[ANSWERED] How do I use my phone as a live cam with Isadora?

[natalienicholas]

Hi guys.  I have tried to use EpocCam, but the app is SO lagged that it's unusable.  Does anyone know a better app or a better way to use my iPhone as the livefeed camera? 

[DusX]

@natalienicholas

The lag is likely due to your wifi connection. The faster the Wifi the less the lag.
With that said it will be the same with other solutions, however, you may want to look into NDI options.
From NewTek: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/...
from Sienna: http://www.sienna-tv.com/ndi/n...
Both use NDI, and connect of your Wifi to your camera. 
If you use a dedicated Wifi network that can help, since other devices connecting etc.. will effect transmission to differing extents.

Using NDI in Isadora is a little different than other input devices.
First you will need the NDI WATCHER from the plugins page.

Once you have installed this actor, you will just add the NDI 4 watcher actor your scene, set its NDI source, and connect its output like any other video actor (much like the Video In Watcher.)

[Fred]

@natalienicholas Using NDI is low latency especially if you use a dedicated wifi network, you don't actually need internet on this network either, * but iphones do have some strange behaviour when they are connected to wifi with no internet, this should not affect streaming locally. Creating a good highbandwidth network will give you a good stream. I use Unifi AC Pro wireless units mounted in the grid above the stage and they work really well.

Fred

[Kathmandale]

I'm a big fan of Airserver if you only need one phone connected. Rather than using NDI it makes a computer (mac or PC) appear as an Airplay, GoogleCast or MiraCast device depending on your phone of choice. The app on your computer sends a syphon stream of the incoming image which you can bring into Isadora. It's not free but I think it's a bargin at £14.99 for a standard license.

All the same considerations apply around having a solid, dedicated wifi network.

Depending on the camera app you use it can be tricky to get rid of the GUI controls etc from the image. One app that does this well is called Air camera (someone on here recommended it recently and I can't remember who sorry, it was on a similar thread a month or so ago).

Also, if you need to stream other content from a phone, or show the home screen or buttons being pressed etc Airserver streams what ever you are doing; if you're in a camera app you get the camera, if you're playing Tetris, you get Tetris, using googlemaps, googlemaps...

[CitizenJoe]

I use NDI on a closed network (with no internet access) on an iPhone. It's great. A good, fast network is important.

Cheers,

Hugh