Need help getting TinyCam to work properly

[JFox762]

I have 4 Wyze Cams. 3 of them are running RTSP firmware, and one is on the conventional firmware.

My Cameras running RTSP are having issues where towards the end of the clip, the playback speed gets distorted.

The videos are set to to be limited to 10 minute clips. In some videos, the video playback speed will speed up to 10x or more for the last minute of the video clip. But there were other videos where only 3 minutes played at normal speed, and all the rest of the 10 minute clip was at hyper speed.

In still other videos, towards the end of the clip, the feed just seems to freeze until the end.

I'm running TinyCam on this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RX75BND/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am using that android box as a dedicated NVR. Set to no motion detection (I THINK). I am not using the android box for any other purposes.... aside from running an FTP server so I can download the files to other devices.
One POSSIBLE issue... is that I have set the File size limit to 100MB, and the time size limit to 10 minutes. I decided to increase the File Size limit to 1GB so that all video lengths will be the same time.
Will see if that improves things.

I have also noticed there actually are a few videos that weren't corrupted at all, and play at the perfect speed all throughout.Those videos, it seems, have EXCELENT video quality. So if I can just get rid of these intermittent issues, this NVR setup will be perfectly servicable until we can afford to buy a REOLink package (or REOLink Cameras + Homebrew NVR Server? Topic for another discussion)

 

[fenderman]

this NVR setup will be perfectly servicable until we can afford to buy a REOLink package (or REOLink Cameras + Homebrew NVR Server? Topic for another discussion)

You are way better of with wyze than reolink which is bottom barrel junk sold by a company that spams forums with fake reviews.

 

[JFox762]

This is getting off-topic but...

Wait, really? Another forum I belong to, everyone swears by them. I... can't imagine they're all paid shills... are they?
I was planning on getting their POE Cameras and running Ethernet to them with a POE switch.

What are the problems with REOLink?

We only need 4 Cameras at our home.
What POE Cameras do you recommend in the same price range of REOLinks? Do you recommend we use a homebrew NVR Server set up as opposed to a dedicated, included NVR unit?

Even after we go with POE, we are probably going to still keep the Wyze Cams around to use as "Away on Vacation" Cameras (Indoors) or as "Quick Deploy Cameras" , should we find the need monitor something with a minimal setup timeframe. Also, these Cameras are great as a baby monitor.

That being said, if I can fix these playback issues... this current setup will serve me fine and give me ample time to save up for something more permanent.

 

[fenderman]

This is getting off-topic but...

Wait, really? Another forum I belong to, everyone swears by them. I... can't imagine they're all paid shills... are they?
I was planning on getting their POE Cameras and running Ethernet to them with a POE switch.

What are the problems with REOLink?

We only need 4 Cameras at our home.
What POE Cameras do you recommend in the same price range of REOLinks? Do you recommend we use a homebrew NVR Server set up as opposed to a dedicated, included NVR unit?

Even after we go with POE, we are probably going to still keep the Wyze Cams around to use as "Away on Vacation" Cameras (Indoors) or as "Quick Deploy Cameras" , should we find the need monitor something with a minimal setup timeframe. Also, these Cameras are great as a baby monitor.

That being said, if I can fix these playback issues... this current setup will serve me fine and give me ample time to save up for something more permanent.

There are a bunch of threads that explain the problems with reolink. I recommend a blue iris PC with quality dahua/hikvision low light cameras. Read up on these large sensor great low light performers.

 

[JFox762]

Thanks!

Are there any Dahua/Hikvision cameras in the $50/ea price range?
I searched this forum and found a thread re: REOLink and their shady Shilling practices. Honestly, any company that needs to pay shills to boost their product's exposure probably does sell junk. I also saw mention by you, that DAHUA's and HIKVision can be had for about the same price as REOLink,making REOLink a terrible choice.


I've never heard of DAHUA, but I have heard of HIKvision... but I'm also a total n00b on this subject so bear with me. I had trouble finding any HIKVision or Dahua Cameras at the same price point as the REOLinks I WAS planning to get.

They need to support POE, as I really don't feel like running two seperate lines, and likely hire an electrician to wire it up.
Having the ability to speak through the Cameras is a nice feature, but not necessary.

I very much want the Cameras to have an RTSP Stream so I can continue to use VLC Shortcut links on my PC's desktop to view them.

 

[fenderman]

Thanks!

Are there any Dahua/Hikvision cameras in the $50/ea price range?
I searched this forum and found a thread re: REOLink and their shady Shilling practices. Honestly, any company that needs to pay shills to boost their product's exposure probably does sell junk. I also saw mention by you, that DAHUA's and HIKVision can be had for about the same price as REOLink,making REOLink a terrible choice.


I've never heard of DAHUA, but I have heard of HIKvision... but I'm also a total n00b on this subject so bear with me. I had trouble finding any HIKVision or Dahua Cameras at the same price point as the REOLinks I WAS planning to get.

They need to support POE, as I really don't feel like running two seperate lines, and likely hire an electrician to wire it up.
Having the ability to speak through the Cameras is a nice feature, but not necessary.

I very much want the Cameras to have an RTSP Stream so I can continue to use VLC Shortcut links on my PC's desktop to view them.

