New CAM! Streaming Video

[Islander]

There is a new CAM on Bear Island providing streaming video. Here is a link.


http://www.bearisland.org/livecam.htm


Thanks

[GWC...]

Just what I needed. Another cam with mickey mouse settings.

Add this to Winnisquam Marine's cam for webcams with mickey mouse settings in the Lakes Region.

Winnisquam Marine Webcam

Axis ActiveX Camera Control

The AXIS ActiveX Camera Control, which enables you to view live image streams in Microsoft Internet Explorer, could not be registered on your computer.

Hackers have a similar opinion.

[Cal]

I was ok till I upgraded my 'puter , at which point I lost the Winnisquam Marine cam and can't get this one either.
I'm also computer illiterate enough to NOT be able to figure it out .
Maybe someone smarter and chime iin with some assistance

[upthesaukee]

Likewise here, Cal...I cannot get that link to come up. Thought maybe the firewall was getting in the way, so I disabled it and still nothing. I can get the Winnisquam web cam no problem. Don't know if it is down Sunday afternoon about 3:25 or what.

[fpartri497]

I cant get It either with windows XP

[Islander]

It works great for me.

Streaming video is not for everybody. You need a high speed internet connection and for most of them you need JavaScript.

http://www.javascript.com/

You can get it free.

[Sandy Beach]

Originally Posted by fpartri497

I cant get It either with windows XP

I can view the Bear Island streaming cam OK and I love it, same with the Winnisquam Marine cam. The new beta Weirs Stream cam is the one I can't see. It locks up my computer. I have a high speed connection but run an older and slower computer with an older version of windows.

I use Internet Explorer and have the latest updates from the Microsoft site installed.

I'm sure it will take me weeks to find the simple 2 minute fix .

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Islander

Streaming video is not for everybody. You need a high speed internet connection and for most of them you need JavaScript.

Guess Bear Island and Winnisquam are doing it correctly and everyone else is not.

Seems funny that all the other webcams, streaming or not, work fine with my system.

But then, I do have a small system. It only has 2 gigs of RAM and a Comcast cable connection.

Just out of curiosity, what does my system need to view the webcam below?

http://www.eastaltongeneralstore.com/webcam.html

Whatever it is, mine must have it, because it does, as well as, the streaming WeirsCam.

P.S.- Mike had a successful swim from Alton Bay to Meredith, today.

[Jan]

Originally Posted by GWC...

Just what I needed. Another cam with mickey mouse settings.

Gee, some people would complain about a free lunch.

Just curious GWC, how does the non-mickey mouse web camera you provide for everyone work?

All the people that are providing these video cameras so we can all keep in touch will get nothing but thanks from me, even if they don't always work perfectly for everyone.

(by the way, I can see ALL the video feeds without any trouble)

[GWC...]

Your point is well taken about the efforts of those providing webcam viewing.

However, you missed the original point of my posts. Some websites require too much exposure, too high of a security risk, of a viewer's system to view their webcam and I am curious why all but two, streaming Bear Island and Winnisquam Marine, think this policy is okay.

Hackers are thrilled with this mentality, but consumers complain. You can not have it both ways.

My system is highly desired by hackers desiring to overflow a target site, utilizing muliple systems that they control without the owner's awareness. I prefer to not view the view of a few webcams to protect my system and the Internet in general.

My question is why is my system able to view all the webcams I desire, except streaming Bear Island and Winnisquam? What's up with their settings?

P.S.- Mike had a successful swim from Alton Bay to Meredith today. Enjoyed the many posted pictures of the event.

[Bear Islander]

GWC...

I just checked out the Winnisquam Marine Webcam and read their source code (in internet explorer you just click "view" and then "source"). They are using the exact same JavaScript html coding that I am using on the streaming BearCam. This is not surprising because they have an Axis 2120 and I am using an Axis 2110, an almost identical camera. And we both are using the JavaScript because Axis gives it out free on their web. Because we are using Java in our cameras, you need Java in your computer to be able to view the video.

If you download and run JavaScript from the link that Islander gave in a post above you should be able to view both cams. I don't know if Java runs on older versions of Windows, or if there is some other reason why your computer is having a problem.

I'm not sure what you mean about a security risk, Java is an industry standard, but if you don't want to load it, that's up to you.

One thing some may not understand. When you view a still CAM image you are downloading it from the ISP that hosts my web pages. But to get the streaming video the hosting is done by the camera itself. Your computer is going right into my kitchen and getting the images directly from the camera. And because I can't get a cable modem or DSL on Bear my internet connection is via a two way satellite link. This is a complex operation and I'm not surprised that it fails sometimes. What surprises me is that it works at all.

[GWC...]

From “Source” of both webcams:

Winnisquam Marine Cam
output += " CLASSID=CLSID:917623D1-D8E5-11D2-BE8B-00104B06BDE3 ";

Streaming Bear Island
output += " CLASSID=CLSID:917623D1-D8E5-11D2-BE8B-00104B06BDE3 "

This is probably the reason why my system is not able to view the two webcams:
// If Internet Explorer for Windows then use ActiveX

More to the point:
What should I do when Internet Explorer blocks the installation of an ActiveX control?

Answer: The “user” has to install the ActiveX control by clicking it (Look upstairs below the various bars) and then clicking install, if one so desires.

