This iOS app lets users remotely view the security cameras from iPhone and iPad devices. It also lets users perform other DVR functions such as playing back video that has been recorded to the DVR's hard drive, control PTZ cameras, and even turn recording on and off on their DVR.
This article will familiarize customers with the user interface, functions, and controls built into the app. There are also some demo videos further down on this page.
Video Surveillance DVRs
The MobileCMS app for iOS is designed to work exclusively with
iDVR surveillance DVRs from CCTV Camera Pros. It works with current and legacy iDVR models. The above image will help users identify the DVRs that this app will work 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.
iPhone App Controls
The above screenshot shows the live camera viewing screen of the app. The main UI controls are noted with
orange, blue, and red rectangles.
Screen Layout - users can tap to select single camera, 4 camera, 9 camera, and 16 camera grid views.
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 email 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 on-screen 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.
There are two others controls worth mentioning. In the upper left, there is a home icon. Tapping on this brings the user to the DVR configuration screen (screenshot below in next section) where connection information for additional DVRs can be added and existing ones modified. In the upper right, there is an icon with diagonal arrows. This hides the app controls and puts the security camera view in full screen.
Virtual DVR Setup
There is one feature that is only available in the paid version of the MobileCMS app (MobileCMS Pro): virtual DVR support. The above screenshot shows the device list / DVR setup screen. When the user taps on the plus sign in the upper right to add a DVR, they are presented with two options in the MobileCMS Pro version: Add Real Device and Add Virtual Device. The add virtual device lets users configure a "virtual DVR" that consists of different 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.
iPad Security Camera App
The MobileCMS iOS app is also designed for iPad. The above image shows the live security camera view on an iPad. You can see that the layout and controls are exactly the same as iPhone. All functions and features that are available on iPhone also work on iPad.
Portrait & Landscape View
The app supports both portrait and landscape views on iPhone and iPad.
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 CCTV Systems
Did you know? CCTV Camera Pros can provide a complete surveillance system quote that includes a hybrid iDVR-E surveillance DVR, any number of cameras SD and
HD CCTV 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 iPhone security camera app for iDVR, please email me at mike@cctvcamerapros.net.
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