What Is The Purpose Of Your Webcam Hosting Service?

Our hosting service is designed so you can easily stream smooth live video and audio sources e.g. Webcams and Microphones over the Internet at high quality or even HD and re-broadcast the feed to multiple simultaneous viewers in your own web pages. 

By using the service there is a minimum load placed on your own Internet connection and its extremely easy to set up as all the hard work is done by the Camsecure Media Servers for you. So no matter how many simultaneous users you have connected (subject to your chosen plan) they will all receive a smooth live feed with no affect on your own Internet connection. See the webcam hosting features for the various plans here.

Sounds Good - How Does It Work?

Our live streaming service works by taking a feed directly from your IP camera, plug and play IP camera or from a PC webcam via our software or other software encoder and then feeding it to one of our dedicated media servers. The system then converts the incoming feed into all the different formats needed so modern computers and mobile devices can receive the stream. The servers are connected to super fast high bandwidth Internet Connections with high capacity links and these re-broadcast the stream to your viewers. The feed is buffered from your camera so small changes in speed are smoothed out so your viewers will see a nice smooth picture and no matter how many people are connected and it wont affect your own connection. The video is even converted for mobile use so your web site viewers on smart phones and tablets can still enjoy your camera.

For a full description of how our video streaming service works click here.

Can I Stream IP Cameras and USB Cameras with your service and what about microphones?

You can stream any IP camera that has RTSP streaming capability and H.264 compression, and you can stream any USB camera that is connected to a Windows PC or a MAC computer and even a Linux PC using a suitable software encoder. You can also stream selected capture cards in Windows and most USB capture devices. Therefore you can stream pretty much any video source you may have, and for Audio streaming you can use the Mic and Line In - inputs on your PC or MAC plus the built in microphone or microphone input jacks on your USB or IP device too. Now thats flexibility for you.

You can find our own selection of live stream compatible IP cameras here - and USB cameras here.

What are your Plug and Play IP cameras?

Our plug and play cameras are really neat. With these you simply fit the camera, power it up and plug it in to your router. Once this is done, the camera programs itself to work on your network and then automatically calls our media servers and sets up a connection. This takes a couple of minutes and then you are on line and ready to view your camera in your own website via the code we send you to insert in your own page.

What are the advantages of your plug and play cameras?

Well obviously the first one is you dont have to do any programming, the camera just connects to our service and works. Secondly as there is no port forwarding in your router, the camera is more secure as the connection is made out from your location rather than a request for data coming in through your firewall. then there is the fact that if you change your router or your ISP - no problem, plug the camera back in and it will work. plus, think if you move house, just take the camera with you, install it again, plug it in to your new connection and hey presto you are on line again.

Is there any IP based Hardware like cameras or webservers that are just plug and play with your system?

Yes. We already covered that in a previous answer but here it is again, if you buy one of our Plug and Play cameras, you just plug it in and it connects to our system. This is the easiest way to get an IP camera on line instantly to our services. You simply connect the cameras to your router, and power them up. Then after a few seconds your camera is streaming to our servers ready to be put into your own web pages.

They come pre-programmed with your account details, No router programming, no PC needed, simple as that. Just plug them in and stream - instantly.

I want to live stream an IP camera using RTSP......Whats That?

The Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is a network control protocol designed for use in entertainment and communications systems to control streaming to media servers. Our great streaming service can connect to hardware such as IP cameras which have this protocol in their operating system and communicate with them directly for a fast smooth streaming feed.

It may sound complicated but all it means for you is that provided your IP camera has RTSP streaming transport AND it has H264/H265 encoding and you have ticked the box in your cameras setup to enable it then we can connect and stream you camera through our servers.

Your service needs the originating camera to use H.264......Whats That? 

H.264 is an encoding system. Methods of compressing data so it takes up less bandwidth when transmitting the video audio source or storing it on a disc e.g. a Blue Ray disc. H.264 encoding is capable of providing good video quality at substantially lower bit rates than previous standards. H.264 is also very good for converting to different formats for use on todays ever growing array of portable devices such as phones and tablets. For this reason H264 is the best encoding method for converting to use on all devices.

Do I Need A Super Fast Upload From My Internet Connection?

NO. BUT we can only re-broadcast what we receive. So if you have a slow internet connection then you will still be able to get a live stream to us, but it wont be possible to get a real time 1080P HD stream to us to re-broadcast if your connection is very slow. We have customers with slow connections still broadcasting at 15 FPS with a 640 x 480 display which is pretty good. You can test your broadband upload and download speeds here..

