Webcams for conferencing, security and other purposes by N. Collier, Publisher.

N. Collier, Publisher

We Provide Webcams and Webcasting.

We can provide webcam services for your website or private broadcast. There are several types of webcam services available, each with particular advantages and disadvantages.
In the example below, still photos are pulled from the auction house video feed into a laptop where the image is processed. The image is then sent via a WiFi wireless link to the house network and relayed to the website through the DSL line. This is repeated at whatever interval is set in the programming. An applet on the viewer's computer pulls the images from the website at intervals. Shuffling the image around can sometimes create a lag of several minutes, but there is little traffic on the DSL line, which must be available to provide online bidding updates. We combine this applet with the Ebay applets to provide realtime bidding info and nearly live house views. A thousand viewers can be online and not slow down our local DSL speed.

When available, this feed comes from Flomaton Auction

Another method we have used gives the viewer direct access to that laptop. This requires a fixed IP address, which can cost more from your ISP, but the photo updates can go much faster. This is great if you do not have many viewers or if you have warp-speed internet connection. If your website hosting price is based on metered service, those pictures being pulled directly from the computer at the camera are not counted against your website quota!

Yet another method employs streaming to provide true- or near-video rate images and sound. Because of processing, this is still not quite live, but pretty close. This can be done on ordinary dialup if you have only one viewer and have low resolution settings. To serve many viewers with high quality feeds you can use a relay server service. With ordinary connections, this type of cam is good for company broadcasts and teleconferencing.

Webcams do not necessarily have to be public or even be related to a website. For home or office security, a webcam can allow you to view the camera from anywhere in the world. Both live and archived pictures can be made available.

Ask us about your webcam needs.

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