multi-input capture cards...any work?

[navin]

First, great app.  I've had a pc DVR with 4 cams running for a few years but have never been easily able to view the cams from anything other that a full web browser.  icam worked immediately and is very nice.  Occasional 'cannot connect' messages on 3G, but I'll look into the port forwarding option.

I have a generic Chinese BT878 4 input PCI card using the sourceforge WDM drivers.  This card/driver works in some apps but not all.  In icam, it works, but I only get one of the four inputs...icam only sees one instance/input.

Are there any specific 4 (or more) input cards that are verified to work with icam?

Thanks.

[navin]

I never could get my 4 port capture card to work with more than one port.  This is not surprising, as only ONE DVR app of the dozens I've tried works with all four inputs.  I ordered two EasyCAP USB devices for $8 each.  Hopefully these will work.

I gotta say, iCam is one of the single best iPhone apps I have come across.  It makes my camera system usable again.

[Jay]

The PCI capture cards are pretty hit and miss when used with iCamSource.  We have heard a few reports of success, but we've heard even more reports of failure with PCI cards.  It all comes down to whether the drivers let the operating system know that a camera is connected.  iCamSource asks the operating system for a list of connected webcams, so if the operating system doesn't know about the cameras, then iCamSource won't either.

We've heard similar reports about USB dongles.  Some of them show up as webcams, and some of them don't.  Hopefully the devices you ordered will be recognized by the operating system as webcams.  If they aren't, make sure you have the latest drivers for the USB dongle installed.

[Icamuser]

The iCam folks suggested I use ManyCam when I asked about sending the screen on my PC to the iPhone.   I monitor a building in another state with a DVR software and 4 camera card that I can access remotely. This I can view and download to my laptop.

I run ManyCam on the laptop and use the screen as the source. Then I set iCamsource to use ManyCam as its input. Now the screen shot on the laptop which is the screen on the remote PC with the 4 cameras is sent to the iPhone.   I tried it on the DVR PC directly (ManyCam etc) and it worked also but did not leave this running in case it interfered with the remote control.  I plan on playing with that setup again next month.

Clearly there is a bit more overhead and I have found that a 3G connection sometimes takes several tries to connect. I have not experimented with movement detection at the iCamsource end. Movement is captured on the DVR/PC but I have to remotely review the video.

ManyCam with the screen as its source is like looking into an infinity mirror until you minimize it. 

[navin]

Icamuser, thanks for the manycam suggestion.   I will try it, but from first glance it seems to be an effects-type addon for a webcam input.  From your description, it sounds as if it is possible to send (a portion) of the screen out as a camera source which icamsource will recognize?

[Icamuser]

Icamuser, thanks for the manycam suggestion.   I will try it, but from first glance it seems to be an effects-type addon for a webcam input.  From your description, it sounds as if it is possible to send (a portion) of the screen out as a camera source which icamsource will recognize?

ManyCam allows you to pick its sources.  So I pick Desktop/Full Screen. Now ManyCam captures real time the screen. Minimize ManyCam and it captures the screen minus itself.
Then set iCamSource to use ManyCam as its source instead of say, a real camera.
Now iCamSource does its normal thing to the iPhone.  If I have a chance I will do some screen shots.

[navin]

Well, the easycam USB dongles do not work on my first try.  There are several models of the easycam, and several drivers, and it is difficult to determine which driver goes with which model.  I'll keep trying, but it is not worth the hassle.  I ultimately want to go IP, but I was just trying to use what I have first.