Multiple wifi / blutooth cameras with windows 10

[jsgrossk]

We were hoping to have a few cameras setup around one of our mfg machines and control with obs. I cannot seem to find any wifi/bluetooth cameras that will work with win10 and obs to make this happen (tried a gopro, no luck). Anyone do this and have any suggestions?

 

[FerretBomb]

Please note that OBS is not meant for use as a security or monitoring system. There are other software packages that are far more suited-for-purpose in that regard.

OBS relies on having video inputs that adhere to the UVC standard. If they show up as 'webcams' in Discord, Skype, Zoom et al, then OBS should be able to receive them as sources.

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Anyone do this and have any suggestions?

I'd start with looking into Bluetooth (BT) bandwidth limitations and compare that to typical video bitrates. Short version.. unless doing real low bandwidth, I wouldn't expect to use BT for video. For cameras that use BT, that is usually so you can monitor camera from smartphone (for framing/composition). The full resolution video recording is NOT sent over BT (it won't fit real-time)

When it comes to WiFi, you need to consider which generation you are on, and whether both Access Point and Clients supporting MU-MIMO, or not. Older/earlier generations of WiFi are like a walkie-talkie, so streaming over that, especially from multiple device... yea, only with a superbly engineered and monitored environment (doable, but for a reliable setup it won't be cheap). WiFi for real-time communication is the wrong tool for the job, especially at the higher bandwidth of video
- if you think/ask, but what about streaming video from Netflix, etc - that is where client side caching comes into effect to mask WiFi jitter issues. Similar high compression and adjustable bitrate algorithms (most proprietary) are in web conferencing software.
- If you are thinking WiFi security cameras, think low fps and lower bitrate

Then, consider if you expectation is around security footage type setup (and can greatly reduce bitrate by dropping fps and resolution/image quality) or if you are planning QA checks or similar and need high resolution? IF you need higher resolution (4k?) as you plan automation or other quality checks from video footage, then I wouldn't bother with WiFi, you'll just be chasing issues too much to be worthwhile. Personally, I'd used wired (Ethernet based) cameras [then again, I understand networking well, ymmv]. If latency an issue, then get NDI cameras. otherwise RTSP based may suffice... depends on use case

In my case, I have a NDI PTZ camera and the vendor has a VirtualUSB driver that takes the low-latency NDI video feed and makes it appear as a USB attached video camera to the Operating System (and OBS). There are other approaches for NDI and RTSP video receiving on OBS PC.

so that was the long answer - summarized as "can you use wireless cameras? yes. Should you? probably not"

 

[jsgrossk]

This isn't for security. We sell large machines to food packaging industry and a lot of times they want to do a teams meeting and see the machine running. So we walk around the machine with a camera. We thought it would be really nice to place two or three cameras around the machine and then do a virtual cam through teams and just pick with camera they are seeing.

 

[DayGeckoArt]

I've never done it but you can use RTSP security cameras and record those with OBS but if you've never set such cameras up it's not easy.

There are also apps that turn a smartphone into a virtual webcam that works over wifi

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

For fixed placement cameras, go wired if practical (and be prepared for lots of challenges if you don't)
Or, the smartphone as webcam also works, though beware the shaky hand potential and remote viewing. A smartphone acting as webcam, attached to a monopod works nicely