VNC Watch

VNCWatch lets you watch the display of any computer running TightVNC server on an iPhone/iPad.
This can be used to watch the display of a PC showing security camera video, in as close to real-time as possible.

Please be advised that this app was designed for use over WiFi, unlimited data plans, and tries to give you server display updates as fast as possible over WiFi. Not unlike other apps that bring you real time streaming data, if your data plan is metered, you're on a roaming/international, $$/KB plan, as when you go overseas, you are advised to use the app judiciously.

Over WiFi, the image quality is adjusted high to low based on connection speed. Over 3G/Edge, the image quality is lowered to greatly reduce data, and the display updates are slower. Best results are when the server is on the same local network.

The app is strictly for VIEW only, and it does not send user commands, via touches to the TightVNC server.

This app has only been tested with TightVNC version 1.3(free download) on Windows. It has not been tested with any other VNC server, and may or may not work with any others. It worked during a test connecting to a Linux CentOS PC running TightVNC but we did not have resources to test it much with Linux.
The connection details are stored on the device only and never sent to any other server.

Who can use this app:
Anybody who knows how to set up a VNC Server, configure a router for port-forwarding, should be able to get this working. Security aspects are up to the reader to manage.

Sample usage:
The test system was a standard Windows PC. Security camera video from multiple cameras was fed into a PCI video capture card on the PC. The DVR software of the card showed the security camera feed on the computer display.
TightVNC server v1.3 was run on the Windows PC. Port forwarding was enabled on the router to direct requests coming in over the internet to the TightVNC server.

The following resolutions on the TightVNC server were tested.
800x600, 960x600,1024x768,1280x800,1280x1024.

Features:
-Pan,Zoom the view
-View adjusts to phone orientation
-Save snapshot to Photos
-Email snapshot
-Noise suppression in camera low light conditions, in separate filter view.
-Display GPS coordinates
-Display Location/weather details for GPS position
-See data statistics

Note: The sample images here are from real security cameras and have been intentionally smudged to obscure details.

Usage Directions
Step 1.
Start the VNCWatch app, and click '+' on the top right to add the VNC server details.

Step 2.
There are 4 fields on this form
a. Server IP address
Enter the IP address assigned by your ISP. e.g 98.156.115.139 . Look to the router to find this address.

b. Port The default port is 5900, but this can be changed this to whatever port number has been set on the TightVNC server. e.g 65254

c. Server password Enter the password used to log on to the TightVNC server.

d. Server name
Enter a name to easily identify the VNC server e.g "home vnc server" , "fidocam" etc .

Go back to the main screen by selecting 'Connect to Server'.

Step 3.
The main screen will now show the Server details. Click on the row to connect to that VNC server. Additional servers can be added if you like.

Step 4.
Over a local WiFi network, the speed at which data arrives, and the display updates, is faster than on 3G/Edge networks.
Changing the orientation of the phone will rotate the display.
Pan, zoom, pinch allows display adjustment.

Step 5.
A moveable 'i' button toggles a button panel on the bottom, This panel has buttons to:

email: email screenshot.
save: saves screenshot to Photos.
filter: Turns on/off the filter view for camera low light noise suppression.
left/right: Position filter view, top left/right.
gps: Display GPS coordinates
location/weather details.

Two meters show totalBytesReceived and time since last screen update.

更新履歴
-Added button with atlas+weather icon, in toolbar, and next to GPS button in panel, that uses current GPS co-ordinates and displays detailed Location, Weather info obtained from the internet, in a popup view. So for example if you're on a tour bus in a different country, you can tell approximately where you are, what the weather is outside, and also email this to your contacts, by selecting the email button.
It takes a few attempts for the iPhone GPS service to settle on GPS co-ordinates. Closing and re-opening the popup view will re-fetch location/weather for the updated GPS co-ordinates.
We've experienced very good location results in our tests, but this info is obtained from external sources, and we don't control its accuracy.

-improved image email,save and general performance

If you use this app, kindly rate it. Thanks!