But if you want to be able to stream fast video in HD then you will need a reasonable broadband connection. Remember all the load from having multiple viewers watching the camera is handled by the system, BUT the system cant re-broadcast what it does not receive in the first place.

As an example, if you have a standard copper broadband connection and have at least 800Kbps upload then you can get up to 12FPS at 720P resolution with a bit rate allowing pretty good quality. If you have 4Mbps upload or more available then you can get a full 1080P HD live stream at 25FPS using our HD IP webcams.

Depending on your camera type, it may also be possible to us H.265 coding and get even better performance from a low bandwidth connection too.

Will streaming a live webcam affect other services on my Internet Connection?

That depends on a few things. If you have a slow connection say only 800Kbps upload, and you are running a business with EPOS systems using the same broadband connection, then the camera resolution and speed will need to be set low enough to allow both systems to use the available upload bandwidth. If the same premises were on a fibre connection with a higher upload bandwidth then there will be more than sufficient available for an HD live stream plue EPOS systems using the same connection without one affecting performance of the other.

On a domestic installation the effect of a low upload bandwidth would be less important as most of the data flow in these circumstances is download e.g. watching films and browsing the net rather than uploading data like an EPOS system would.

Once again it all comes down to your broadband speed - but its always possible to set a happy medium on all but the very slowest of broadband connections.

Can I Stream from my Macintosh computer?

Yes. You can stream from your MAC using the free Flash Meldia Live Encoder from Adobe and you can also use other MAC applications too like Telestream Wirecast for MAC or VLC.

This software will allow you to stream from your MAC capture device or webcam exactly the same as if you were using a PC.

Here are sample screenshots of various encoders including FMLE and Wirecast for MAC, Just substitute the appropriate settings for your own account details which will be emailed to you when you sign up for a streaming plan.

Is the broadcast "as it happens" or is it delayed?

On our standard cross browser players, the re-broadcast will typically be 15 to 20 seconds behind the original transmission. This is because firstly the feed has to come from your camera, then it gets into the media servers, then the video is converted into formats that will show on computers phones and tablets, then the feed is buffered before finally being re-broadcast.

If you need very low latency then we also have a very low latency player which is not so compatible with mobiles but great for security use on a computer. Check out the players here.

Buffering is where we take the feed and hold it for a few seconds and add more to it. If there is a slight pause in the transmission from your camera due to low speed, poor quality connection etc. then the video which is resumed is added to the video already in the buffer before being re-transmitted. This helps smooth out a jittery feed a little but can only be effective up to a point, and if transmission to us is too erratic then there will still be jumps in the display.

Do I Need A Static IP Address?

NO. When you use our plug and play cameras the IP address is irrelevant as the connection to our system is made from the camera site to the servers - not the other way around.

When you are streaming from a PC all the connection and data routing is handled by the small piece of software you install on your PC. This program can run as a service, which means that it is always running as long as the computer is switched on and runs in the background. This makes the system very reliable and it cant be shut off by mistake. You can still use the computer for other things as normal.

If your streaming from a standard RTSP enabled IP camera direct to our system then we can arrange a remote login with you and program your router with a FREE Dynamic Name Lookup to go with your streaming account. This will do the same job as a static IP address so you dont have to make any special arrangements or pay extra to your ISP if you dont already have one.

Do I Need To purchase Software Then?

NO. If your using an IP camera, no software is neccessary and if its a USB webcam on a PC we provide you the software application FREE.

If you are using a MAC you can use the free FMLE software from Adobe to connect to the service and for both PC and MAC you can also use Telestream Wirecast or any other suitable program if you prefer to use something your already familiar with. If your not sure about a programs suitability just contact us and we will look into it for you.

I already use your Viewstream software, can I use this to stream to your service?

Yes - if you want to, but Viewstream was designed to allow easy streaming to Windows Media Players directly and with a fixed resolution. Basically a quick and very easy way to get you a local or remote stream up and running.

The besthod would be to use the FREE software you get with your PC streaming plan or use a third party encoder like Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder to publish the stream to our service and then you wont have to do any router programming and you wont need a static IP address etc.Plus you can benefit from your viewers being able to see your camera on mobiles and PC's and the MAC too without having to install windows media components.

But if you are already happy using Viewstream and just want the benefits of streaming to even more simultaneous viewers and still use this great little program then just give us your IP address and the port you are using Viewstream on and our servers will connect to it and stream your live video to all your viewers according to your plan. Remember though that Viestream is video only and standard resolution.

For High Resolution with Audio too and the ability to play the feed on any device use the FREE software supplied or a 3rd party H264 encoder..

