General

So....what is OmniEye again?

OmniEye allows you to use your webcams as a surveillance system in your home, workplace, garden, or any place you can furtively conceal them (and have them connected to your computer, of course). With our app for Android phones, you can see what your webcams see, in real time!

If you're an iPhone, Blackberry, or Palm user (or if you don't have any kind of smart phone) - don't worry - we're hard at work at making the OmniEye WebViewer, so you can check out your security feeds from any internet browser!

How does it all work?
There are two pieces of software: one is the OmniEye PC client, which you download to your computer. It will allow you to set up your webcam(s) for streaming. Then there's the OmniEye app, which you can download to your Android phone from the Android Market. That'll receive your webcam streams in real time. Easy as pie!

What would I use OmniEye for?
There are too many ways to count! Here are some ideas for you, though:
  • Parents - Watch over the babysitter. Keep tabs on the backyard pool. Check that the kids made it home at 3 PM.
  • Shopkeepers - A very low-cost security/surveillance system for your business!
  • Homeowners - Set a webcam to watch your front lawn while away at work. Make sure that the garden maintainer is actually coming!
  • Students - Catch your roommate thief redhanded! (opens a link to YouTube).
  • Pet lovers - You'll be able to check up on Mr. Muggles on the go. Or maybe you're a huge aquarium fanatic, and you want to show off a live feed of your fancy setup to your friends.
We all wonder what goes on back at home or at the office when we're away. Give it a moment's thought, and you'll come up with an idea of your own! Let us know what you come up with (support@arrowology.com).

Why don't I just get a commercial network camera that does this already?

They're expensive. If you shop around, network webcams retail for usually over $100, each. OmniEye allows you to use your unused webcams to do exactly the same thing, but for free. A decent webcam can go for as little as $15 from your nearest computer store (less with rebates!).

OmniEye Android. We've built an awesome application for your Android phone that allows you to view real-time streams of your webcams, as well as record your streams to video file. In addition, you'll receive lifetime upgrades, so you'll benefit from our research and development into cool new features such as motion detection, audio streaming, and more. That's something other security camera companies don't provide cheaply.

How many webcams does OmniEye support?
Theoretically, an unlimited number. You can connect as many webcams to your computer as you have USB ports (which is usually 4), but if you can have multiple computers in your house, you can have them all stream feeds simultaneously!

Great - how do I get started?

First, you'll need at least one webcam. If you don't have one, you can find cheap webcams online at NewEgg.com or your nearest computer store.

First, you'll need to download OmniEye PC here. When asked whether to "Save" or "Open", select "Save". When it is finished downloading, run the installer.

Next, you can download the OmniEye client from the Android Market to your phone. It comes in two versions: OmniEye Lite and OmniEye Pro (more details below).

What's the difference between OmniEye Lite and OmniEye Pro?

OmniEye Lite: You can create a single feed. Users will receive lifetime bug fixes and select new features. It is ad-supported.

OmniEye Pro: The number of feeds allowed is unlimited. You also can record your streams (either manually or by setting a schedule). There are no ads. OmniEye Pro users will receive lifetime upgrades that include features such as motion detection, tiled feeds (viewing multiple feeds simultaneously), audio streaming, and more. OmniEye Pro is available in Android Market for $3.99 USD.

How do I set this all up?

Once you've downloaded both OmniEye PC and OmniEye Mobile, you're ready to rock.

  1. Connect your webcams to your computer(s) and place them in carefully chosen locations (we advise you to pick inconspicuous spots, such as on a bookshelf, or in flower pot...). You might need some extra long cabling - 16 ft USB extension cables usually run about $14.
  2. Launch OmniEye PC. If you have not created an account, you can do so from within the OmniEye Android app. Sign in with your e-mail and password.
  3. When signed in to the PC client, click the "New" button on the bottom right hand corner to create a new feed. Give it a descriptive name (like "Backyard Pool", or "Babysitter cam", or "Fishtank 1C").
  4. Click "Start stream".
  5. Sign in with the OmniEye Android app - you'll be able to view your newly created feeds!

OmniEye PC

What kind of internet connection will I need?
You will need at least a broadband connection (DSL or Cable is fine). However, be aware that if you have more than 4 feeds streaming simultaneously and you're on a typical residential broadband network, you will experience slowness when using the internet. However, if you're streaming 1 or 2 feeds, there's no problem.

What webcams are supported?
To our knowledge, all consumer webcams that have Windows drivers should just work. If you have a webcam that doesn't work with OmniEye, please send us an e-mail at support@arrowology.com immediately so we can diagnose the problem. Please include your webcam and computer info so we can diagnose the problem!

OmniEye Android app

Why are my feeds sometimes slow?

There may be several causes for this:

Connection Speed: If you're in a location with poor 3G connectivity, you might experience latency in the streaming. If possible, switch over to Wifi - you will have much better results. You can always select to view your feed in a lower resolution: press the "Menu" button on your Android phone when viewing a stream. You will be presented with an option to change the resolution.

However, if you can view YouTube perfectly fine, for example, it may be an issue with the server. In that case, please send us an e-mail at support@arrowology.com so that we may address the problem.

(Pro) Why hasn't my recording shown up yet?
If you've recorded some portion of your feed stream, OmniEye servers will convert that to video format that can be downloaded and played back at a later time. However, due to the intensive nature of video encoding, this conversion might take a while, anywhere from 30 seconds to several hours. If it has been over 24 hours and your recorded video has not appeared in the "Saved Recordings" panel, please let us know at support@arrowology.com.

(Pro) I just scheduled a recording. When will it take effect?
It will take effect the next time in the next scheduling cycle, which occurs roughly every hour. Sometimes, that means you have to wait a whole day before it takes effect. For example, if it is currently 3:00 PM, and you've scheduled a daily recording from 3:00 - 3:30 PM, the scheduling cycle might restart at 3:45 PM, meaning you will have to wait till the next day before you will have a daily 3:00-3:00 PM recording. If you need to immediately record something, select "View Live Feeds", select your particular feed, select "Menu", and click "Start Recording".

Miscellaneous

I have this great idea for OmniEye! Who do I talk to?
We love to hear new ideas for future features! Please pass them on to henry@arrowology.com.

What the heck is an Arrowology?
We don't know either. We just know we like to make really rad mobile apps for your Android phone. OmniEye is just the first of many - stay tuned!