Pretty slow video / audio rate over 3G

[lindxena]

So I just downloaded this app to be my "puppy cam" and am happy with the overall idea (and can see that support is great!).

However, I'm fairly underwhelmed at the lag in video time and audio that cuts in and out.   

My puppy can walk away from his crate and into the kitchen and be there for at least 3 or 4, and sometimes up to 10 seconds and it will still show him as in the crate, and when it does "update" the whole thing is just very choppy and "cheap" looking.  It does *not* appear this way on the iCam console on my laptop, which shows in real-time (perhaps half a second delay or less, at times).  Also, the audio cuts out sometimes, or drops, so that I can't hear it at all...even the ambient / background noise cuts out.  I tested this on full bars of the 3G network...don't really care if it's better in wifi, because I won't be around a good wifi network during the day, but will have excellent / good 3G access.

I have a Dell Inspiron 1526 with built-in web-cam, all up to date as far as I can tell.  I have an updated iPhone 3G.

Thank you in advance for any help.  I get the error messages every now and then too (which I guess is "often" seeing as how I've only had this app for 2 or 3 hours that talks about the "broker" but am less worried about that).

~LD

[m411]

The refresh time for video feeds over 3G is slower because of restrictions in the App Store.

The zoomed-in frame rate with audio is limited to about one frame every 2-3 seconds over 3G and one every 3-5 seconds over EDGE. We had to limit the bandwidth used when connecting over the cellular networks to get the application approved for sale on the App Store.

I'm not sure the devs can do much to help you in this circumstance.

[Jay]

m411 is correct, the video and audio performance is determined by the type of connection.  In addition to the restrictions required by Apple, the performance will be even lower if the 3G signal is poor. 

The two possible reasons for a Broker Connection Error are a poor wireless connection or if your service provider blocks UDP traffic.  If the Broker Server Errors are intermittent, then your service provider does allow UDP traffic, which indicates that the errors are caused by poor 3G signal at that moment.

[abstractflyer]

If it is a matter of bandwidth, would it be possible to have an option (on the desktop app I suppose) to stream in Black and White instead of color? B/W must use a lot less bandwidth. Using the iPhone app to monitor something like a sleeping baby, I'd rather have better audio and smoother frame rate than color.  ...and if my 3G/edge connection was poor, I'd rather have at least audio capabilities. I know the 'Cam' part if 'iCam' is all about the video but maybe an option to switch off the video (like you can the audio) and just do audio would be good for those who are using this app as the best 'always on hand' baby monitor around. Would save battery time as well I would think.

I love the fact that my phone is now an always at hand baby monitor and the grandparents can tune in as well! Great job guys!

[Jay]

abstractflyer - We will look into it, but any improvement from going B/W would be minimal.  Most of the data in the compressed image data is brightness data, only a small part is color data.

Other users have asked for the ability to have audio only, and it is on our list of potential features to add to iCam in the future.

[lindxena]

Thank you for the responses!  Like I said, even though I'm not thrilled with the audio / video (which seems to be an AT&T thing more than an iCam thing), the support is excellent!

I tried it out for the first time as a "puppy cam" last night for three hours.  Our little guy cries / barks a lot more than I thought!!  Though the video and sound were choppy / droppy, it got the job done and let me check in on him when I was away, which is all I really need.

I'm with the other responder that an "audio only" option would be very helpful...there were times when the audio dropped / cut out a lot and worried me, as I couldn't tell if he'd just gotten quiet, or the sound had dropped...I should've known that he hadn't gotten quiet!!   

Thanks very much.

~LD

[tibook]

I would like to express the desire for SKJM to look into more advanced compression techniques. If there is no way to slowly increase the performance of the app, try to compress the video further. Take advantage of hardware H.264 if you can. I am quite happy with the ability of the app, but its painfully obvious how restricted the video is. I can pull up the webpage of my cams and see it streamed quickly and smoothly even over 3G. The only problem with this is that I have to remember to close the page or I'll run my battery down (due to the 3GS's improved memory, the page stays active even when not in Mobile Safari)

[Stefan]

Unfortunately Apple (presumably on AT&T's request) greatly restricts the bandwidth usage of applications that are constantly transferring data over 3G before they can be approved for sale on the iPhone App Store.

[rtg20]

...in that case, please can you limit the bandwith used over 3G only, and not WiFi...?

This would solve the problem...?

Otherwise, a great app. Thanks!

[Stefan]

The bandwidth is only limited over 3G. There are no bandwidth restrictions imposed by iCam when connecting via WiFi.