Apple iPhone video recording now working

“Today I have gotten video recording to work, as it stands my max fps is 40-45 and I am limited by the iPhone’s RAM, so I need to keep working to get closer… Right now I can capture 2mp quality at 10fps for 10 seconds. When I lower the quality to normal phone size .mov I should be able to get a higher fps and a minute of video at least,” drunknbass reports via Monster and Friends.

“I’m posting a binary that will record 5 seconds of video and replay it. There is no UI, this is a very simple proof of concept. All data is stored to memory. I can actually record twice as long, but for this sample 5 seconds is fine (this will record 5 seconds at 10 fps,” drunknbass writes. “The final app will be able to record somewhere from 15-30+ fps and should have an unlimited file lenth.”

Full article with download link here.

40 Comments

  1. I want the video camera on the iPhone to be on the same side as the screen so we can video ichat between iphones or between an iphone and an imac/macbook.

    someday, appletv might have a video camera on it so grandma can video ichat with the grandkids who have an imac.

    or someday I can business trip and video ichat between my iphone and my kids with an appletv with a built in video camera.

    just make it happen apple, it might be a killer feature to add to ichat.

  2. This is just amazing. Lots of talk about video capabilities on the iPhone was disabled by Apple. I guess this guy proves that it can be enabled! Soon we can have video recording. Just add audio and we’re set! Love the iPhone!

  3. It was disabled probably because the quality is not very good, and being Apple, they don’t want to be also-rans, they want to be the leader. Good video depends on at least 24 fps, and ideally double that. However, extremely fast shutter speeds, tremendous light gathering abilities, some sort of minimal zoom, and small (fast) focal lengths. The iphone is not suitable for this. While cool as a curiosity, and I am sure once Apple opens the architecture for 3rd party local apps, there will be a video application for the iphone.

  4. I have a larger ‘video’ question –

    After all the hub-bub over NBC, iTunes Store, etc

    What is an NBC advertisement doing on the left hand side of this page ?

    (least is for me at this viewing – is about a Scrubs episode)

    Not sure if MDN has control of this, since it could be something rotating from Google, for example. Or if MDN is aware and merely happy to take GE/NBC/Universal’s money.

    If the later is the case, then what next ? Vista Ads ?

    Thanks, BC

  5. Apple didn’t disable something that wasn’t enabled to begin with. The iPhone is purchased knowing that it has a 2MB still camera in it. If Apple decides to enable video capability through a software update — and it purposely records sales income for each phone over a period of 24 months to do so — then that’s icing on the cake!

  6. Some people neglect to think before writing. IPhone is a combination of hardware and software. The hardware contains ‘human interface devices’ (Microsoft’s euphemism for keys, mice, image capturing devices, etc), among other components. These HIDs are the touch screen, the main button, the side buttons, the image capturing device (the camera) and some i/o (dock, headphones out).

    Now, the image capturing device captures image and converts it into digital format. From here, Apple’s software takes that image and compresses it into a JPEG. Apple didn’t develop software for video capturing because they (correctly) assumed that it would be interesting only to the minuscule percentage of iPhone users. I was surprised it took almost six months for an intrepid tinkerer to finally come up with a proof-of-concept video capturing programme. I’m sure once SDK is released, a nicely polished version of this feature will be available very quickly.

    Apple’s choice of apps on the iPhone was made extremely carefully. We should all know by know that nothing is never put or omitted without a purpose and heavy research. It is now obvious that they hit it right on the nail with the feature set, since the satisfaction rates with the device are going through the roof (much like the sales numbers), and outside the (again minuscule) minority (that tends to frequent forums such as this one) that voices their displeasure with missing features, everyone seems extremely happy with what they can finally do with a cellphone.

    I can’t wait for the next three months to pass. That should bring the volume of noise on these boards down considerably, as third-party developers will fall over each other in order to provide what this vocal minority has been claiming was missing in the Jesus-phone. Then, everyone will be happy.

  7. Oh, and by the way, the purpose of this feature (video capture) is not to eventually enable video-conferencing, but to allow an average user to capture, on video, moments that happen suddenly, when you don’t have your camcorder. For the same purpose people today use their cellphones to shoot video and post it on YouTube.

    If Apple’s 3G iPhone comes this coming year, I would be surprised if it didn’t have two cameras; a 3-megapixel one on the back, and a 640×320 one on the front…

  8. “Apple didn’t develop software for video capturing because they (correctly) assumed that it would be interesting only to the minuscule percentage of iPhone users.”

    Sounds like you’d fit in well at Apple.

  9. @R2

    not joking at all. Steve Jobs, said he would like to “delight” iPhone customers with software updates. No update I’ve seen so far crosses into the realm of delight. Video recording would, and I’d bet on it.

  10. Great… let the sea of jerky, shitty-Phone quality videos begin! I don’t know what gets people so worked up about what I’d imagine to be postage-stamp sized, jerky video. The camera is pretty mediocre at best now… try holding your iPhone steady for 24 or 30 fps—the word unusable springs to mind…

    Apple is probably holding out and working on some kind of image-stabilization software before they release any kind of video application.

  11. Video recording (Apple engineered) for iPhone v.2 and video teleconferencing for v.3?

    Obviously, current bandwidth bottlenecks must be removed between now and then. I don’t think even 3G is fast enough for on-the-fly video teleconferencing via 2 iPhones.

  12. I think Apple always likes to release products with a minimal set of features regardless if the device supports it or not, just to get the learning curve down. Then as people learn the device, future updates will provide all of the functionality that people are looking for. Pretty much the same way MacOSX functionality was job 1 and aspects of MacOS9 that people had missed came along with the various upgrades.

  13. People, this was Apple’s first phone. As much as you’d like to think that Apple is infallible, to a certain extent, they had to get the core basics correct first. Only then, could they work on all those additional things that are nice, but not core requirements. That’s why Apple has a software update feature. Just give it time, like January 15th, 2008, would be nice, cause I’m sure Steve will give all of us some nice presents.

  14. Dearest Baloney:

    I am the original. Not that I need to prove it to you. I’ve also been No Squirt For You, Twisted Mac Freak and a few others because of nick impostors. No doubt I can be a jerk sometimes too. I explained the origin of my handle to Jim – TIV a long time ago. But more importantly, are you the real Baloney?

  15. The SDK in Feb. will open the floodgates to third party apps that will most likely enable video capture on the iPhone. Apple has built the house and it’s time for the developers to come in and customize it for new owners.

    I also believe because the iPhone is using the At&t;Edge network, sending video to someone would be painfully slow. Hence why Apple thought this feature would not be needed for iPhone 1.0. They focused more on still picture quality which is really good for a cell phone.

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