Thanks for the update, but now my screen is black instead of video.

Thanks for the update, but now my screen is black instead of video.

Crimp, it is the ability to set recording based in a timer parameter (renamed from normal recording I guess) rather than none or motion based. So they have just removed it.



The old menu with TIMER value for record






The new menu with it missing and trying to fool you into thinking that your current setting of TIMER is MOTION. Misrepresented.

Please fix it.
old-record.png
new-record.png

Correction: You can still VIEW live playback. The client glitched getting the library, but the menu item to record continuously is no longer there. Reolink, any feedback on this? Why would you remove the control to record continuously (TIMER)?

WARNING:

REOLINK's NEW Beta Client (up from 8.0.5 to 8.1.7) has REMOVED the control for CONTINUOUS recording from the app. DO NOT DOWNLOAD IT to update yours until they explain that this is not going to happen, and that there is another way that CONTINUOUS recording is defined in the PC CLIENT.

If this is happening it is not acceptable. If it is not happening, please explain how you control it in the new 8.1.7 PC Client. The PLAYBACK feature also does not show continuous recordings in the view.

This is a follow up based on my experience with the NEW ReoLink Windows Client software.

First I will comment on what's addressed from my points above.


1. The screen resize –

Thanks for changing this! You can now scale it like other Windows applications! One thing that would be useful is an option to maintain the aspect ratio, so that when you resize from any edge it maintains the proper aspect ratio for the video mode you are in, but this is great!

2. Motion Detection –

In retrospect, I realize this is a function of the CAMERA and FIRMWARE, and should not have been part of the review. I do look forward to improvements on this issue.

3. Downloading files –
a. How about letting us select a range spanning days?

While this is not addressed specifically, they have established a time frame for the current day, which will help define a range and choosing CHOOSE ALL. I will note that the date format is not standard for USA, so June 15, 2020 is denoted as 15/6/2020.

b. When downloading a series of files, once they are complete, how about UNCHECKING the ones that have been downloaded? When the download ends up failing, which it does frequently, having to go back and uncheck the ones that completed is a waste of time.

This has been greatly improved! Now you choose the files you want and it opens a queue for the files you selected. As they are downloaded they are removed from the queue.

c. When downloading a file, if the file fails, you should consider marking it incomplete some way, so that when a person resumes downloading, the replacement file does not take on a different name than the others. Maybe even resuming the file that failed would be a good idea, or at least have an option for this.

I have yet to encounter a failed transfer since updating. If/when it happens I will update this.

d. When downloading a series of files, why stop after you have a download error on one file? Why not have a retry feature for that one and continue on?

I have yet to encounter a failed transfer since updating. If/when it happens I will update this.

e. Why not allow resizing of the window with the list of download files?

Instead of this, the window holds 8 records per page, with a legend at the bottom to choose a different page result, such as page 2, 3, 4, etc., which is ok with me. There is a TYPE designation which for my camera only has MOTION as the option.

f. Why not have a storage option that will automatically send the files to some storage locally or cloud based with options about schedule and file selection?

The ReoLink E1 Zoom has an FTP feature, which kind of allows you to do this to an FTP site, but it is real time and the files are not buffered. This means, it will try to upload what you have streaming. If the FTP connection breaks, then you lose data, rather than it trying to catch up from where it left off. So because of this it is not a great way to guarantee an archive offsite. I look forward to improvement on that point.

4. How about an option not to nag me about the client closing when I exit the application? (like a ”don't ask me again” option?)

Rather than an option for this, they have just removed the notification that you are closing the application, which is fine with me.

So, I think a lot of improvements, and thank you for listening!

I would recommend more interactivity with your user base on the forums. I know you are busy with product development, but some sort of acknowledgement of issues and ideas would give a much more personalized "experience" with your customers. I realize this may seem like an American cultural difference, but I suspect a good amount of your customers are from here.

Thanks for the great updates on the product!

I did.. and they pointed me to an "updated" 32 bit version - no 64 bit version at all. And it does not work on my VM. It just begins loading and stops at a black screen. I sent a reply back to the support person. I installed it on a brand new VM copy of Windows 10 Pro. <shrug>

I am trying it (after a warning it might not be a safe installer), on my desktop instead. I will write a review after I have gotten it working and played with it a little.

I don't really mind a 32 bit version but when you say 64 bit, I think that is what people expect.

I don't know, Cynthia.. call me crazy I guess. When I install the "64 bit client" it is REPORTED as running 32 bit.

Maybe you should have a discussion with Microsoft. <shrug>

Mark


yeahsure.png

Yeah, I guess the answer is, the 64 bit client ISN'T. Both versions are really 32 bit.

Thanks Cynthia, please also include the ReoLink Client suggestions.

I recently purchased a ReoLink E1 Zoom 5K camera. The camera works nicely, like the regular E1 3K version, but I am disappointed that the 5MP version only does 5MP in 4:3 aspect ratio at 2560x1920! I was expecting 5MP in 16:9 - that would have been a much better option in my opinion. If I want 16:9 the best I can get is 3.6MP at 2560x1440.

It would also be a good idea for ReoLink to make very clear what their MicroSD card requirements and limits are.

I do like the 3x Zoom feature. This makes it possible to zoom into an area with better resolution.

Like the E1, the PTZ feature is coarse and unrefined. You do not have fine control over this, so there is a lot of fiddling to get positioned the way you want. Maybe incremental controls for a single click to move it a small amount instead of holding the mouse button down for some indeterminate amount of time, to get indeterminate results.

As mentioned in the Client forum, there are a LOT of things you could do to bring the Windows client into the 21st century.

See comments at Reolink Client in the 21st Century