Vitamin D Video Reference Guide

• Select your camera model
• Enter the IP address you used to set up your camera.
  • You can find this information in the configuration website or software you used to set up your camera.
  • Do not type "http://" before the IP address.
  • If you have set up a plain English name for your camera (using what is called a DNS hostname), you can enter that text instead of the IP address.
  • If you have changed the port assignment of your camera, enter the new port number in the Port box. This is most likely if you have set up port forwarding or advanced network management. If not, leave this box blank (the default value is 80).
• Enter the user name and password that you currently use to access your camera into Vitamin D Video. (This is not for the creation of a new user name and password.)

• Select "Other."
• Enter the URL to access the video stream of your camera. Note that this is not the URL used to access the configuration website of your camera, but a special link to access the actual video coming from your camera.
  • Protocol. This refers to the beginning part of the URL, either HTTP or RTSP.
  • IP address. This is the IP address of your camera on your network.
  • If you have changed the port assignment of your camera, enter the new port number in the box labeled HTTP port or RTSP port. This is most likely if you have set up "port forwarding" or advanced network management. If not, leave this box blank (the default value is 80).
  • Stream path. This is part of the URL that contains specific information to access a specific type of video stream. For example, network cameras often support multiple types of compression standards. Typing a different stream path specifies which compression format to use (see advanced tip below).
    • For cameras in the camera type list, this string is appended for you (and therefore not shown). For example, if you select the D-Link 920 and enter the IP address 10.0.1.1, the actual URL used is http://10.0.1.1/video.cgi.
    • To find this string, you can try searching for the camera model's name, "url" and "mjpeg" or "mpeg4" in a search engine. Vitamin D has researched and tested numerous camera URL strings, but there are many more to add. Also some camera manufacturers are reluctant to make this information widely available.
    • You will typically find the URL string described in a format like "http://<your ip address>/mjpeg." The text "<your ip address>" refers to your specific IP address as described above. Type the "/mjpeg" part into the Stream path text box, like this:
      
      
    • Advanced tip: MPEG4 generally takes less bandwidth than MJPEG, but the MPEG4 streams for certain cameras have been found to generate video playback issues. This is because MPEG4 keeps one out of every several frames and programmatically fills in the frames in between. MJPEG, on the other hand, keeps and compresses every frame, which is less efficient but sometimes more reliable than MPEG4. On the other hand, MPEG4 streams typically take more processing power on your computer. So you may need to experiment to find best results.
• Enter the user name and password that you currently use to access your camera into Vitamin D Video. (This is not for the creation of a new user name and password.)

If the text "Could not connect" appears instead of a video image, that means Vitamin D Video could not access your camera.

• The camera may be rebooting. In that case, the image may reappear after 30 seconds or so.
• You can click the link in the middle of the screen that says view your camera from your browser. This launches your default browser and attempts to find the configuration website of your camera.
  • If you can connect to the website, that means that the settings are correct and your camera is working properly, but Vitamin D Video cannot access it. The most common cause might be that the user name or password entered in the previous screen is incorrect. Otherwise, it might be an intermittent network problem, where clicking Back and Next to retry the connection might work. Or it could be some random state where rebooting the computer and trying again will work.
• If you cannot connect to the website, that suggests the problem is somewhere between the camera and the network, such as:
  • The camera is not powered on or is malfunctioning.
  • Note that your computer needs to be on the same network as your camera. If you set up your camera on a laptop and took the laptop to a different location outside the range of your Wi-Fi network, you will not be able to see your camera (even if you have Internet access on that computer using a different Wi-Fi network).

• Where do I put my cameras?
  • Most cameras cover a relatively narrow angle (e.g., less than 60 degrees). If you want to cover the entire outside of your house, for example, you'll find that with blind spots you could easily need 6 to 8 cameras. An alternate approach might be to set up cameras inside of your house, in common areas or where valuable items are. To protect privacy, you can set the internal cameras to record when people aren't around, or when you go on vacation.
  • If you want to scan general activity, such as when gardeners are in your backyard, you might want to put the camera in a second story window looking for a wider view. Be aware, however, that people in the distance are more likely to be labeled as unknown objects.
    
  • If you want to get the best shot of a person's face (e.g., to identify intruders), it is best to mount the camera at eye level. If you mount it higher, a baseball cap can shield a face.
    
  • If you are interested in security for your office or retail location, a few specific options are listed below. Also, there is a video tutorial on this topic..
    • Place it at entrance points where people may break in.
    • Place it on a door to a room containing valuable items, e.g., a stockroom.
    • Point it directly at a cash register or safe.
    • Point it outside to cover an area where you are concerned about vandalism.
    • Place it in a location where people are likely to walk through to get to areas where valuables are kept.
• How to get the best results. If you can place the camera in a well-lit area where you can see the entire person, your results should be very good. The following are categories of problems that can affect recognition:
  • Poor light. If you want to use the system at night, it won't recognize people outside of well-lit areas. Leaving a porch light on, for example, will increase accuracy.
    
  • Dark shadows and low contrast. If it's possible, avoid areas where a person will blend into the background, e.g., pointing it against a wall rather than under shady trees.
  • Parts of people covered up.
    • When people pass behind objects like trees or table, they appear to be split into smaller objects, which can be difficult to detect.
    • Accuracy is best if the full figure is visible for as long as possible. For example, the camera may be at an angle where people passing through are partially cut off through most of the clip. Repositioning the camera can eliminate many of these problems.
    • If people are too close to the camera, and large parts are out of the frame, it may be difficult to detect them accurately.
  • Trees and branches. Swaying branches and shifting leaves in bushes can be picked up as objects or even people. Sometimes pointing the camera towards the lawn can crop out problem parts. A branch near the camera may be detected as an object if the hard edges of the leaves sway in the wind.
  • Reflections. Windows or water surfaces near streets can reflect headlights that may appear to be objects. If you have a camera inside a window pointing out, you may get reflections from the inside. Try to place the lens flush against the glass if possible.
  • Overhead angles. The software has not been trained with overhead views, so pointing a camera straight down on someone will not generate good results.