zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Forum for questions and support relating to the 1.27.x releases only.
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lista.email
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:24 pm

zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by lista.email »

Dear zoneminder experts,

I am trying to get stream from an analog camera. This camera is connected using easycap device and running fine on windows vista. Trying to use VLC to encode and stream camera over network to zoneminder via http, I am getting red monitor in ZM console. So it seems that zoneminder cannot handle h264 format received from VLC...

I've read that ZM can handle mjpeg format, but VLC does not know mjpeg streaming.

Can aybody tell me how to solve this problem and have my camera working with ZM?
What format to configure VLC to stream my camera, in order to be able to get it in ZM?
If VLC can not be used for this scope, please advice about which other tool can be used.

Any help will be appreciated.

Regards,
Alx
Last edited by lista.email on Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
lista.email
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:24 pm

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by lista.email »

Seems that vlc is able to transcode to mjpeg stream. I've found myslef that is possible using custom button in VLC "transcoding options" and choosed mjpeg, which produced the following output format:

#mjpeg-alx
:sout=#transcode{vcodec=MJPG,vb=800,scale=Auto,acodec=mpga,ab=128,channels=2,sam
plerate=8000}:http{mux=mpjpeg,dst=:8080/} :sout-keep

Now, I am able to capture stream on lan but still not able to do it using ZM.

So, I am asking: if x264 is not working, if mjpeg is not working, WHAT KIND OF FORMAT should I use for encoding in order that ZM to be able to display it on monitor!?
Last edited by lista.email on Tue Nov 10, 2015 6:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
bbunge
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:40 am
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by bbunge »

Try using the ffmpeg source type in Zoneminder. You may want to upgrade to Zoneminder 1.28.1
lista.email
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:24 pm

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by lista.email »

this is really unreliable answer. how to change to ffmpeg AS TIME CAMERA IS REMOTE (and I am accessing as http 192.168.13.129:8080) !!!??? Upgrading to 1.28.1 does not represent an option (afaik, there is no rpm for centos).... and it is just like you are suggesting to sale my car and buy one newer just because I have defective one of my ignition plug!

My answer remain: if x264 is not working, if mjpeg is not working, WHAT KIND OF FORMAT should I use for encoding in order that ZM to be able to display it on monitor!?
PacoLM
Posts: 971
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Spain

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by PacoLM »

Hi lista.email,

You'd better try to use the ffmpeg format before answering in that way...
I have three cameras working as ffmpeg that previously were working in LibVlc mode. Yes, they are remote IP cameras, they were working in VLC mode in V1.27 and 1.28.1 and stopped working after the 1.28.107 upgrade. Now, they are all working in ffmpeg mode until there is a fix for the LibVlc mode. Yes, they work and I didn't had to sale my car, just changed a parameter in the camera config...

Hope it helps, good luck,

PacoLM

After more than 15 years, no longer using ZM as surveillance system.
Now in the dark side, using a commercial system...
lista.email
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:24 pm

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by lista.email »

Hi Paco,

Many thanks for clarification, but still not completely enlightened. I have attached here 2 snapshoots. I've selected in General tab -> ffmpeg, but I do not know what to configure in source tab -> source path field. Filling with http://192.168.13.129:8080/ I cannot get anything from camera. If camera is configured as REMOTE in General tab, and filled the same URL, I was able to get red console, which mean unrecgonized format to ZM.

What did you configured on your side, for your cameras, in source path filed when ffmpeg is selected.

And yes, we do not want to sell our cars :)). My reference to this has been just related to suggestion to "upgrade to zoneminder 1.28" instead to keep using actual 1.27. I believe and you already confirmed, that ZM-1.27 must work with actual setup. Is not my style to be malevolent.

Regards,
Alx
Attachments
zm_source_tab_ffmpeg.png
zm_source_tab_ffmpeg.png (106.14 KiB) Viewed 46126 times
zm_general_tab_ffmpeg.png
zm_general_tab_ffmpeg.png (99.97 KiB) Viewed 46126 times
lista.email
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:24 pm

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by lista.email »

found answer here :)
http://zoneminder.readthedocs.org/en/la ... nitor.html

FFmpeg Source Path
Use this field to enter the full URL of the stream or file. Look in Supported Hardware > Network Cameras section, how to obtain these strings that may apply to your camera. RTSP streams may be specified here

So I've setup as source: rtsp://192.168.13.129:8080/ and reconfigured vlc client on 192.168.13.129 to stream h264+mp3 transport stream, port 8080.

Now, I am able to get images live from my camera, is working beatifull.

Thank you very much Paco & bbunge :)
PacoLM
Posts: 971
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Spain

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by PacoLM »

Hi,

Try to encode the stream as RTSP (https://www.videolan.org/doc/streaming- ... /ch04.html), then fill the monitor settings as shown in the images:
Capture1.PNG
Capture1.PNG (27.23 KiB) Viewed 46123 times
Capture2.PNG
Capture2.PNG (31.92 KiB) Viewed 46123 times
Then you must set the source path according to your settings: rtsp://user:pwd@your.ip.address.camera:port

Good luck,

Post results!

PacoLM

After more than 15 years, no longer using ZM as surveillance system.
Now in the dark side, using a commercial system...
PacoLM
Posts: 971
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Spain

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by PacoLM »

lista.email wrote:found answer here :)
http://zoneminder.readthedocs.org/en/la ... nitor.html

FFmpeg Source Path
Use this field to enter the full URL of the stream or file. Look in Supported Hardware > Network Cameras section, how to obtain these strings that may apply to your camera. RTSP streams may be specified here

So I've setup as source: rtsp://192.168.13.129:8080/ and reconfigured vlc client on 192.168.13.129 to stream h264+mp3 transport stream, port 8080.

Now, I am able to get images live from my camera, is working beatifull.

Thank you very much Paco & bbunge :)
Congratulations! You got it working while I was trying to help you!

Regards,

PacoLM

After more than 15 years, no longer using ZM as surveillance system.
Now in the dark side, using a commercial system...
lista.email
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:24 pm

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by lista.email »

Hi Paco,

Just few more questions in case you want to answer, about hardware you are using:
- what capture card are you using to grab analog signal from your camera?
- are you using one capture card with more inputs or you have each camera on dedicated device?
- are those cards installed and working under Linux or you are using vlc on windows to encode streams?

Thanks again for you help, Alx
PacoLM
Posts: 971
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:55 pm
Location: Spain

Re: zoneminder and vlc h264+mp3 transport stream not working

Post by PacoLM »

Hi Alx,

I'm not using any analog camera nor capture card in my system. I know that there are many cards supported by Linux and Zoneminder to perform this task, for instance:
http://www.camsecure.co.uk/Zoneminder.html
https://wiki.zoneminder.com/Hardware_Co ... t8x8_Cards
https://wiki.zoneminder.com/Bluecherry_-_BC-H16480A

Hope it helps,

PacoLM

After more than 15 years, no longer using ZM as surveillance system.
Now in the dark side, using a commercial system...
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