Can I use other 3rd party software and encoders with your service such as Flash Live Media Encoder or VLC?

Yes. There are many other encoders and programs that you can use to stream your video audio feeds through our service.

If you want to use Flash Live Media Encoder (FLME) or Telestream Wirecast then sample configuration screens are shown here along with a list of software applications and encoders we have used. if you want to try a new one just let us know and we wil try to accomodate you.

Can I use Flash Live Media Encoder and stream in Multi Bit Rate so its compatible with mobile devices and slow connections?

Yes. You can use your Flash Live Media Encoder to stream to our services using Multi Bit Rate and then use our adaptive bit rate players in your web pages. you can read up on how to set you FLME for multi bit rate here. You can see the various player options available here.

Do I Need To Program My Router?

Yes and No.

Not if you are using our plug and play cameras, then you just plug them in.

Not if your using a USB camera and a PC or laptop, or if your using an IP camera running through our software on a local machine first or if you are using one of our Hardware Media Encoders then our system takes care of all the routing and connection process.

Yes - If you want to use a standard RTSP camera directly with your router which completely removes the need for a computer to be at the premises all the time, then we will arrange a remote login session with you and program your router for you or give you the information you need to do it yourself if you prefer.

So What Happens If I Change My ISP or Move House?

If you are using our Plug and Play cameras, nothing, just plug it all in again and you are good to go.

If your using our software on your PC then the system will automatically reconnect. Remember its all handled by the software and the system. As soon as you computer reconnects to the Internet from its new location or via its new ISP and modem / router, the system detects it within seconds and the new connection is established. Once again your ready to go.

If you are using a standard IP camera then you just need to let us know and we will arrange a remote login again and program it for you. There is no charge.

So Could I have A Mobile Connection Then?

Yes - Absolutely, the system will operate with broadband dongles so you can have a mobile live camera feed and take it on holiday, to your caravan, on a boating trip or even broadcast your local sporting event live from the field using a camera and a laptop or a net top or by using one of our plug and play cameras too. But if you wanted to use a 3rd party IP camera and a dongle you would need a special SIM from your ISP.

Could I Use Public WiFi Acces Points Or The WiFi At Work?

Yes. providing you have permission to do so and you have un-restricted Internet Access (no port or service blocking). Many public WiFi hotspots provide full speed and unlimited access, but some have upload and download limits which cut you off after a certain amount of time. But if you can find a good FREE wifi hotspot then you can stream via it using your mobile phone streaming package or your laptop just as if you were at home or work.

What Operating System Do I Need To Run The Streaming Software?

The Free software we supply will run on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. You need one of these operating systems in order to run our free streaming software to enable you to stream from a USB webcam, USB video source, fire wire video source or from a capture card.

If you want to stream from a Mac or Linux machine then you need an RTSP streaming program such as VLC which is free or Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder or Wirecast etc. You dont need any software to stream an IP camera directly to our service though as this can be fed directly to your router.

What Media Players Can I Use For My Website?

The best player to use would be our HTML5 player. This player will play your stream from us on Windows Mac and Linux computers and on mobile phones and tablets too directly in the player. If you need very low latency e.g. for a security camera viewer then we have a great low latency HTML5 player which can use some of our extra features like time shifted playback and we also have Web RTC players for the ultimate in low latency. We also provide a free Flash only player which is useful if you want to show your feed on older computers only or if you are planning on streaming the feed to a Smart TV or set top box which arent HTML5 compatible (yet). Flash is being discontinued on Google Chrome and some other browsers soon as it is old technology, but some people still need it so we continue to provide that option. If you really wanted to you can also set the stream up for windows media player - but for the very best in cross browser and cross operating system compatibility for your viewers your best bet is to use the HTML5 player. You simply copy and paste a line of code into your own page and your ready to go.

You can also use other commercial or free players too like Flowplayer or JW player to embed the feed in your website if you prefer.

Check out the various player options and demonstrations here.

Can I stream my camera to more than one web site?

Yes, but a stream is licensed for 1 x web site URL and its subdomains, e.g. mysite.co.uk - camera.mysite.co.uk - www.mysite.co.uk and so on. If you have more than one website domainof your own we can share the feed resource across both for free. If you want to broadcast to another completely different URL e.g. anotherpersonswebsite.com then you will need a separate (lower priced) additional subscription for that site too. When you pay for a feed you are subscribing for the resources you will be using. If you double or triple the URL's then you double or triple the resource requirements we need to provide. Any sites detected trying to use the stream in this way are blocked and in some circumstances we may have to suspend the stream. It is not permitted for another site to hot link directly to a stream feed and call it their own. This is fraudulent. It is only permitted to use our camera code for the feeds we provide and this way we can control service quality and security and provide updates to the player and service as required.

