FAQs
These are the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for HD Relay. Enjoy these FAQs! If you think we are missing any FAQs, please Contact Us and submitted your question.
Do All HD Relay Camera Hardware Packages Come With A Lifetime Warranty?
Yes! All HD Relay Camera Hardware Packages Come With A Lifetime Warranty. This lifetime warranty is valid only to active clients that have current service. No replacements for the following: Cosmetic issues; Intentional misuse; Vandalism to the unit. Replacement will be with a similar type replacement and may not be the exact match to previous part. You will be responsible for delivering the Product to the designated RMA address, freight prepaid, for warranty service. We will pay the return freight for the Product using a service of our choice. You may request, and will be solely responsible for, payment of any shipping upgrades.
Do I have to pay extra for live support?
No! Support is very important to us and something that is always available at no additional charge 24/7.
What is needed to utilize your service?
A network based camera, an internet connection, and a static or dynamic IP address. Once we have that then we configure your camera on our relay server.
What are the advantages of a live camera?
Live cameras provide an effective way to bring visitors to your website. Network cameras are a popular way to boost visitor traffic to both your site and destination. It’s an excellent way to help boost tourism, and is very popular with the ski, surf and sports action communities.
What are the advantages of your service?
We offer many unique features that create value for our clients. First, we manage the bandwidth for you with our servers. This means that your network will stay free and clear while your video footage is stored safely, in one of our highly secured off site data centers. Our video player is cross platform compatible. In addition, our code is encrypted and features an “anti-hijacking” feature to further protect your video feed. Finally, the HD Relay online dashboard on the back end of our server allows you to control your camera settings, access your footage, view analytics and more from anywhere with Internet connection. View data such as the amount of traffic, page views, and total bandwidth being utilized on a daily basis.
How does a viewer take live control of PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) cameras?
There are a few ways this can be done:
1. The camera can be controlled via the presets in the bottom right hand side of the live presentation. They appear once you have gained control of the camera (preferred method).
2. The camera can be controlled via the slider controls that frame the camera. There is also an option to zoom in and out.
3. The camera can be controlled by simply clicking anywhere in the live view field. Where you click will dictate where the camera will pan to.
4. The camera can be controlled also by what we call box creation. Simply choose an option you want to focus in on and create a box around it in the live view. Once you finish drawing the box, the camera will automatically go to the frame you created.
Do I need a high speed internet connection to use an IP camera?
Yes, an up-link of at least 1Mbps is recommended. This amount will provide enough bandwidth for streaming video. The video is then transmitted from our servers and onto your website. The best viewing experience is achieved when you use a network camera along with our service.
What else should I know about my internet connection?
An unshared, dedicated connection for the camera is recommended. This will ensure proper transmission using H.264 encoding. We recommend using an ISP company that supplies the minimum 1Mbps or greater upload. Most DSL, cable and even wireless can help set this up at your location. Please ask them for a static IP address since this will allow your HD camera system to have the highest degree of reliability.
Although we can work with your current ISP upload speed by adjusting camera settings we have found the best upload speed to be 3 MBPS or greater.
Here is a quick guide on our recommended upload speed required to stream at certain video resolutions:
Recommended upload speed for 1080P: 3.00 – 3.50 MBPS
Recommended upload speed for 720P: 1.80 – 2.50 MBPS
Recommended upload speed for 480P: 0.90 – 1.20 MBPS
Recommended upload speed for360P: 0.60 – 0.80 MBPS
Recommended upload speed for 240P: 0.50 MBPS
What cameras are compatible with your service?
All the major brand cameras such as Axis, Sony, Canon, Toshiba, and many more cameras are compatible with our service. We support PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom), fixed type, and wide angle or wide dynamic range cameras.
Can I use a Dynamic IP with your service?
Yes, we do have the ability to use a dynamic IP. However, a static IP is still preferred since it does not change.
Can I monitor my camera from any location?
Yes, a network based camera enables you and many other users to view the camera at any time. The big advantage to our service is we manage the bandwidth traffic for you, and we can have virtually an unlimited number of concurrent viewers at any time.
What action do I take if the video feed is not appearing on my webpage?
There are several things that can be checked. First, make sure that there is power going to the camera. The most common solution involves a power-cycle whereby you unplug the camera at the power source for approximately 1 minute, and plug it back it. This should bring back the video feed. If you still run into problems, verify that there have been no changes to the IP assigned to the camera and check the port settings. Also, you may need to contact your I.T. department to find out if there have been any recent changes to your firewall settings.
What happens if I want to add my camera to other sites such as affiliates, local news channels, weather sites, etc?
Your live camera can be configured and secured to as many of your approved partner sites as you need. Simply email us the partner URLs from your company email and we can create a custom code for easy website integration.
Do you support the new HD (H.264) type cameras?
Yes, we are constantly integrating the latest cutting edge technology with our service. So, as new cameras come to market we are in position to ensure compatibility, performance and reliability.
Can I use broadcast cameras with your system?
Yes. HD Relay can be a great way to use / re-purpose existing HD camera hardware that has been set up for traditional broadcast purposes. We can encode most Analog feeds or RSTP in the Relay system, often times without disrupting the camera. Encoding can down sample 4K to brilliant 2K HD broadcast resolution or standard 720P. However, depending on your project requirements, both upstream and user side downstream can be optimized to your budget while still presenting brilliant HD across all platforms.
How can third party processing (like YouTube) help my live camera?
HD Relay has contracted with key third party technology providers to open up new platforms for your live HD camera promotions. Our transcoding and other hosted processes can be set up to carry over to YouTube among others as a secondary player option for live events.
