View Security Cameras & Playback Recorded Video Surveillance from Android App
MobileCMS is the Android security camera app used to access iDVR-E video surveillance DVRs. This mobile app lets users remotely view their security cameras from Android phone and tablet devices. It also lets users perform other DVR functions such as playing back recorded video surveillance footage from the DVR's hard drive, control pan tilt zoom cameras, and even turn video recording on and off on the DVR.
This article will familiarize Android users with the user interface, functions, and controls built into the app. There is also a video demo further down on this page.
Video Surveillance DVRs
The MobileCMS app for Android is designed to work with iDVR CCTV and HD CCTV DVRs from CCTV Camera Pros. The app supports current and legacy iDVR models. The above image will help users identify the DVR models that the app works with. The top image is the first generation iDVR-E. The middle image is the current iDVR-E which is a hybrid DVR that works with analog CCTV cameras and also HD security cameras (AHD CCTV). The bottom DVR is the legacy D1 realtime iDVR-RT16. Users with multiple DVR locations can access all of their DVRs from the app and can have a mix of both current and legacy models.
Android App Controls
The above screenshots show the live camera viewing screen of the app on the left and the DVR list on the right. The main UI controls are noted with orange, blue, green and red rectangles.
Screen Layout - users can tap to select single camera, 4 camera, 9 camera, and 16 camera grid views. 16 camera option is not shown because an 8 channel DVR was used to capture the screenshot.
DVR Controls - this section contains various functions to control the DVR.
Search - opens the recorded video search and playback screen so users can view video recorded on the DVR's hard drive.
Capture - takes a screenshot of the camera(s) currently displayed on the screen and gives users the option to share the picture via emails or social media services such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and any other service configured on the device.
PTZ - opens the pan tilt zoom controls to move PTZ cameras.
OSD - enables / disabled the onscreen display for your cameras. For example, you can display / overlay the camera name and recording status of each camera on the screen.
Control - turn video recording on / off on the DVR.
Two Way - enable the two-way audio function.
DVR Selector - the app lets you configure connections to multiple DVRs. Users can tap on the other DVRs and virtual DVR views that are configured. When tapped, the app connects to that DVR and switches the live view to that location / DVR.
DVR / Virtual DVR Setup - the Add Device and Add Virtual Device options pop-up on the main DVR list screen when the user taps on the Android menu button / icon on their device. The add device option lets users configure a DVR for the app to connect to. The virtual DVR / Device option is only available in the paid version of the MobileCMS app (MobileCMS Pro). The add virtual device lets users configure a "virtual DVR" that consists of cameras from multiple DVRs that are configured in the app.
For example, say a business has 3 different locations that all have iDVR surveillance systems installed. The owner can create a virtual DVR view consisting of 3 cameras from each location. Then the business owner can select to connect to the virtual DVR and choose the 9 camera grid view in the app to see the cameras at all 3 locations.
Android Tablet Security Camera App
The MobileCMS Android app is also designed for tablet devices. The above image shows the live security camera view on 9" Android Nexus tablet. You can see that the layout and controls are exactly the same as a phone. All functions and features that are available on phones also work on tablets. Notice that on tablet devices, the app also works in landscape mode.
Android App Live Camera View
The above video demonstrates the live security camera viewing via the iDVR mobile app for Android. The app also supports the ability to search and playback video surveillance footage that has been recorded to the DVR's hard drive. Although we do not yet have a video demo for video playback on Android, you can see recorded video playback on iOS app here. It works exactly the same on Android. You can also refer to the below screenshots which document video playback on Android.
Android App Recorded Video Surveillance Playback from DVR
The above screenshots show how to playback video that has been recorded to a DVR's hard drive using the app. Here is how it works.
When a user taps on the "Search" icon in the app, a calendar is displayed. The screen on the left shows this. The red dot below the day notes the days that have recordings.
When the user taps on a day, the time screen is displayed. The screen in the middle shows this. The user can tap on an hour block, then use the minute slider to locate the exact minute where they want to begin video playback. Thumbnails of the recorded video are displayed in the three video boxes below the slider.
When the user taps on a video thumbnail, the playback screen opens and the recorded video surveillance footage begins to play. This is shown on the screen on the right.
The user can play the video in forward and reverse at normal speed and fast speeds using the player controls located below the video screens. The user can also switch between single and multiple camera layouts.
To exit playback mode, the user can tap on the "X" in the upper right of the playback controls.
If you do not currently have an iDVR-PRO and would like to log in to the demo unit at our office, please request a demo login below. You will be able to log in from iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices. You can also log in from Macintosh and Windows computers. Please click here to request a demo login.
Complete Security Camera Systems
Did you know? CCTV Camera Pros can provide a complete security camera system quote that includes a hybrid iDVR-E surveillance DVR, any number of cameras SD and HD video surveillance cameras you need plus cables, connectors, power supplies, and monitors? As you have probably already seen on our website, we have 2, 4, 8, and 16 camera surveillance systems in pre-made packages. However, it is not possible for us to package up every combination and quantity of all the different camera models that we carry. So, we can also provide you with a custom quote with as many cameras as you need and a mix of any combination of camera model(s) based on your project requirements.
About the Author
This article was written by Mike Haldas, co-founder and managing partner of CCTV Camera Pros. If you have any questions about the mobile app for iDVR or anything else related to video surveillance equipment, please email me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net.
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