There are no good cameras in the 50 dollar price range. I did not recommend buying a camera simply based on the brand. The recommendation was specific to low light cameras. Dahua and hik make crappy cameras as well.
Start by reading the cliff notes in the wiki

 

[JFox762]

I checked the cliff notes. Any specific HIKVision/Dahua models you recommend? We intend to go for only a 4 Camera installation to start with... but we will pre-wire for more as funds allow.
We also have some Cat5e laying around, about 750ft worth. Is there any way to check to make sure this stuff is good enough for POE camera use?

Also, since at this moment we really can't afford to upgrade our Cameras just yet... any recommendations on how to fix the current issue with my Wyzecam/DVR set up?

 

[fenderman]

I checked the cliff notes. Any specific HIKVision/Dahua models you recommend? We intend to go for only a 4 Camera installation to start with... but we will pre-wire for more as funds allow.
We also have some Cat5e laying around, about 750ft worth. Is there any way to check to make sure this stuff is good enough for POE camera use?

Also, since at this moment we really can't afford to upgrade our Cameras just yet... any recommendations on how to fix the current issue with my Wyzecam/DVR set up?

If you cant afford the cameras, then the recommendation is premature, what is best today may not be best in a year from now. There are lots of threads discussing the top low light cameras. Whatever you do, dont waste your money on cheap junk. You are better of buying 1 good camera at a time.
Ensure the cable is copper and not copper clad aluminium or CCA which belongs in the trash.
As far as the issue with tinycam, I dont know. Perhaps the developer @alexvas can help you.

 

[JFox762]

I apologize for yet another n00bish question... how do I know if the ethernet cable I have on hand is Copper and not CCA?

I got this spool from someone who had it laying around, after finishing a home project. They only needed a bit of it... so I have about 750ft. The box doesn't really have much information on it.

Based on what the Box says... I THINK itis this stuff
CAT 5E 350 MHz UTP On Standard Wire & Cable Co.

I took a close look at the ends of the cable. It looks like solid copper, and not merely copper cladded. It looks like its copper all the way through.

 

[JFox762]

For AlexVas

Here is a picture that demonstrates some of the issue at hand.
Notice these videos are being recorded in 10 minute segments. But the Time length shows as 6:29. This isn't due to missing video, but rather the video being saved with a faster playback give or take 50% fast.

Some of these videos are consistent from beginning to end in how fast the playback is. Which would theoretically allow you to simply correct by setting the video player's playback speed to slow down a bit.
Other videos, however... seem to start off at a normal speed, but then towards the end increase playback speed. I had one instance where seemingly 7 out of 10 minutes were sped up.

The issue exists whether the video is played back directly on the Android Box, or downloaded to my PC and played back.

Interestingly, I'm not noticing any significant number of frame drops. If I can just solve this playback speed issue, I'll be more than happy with the performance of this setup until something more professional and permanent can be setup, as budget allows.

 

[TonyR]

I apologize for yet another n00bish question... how do I know if the ethernet cable I have on hand is Copper and not CCA?

I got this spool from someone who had it laying around, after finishing a home project. They only needed a bit of it... so I have about 750ft. The box doesn't really have much information on it.

Based on what the Box says... I THINK itis this stuff
CAT 5E 350 MHz UTP On Standard Wire & Cable Co.

I took a close look at the ends of the cable. It looks like solid copper, and not merely copper cladded. It looks like its copper all the way through.

You're OK,; its says "solid bare copper" so it's not stranded and it's not CCA . It's also UL-listed and has a "CMR" riser-rated jacket (OK in crawl spaces, walls, attics, between floors but NOT for outdoors).

 

[samplenhold]

Any specific HIKVision/Dahua models you recommend

Since you are just starting out, like I was two years ago, you probably have not really thought out what you want from your system, I had not. I originally thought "I need some cameras to monitor the house". That is all well and good, but if you do not have a good enough face shot to get an ID of the perp, then you are not going to interest the police much.

At present, I have 24 cameras. Four are covering inside areas and five are covering the inside of the garage (but I will be removing two of them soon), that if someone was to gain entrance, they would get good face shots. Of the 15 outside views, two are for LPR, five give and overview of the yard, and the rest (eight) are positioned to give good face shots at different places on the outside, like driveway, doors, windows, etc.

So each camera has a job and not every camera has the same or similar job to do. While these are all Dahua cameras, I have ten different models for the different purposes. So to answer your question as to what model you should get, the only answer anyone can give is it depends on what the job of that camera is.

 

[JFox762]

You're OK,; its says "solid bare copper" so it's not stranded and it's not CCA . It's also UL-listed and has a "CMR" riser-rated jacket (OK in crawl spaces, walls, attics, between floors but NOT for outdoors).

Mine is not CMR, it is definitely just CM, based on what it actually says on the cable.

The listing I posted actually states "CM or CMR"... so it is a listing for both varieties of cable (odd they wouldn't have two separate listings for two separate varieties of cable so whatever).
My cable says right on it, "CM".

If I'm not mistaken. CM is still good for parallel runs through an attic. Riser is only recommended, IIRC, between floors. My house is only one floor.