Why should I use the Pre Roll feature?
The Pre Roll is an amazing marketing tool that you control in the HD Relay manager. You place a short video, with or without audio, delivering any message you want to put in front of the public (i.e. sales, informational, or just fun). Whether your camera receives low viewing volume (in the thousands of hits) or high volume (in the hundreds of thousands), we recommend everyone take advantage of this marketing opportunity that HD Relay makes possible. Like our other in feed features, there is no charge to use Pre Roll. You develop the video, send it to our agents, and we will handle encoding and integrating it into your stream. Before you know it your message will reach tens of thousands of people.
Why should I use the “Outro” or “End Screen” feature?
Another powerful marketing tool that we provide. Do you want people to bounce away from your site once they have viewed your camera? Neither do we. The Outro is another way to deliver a message that is difficult to provide tactfully in either the overlay or Pre Roll. It works like this: You send us an image, tell us what to hyperlink and where you would like the link to lead to. We then take and give that image the full real estate of the video player once the viewing time has elapsed. This is where you have the power to drive traffic to a place on your site and capitalize on your camera instead of watching viewers bounce away.
What are Live Overlays?
An overlay can best be described as a graphic or logo (JPG, GIF, or PNG file) that can be placed on top of the live stream. These overlays can be linked to any URL and easily tracked with click trackers such as ClickMeter.com. You can also have as many overlays as you want and position them anywhere in the live stream: top, bottom, corner, and even in the center of the video player.
The HD Relay system is infinitely growing with new features. Custom overlays can be either simple or complex. Please consult with us about creating a unique player or OSD (Original Software Developer) option for your camera network.
How does your Live Audio work?
Audio is a highly effective option that adds a certain uniqueness to live cameras and your website. Our engineering team has fine tuned an audio kit that sounds great without being prohibitively expensive. Audio works best when used as a background, such as Seagulls or crowd noise outdoors. When setting up indoor audio for education purposes or a house of worship, you may need a microphone.
Which software or plugins do I need to install to see the live camera or recorded time lapse?
None! All HD Relay camera services run from the Internet to all OS and smartphone platforms. Hence, all you need is a browser to view, control, and record.
How does your mobile plan work / how is Bandwidth Anywhere billed?
The mobile 3G/4G solutions we provide are not for everyone or every location. Long gone are the days of the unlimited data usage that mobile companies used to provide. For those with tight budget constraints, we offer the most advanced time lapse features in the industry; Features that relay your live content and keep low monthly carrier charges. If your remote location simply has no other Internet options, we provide a flat 5GB per month plan. Overage charges are passed to you at negotiated discount rates from the carrier. Data usage varies from camera to camera and is directly linked to the settings within the camera. Contact us today to get an estimate of what your camera might use with the settings you need.
What is the weather kit / station benefits?
A weather kit or weather station is new plug-in feature that is overlayed on any live stream. This plug-in streams live weather information such as current temperature (sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy) and the forecast for the next day with highs and lows. The weather info does not take up valuable real-estate in the live video feed and is even transparent to allow for a better live stream experience. The weather station plug-in can be set to report on any physical location in the world.
Does Relay work with D1, 2K and 4K cameras?
Yes, we have developed resolution options to optimize these exciting high resolution cameras. Keep in mind that your live audience may not be set up for receiving these larger resolutions. Contact us to find out more about our Pro Build cameras and converting up to broadcast resolutions.
I have an indoor HD camera that was purchased for monitoring a doorway; will it work with HD Relay?
Most cameras can be set to work with our universal player (So long as they are H.264 ready). We will have H.265 live options as soon as they become available. Over the past decade, HD Relay has been working very closely with leading camera manufactures like Canon, Panasonic, Pelco, Axis, Samsung, Sony, and Areconz, among others, in order to ensure optimum performance for our clients’ live projects. If you have a pre purchased camera, feel free to talk to us about how to make it look great.
Streaming speed for your viewers
Buffering or slowing can occur for any number of reasons when viewing content. Buffering can occur due to a localized network issue or outage at the camera site or the from the HD Relay server network, however the majority of buffering cases are the result of the viewer’s local network, connectivity or device.
Basic Troubleshooting:
Check your internet connection.
Tip: You can check your internet speed at http://www.speedtest.net or other
Force-refresh your browser.
Tip: Force refresh by pressing Ctrl+Shift+R (PC) or ⌘+Shift+R (Mac).
Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
Tip: Click here for more information.
Make sure you are using the most current version of your browser.
Try using a different browser such as Chrome, Firefox. Safari or Internet Explorer.
Try using a different device.
Restart your computer or device.
Restart your router.
Other Causes of Buffering:
Heavy Usage on Your Device
many camera viewers like to keep tabs on multiple camera screens, however attempting to stream multiple cameras at once (or engage in other bandwidth-heavy activity like YouTube, music streaming or downloading) may result in buffering.
Network Strain
If there are multiple people or devices using your network (IE: connected to your home or office WiFi), the collective usage will impact the bandwidth available. Check to see if others are engaging in bandwidth-heavy activity like streaming or downloading.
If you think there is a problem with the camera or camera network:
Contact us at help@hdrelay.com however any time an issue arises, and may already be actively working to fix a stream issue. Force-refresh your browser periodically to see if the live stream is back online.
TIP: Force refresh by pressing Ctrl+Shift+R (PC) or ⌘+Shift+R (Mac).
Occasionally, viewers notice and report issues before our team does. We appreciate the notice. If you believe we may not be aware of a live stream issue, please feel free to contact us at help@hdrelay.com.
