Question

Recording multiple USB cameras

Asked by: amorphia78

Hi,

I need to record video from two PC attached USB webcams simultaneously, along with audio from at least one of them. I want to trigger instant recording when I choose, I don't need scheduling or motion detection triggering. At the moment I am using Logitech Quickcam Pro 5000.

The main problem is that there is a lot of software out there that claims to be able to do this, but most of it frankly is rubbish. Here is a list of programs I have tried which didn't work:

Capturix: Hopelessly unintuitive interface, crashes, no obvious way to record except through scheduling or motion capture

River Past Cam do: Despite contrary claims only does one camera

Your Camera: Can in theory open two cameras but in practice gives an error for the second

Security Monitor Pro: This works the best of all - I can simultaneously view real time images from both cameras, with good frame rate. This proves the concept it feasible. But when recording, the actual obtained frame rate is about 2 per second :( Recorded frame rate is also very bad when recording just one camera. I have got at least one of the other programs to record one camera at a good frame rate.

There has to be some professionally written software out there. I will pay for it! Any ideas?

Cheers,

Ben

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Asked On
2009-06-04 at 10:10:19ID24464408
Topics

General Multi-Media Software

,

Photos & Graphics Software

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Miscellaneous Software

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
5

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Answers

 

by: astaecPosted on 2009-06-04 at 10:37:24ID: 24549371

Intriguing!  Some thoughts... and something I'm also exploring although you're ahead of the experience game.   Have you tried FIREWIRE instead?  Better, faster and likely a solution that I'm exploring.  In the interim, some links that "may" shed some light.

Firewire compatible cameras "may" be the key for you ..  http://www.alliedvisiontec.com/avt-products/cameras.html  or   http://www.alliedvisiontec.com/

Some other links -  http://www.everythingusb.com/jaxstream_jaxcam.html - http://forums.lavag.org/Acquiring-video-from-multiple-USB-cameras-t10318.html

Listening when time permits, wishing you great success.  ":0)  Asta

 

 

by: CallandorPosted on 2009-06-04 at 12:02:42ID: 24550250

I think you may need to use a dedicated security camera card, such as an Avermedia or Geovision card.  The reason is the capture rate needs to be fairly high and some kind of video compression is usually done to keep the file sizes small.  The software that comes with these cards is pretty good and can keep up with 4 or more cameras simultaneously at 15 fps, since the card is doing the compression.  www.apexcctv.com stocks both of these cards, and the capture software comes with it.  I have used both cards and the lowest-performance ones are capable of keeping up recording in real time.  The only difficulty is they have separate video and audio inputs, so USB may or may not be supported.

 

by: amorphia78Posted on 2009-06-05 at 00:09:01ID: 24553858

Thanks for your ideas folks. I looking to do this with my existing hardware, which is ruling our firewire solutions. In any case, I think Callandor is probably right that the main bottleneck is compressing the video. There ought to be some software out there that can save the video to disk without compression. I know the files would be huge, but I can always compress them afterwards.

Other people interested in the same problem but who don't need audio might look at i-catcher console... It seems to be quite professionally written, but doesn't do audio as far as I can see.

Cheers,

Ben

 

by: CallandorPosted on 2009-06-05 at 07:20:11ID: 24556683

Uncompressed, 640x480 at 16-bit color and 15 frames per sec is 73,728,000 bits/sec.  A hard drive can handle that, but two cameras recording simultaneously to two files might be too much for the head movements, although recording to separate drives would work.

 

by: amorphia78Posted on 2009-08-28 at 01:34:35ID: 31588882

Thanks for the answers folks. These aren't solutions as such, but I'm accepting them because I have to close the question, and because Callandor especially explained straightforwardly why what I was asking for was basically unfeasible with my current hardware.

Cheers,

Ben

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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