Update: Miniatures Simulcasting Part 1
I wont take up anyone's time by doing lengthy articles that just seem like, as on other websites, they just go on and on and on and .. well. I'll try to avoid that and get right to the point(s):
By the way, when you are in this forum, by selecting text a formatting sub-menu appears. Hence, the numbered bullet points you are reading.
Ok so the situation is that, first, certain or many IP cameras with pan tilt zoom no longer work in Windows 10, web browsers etc. Chrome has abandoned protocols, and various issues with MS "Edge" also make, apparently, most web interfaces for control and imagery of IP PTZ cameras inoperable. For baby cameras things are ok, but we are WAY beyond baby cams here.
Second, it appears only Android tablets will show the Trendnet wireless IP PTZ cameras that we are using for miniatures simulcasting. That's right: one player has a table set up just like another player, and both are showing their cameras on the internet while audio Skyping to each other and generally, spending time together as if they were in the same room. Or in my case, basement office/gaming area.
Third, today there was a recent development I heard about and installed: there is a free Android emulator that runs on Windows and I am running it now in Windows 10, called Bluestack. Once you go through all the process of downloading and installing it, just accept all the prompts and let it finish- then run it and log in with Google credentials.. ya there may be a bunch of prompts and location settings stuff, just answer yes and once it's done, it will run the Android playstore app we need: read on.
Search for and install the Trendnet camera app into this Android emulator, and once done you can view the camera and pan tilt zoom to your hearts content just like looking at your phone.
For us, using bluestack ONLY for the Trendnet camera app, this is a god-send. Otherwise, we would be resigned to only being able to view and manipulate the cameras in an Android tablet.. or in some cases... smart phone or tablet hooked up via HDMI to a monitor.
There are some tablets that are pretty nice and affordable, like the Nextbook Ares 10a, but buying a tablet just for seeing the cameras might seem a bit steep although neccessary. But now, with this app, no more need to have the tablet, at least at home. In a convention hall, we'll see. -iimm
Most of the comments in the above article on broadcasting are now obsolete, and to simplify matters even more we have moved to a 2x2 ft gaming surface still keeping our 1/72 figures. The PTZ cameras have been donated regardless what platform we tried to use them on, because if they cannot be seen on most platforms they are not sustainable. For live video feeds it would appear that only the Youtube and OBS software combination is the most sustainable option and that is what we'll be doing for live video miniature games.