Last weekend I received my Xiaomi/XIAOYI Smart Camera/small ants camera (I am a little confused what the real official name is, since it has also a YI on the box, and I thought that the Yi is more a kind of a GoPro camera). It is a nice inexpensive WiFi camera, that is similar to the Dropcam, but much less expensive. I paid around 38$ including shipping.
Yi Cam
other specs:
- 1280×720 HD resolution
- 111° wide-angle, 4x zoom
- Two-way voice communication
- micro-SD card slot
Yi Cam – Screenshot 1
Yi Cam – Screenshot 2
Yi Cam – Screenshot 3
Quick start guide
Get the camera running was not that easy since the official unofficial English guide skipped some important details. The English guide and the app can be found here:
http://en.miui.com/thread-65175-1-1.html
Let us assume you have, just like me, a protected WiFi. And there are no other open WiFis around because in Germany you have such nice laws like Mitstörerhaftung :/
1. you install the apk-App from the above link on your smartphone and start the app, you’ll add your WiFi credentials in the app
2. you power up the camera via USB
3. you notice that the cameras LED is orange for 10 seconds and then blinks blue. The user guide tells you, the LED has to turn orange again before you can connect to the camera. (it does basically mean, that the camera doesn’t have a wireless connection)
4. you try to search the camera via the app, but you don’t get a connection to the camera, via the password protected WiFi
5. you have to open your WiFi for a moment, so the camera can get a connection to the internet (maybe a power reset or a 5 sec reset at the reset button is necessary), use the app to search for the camera and sync the WiFi credentials
6. then protect your WiFi again, the camera should reconnect itself to the protected WiFi
7. use the app to see the camera stream
VLC-Player
Network Scan Tool
What do to, when you want to see the camera stream on your PC without the app?
1. get the cameras IP address, via your routers localhost website or use a tool like Netscan
2. install (if you already haven’t installed it) and open your VLC Player
3. open a network stream by typing: rtsp://192.168.2.120:554/ch0_0.h264
(change the IP to your camera IP)
more information about RTSP can be found in this forum entry:
http://en.miui.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=70205&highlight=rtsp
Hi, thank you for the info. But I still can’t get my camera to log on my open wifi (I check the list of connected devices in my router and my new camera neer appear). Any idea?
@Yves: maybe you can try the reset button on the camera backside.
Hello, I have done this but VLC asks for a user name and password. What should it be?
You have probably upgraded the firmware – the latest version ask for pass. I search for them for two days and all I found is suggestions to downgrade to the older version of firmware that does not ask for user/pass 🙁
Dear friend, I bought the camera because the online shop told me that it works if you have only a smartphone (with 3 g Internet) and the camera! Nothing else and that was great vto me. In fact my purpose was looking at my home calmy seated at my office (very far from my home). I do not have a wifi. No internal or external wifi!!! And I do not have a router! As far as you understand, can I really use the camera just having Internet on my mobile phone? Yesterday I tried to set up everything very quickly but my impression is that a wifi is needed. I want your opinion before going back to the shop and raise a complain.
It won’t work without a WiFi. So you should talk with the shop to refund you.
hola que tal soy de mexico y tengo 2 de estas camaras pero me podrias ayudar a conectarla a mi computadora gracias saludos
How do you delete the Ap so that the router info goes away, I want to use a different router. I tried to delete but the router info is still in there.??
Unfortunately the Xiaomi YI camera needs a username and password for RTSP. Can’t seem to find one on the web. Have the (oops) Chinese version of the camera and cannot get the thing to work. It keeps on chattering at me in mandarin. %-)
Hi
Blue light is continuously blinking after scanning code and not coming as stable light . tried reset button also … Mine is 5G WiFi … Is it because of that.
Is it possible to use it without the sun cable? Does it has a battery?
it has no battery
I do not agree, read: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/xiaomi-mi4-review-chinas-iphone-killer-is-unoriginal-but-amazing/