US Relay's Webcam Blog

Web Attraction – Live network cameras at Theme Parks

Imagine visiting your favorite roller coaster with out leaving the house? How about taking a live in real time trip down the Grand Canyon’s Colorado river? Virtual tourism or live camera broadcasting is defining a new generation of travelers. Using public internet and a network camera, theme parks worldwide are able to broadcast live controllable video to cell phones, iPods, and laptops. With the peak of summer comes great vacations and time with family. Travelers considering a trip to amusement and theme parks can in a way “visit” before they commit to travel and time. One of the fastest growing trends throughout the world is deploying live cameras at these parks. Most online marketing managers are realizing the value in implementing this strategy because it makes sense.

Live cameras are one way to draw more visitors to both your destination and web site. Just one of the Florida’s popular parks is Gatorland which has seen a tremendous pick up in web traffic and a steady stream of visitors. The results have been realized with the use of eLiveStream service which allows visitors to have a live tour of the park with the use of live cameras with the highest level of security, frame rate, quality of service and user experience including video commercials and Ads. It’s a proven solution and provides high value to the visitor. Website analytics tool shows that the live camera page is the hands down most popular page once the camera goes live. Our experience has shown that when deciding what camera to choose- always go with the highest quality you can afford remember this is your parks window to the world a professional presentation pays dividends with traffic numbers and the users online experience. The advantages are numerous with offering a Pan tilt and zoom camera if done right the user controls are easy to navigate and very engaging. So if you want to capture the action of a roller coaster, or live gators then the use of Live Network cameras are the fastest growing trends – so tell your webmaster to keep his or her seatbelts fastened because the web traffic numbers are going to go through the roof.

Web Marketing with Live Cameras

One of fastest and most popular types of online marketing campaigns is through the use of live video cameras. Have you ever wanted to bring more visitors to your destination or website? The use of US Relay eLiveStream coupled with network cameras is one of the most effective tools to accomplish this goal or task.

In today’s advertising market everyone likes the idea of convenience. Wheither it’s checking out the surf or ski conditions prior to planning your trip. Now, we have network based cameras which are accessible remotely from the convenience of your home or if you’re on the road.

Statistically, we have seen traffic triple to some of the more popular sites once a live web cam has been deployed. Case in point, Squaw Valley saw a significant increase in traffic to the Ubercam which helped their online marketing campaign immensely. The average visit to any given site can be anywhere from 1-2 minutes. With the use of live cameras directly on your web page this time can double in terms of how long a visitor stays on your site.

To take things to the next level, there is another facet that needs to be incorporated. Simply, by incorporating a banner advertisement on your site can add value which is converted into cash. Another aspect is incorporating the banner right into the introduction screen which is a great seque into you live video feed. This helps maximize value and increased interest in your web site.

US Relay eLiveStream is one of the most advanced technologies when it comes to integrating video feeds into your web page using Flash streaming. Through the use of the slider controls on the frame you can now activate the PTZ controls with ease. To assist with the navigation PTZ cameras can now store up to 20 presets. This alone makes navigation that much easier for the viewer.

Construction Monitoring – Live Cameras at Job Sites

Live webcams are one of the fastest growing trends when it comes to construction monitoring. Some of the best applications for deploying this technology are provided by US Relay.com. Here are just a few steps and methods to get started.

The hardware is going to be the most important factors in putting together a robust solution. There are two options when it comes to cameras types – PTZ and Fixed.

Both work extremely well depending on what the scope of the work is. If you have a need to actually Pan and Zoom around a particular construction site then a PTZ camera would be the best option. If you’re building a bridge then a Fixed camera would be the ideal solution. Next, the enclosures are a very important component when it comes to protecting the camera from of the harsh elements. There are two types of power requirements either 12 VAC or 110 VAC which needs to be established. Dotworkz Systems has just released the new revolutionary D2 enclosure which is ideal for varied environmental conditions.

One of the more popular applications would be US Relay eLiveStream which provides live video broadcasting directly to the clients website. Next, would be record and archive video over the length of a given project using US Relay eArchive.

This video feed is captured and then burned onto a DVD, and can be played back to view a project from start to completion. Southern California Edison has deployed 5 cameras utilizing and utilizing the eArchive solution (www.sdlagoons.com) which is being used to monitor the San Dieguito Wetlands Restoration Project.

The advantage of utilizing IP based cameras is that you can access them remotely. We have some clients that prefer to have the general public access one camera, while the second camera is password protected, and only accessible for internal use. In terms of internet connections a static IP address with minimum uplink of 256k is required. The most popular internet connections would be DSL or a cable modem where you can get an uplink between 500k~2000k. A static IP is the preferred method in terms of security when compared to a dynamic connection. Also, there is the 900MHz and the 2.4GHz wireless systems. Both wireless systems work well once range and ‘line of sight’ has been established. One of our clients, Slayden Construction, has deployed one PTZ camera running through a DSL connection, and utilizing a 2.4 GHz solution for camera 2.

These technologies work well when properly deployed. It’s a great way to capture the construction of a given site, and helps engage the community when they can watch the progress remotely over the web.

Setting up a Successful Webcam

Have you ever wanted to view a webcam remotely over the web? If so, there are 3 important factors that need to be considered to establish a secure and successful setup.

Step 1:

The first important step is to establish a secure internet connection. A static IP address with an uplink of 256k minimum is the preferred method. The most popular internet connections would be DSL or a cable modem where you can get an uplink between 500k~2000k. A static IP is the preferred method in terms of security when compared to a dynamic connection.

Step 2:

The physical components of the system include an IP camera, internet connection, and a router or modem. There are two types of camera options: PTZ or Fixed.

The most popular offering would be the PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) camera which allows you to not only pan over and view an object, but zoom with great accuracy. A fixed camera works great if you are viewing a smaller fixed area, and does not require a large spectrum view.

Step 3:

Setting up such a system is relatively straightforward. The camera is connected to a DSL or cable modem, and then the video stream can be managed by our eLiveStream provided by US Relay. It’s a re-broadcasting service which can be deployed remotely over the web utilizing our reflective service. It’s a great way to promote both your destination and draw more traffic to your site. Below is a snapshot of the video feed within a custom flash frame which is placed right into your web page.