Snapshot URL not working (HTTP 500)

[sidamos]

Amcrest IP2M-841B-V3
Software VersionV2.800.0000000.3.R, Build Date: 2019-11-30

When using the snapshot URL http://<IP>/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi, most of the time it takes some seconds and then returns HTTP 500.

After reboot, it sometimes works for a while. Lowering the image quality of the snapshot seems to make it work more often sometimes.

I guess, this is a bug in the firmware, although the firmware was not updated for a year.

Any workaround to make this work more reliably? I already did full reset to defaults (with hardware button).

Thanks!

[Revo2Maxx]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum...

Sadly the V3 is a New Camera and was released last year 2019 to early this year.. The CGI codes were written for older systems and I am not sure but I think the last Revision was from 2017.. The V3 is different Hardware to the nromal 841 and a guess is that it also has different processer and the software is I am going to guess form a newer Gen then the normal 841.. The CGI works on my 2018 841 on the 2017 FW.. I am not sure why but I am going to guess that it might have something to do with the ability to Send the Data to your browser after the command is sent.. I would try to make sure your Cables are good, that your Network is clear and not running for an overly long time.. I sent the command to my camera that has been online for 33 days by guess of doing an nmap scan of the camera says it has been online for last 33 days.. Normally it would reboot weekly but I turned off my Reboot and been testing out somethings with the camera in my system..

Error 500 is an Internal Server Error..

[sidamos]

I did not buy the old 841 because it is "EOL". Returning the V3 is difficult, because I do not live in the US.

I tried with various clients and get the same error, most of the time.

[longedge]

My experience of trying to use the cgi snapshot is much the same as this. I can get it to work occasionally on my IP3M-941's after a reboot and most of the time on my IP2M-841.

I gave up in the end and I take snapshots manually as required using Amcrest Surveillance Pro. In ASP highlighting the device you want and then pressing F8 saves a snapshot to whatever folder you have set for local storage.

[GaryOkie]

This problem has also been discussed in the Home Assistant Amcrest forum. Quote: "These cameras don’t seem to be able to respond to multiple, simultaneous snapshot commands (like they seem to be able to for most other commands.)"

Communication errors can occur if you have other software accessing the same camera grabbing snapshots. Perhaps that's not the case for this particular camera and there is some other firmware bug. Just pointing out a known issue.

I would expect Amcrest Surveillance Pro would need to use the exact same CGI snapshot command internally. Maybe it has communication/error detection.

[sidamos]

Yes, it is possible that there were multiple calls to snapshot at the same time.
However, now this is not the case anymore and even after a restart of the camera, it does not work anymore.

The Amcrest web interface does not call this URL for a snapshot. It extracts the snapshot from the stream, I guess.

[sidamos]

Found something:
I had the sub stream configured to use MJPEG. When I change it back to H264, then the snapshot.cgi works again!
Although, the snapshots are being taken from the main stream.
Now, I'll test how stable this is.

[Revo2Maxx]

EOL is there a Web page I missed? To be honest EOL for me just means that 2 things will happen people will start to sale these normal 841 at crazy high prices again and or people that bought loads of them under a partnership program will try to offload them at really low prices.. One thing I love about Amcrest is even if something is out of production and no longer being supported for FW updates they have LIfe time Support and don't treat anyone with less respect because of the older Hardware someone needs help with..

Sadly at first when V3 came out I was thinking maybe I would get some and then found that they didn't have some of the things that I really liked in the Normal 841 so I haven't bought any of the new LINE... Then shortly after it came out some of the new line disappeared and now you can't even see any of the products anywhere outside the Firmware page. Then to be honest can't even find the 941v3 there so I am guessing there was an issue with the FW it had at 1 point or they didn't sale any 941 so nothing to post for FW.. But the V3 had an 841, 941 and 1041 where the 1041 was the v3 of the 1051 model.. All I see now in FW page is 1041 and 841v3 in that line and the 1041 has not had any update since 2019 so they pulled that line is my guess..

Pulling all the hardware from the 841v3 out of what made the 841 a Big hit sadly is going to only kill the line in my mind.. There are people that may not talk about or ask for support for but do use the Alarm in and out and also Audio in and out for many different reasons and sadly with all that option missing in the v3 unless it has AI or Face Rec or ability to do things others can't already do. I mean Ash21 is smaller then the 841 line and between the 841V3 or the ASH21 there is Pro and Cons about them both.. Sadly one will kill the other and the one that will win sadly is going to kill the line all together.. There is to many Cameras trying to Serve as a Baby Monitor and when Big Box Stores sale Stand alone units from other vendors for less it can be bad for Business...

In the End. If the 841 or 841v3 and the Ash21 were in a contest for best options and performance it will be the 841v1 or v2 model as the winner. I thought the Ash21 had some promise but sadly I can't get it to work the way I want..

[longedge]

@sidamos - Your post brought me back to an old project which I had given up on. Bearing in mind what you said about changing the substream settings, I checked the video settings on all three cameras and set them all the same -

settings.jpg (100.27 KiB) Viewed 3320 times

After 24 hours, I'm still getting snapshots every time so I've resurrected the app I was making to grab snapshots from my cameras and then ftp the images to my website. It's working except that credentials embedded in the http: call aren't accepted by Windows security and I have to click OK for each snapshot so I'm down to 4 clicks for the whole process -

myapp.jpg (167.13 KiB) Viewed 3320 times

Reducing the amount of data that the camera is having to transmit by changing the settings seems to have worked so, nice find

[sidamos]

I don't think, it is the reducing amount of data. I just think, that setting the sub stream to MJPEG causes some issues with snapshot creation, although it uses the main stream. Glad it works for you now.

BTW, I do not get Email notifications from this forum. I have subscribed to this topic and enabled Email notifications in my board settings.