Video Streaming Widget Instructions

I just saw the new video widget, and was thoroughly excited, because I was planning on making a project that needed that. But, when I opened the app, I felt a surge of complication, I have no idea how to do this, and I couldn’t find any tutorials I could understand or weren’t in Russian. I need some help. Where do I start?

First thing to consider is that is is not a video player widget… it is a **streaming*video * player widget… it needs an active streaming video URL to be entered in the widget setting. It will NOT play a random video file sitting on your phone or computer.

Just click on the widget, enter the URL of whatever video stream you have… IP camera, Web stream, etc… if it works, great, if not, sometimes you have to fiddle with the URL format (particularly if you need user and password logins), but that isn’t a Blynk issue, that is a common “getting streaming video to work” issue.

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Usually documentation is in documentation :wink:

http://docs.blynk.cc/#widgets-displays-video-streaming

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Heh. and here I was just coming back to add that link… My initial post got distracted by a boiling pot on the stove :stuck_out_tongue:

@csh13 also search around this forum for other topics about this widget and various suggestions for URL formatting.

https://community.blynk.cc/search?q=video%20streaming

Just to test it, I found a youtube stream, enter the url, turned my photon on, connected it, and the stream widget said “Buffering…” then “error.”

@csh13 I am not big on the streaming video technologies, but I do seem to recall that some streaming sites, like YouTube and Netflix all require specialized streaming support (beyond authentication of course).

I found this older post about a “workaround” for YouTube… might still be relevant.

PS I moved your post back into this topic, as the other topic was specifically about controlling URL from MCU, not your general inquiries.

I’m not understanding too well, is there any way I don’t have to use youtube?

Not sure I understand your question… you DONT have to use only youtube videos…

Perhaps let’s restart with… What do you want to playback in your project?

I’m building a remote-controlled tank that I will have a phone mounted on, how do I get that video to stream to the Blynk widget (preferably not with youtube)?

Ah, then that is something I understand :slight_smile:

First you need some form of app on your phone to “convert” it into an IP camera, I have used a few different types with varying degrees of results… dependent on the type and ages of phone it seems. I use Android, and will try to grab a link to two in a moment…

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miv.rtspcamera

Then once that IP camera app is running, it usually displays a URL that you can connect to, from within your network… that is the address you enter into your widget.

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Hmm, I’m going to need to use an I-phone, but I have already searched for that and found something, but what all does it need to say?

P.S. that is almost exactly what I’m doing! my chass is from one of these:

http://www.robotshop.com/en/recon-6-0-programmable-robotic-rover-toy.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9dqOsoP01wIVj4xpCh0OMw_hEAQYAiABEgI2QPD_BwE

That entirely depends on your app, network, whether secured or open, etc… whatever app you get should have detailed directions for that, either in the app, on iTunes store or on the app maker’s webpage, etc.

Then it is up to you to do the trial and error thing until you find an app/url combo that works… there is no “one” correct way.

For example, one app i have used only needed a simple url like this http://10.10.3.23:8080/video another needed a much more complicated one… I don’t have it handy, not that it would help you anyhow :wink:

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Ok, I’ll be back if I have any problems! Thank you for your time!

So, I’ve downloaded several IP camera apps, and they all won’t connect, it buffers for 30 secs then error, I think I might possibly need to translate the format? I might have to get an android phone so I can get the ones you recommended.

A post was split to a new topic: Stream with IP webcam in Blynk - With user/pass set