have tested. Additionally, any re-branded incarnations of the above cameras should also work, in theory.

If you are using either of the http://x.x.x.x/cgi/mjpg/mjpeg.cgi or http://x.x.x.x/cgi/mjpg/mjpg.cgi MJPEG URLs to connect to your camera the iCamSource will also attempt to stream audio from it using the following URL: http://x.x.x.x/cgi/audio/audio.cgi?type=PCM

(That is the URL that is used by the AirLink101 ActiveX control to stream 8-bit PCM audio in Internet Explorer.)

Since it is raw PCM and not MP3 or AAC, the audio coming from the camera is not that great, but I suppose it is better than nothing.

Unlike the list of JPEG/MJPEG URLs, we have been unable to find online resources having to do with the various audio formats and URLs for all of the makes and models of cameras out there. We may be adding additional support for other network IP cameras in the future, but for now our priority is adding notifications and motion event viewing to the Android version of iCam.

Here are the download links:

Mac - http://skjm.com/icam/iCamSource2.2.1.1.dmg
Windows - http://skjm.com/icam/iCamSource2.2.1.1.zip - NOTE: This is just the executable, not an installer. Extract the zip into your C:\Program Files\iCamSource folder and run the iCamSource2.2.1.1.exe file to try out the BETA.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

[OUAnthony]

Well now I'm kicking myself for not getting an IP camera with a mic.

[Merlin]

Any suggestions for audio on the Network Camera WVC80N?  I have used the following;

http://XXX.XXX.X.XXX:80/img/mjpeg.cgi
http://XXX.XXX.X.XXX:80/img/video.mjpeg
http://XXX.XXX.X.XXX:80/img/mjpeg.jpg
http://XXX.XXX.X.XXX:80/img/snapshot.cgi?size=2

Thanks,
Merlin

[OUAnthony]

Merlin, your camera isn't an AirLink...so it isn't currently supported. From Stefan's post, it sounds like they had to program a specific URL for the audio into icamsource. Cameras made by other companies have different, unknown audio URL's...so they can't support them yet.

[Merlin]

Okay before I go buy another WVC80N camera that as of yet doesn't stream audio.  Will the AirLink101 SkyIPCam747W ever have the feature of controlling the pan and tilt from iCam?

Merlin

[OUAnthony]

I know others have requested PTZ support, but they've been hesitant to support it due to the complexity of supporting PTZ from various brands...and the complexity of rewriting both the icamsource code and the iCam app's code vs. the relatively low number of people requesting the feature. Personally, I'd love to see the feature...but I'm honestly not sure how much I'd ever use the feature once the novelty wore off. It's probably one of those things they'll get around to later on, if they don't move on to other programming/business opportunities.

[Jay]

OUAnthony is correct about the issues with PTZ.  Each camera uses it's own proprietary commands for controlling PTZ, so it would involve a large ongoing development.  If we were a larger company, I think we'd definitely add it, but currently there are only two of us, so we need to weigh our development priorities, as well as the amount of support required.

Regarding the WVC80N audio, if it's anything like the WVC54GCA, it probably won't get audio support in the near future.  The WVC54GCA appears to only output audio as part of an MPEG-4 stream.  The audio support that is currently being tested is PCM (raw) audio.

[Merlin]

     Well just wanted to let you know that I have purchased a SkyIPCam 777W and it works great.  There is some delay in the voice when run wirelessly compared to a USB direct connect.  Over all I am pleased so far.  No unexpected crashes and the voice actually is pretty smooth.
     On another note I know you are a small firm but SkyIP has an Apple App that you can control all your wireless cameras remotely with Pan/Tilt for all their Airlink pan/tilt network camers (500,747,777).  Just keep hoping one day!

Thanks for everything so far,
Merlin 

[Merlin]

Not to keep adding but this evening I added a small speaker to the webcam and iCam does not send audio back to the camera.  Is this something you are looking at as well?

Merlin

Still love the APP!

[Stefan]

The ability to send audio from iCam back to the computer running the iCamSource has been requested in the past and is currently on our list of potential features to implement in the future. Sending audio back to an IP camera would be an additional step beyond that.

[Merlin]

This latest version 2.2.2, is this supposed to provide audio for the specified IP cameras?

Merlin

[SKJM Support]

That is correct. The latest version of iCamSource (2.2.2) supports audio for the three Airlink cameras mentioned in the first post of this forum thread.

[Doug in Los Angeles]

In update #2 of the original post, Stefan states that the TRENDnet tv-ip422w has been confirmed as streaming audio. That unit looks similar to the Airlink aicn747w. The post makes reference to re-branded incarnations... are Airlink cameras simply rebranded versions of TRENDnet, or vice versa?

If the one TRENDnet IP cam, whose product description states the audio codec is "PCM/AMR", is compatible, does this mean that any TRENDnet, and any other brand using that codec, would be compatible, and that iCam will support audio for it?

Are there any other re-branded incarnations that we should be aware of?

I realize I'm asking many questions... I am trying to replace my long USB extensions, which are unstable, with IP cams (wired or wifi) that could be enclosed outdoors, and will allow iCamSource to run reliably for at least a few days at a time. Thanks very much for your time and effort!


Doug

[SKJM Support]

I think that Trendnet distributes cameras from several different manufacturers, so some models may behave the same as the Airlink cameras, but some might not. Unfortunately, we don't have any extra information about the re-branded models (other than the information on the forum).