Just for jiggles and giggles, I did and both webcams were viewable. This would tend to make one believe that for whatever reason, the two webcams in question are using a different ActiveX control than the other webcams I have encountered.

Appreciate your post and effort to get the message into my stubborn, old Yankee mind.

P.S.- This is from the streaming WeirsCam and the East Alto General Store webcams:

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

FWIW, the Merrymeeting camera is also an streaming Axis camera. Do you see the same issues there?

Originally Posted by MerrymeetingLakeCam

Merrymeeting Lake (allow up to 30 seconds for display)

Can not tell for sure. I checked the site today, after downloading the ActiveX control yesterday for the other two webcams. They both use the same control.

Merrymeeting Lake cam was viewable and probably does not require the ActiveX control to view. Most of the code is hidden from view, so I do not know if it requires the necessary download to view.

I remember viewing it during the Spring when I was unable to view Winnisquam Marine's cam.

[webmaster]

Here's my 2 cents on some of this:

First, remember that the people who are providing these free camera feeds, including me, have little or no choice of the method used to stream the video and very little ability to fix bugs or weaknesses. We all try to buy the cameras that are reliable and affordable for our needs but we don't design or build them. The camera kit contains a disk with a system to display the video on the web and that's what we're stuck with, for better or worse. As we've seen it usually involves JAVA script, JAVA applets and active-X controls, depending on the camera. When those browser add-on's are necessary someone is always going to have problems. Security programs and firewalls often identify these add-ons as threats and block them and many other hidden problems or settings can stop the video from displaying. Unless you are a very savvy user you may not be able to overcome these obstacles and that is one of the reasons I'll continue to maintain the original static WeirsCAM page, which updates every 10 minutes.

After I make an official announcement of the streaming WeirsCAM (I'm still in a low-key beta test period) I plan to post a poll to see how many visitors can or can't view it. I suspect that less than 10% have any trouble. The Netcam's java applet is widely used and has been stable (no updates or fixes needed) for several years. The lake's Axis cameras' need for an active-x control may be more problematical. Many security programs simply shut off active-x because of its potential to infect your computer from within. Windows XP SP2 pops up a bar that allows you to approve and install the control but I know many cases where people either don't notice it or don't know what to do.

The bottom line is that these video webcam feeds are not perfect. The people running them are not IT experts and usually are amazed they work at all. I know I am. A few years ago the operators of the Wolfecam almost shut it down for good because of all the complaints they were receiving. Take it easy on all the CAM operators and be glad we have such a growing choice of views available, even if they may not always work for everyone.

I've tried to cover some of this as it applies to the new Motion WeirsCAM in the Motion WeirsCAM FAQ.

Don

[Bear Islander]

I have changed the settings in my Axis camera from ActiveX to Java applet. They claim it is slower but easier to access.

I am also going to link directly to the cameras built in web page instead of redirecting through my web page.

http://67.142.211.150:82/view/view.shtml

Please let me know if this works better.

[mcdude]

Bear Islander: Very strange.....the whole image doesn't seem to display at once and keeps changing size. Either I see the top part or the bottom part but never the whole image. McD

[JayDV]

Bear Islander:

Whatever you changed works well here at the office, and through the firewall too. Due to office computer policy constraints we can't just arbitrarily load software or add-ins. As such, I couldn't view your live cam at all, but had no problems with Don's Weirs live cam. As I hung out mostly at Jolly, your neck of the woods, er water, is my neighborhood, where the Weirs was the market trips.

Thanks for your efforts towards lake viewing.

Jay

[GWC...]

Looking good here, too.

Thank you.

[SIKSUKR]

I just tried to link to your cam through IG's site and had a window pop up with a cute girl saying that link wasn't available but it gave the URL to your cam.I clicked on it and it worked fine.I did however,see something I don't remember.There are two images displayed.The top one appeared to be much better than than I remember.The bottom one seemed like what I have veiwed in the past.Thanks again for the cam B.I.

[Bear Islander]

My web host moved me to a new server that requires a URL to be case sensitive. So "BearCam.htm" no longer works, it must be "bearcam.htm". Just one of those little computer things that can drive you crazy.

I added a picture of Tea Leoni to the error page in hopes she would grab peoples attention more than just "404 Error".

The top image is a new Stardot Netcam, a much better picture. Bottom image is the old Axis camera that now also does streaming video.

[SIKSUKR]

Very cool BI.Thanks so much for the cams.I love em.

[Gilly 20]

Originally Posted by Sandy Beach

I can view the Bear Island streaming cam OK and I love it, same with the Winnisquam Marine cam. The new beta Weirs Stream cam is the one I can't see. It locks up my computer. I have a high speed connection but run an older and slower computer with an older version of windows.

I use Internet Explorer and have the latest updates from the Microsoft site installed.

I'm sure it will take me weeks to find the simple 2 minute fix .

Well- from another computer dummie. I am getting the Bear Island Cam, but lost the link for the Winnisquam cam. Can somebody help me-- I'm in debt up to my eyebrows-- LOL ( tv commercial)

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

FWIW, the Merrymeeting camera is also an streaming Axis camera. Do you see the same issues there?

Yes.

Deleted the AxisCam ActiveX control on my system today and tried your webcam, without success. It needs the ActiveX control installed on the viewer's computer to be viewed, same as Winnisquam Marine webcam.

Also tried Bear Islands webcams and both work, since he made the change and the ActiveX control is no longer needed.