CE4 Video Input for WiFi Cameras
 

Would like to use my Coastal Explorer 4 video inputs with a wireless battery operated wifi camera like the Netgear Arlo. I have a standard wifi router on board that I have connected to a desktop computer running Win7. I use the router connected to the computer and a long distance wifi receiver. Is this possible? How would I go about configuring such a system? Other equipment needed? I want a rear view camera and 2 engine room cameras to view on CE4. Anybody able to help me with this?

122 people looked at this post but nobody knows anything about how to do this??????

Most wifi cameras don't use bnc cabling since they are IP cameras. Get a cheap tablet as the camera screen. Or switch to analog cameras that use bnc cabling.

So are you saying that my wifi router will not interface with the Netgear Arlo cameras?

Your arlo cameras are IP cameras and interface to a network switch. Any laptop, pic, or tablet can view the cameras with an app. Your CE4 display has BNC connectors if I understood correctly. The BNC connectors are for NTSC video like the old analog cameras used, with max resolution being CIF. About 320x400 resolution. Most ip cameras are far higher resolution, but use Ethernet or wifi to deliver the video.

Thanks. Now could you repeat that in English?? I have learned from CE that the video input requires cameras that support MotionJPEG format or MJPEG for short. The Arlo cameras use proprietary protocols that only work with their software. So that's out. What I want is to use wireless battery operated cameras. CE generally uses Axis cameras and video servers. Unfortunately they are hard wired cameras. Is there not some way I can pick up the camera video via wifi?

Sorry, I slipped back into geekspeak...

wired cameras of old are NTSC analog cameras and that's what your display is looking for, I think...

Now you say CE works with Axis cameras, those are IP cameras (they talk over the internet). But then you say they talk to video servers... They are probably hooking the video inputs on the display to the server outputs using a coax BNC connector cable.

IP cameras are different and talk in packets (that's how youtube does it too). The other end has to catch all the packets and put it back into video.

Unless your display can talk to an IP camera, then it won't likely talk to your IP cameras. I recall somewhere seeing an IP to analog camera converter box but that's a waste.

Like I said initially, it would be simpler to dedicate a cheap tablet to be your cameras display, put 4 in a quad layout. An amazon Kindle Fire Hd tablet is under $100 and works over ethernet / wifi. Hook it to your on-boat wifi router and set up the camera IP addresses or names. There are lots of IP camera apps for android / kindle fire to choose from. It won't need internet per se, just Wifi from the tablet to the router and the cameras talk to the router via WiFi too. As long as they all talk, it's rolling.

That info came from the Coastal Explorer guys directly on their forum page where I asked them the same question.

What display model? Rosepoint website says it works with some IP cameras, so perhaps. Send me the models and I'll do a bit of digging. I know MotionJPEG is a Mobotix standard but Arlo cameras don't use that chipset.

Using this on a std desktop PC and monitor

First question I have is:

Can you see your arlo camera(s) underway?

Since they are cloud based cameras, not having WiFi underway will probably drop their link to the cloud and most cloud based cameras are set up where you connect to the cloud to view the video.

I have not seen one yet that will allow direct access without the Internet / Cloud being in the middle, once it is a cloud camera, always a cloud camera...

What you need is a camera that you can access directly.

I do not have any cameras just yet. I do have wifi under way. I have an onboard wifi router.

From what I read on the arlo cameras, it appears that they are like the DropCam / NestCam cameras and those require the cloud services to operate. Every image they capture is sent to the cloud for storage (temporary - limited duration) and to see any image off any camera, your app has to connect to the cloud to view them...

Best thing I would say now is that you should contact Rose Point for recommendations on cameras. That way this whole conversation is moot.

Ok I'm still confused. If these cameras use an IP address, is it not possible to connect them to a standard desktop computer? What happens if your internet access goes down at home? You still have your cameras working with connection to your WiFi and desktop. Correct? Never had IP cameras before so I'm not sure about this. I do not have to use the CE program to display. Maybe I could use another software program and display the videos on the desktop monitor outside of the CE program??

Cloud cameras connect to your internet (wired or wireless) to get to their cloud. Your computer has to go back to the cloud to get it. Once you leave the dock and lose your internet connection, nothing happens... :)

What you need is either a cabled camera that is compatible to your display, or an IP camera that is compatible to your display. So you need to know what your display will work with.

Ok I get it now. Thanks. Sometimes we non-IT folks are a little slow on the uptake. Thanks for your help.