User PAID download of video/CCTV clips?

[Giles Denney]

I'm new to this forum but thought it might be the right place to find some answers or point me in the right direction.

I have an IP network camera that records to hard disk.

I want the facility for a public User to be able to choose and pay for (PayPal?) clips from the stored video streams. I can't discuss the project openly but an analogy would be a CCTV system whereby people could purchase clips of the video stream (maybe by sending them a time limited link to the file download) but they would need to possibly preview the clips so that they choose the one they want (alternatively, specify a start and end time within a date)

I'm thinking that I need a custom web interface? (HTML) but I just wondered if anybody has come across an existing GUI that offers a "Purchasing" facility or even an "Authorisation code" (which a separate payment system could produce after payment had been made) facility.

Any ideas how one could achieve this on a budget?

Many thanks in anticipation

 

[catcamstar]

Interesting scenario, can I simply state you want to make your own Youtube-alike platform, with all nice "low quality" videos, and if people want to see the "real deal", they have to pay (for that video) or for subscription?

I'm not in the e-business branche, but I stumbled upon this gem which might give you some insights in how to create your digital platform, and although that article takes some "decisions" in the selection program, you will be able to judge for yourself (based on all your other requirements you don't state: which budget, which technology, hosted or on premise, DIY or full "outsourced", huge community or broker-alike etc etc.).

Have a look here: Selling Products Online: The Best Ways to Sell Digital Goods-Tools &Tricks

Good luck!
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[Giles Denney]

Thanks for the link and I'll look more closely at the solutions in the list

However, I need it to be fully automated. Ideally, I want the user to purchase, say a 5 minute clip, by specifying the date and time stamp on the CCTV video stream that is stored on disk. Basically, the odd user is going to want to purchase a 5 minute segment of a CCTV feed that runs 24/7.

 

[catcamstar]

Thanks for the link and I'll look more closely at the solutions in the list

However, I need it to be fully automated. Ideally, I want the user to purchase, say a 5 minute clip, by specifying the date and time stamp on the CCTV video stream that is stored on disk. Basically, the odd user is going to want to purchase a 5 minute segment of a CCTV feed that runs 24/7.

So basically, you want a rotating system that every 10-15 minutes your saved clips are synchronised over to a webserver, which "refreshes" that list and creates shopping carts out of these clips? I think that could be technically possible, however you'd have to do that too for the "substream" clips as you want to have a potential preview system in place too. And then you need to set that to an acceptable resolution that the user will actually "buy" the real-deal, if it's too good, they will never buy the real deal.

I am more curious in what content is visible in these videostreams: I personally would not accept a CCTV system capturing my ugly face in a video that someone else can 1) view and 2) pay for. Unless it's some kind of wild-life-DiscoveryChannel-Nature-documenatry In short: take into account any GDPR regulation.

Good Luck!
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[Giles Denney]

Yes thanks, I'm aware of the GDPR restrictions. Peoples faces do not appear in the stream.

I don't really want to use up the bandwidth in uploading local files (24 hours of video a day) when perhaps only one buyer might just want a clip from that day of 5 minutes from, say 14:22 to 14:27. I want to host all the files locally and provide the purchaser with a low resolution (preview stamped) way of selecting the 5 minute segment they want to purchase. Then I need to take the payment, then i need to deliver the video (email, or secret link to a server on the Internet.

Another scenario that might explain it without breaking project confidentiality, would be to think of an IP camera that shows a Poker table at a long tournament. Whilst a player might be sitting at the table for 15 hours in total, he might want to download the video of the table play for just that 5 minutes when he hit that miracle card that allowed him to win the hand. When he gets home, I want him to be able to go to a site, specify the date and time of that poker hand and pay and download the video of his winning moment! Then he can post it to Facebook and show off to his friends...... That's the Customer experience and as far as the vendor experience is concerned, we just have a 15 hour stream saved on hard disk.

Any more ideas?

Thanks

 

[catcamstar]

Interesting!!! If you do not want to use up the bandwidth, that's a valable choice, however you should take into account that if a large number of users connects to your system on premise, that bandwidth (upstream that is) will become an issue! If you would upload a stream once, or have 100 concurrent users download that stream once, I would quickly decide otherwise. But then again, it all depends on the architecture of your solution, which heavily relies on functional (and non functional) requirements, security as being one, but also high availability etc. As per NVR, I for sure do not want that ANYBODY connects to the registered files on that NVR. Do (at least) an offload on some kind of NAS/share so that your NVR can do what it is made for.

Do you know the Vimeo service? They offer different plans, including live streaming, with the possibility to "sell" (and make money). But then you'll need to send your feed out.

I do not know any other video services "webshop", apart from a shady drupal plugin: Commerce License Video Embed

If I was you, I would make a full list of requirements, think it through couple of times, not only budget wise, but also security wise, services wise... And I think, if you want to make this thing "right", it will cost you a lot (and hopefully render profit for you in the long shot).

 

[bp2008]

I don't really want to use up the bandwidth in uploading local files (24 hours of video a day) when perhaps only one buyer might just want a clip from that day of 5 minutes from, say 14:22 to 14:27.

Unless your bandwidth expenses are astronomically high, this is a crystal-clear sign that you would not earn enough from such a service to warrant creating it.