Imagine you have an Internet connection you are paying for and find out that others are using it for free - using your resource you pay for and freeloading off it. You would not be too happy with that and this is the same thing, taking data and resource from a service and not paying for it is wrong.

Our service is really cheap so its only fair you should pay for what you use.

What if I dont have a website and still want a live stream webcam?

No Problem! You can just use your demo page as your camera page if you like or we can put you on our camera roll for FREE so you can watch it on our site instead.

Can users see and hear the stream on a MAC or a Linux machine as well as Windows?

Yes, the player will run on MAC and Linux main stream browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari browsers and of course on Windows too on all main stream browsers including those already listed plus Edge, Internet Explorer, Brave and even mobiles too and users can see and hear your live stream on an Apple Mac or Linux machine just like on a Windows machine.

Can you see and hear the live feed on a mobile phone, tablet or Ipad? 

Yes using our recommended player and install code your player will run on mobile phones and tablets too. Its even "Responsive" so it will re-size automatically in responsive designed websites.

I am using a non mainstream browser that blocks all tracking and cookies and scripts and cross site device recognition and cant see your live feeds or those on other websites? 

Well no of course you cant. Our service provides live camera feeds for our use and for our customers own web sites. Customers are not charged for data only the number of simultaneous viewers looking at the camera on their site. The player we provide is loaded from our secure servers and automatically updated for security and extra features too as becomes necessary. So in order to know how many viewers are looking at a customers camera to ensure they have enough of our server resource available for their site we have to count the number of people connected to a stream. We also have to make sure that the camera is being viewed only from the correct web site and not being hijacked for use by a third party website using up the customers site data and ours without payng for it - which is data theft. The player is loaded from our secure servers so updates are automatic and seemless for our customers ensuring continued operation and security as technology progresses.

So for all these great features we have to monitor access to the feed and prevent hijackers and hackers from other sources. So if you use a browser (just for example Dissenter) which by default blanket blocks all cookies and scripts etc. then you will be blocking out our ability to identify your browsing session on a site as a valid viewer and the live feed will be blocked or simply will not show as if our system cant identify you as a valid viewer via a particular site then you could easily be a rogue site hiding your identity. If you want to view our live feeds using such browsers you must allow cookies from our site or our customers site in order to do so.

Can I have more than one camera on a single PC?

Yes. If you have more than one USB webcam and their drivers will allow them to be used independantly then you can have multiple cameras on one machine and just add them to your live server. Of course you will need a streaming plan for each device. If your going to be streaming multiple cameras at the same time from the same machine though you will need to make sure your PC and its USB bus can handle the load.

Do I have to use the USB microphone in the webcam or can I use another sound source?

You can use any sound source you have connected to your PC. You could use the microphone input or the line input if you wanted and connect a sound source there. Just choose that audio device while your configuring or updating the source. You can select any sound source you like for any video device you like. Make sure that the sound source is connected to the computer and working though otherwise you wont be able to configure it for use if the software cant detect it.

Can I use the service for an Internet Radio Station?

Yes. We have audio only streaming plans too so you can set up an Internet radio station and broadcast to your own website. You must of course take care not to infringe any copyright laws. We only provide the transport mechanism, what you stream is in your control so you could be prosecuted for breaking the law if you break copyright laws. If we discover any customers breaking copyright or not complying with our service usage policy, their account will be immediately shut down.

Can I Upgrade or Downgrade my hosting plan?

Yes. If you need to upgrade your plan for more simultaneous visitors or to include HLS mobile streaming or recording etc. then just visit our Streaming Add On's page. If you need to downgrade then just cancel the add on, or if you are downgrading from a larger plan to a smaller plan just let us know and alter your subscription amount. We will then alter the streaming plan according to yourneeds. This is useful if you need to upgrade your plan just for a short while to cope with extra demand during a special event etc. Then once the event is over you can simply cancel the upgrade and continue as before.

What happens if I cancel my streaming and hosting plan?

If you cancel your plan then your streaming service will automatically cease within 24 hours and all customer data will be deleted for security. You keep any software if provided then if you wish you can easily re-activate your account again if you need to.

I Have A Slow Connection And Dont Know How To Program My Router, Can I Still Use My IP Camera?

You can use our FREE software on a local machine and then use that to connect directly to your camera. Then the software will connect your IP camera to our media servers as if it were a USB camera. No router programming is necessary when you do it this way and you wil get automatic re-connection with fast streaming nice and simple. This is also a really useful feature if you want to stream multiple IP cameras from one site as it makes the connection really simple and our software compresses the feeds more than the IP camera will alone, greatly reducing the bandwidth needed for them.

