Hey all. I’m trying to figure out if this is a bug on my cameras, the whole app, or if maybe I’m just doing something wrong! Playback has been virtually useless to me since I set up my first cam about 2 months ago.
My setup:
I have 4 V3 cameras. Each of them has a 16 or 36 gig SD Card installed. Each is set to record 24/7 along with select motion or sound detection. I have them all shared with one person. I was in beta for a short time, but it was so very buggy that I chose to leave. It was too big of a safety risk for my situation. I feel as if my cameras have not functioned as well ever since.
I have a laptop and could possibly view playback on it, but I have not tried yet.
I have been trying to access the playback feature to watch more than the breif clips motion detection picks up…since I installed the cameras!
I can switch to playback from the live stream, but the playback feature does not seem to want to play the time I select. It tends to play the most recent event.
I figured out how to pinch and pull the time bar to select more exact times, but it just does not like to select the time I select. It just plays whatever it desires I guess? I have also had an issue where the digital time stamp on the playback video does not match the video at all. For example, when playing an event, the time of the event will lapse on the time stamp, but the event has not yet happened when it definitely should have. I have waited as long as 10 minutes PAST the event time for the event to occur so I can see what all happened.
Also also (lol); I see a time counter pop up on the screen when I am sliding the time bar. This NEVER syncs with the time bar OR with the digital time stamp. In fact, usually I have three different times going…the most recent event in the digital time stamp, the time on the time bar, and the time on the counter thing.
Zooming the video during playback is simply not possible. The time resets to the last event every single time I pinch to zoom.
As well, the sound is ALWAYS off-time, as if maybe the sound is playing from the start of the recording in real-time, and the video has a 20+ second delay (my live stream has a 20+ second delay I am accepting as “normal function”)?
Is there maybe an instruction section on the playback feature so I can rule human bumbling out as the possible issue? I’m under the impression that I just pinch/pull zoom the time bar, then click the desired time and hit play. I’m clueless on fast forward or rewind features as I can not even get THIS first part to work.
I really super duper NEED these cameras to work properly for my safety. Thank you all in advance!
Ps: I am going to try uninstalling and reinstalling the software today and resetting all of the hardware to see if that helps. I will update if it does.
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If you play the brief clip to the end then tap the playback icon on the bottom of the app page it will take you to that video on the SD card.
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Welcome to the forums! Can you explain your wifi network? Also what device and it’s OS version are you trying to use the app on? What app version # are you using? Can you take screenshots and share them here of the timestamps being all off and wrong?
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Answer the other questions, but I’m also wondering if your phone isn’t underpowered. I see you are using an Android – Is Hardware Decoding enabled under Account tab > App Settings? If it isn’t, give that a try!
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I turned that one on. To be honest, I have no idea what it does or what it means. Can you explain it so that I understand better? Or even just refer me to where I can learn about it?!
Thanks for the warm welcome!
I don’t know what you mean by “explain your wifi network”. Like, what provider? range/location of router? Stuff like that? I’d like to answer your question to the best of my ability so that I can help you to help me solve this issue! I love my Wyze cams, I’m just frustrated with my issues in this one feature!
To be honest, there is a possibility that I may need some videos for a legal preceding over an ongoing issue… So having more than just a clip is super important!
For the rest of your questions:
I am currently using two phones to monitor my cams and have the same issue on either phone.
One is a Samsung A11, and the other is an LG K30.
K30 OS: Android 9
A11 OS: Android 11
I keep the app as up to date via Google and app updates as possible. I am currently using Version 4.36.5.58.
I see I do have two cameras that need updated, so I will get that done today as well!
As for screenshots, this might be difficult to do efficiently. I will probably have to take scrns of the event as well as the playback and post them together which I can see getting confusing quickly.
I will play around and see if I can come up with a good, efficient method for showing this off, or maybe see if I can get a screen recorder app to show how it gets super weird on me?
Its so strange. Once I get the playback to play at the time I choose, it will play once, but if I need to rewind, start over, play it again, its just fairly unpredictable. It may play again but the sound is off, it may play a different time altogether, it may have the correct time stamp, but the video appears either frozen, or to be playing a different time, and sometimes it just freezes and I have to battle with the OS to get the app to close.
I felt this description was a tad wordy for my initial post so I kept it basic there.
I will do my best to get back to you on this asap!
I will check that feature out and see if it helps me with my issue! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
This may be your problem. 4.36.5.58 is Beta firmware, and created quite some havoc on some V3 cameras.
I would recommend you get off the Beta program after your update to the (hopefully) fixed Beta version 4.36.6.17. You can do that by going to Account tab > About > Beta Program > Edit > (remove checkmarks on anything you only want normal production firmware on). If you are using the Beta version of the app, load the production version of the app. But only do this AFTER updating to the fixed Beta version 4.36.6.17 on all your V3s.
Beta versions of anything are not more bug-free than normal production versions. On the contrary, they are very buggy releases that the developers hope advanced users will help them debug. So stay away from Beta versions if you only want a stable camera.
Hardware decoding is a way to speed up the app on low-powered Android devices. It uses the hardware in the phone to help out with what gets displayed on screen, like video. Since there is a possibility it won’t be compatible with your phone, they have a switch for it. So if you notice visual issues after you turn it on, try switching that off to see if it helps. It is compatible with most hardware, though.
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