GrandTec Capture Card

[jrfuda]

I have one of these:

http://www.automatedoutlet.com/product.php...6&cat=24&page=1

(info also available here: http://www.grand.com.tw/en/product_form.as...Guard&lwk_page= , here: http://www.grandtec.com/4portuse.htm and here: http://www.grandtec.com/xguard.htm )

During my initial research, I though that the video streams would be accesable via a web browser, but they are only accessible via their client program (I think I may have confused the card with an older product of theirs: http://www.grand.com.tw/en/product_form.as...e-070&lwk_page= which is viewable via a browser and accesable to third-party apps )

So far, the card performs as expected and the included server software is OK (less the above limitations). I tried to access the card from WebCamXP, but all it gives me is a blue screen. (not a BSOD, just a blue screen in the WebCamXP preview window)

I wrote the company to see if there is any way for third party apps to access the camera feeds and/or if there is an SDK that one of you gurus could use to make things work.

Anyone else have one? Anyone got it to work with anything other than the included server and client software?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

John:

Try viewing the WebCamXP window via the Homeseer webrowser. In other words, do not use the native WebCamXP port and its internal web page to view your camera, rather create an HTML page for the Java, Java Script, or Flash (whatever you chose) and drop that into the Homeseer HTML directory and try to view via that webrowser address.

I had problems in the past with WebCamXP's native page, but have always had my Flash and Java Scripts work via Homeseer webpage custom pages.

 

[electron]

I don't think this card supports WDM (I look at these before), so it probably isn't compatible with most software out there. I was hoping to find one with 4 inputs where each input shows up as a WDM device so I can have webcam software monitor each 'channel' for activity with seperate preferences.

 

[jrfuda]

BSR, it's not an issue with the webpage, I think E hit the nail on the head - becuase the seperate inputs don't show up under wdm, just the entire card. I can see my USB cameras fine

By the way, if you have not tried the latest WebCamXP Beta, it is awesome! You get a lot more control and the interface is easier to use... I also think the "built-in" webpage issue (where WebCamXP would post the incorrect WAN IP in the html code it generates) is resolved.

Hopefully the GrandTec folks will have some sort of SDK that will let one of y'all make this work :blink: (since I wouldn't know where to start). I think a little activex dealy that loads through your browser (like I've had to install when viewing other folks webcams) would be great.

E, I don't know about compatability, but the older card I referenced above ( http://www.grand.com.tw/en/product_form.as...e-070&lwk_page= ) is supposed to have each individual video input recognized by windows, unfortuneately, it looks like it is Win 98/Me only ...But then again, so is my scanner, and it works perfectly in XP!

 

[electron]

Are you considering buying that one? I have seen that card before, but usually when they say a video card works in 98 only, it really won't work in XP, but would love to be proven wrong. The only other thing I can think of is using external USB 2.0 tuners, but that can get rather pricey.

 

[Skibum]

Big E

Look to Winnov (www.winnov.com ) for the card that you want. Notice the 4 separate decoder chips. 30 FPS each channel, simultaneously. .. but be sitting down when you see the price.

 

[electron]

$599 for the Video Only card, damn lol. I couldn't find any info regarding WDM, I assume this means it isn't supported? For that price I probably could buy a few external USB 2.0 tuner/inputs, if it does support WDM then the price is reasonable considering I haven't any other products offering the same features.

 

[jrfuda]

I've found a not too elegant work-around...

The latest version lets you stream from the Desktop, meaning it sort of gives you a non-interactive remote desktop (you can see what's going on but can't do anything) Maybe good for seeing what your kids are doing on their PC

Anyway, you can also zoom and move the zoom box to only show the portion of the desktop you want, so, I can have WebCamXP stream my server's desktop, and as long as the GrandTec software is on top and I haven't moved the individual cams' windows, it works very well. Unfortunetely, I can only stream the desktop once, so I can zoom to show just one camera's display window or all 4.

If I don't get a response to my emails to both GrandTec.com.tw and GrandTec.com soon, I may have to return this bad boy. They have a quad processor that has a USB interface and is capable of being viewed via a browser. It's can also be output to 2 seperate monitors, and be controlled by IR if you want. Here's the link for it: http://www.grand.com.tw/en/product_form.as...-020&lwk_page=1 I think it retails for $299, but perhaps Martin could get it for a better price (He has their non-USB quad processor already for ~$160, I think).

 

[Skibum]

$599 for the Video Only card, damn lol.  I couldn't find any info regarding WDM, I assume this means it isn't supported?  For that price I probably could buy a few external USB 2.0 tuner/inputs, if it does support WDM then the price is reasonable considering I haven't any other products offering the same features.

It is WDM. I personally use the 1 port solution, but I have sold the 4 porter.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

John:

I would love to try the latest version of WebCamXP but man, that price is a killer considering I purchased mine for $35 less than two years ago.

Is it THAT much better than the older version (new features worth the price, which I believe is well over a C-Note now)?

I wrote to the author (around the time I did my "How-to" on integrating WebCamXP with Homeseer's Webserver) and he was not interested in giving HA applications any break on the price.

I think I (non-intentionally) made this guy a few bucks as a LOT of views occured on that How-to, I even provided him a link to it, but he didn't budge. Sort of left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

If I didn't already know how to integrate WebCamXP (my original older version) with Homeseer I would look into VisionGS. I believe electron uses this and I have also played with this software and was very impressed with it. I don't know what the price tag is now though.

I love WebCamXP and also really like the features that it has mainly with creating thumbnail images of screen captures without any programming required, but I believe Vision GS has this also.

 

[jrfuda]

BSR, The license you have doens't work with the latest versions? I though the license was for the current and all future versions of the same level.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Its my understanding that when I purchased WebCamXP that it included updates for one year only. After that you have to purchase the package again (at full price, they don't even offer an upgrade price).

I may be incorrect on this as I have not played around with that program in a while.

 

[jrfuda]

Thanks to this post: http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showto...findpost&p=6702 I tried the universal WDM and they worked. I installed all the GrandTek software.

WebCamXP can access the card both through WDM and DirectX, but I prefer WDM, because it lets me go to 640x480, whereas DirectX only goes to 320x240 (other options are there, but they generate errors).

The only bad thing, is that I can only access one of the 4 composite ports a a time. All 4 are listed, and through some right-clicking I can change ports - and they all work. It would have been great if I could see all 4 inputs simultaneously. I wonted if I could somehow get girder to do the switching for me so I can turn the card into a poor-mans quad processor.