Can I Record My Cameras Too?

Yes. Recording to our media servers is included with our professional plan and you can add it as an option to our other plans too. Remote recording is really useful especially when using IP cameras as you dont need any specialised expensive equipment on site.

The cameras are recorded to our media servers and stored for a duration of 48 hours for. These recordings are avaialble for you to view and download at will until they expire in a rolling 48 hour period, so as the newest recordings are added the oldest are deleted. Recordings are stored in sequential 5 minute clips so its easy to find the time and download just the recordings you want and its easy to do on mobile connections too without using up tons of data. You only pay per camera too so its a very secure, reliable and cost effective way to store your camera feeds.

Can I run an HD USB webcam with a larger display area than 320 x 240?

Yes. You can stream at almost any picture size that your USB camera can provide through its drivers to our software, just select the size in the setup procedure. For HD IP cameras set your cameras resolution to the size you want and we will set the media server to connect and broadcast at that picture size. We suggest the lower size to start with just to get you going. Remember though that although the system is buffered and works on even very slow connections, your own Internet connection must have enough bandwidth to supply your feed at your chosen resolution to our servers.

Can I have a timed cut off - so that users wont HOG my camera feed?

Yes - with some of our players this is an option. If you want to, you can tell us how many minutes or hours maximum time you want to allow your visitors to be able to see your camera continually before they are automatically logged off and have to log back on again to the camera feed by, refreshing the page in their browser, or, leaving the page and coming back to it again.

This can be useful if your getting users staying on your camera for long periods either on purpose or by accident e.g. leaving the camera showing and going home from work and taking up user spaces. This wont matter of course on unlimited user accounts.

Can I stream my computer screen so multiple viewers can see whats on my PC display?

Yes. With a free download from us you can stream your PC screen, or even just a section of it straight to your Camsecure live streaming account. This is useful for demonstrations or status displays from equipment enabling multiple viewers to see the output to your screen.

Used by Students, Engineers, Medical Staff, Event Organisers - anyone who needs to be able to monitor a PC screen from a remote location on Mobile Phone, Tablet or even another PC screen.

Do you offer discounts for multiple streams?

Yes. We can offer discounts for multiple streams (5 upwards) and add features and make packages available to suite your needs.

The feature and price list will give you an idea of our incredibly low cost advert free options, but if you have particular requirements, multiple streams or other needs for streaming your media then just contact us and we will see what we can do for you.

Can I stream my to HTTPS website, that is can I stream live video to an HTTPS page?

Yes. Of course there is no problem with this. If your website is HTTPS then we will set your demo page to HTTPS. Then all you need to do is copy the code from your HTTPS demo page as normal to you own website. Once done your own HTTPS web pages will be showing your live streaming feed.

Can I stream securely using an HTTPS stream?

Yes. This is different to streaming to an HTTPS page. Streaming to an HTTPS page means you are showing your feed in a secure website that is secured with HTTPS.

If you need the stream to stream securely so it will pass through corporate routers via port 443 in secure mode then we can set you up with a secure HTTPS streaming channel. However to stream like this you will need to use our own secure player. This is usually used only for secure streaming of security cameras through corporate networks where private viewing is required.

What is the difference between streaming to an HTTPS web page, and HTTPS streaming?

When a website is HTTPS this means that all data to an from the website is encrypted so hackers cant eavesdrop on the page and gather information from viewers etc. This is very good and when your visitors are vieweing your live stream this way they are very secure.

An HTTPS stream is different and it means that the video feed itself is encrypted and is therefore able to pass through firewalls and corporate networks using the secure port 443.

This is not necessary or desireable for normal use but if a company needs a stream just for their own use and needs it to be able to pass through their own security systems then its ideal. This of course needs a special player to play the encrypted stream.

What is meant by the stream's "Latency"?

Latency, in relation to live streaming, is the delay between the live picture being picked up by the camera and the picture being displayed to the viewer. So for example when a man walks by the camera, how long it takes before the person viewing the picture on a website somewhere actually views him walking past. Latency is typically between 10 and 30 seconds on standard HTML5 players which operate across all devices. We also have a low latency player which typically has a latency of 1 - 4 seconds and this can be used for special requirements like security monitoring. For general viewing of scenery webcams etc. cross platform compatibility is more important than latency.

If you cant find the answer to your question in our FAQ then please contact us and we will be able to help. The FAQ section isupdated as any new queries and answers arise.