Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Forum for questions and support relating to the 1.25.x releases only.
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remus
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:31 am

Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by remus »

Hi all,

I'm hoping to setup zoneminder and a webcam to be a motion security camera.

Hardware : HP Compaq DC7600
OS : Ubuntu Server 12.04
Webcam lsusb output : Bus 005 Device 005: ID 046d:0928 Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Express

I followed this guide to install zoneminder : Ubuntu_Server_12.04_64-bit_with_Zoneminder_1.25.0_the_easy_way

I've accessed the zoneminder gui from my windows box via : 10.1.1.202/zm/index.php

I've added a monitor with source : /dev/video0
I've set the webcam as a monitor for how.
I've been playing around with the Capture method, device formatem, capture pallate. When i click on the monitor, most settings lead to a pop up that says : Cambozola V0.93-0002 (c) Andy Wilcock, 2001-2013 : and the source column on the zoneminder console is red.

Some settings lead to a monitor window that is lines of moving static.

I'm no linux guru but am willing to try anything, i've been looking around the web for a few days, and have not found any ideas to make it work so far, I hope someone can suggest some solutions that fix this.

All comments and ideas are welcome, thanks in advance for your time.
Remus.
mastertheknife
Posts: 678
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:32 pm
Location: Israel

Re: Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by mastertheknife »

Hi,

We need to know what capture palettes that camera supports. You can see it by running this command:

Code: Select all

zmu -q -v -d /dev/video0
mastertheknife
Kfir Itzhak.
dray0n
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:24 pm

Re: Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by dray0n »

Hey -

I think I had the similar issues you are experiencing. I was able to resolve them by playing around with the settings. The camera is working great now...

I was running into a handful of issues... First the image was grey, with lines... Then it was purple... I was getting these different results by playing with the settings. The biggest miss I had was I had the height and width sent incorrectly. It was causing the color differences. Here are the settings my camera is running at now. It's been online for 24-hours with no issues.

In the monitor setup screen:

General Tab
Source: Local
Function: Modect (I have used all functions successfully)
Enabled: Check
Maximum FPS: 5.00 (I left this open initially, streamed around 30FPS)
Alarm FPS: Blank
Reference Image Blend: 7

Source
Device Patch: /dev/video0
Capture Method: Video for Linux version 2
Device Channel: 0
Device Format: NTSC
Capture Pallette: YUYV
Width: 360
Height: 240
Preserve Aspect Ratio: [Unchecked]
Orientation Normal
remus
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:31 am

Re: Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by remus »

I've run command

Code: Select all

zmu -q -v -d /dev/video0
And got the following error.

Error, failed to open video device /dev/video0: Success
remus
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:31 am

Re: Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by remus »

I leave function set to monitor so that i can click on the camera and see if its working.

I have tried playing around with the settings.

Most option combinations lead to the source column turning red.
By the way under source it says: /dev/video0 (0)
And when I click on the camera I get the following message
Cambozola V0.93-0002 (c) Andy Wilcock, 2001-2013

The following options lead to scrambled static
** General Tab
Name: Monitor-1
Source Type: Local
Function: Montior
Enabled: ticked
Maximum FPS: Blank
Alarm maximum FPS: Blank
referene Image Blend %ge: 7
Triggers: None available

** Source Tab
Device Path: /dev/video0
Capture method: Video for linux versions 2
Device Channel: 0
Device Format: Pal
Capture Palette: GREY
Capture Width (Pixels): 320
Capture Height (Pixels): 240
Preserve Aspect Ratio: Not Ticked
Orientation: Normal

I've left the other tabs to default.

At this stage I think the problem could be driver related, I don't know enough about linux to check if the web cam is installed and streaming video properly on Ubuntu Server.

Suggestions and advice is welcome.
mastertheknife
Posts: 678
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:32 pm
Location: Israel

Re: Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by mastertheknife »

Try different capture palettes until you get it working. Especially try MJPEG, JPEG and YUYV.

mastertheknife
Kfir Itzhak.
remus
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:31 am

Re: Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by remus »

I got it working.

I was using ubuntu server 12.04
I installed ubuntu server 10.04
I installed zoneminder
And to get the logitech quickcam express working with ubuntu server do the following.
Add the following line to the file zmdc.pl in /usr/bin/ just before the line my @daemons :
code:
$ENV{LD_PRELOAD} = '/usr/lib/libv4l/v4l1compat.so';
Install the package libv4l-0 with :
$ sudo apt-get install libv4l-0

I then restarted zoneminder : sudo /etc/init.d/zoneminder restart
Its working now.

However i got a new problem, I can't export video from motion detection recordings.
This is what I've learn't about this new problem so far
I have Zoneminder version : v1.24.2
I've set my camera as a modect
And I can review recordings
From ZM console I have number 4 under events for monitor-1
I click on the number
I click on event-1
The event plays out on the screen, but it is not smooth video, I think its single frames...
One this page I can click on Video, and get the following error.
An error has occurred and this operation cannot continue.
For full details check your web logs for the code '7B871B'
If I click on export and try a few options I get Export Failed

A bit of googleing led me to this page - http://onlinetechadvice.blogspot.com.au ... d-fix.html that says to make a change to a file for a known bug. But this did not fix the problem.

I have ffmpeg ticked, and a valid path to it in options/images
/usr/bin/ffmpeg

Hope someone can help :)
remus
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Aug 23, 2013 2:31 am

Re: Trouble with Logitech Quickcam express

Post by remus »

Moving this current problem to the 1.24.x forum.

Thanks all :)
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