WARNING! If you use web to monitor, don't upgrade to PRO

[nswilliams]

Hi,

I loved the PRO version for iPhone and iPad. It works great.

BUT... I have been using http://skjm.com/icam/web for monitoring my home at work since there is no app for OS X or Windows. Its not supported for Pro users.

Looks like I have to go back to old iCam version so I can have web access. If I log in this page, I get 0 cameras instead of 4 under Pro server now.

Unless there is a new web page for iCam Pro users that is not announced yet?

[SKJM Support]

iCamWeb Pro has been requested and is currently on our list of potential features to implement in the future.

[nswilliams]

Any timeline so we can plan better?

Thanks!

[SKJM Support]

Unfortunately, no.  A desktop/web version of iCam Pro is relatively high on our priority list, but it isn’t currently being worked on, so we can’t really give a meaningful timeline.

[erectorset]

I feel like many of the changes that make up iCam Pro should have been included in an update for iCam, and if you wanna charge? Sure, I don't mind, but don't give us a half-ass product that's not ready, that's missing the functionality and things that we loved about the original iCam and try to tell us it's better. So far, the only thing that's better is the addition of sound recording, and recording of video, the rest of it doesn't work as promised, and I don't see a huge change in quality, if anything, video seems more choppy than before. Also, the fact that there's no real tutorial on how to use iCam Pro, like, just what is that red button for, what's recording and stop? Why can't I view the events and photos from the original iCam in the new one? Because they're different files? So, I have to keep both just to view the old events from iCam?? Come on, that's no upgrade SKJM.

[Stefan]

I feel like many of the changes that make up iCam Pro should have been included in an update for iCam, and if you wanna charge? Sure, I don't mind, but don't give us a half-ass product that's not ready, that's missing the functionality and things that we loved about the original iCam and try to tell us it's better. So far, the only thing that's better is the addition of sound recording, and recording of video, the rest of it doesn't work as promised, and I don't see a huge change in quality, if anything, video seems more choppy than before. Also, the fact that there's no real tutorial on how to use iCam Pro, like, just what is that red button for, what's recording and stop? Why can't I view the events and photos from the original iCam in the new one? Because they're different files? So, I have to keep both just to view the old events from iCam?? Come on, that's no upgrade SKJM.

When iCam 1.0 was first released in November of 2008 (over 5 1/2 years ago), it only supported viewing the video of up to 4 computer webcams. No IP camera support, no iCamWeb, no audio, no push notifications, and no recording of motion events. Over the years we've listened to our users and added additional functionality that has made iCam what it is today.

With iCam Pro 1.0, we included a number of features that our original iCam users had been asking for, but were simply not possible or practical using the existing JPEG image encoding and streaming. Audio notifications, video recording with audio, and the ability to manually start and stop recordings (which is what the red button is for ... it's the exact same button that is used by the native Camera app in iOS 7) are some examples.

We also wanted to add other features to iCam Pro that we felt represented the "next generation" of iCam, including more modern video and audio encodings. iCam Pro isn't an update to iCam, it's a different product that is just not compatible with many aspects of the original iCam technology.

iCam Pro 1.0 is a true 1.0 version, similar to the original iCam. We had to draw the line somewhere in terms of what features and functionality we wanted to include in it. We are going to continue to add new features as we release updates to the app, and feedback from our users is definitely going to steer our development in terms of which features to work on, and what priority they will be given.

If viewing the old image iCamSource Motion Events in iCam Pro is a feature that a number of users are looking for, then there is a good chance that we will add it in a future update.

[erectorset]

I can appreciate that, but it seems that the new one doesn't bridge the gap, it creates a totally new gap. I love that it includes new tech, and better possibilities, but I find the older one to be better in some aspects, which stinks. I don't want to have to keep two iCam apps on both my phone and desktop because the older events/captures don't work in the new one. Also, again, the video playback is SLOW and choppy, if it's going to be a video experience, it must be real time and not choppy. If not, what's the advantage? Again, I appreciate the desire to make it better, it was already a really good product, but don't come out with a new app you want us to switch to and make us keep both of them. And features like using the web (that the original poster posted about) should have been included, as they were included in the original one, and this is supposed to be an upgrade.

[Stefan]

I can appreciate that, but it seems that the new one doesn't bridge the gap, it creates a totally new gap. I love that it includes new tech, and better possibilities, but I find the older one to be better in some aspects, which stinks. I don't want to have to keep two iCam apps on both my phone and desktop because the older events/captures don't work in the new one. Also, again, the video playback is SLOW and choppy, if it's going to be a video experience, it must be real time and not choppy. If not, what's the advantage? Again, I appreciate the desire to make it better, it was already a really good product, but don't come out with a new app you want us to switch to and make us keep both of them. And features like using the web (that the original poster posted about) should have been included, as they were included in the original one, and this is supposed to be an upgrade.

If iCam Pro does not fit your specific needs, then by all means keep using the original iCam for the time being. iCam Pro will continue to be updated, so if enough users request the functionality you are looking for, then it will likely be included in the future.

As for the slow video, if you are seeing a low frame rate in the live stream, then you can try unchecking the "Widescreen" and / or "High Resolution" checkboxes in the iCamSource Pro to see if that helps. The recorded videos are recorded at 2 frames per second (the same as the original iCam's default Motion Detection logic) but that may be a setting that we can add more control to in the future.