Howto: get your WVC54G to stream to your Mac
Linksys has always been notoriously unfriendly to non-Windows media formats in their video cameras, such as the wireless WVC54G. This camera by default streams in MPEG-4, which cannot be watched with Safari or Firefox, thus making the thing a Windows/IE-only proposition. Until now.
I’ve found a commented out code in the “Image” settings page of the camera, which allows changing the stream format to MJPEG, which can be shown by Firefox:
<br />
<tr>
<td bgcolor=”#9292da” class=”sp”>Image Type: </td>
<td>MPEG-4</p>
<select name=”videotype” size=”1″ onChange=”typeChange()”>
<option value=”mpeg4″>MPEG-4</option><br />
<option value=”mjpeg”>Motion JPEG (MJPEG)</option><br />
</select>
</td>
<p>
Now, why would Linksys disable such a simple setting, which would make its camera compatible with a much larger audience? Who knows.
In any case, the trick to changing the camera to MJPEG is to paste this URL into your browser (after you have logged into the camera’s config pages):
http://X.X.X.X/adm/file.cgi?h_videotype=mjpeg&this_file= image.htm&next_file=image.htm&todo=save& message=&video_file=image.cgi%3Fnext_file%3D main_fs.htm
but replacing the X.X.X.X with your own camera’s IP address. Once MJPEG has been enabled, you can change the resolution and other settings using the web-based options. To change back to MPEG-4, just replace mjpeg with mpeg4 in the URL. Note that I’m using the latest firmware (2.11), this may not work with older versions.
Stroke of genius, my WVC54g has been collecting dust until I just stumbled upon this. Work like a charm.
Work like a charm. But it would be very nice if Audio and e-mail Alert also are available becouse with changing to mjpeg this is no possible any more…
best regards from germany
you are a god – another camera saved from the bin!
Nik
The following url works:
http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/img/image.cgi?next_file=javamain.html
Replace the X.X.X.X with your own camera’s IP address
Marc
ciao…mine doesn’t work!!! were i’d go wrong?
@Sirio: Copy the link and paste it to your browsers adress field. Then delete the spaces (4?). Now it should work.
Note that before doing that, you MUST have logged in as admin before… by clicking on the Setup link, for example.
never worked in my camera ..i pasted as recomended:
http://……/adm/file.cgi?h_videotype=mjpeg&this_file=%20image.htm&next_file=image.htm&todo=save&%20message=&video_file=image.cgi%3Fnext_file%3D%20main_fs.htm
and got no secreen to change mjpeg…