Zim Family Cocker Spaniel Forum

Links to the PuppyCams and the Chat room are at the bottom of this post.  Please read ALL the information in this post before following the links!  This will save you some trouble, and will save me having to explain to you how to get it all to work!

The "Old PuppyCam" is also sometimes known as the "Slow PuppyCam"
It displays a still image, updated once every 30 seconds.

The "New PuppyCam" is also sometimes known as the "Fast PuppyCam"
It displays live video, and it can move around and zoom, too.

There is a chat room where you can talk to other people who are watching the PuppyCams at the same time that you are.  I'd suggest opening the chat room in a totally different browser window from the PuppyCam...  so that you can chat and watch the cam at the same time.

Please use the same name in the chat room as you do on the forum.  This will make it easier for us to understand who we are chatting with!  So, if you are "Tom Smith" on the forum, please don't log in to the chat room as Tom, or SuperSexy43, or anything but "Tom Smith".

The first time you use the "new" PuppyCam with Internet Explorer, you will get a little message on a thin ribbon along the top of the browser that says:The ActiveX stuff is some software that your browser will need in order to be able to display camera images properly.  Without properly going through the process of installing the ActiveX controls, you will NOT get a picture from the new PuppyCam on Internet Explorer. You will see controls for the camera, but no picture in the middle of the screen. So, if this is what you see, you will know that the problem is that you haven't properly installed the ActiveX controls for the camera.

If you are using Internet Explorer and you see the camera controls but do not see a picture in the center of the screen, here's what you need to do...

If you see that message in the ribbon along the top about running pmjpegcam.ocx from Panasonic... click on that message and choose "run add-on". A dialog box will open up and ask "do you want to run this ActiveX control?" Click on "Run"

If you do NOT see the ribbon along the top of the browser and a message about running pmspegcam.ocx... click the F5 button on your keyboard and the page should reload and you should now see that message in a little yellow strip along the top of the page. Follow the instructions in the previous paragraph.

This will happen each time you try to view the new cam, until you install the ActiveX controls.  If you are a Firefox or a Google Chrome user, the cam should work right off the bat with no software install needed.

I would suggest you simply use Firefox or Google Chrome to view the new PuppyCam.  That way you don't have to go through the hassle of installing the ActiveX control needed for Internet Explorer.  I can't tell you how many emails I got during the last litter from people who were technically challenged with the task of making the New Cam work on Internet Explorer.  The simple fix is to use some other browser to view it.

The "old" PuppyCam is the same as we used in many previous litters, and is fairly reliable.  (I probably just jinxed it by saying that!)  The "new" PuppyCam is much newer and more technically sophisticated.  It offers much better picture quality...  but can only handle 30 people viewing it at the same time, and the performance gets real slow as the number of people viewing it concurrently increases.  In other words, it works best in the middle of the night when no one else is trying to use it at the same time!

For those of you not familiar with our two PuppyCams...

The "old" one provides a still picture, which is updated every thirty seconds.  We usually keep it set to a fairly wide shot.  The technology is fairly simple...  and in the past it has worked for just about everyone that has tried it, even folks on a dial-up Internet connection.

The "new" PuppyCam is much more sophisticated.  It provides a live picture with full-motion video. The camera itself is capable of delivering video quality similar to a home camcorder.  The weak link in the technology, though, is getting that video signal out to the Internet and all the way to your computer.  Any slow point in the Internet will make the video look very jerky.  You will tend to get a very jerky video quality during peak times of the day when a lot of people are watching it.  It seems to work best at odd hours of the night when few people are trying to use it at the same time.

Regarding the chat room...
Remember that the chats are saved!  So, don't say anything that you wouldn't want someone else reading a few days later!  Also, keep in mind that there may or may not be anyone else in the chat room at the time you decide to go in there.  You may be seeing text from chats that happened before everyone left the room.  Finally, once you get in to the chat room and see the text of the chat, if it looks like there is a chat going on currently be sure to click the JOIN CHAT button at the bottom of the screen so that the text is refreshed each time someone types something new.  If you do not click on JOIN CHAT, you will see the text that people have typed up until the point you came in to the room...  but it will never update until you actually click on JOIN CHAT.  New members:  this is the #1 thing to learn about the chat room!

Links to the PuppyCams and the Chat room:

The "Old PuppyCam":  http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/PuppyCam-slow.html
(Also sometimes known as the "Slow PuppyCam")
It displays a still image, updated once every 30 seconds.

The "New PuppyCam":  http://66.215.60.180:50001/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=0
(Also sometimes known as the "Fast PuppyCam")
It displays live video, and it can move around and zoom, too.

The Chat Room:  http://www.chatzy.com/505339364424
I'd suggest opening the chat room in a totally different browser window from the PuppyCam...  so that you can chat and watch the cam at the same time.

Have fun!

So Jim I use Safari. Any issues there?

wow Jim.... that's a variety of colors! Yea.... the pup cam is working

We have a guest apperiance...Sebby has joined in!

I just tested both the chat and cam and they both work on my phone!! Yay!!

As far as I know, it should work just fine.

I'm sure Jim meant to say Sa-far-i knows, it will work just fine. tee hee hee (I just crack myself up. I know, I know, no one else is laughing!)

It worked on my IPod touch. My she is so beautiful.

I am using Camino on an old mac and it works for me too.

Many thanks for sharing and prayers sent your way for a joyful, healthy welcome for the puppies!

Long time viewer but just recently joined the forum today!

I just wanted to add in that the live camera also works on the iPhone and possibly other devices. If you are using the iPhone on a 3G network and not wifi and you are limited to the newer limited data plans...please keep in note that for each minute you view the live camera it transmits 3MB worth of data to the phone. So best to view the webcam on a wifi network or of course if you have an unlimited data plan and it works on your phone.

My fiance and myself are anxiously awaiting the new bundles of joy! It's been 2yrs since Sophie was a puppy and Kipper is going on over 3yrs. Our cockers have been the greatest things that have happened to us...yet

Rita, I am laughing!!!

Awww, her big belly, bless her.... Joanna is such a sweetheart

There was a problem with the configuration of the New PuppyCam and to fix it I have had to give it a new address.  So, please change any bookmarks that you have.  The correct address for the New PuppyCam is now:

http://71.93.49.6/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=0

Sorry for the trouble!