Best Apps/Software for IP Cameras?

[paulrockliffe]

I've just bought a Foscam IP camera to play with, I wanted it to replace a baby monitor, but if it doesn't work it'll go in my workshop and get used there.

Anyone got any recommendations for Android Apps? I've got Owlr to start with, but it's a bit faffy compared to just turning on the baby monitor, so the wife is going to complain. With Owlr you have to turn on phone, open App, select camera, then press the mic button to get the sound. When you turn the screen off the sound goes off and you have to start again. I need something that will run with the screen off and ideally with widget controls.

I'd also like to add a motion detection and recording on my PC to monitor this camera, though primarily some others if I get it all working nicely. Any recommendations for that?

Finally, are there any Firestick apps so I can add it to the TV too?

Cheers!

[paulrockliffe]

Thanks, I got Blue Iris setup last night and it looks pretty good. I've not really explored it yet but it seems packed with stuff, so I'm sure it'll work great. I have the PC out in the workshop and I've a spare monitor and monitor output so I'll get that on the wall for CCTV duties. I'll be loads more productive now I can get outside while son no.1 is still getting himself to sleep!

I can use Remote Desktop too, but I doubt that'll be great for use as a Baby Monitor. I did discover yesterday that if I go into split-screen on my phone I can then turn the phone off without it losing the sound from OWLr, so that might work fine for me.

I'll have a look at that phone App later though as the Wife doesn't have split-screen Android yet.

I can use ChromeCast from my PC to get the video to my other TVs if I need that, so less urgency to find something for my Firestick.

Eventually I'll add some more cameras to the network, any ideas at what point the video will start to cause network issues? Could I run 4 1080p cameras over a 1 gig hard wired network without everything starting to slow down for example?

[paulrockliffe]

Thanks, that's great stuff. I have a HP Microserver, but it's a few years old now and wasn't very powerful to begin with, so I'll make a note to get a separate box when I have more cameras rather than risking Game of Thrones stuttering! Actually, I have a spare HTPC that would work fine I think.

I don't need always-on on the PC at the moment, so I can just have that on when I'm outside, or file recording either. I think my camera set itself up on Blue Iris at 10fps, but that might be the limit of the camera, it was just a cheap older model to test so isn't HD etc.

By the sounds of it to record 5 or so cameras using motion-only would work OK with a 1Tb hard drive, so something to consider, but not a huge problem. Is it possible to setup a file size limit and culling rules to automatically delete video with the aim to retain as much as possible?

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