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    #16
    Look first at the whole CCTV / Camera / Security aspects of an NVR/DVR CCTV thing.

    Assume that you are implementing CCTV for security.

    Then afterwards look how you can utilize Homeseer integration with your CCTV setup.

    There are many folks today which are utilizing automation and CCTV security outside of using Homeseer.

    It would be beneficial to anyone interested in the integration of automation and CCTV security to look at how many different means of integration that there is.

    You can utilize Homeseer to help you manage the CCTV box and security pieces of the "right box". This is where most folks have gone to a DIY using software CCTV / NVR because it is the easiest to integrate with Homeseer.

    Personally have a read over here:

    http://www.cctvforum.com/index.php?s...6484623f7b4321

    Then another read over here:

    http://www.diysecurityforum.com/inde...alj9evm5fjho6&

    CCTV camera database

    http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/2...-cctv-cameras/

    CCTV software

    http://cocoontech.com/forums/page/se...lance-software
    Last edited by Pete; February 16, 2014, 02:09 PM.
    - Pete

    Auto mator
    Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
    Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
    HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

    HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
    HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

    X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

    Comment


      #17
      Pete,
      Thanks for the links and for a short lecture from "Pete University". You seriously have a profound knowledge of almost everything that's worth knowing! The board is lucky to have someone like you who is always willing to share.

      Off to read...


      Tom
      Tom
      baby steps...starting again with HS3
      HS3Pro: Z-NET & 80 Z wave Devices,
      HSTouch: 4 Joggler (Android Kitkat), 2 iPhone, 3 iPads
      Whole House Audio: 5 SqueezePlay Jogglers w Bose Speakers
      In The Works: 10 Cameras Geovision, new Adecmo/Envisalink Alarm, Arduinos
      System: XP on Fanless Mini-ITX w/ SSD

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        #18
        Not a problem Tom.
        - Pete

        Auto mator
        Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
        Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
        HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

        HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
        HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

        X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

        Comment


          #19
          Pete, great post. I had found several of those threads, but not all.

          I think I am headed down the path of keeping my cheapo DVR setup. and set up a web page/iOS app to stream to and perhaps allow from HS Touch when there is activity.

          I can keep trying to hack it on my spare time (I have access to a telnet session for which I need a password and another port gives me a menu, but requires a second login).

          Lastly, I will keep an eye out for a good quality used DVR to pop up on ebay. That's where I picked up my server for $75. Who knows?

          Now off to post in another thread.

          Comment


            #20
            Originally posted by TomTom View Post
            Mpovolo,
            Thanks for making the distinction about NVR's url command capabilities(or lack of). I've read through a few of the video servers I was looking at they didn't say whether they allowed url commands. Hard to tell if they are or not by just product descriptions and specs.
            In your research did you come across any less expensive video servers that offered the url command capability?

            The only one that I found that provides this capability is avermedia NVR card. But then you need a PC running also, I actually have two of these cards allowing you to do 8 cameras if you are interested. I ended up going the IP server route and couldn't return the cards :-(

            Comment


              #21
              Here I always recommended Zoneminder. Mostly because it was sort of open source and had a large community of folks supporting it.

              For me and since the early 2000's I've experimented and played with a variety of analog cameras, SD IP cameras and today HD IP cameras.

              That said I have always integrated HS with my Zoneminder stuff.

              I did write a DIY using Zoneminder a couple of years ago. It is here:

              http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=145533

              It has not been updated in a while. The software has always been free. The hardware was up to the user.

              That said Zoneminder always worked with whatever analog cameras I used.

              The el cheapo $30 camera and the more expensive analog cameras I played with.

              Over the years I started to add SD IP cameras and HD IP cameras and Zoneminder has worked with these.

              Really and truly don't bother trying to reverse engineer a non documented mostly Linux OS for a propietary embedded NVR if you don't want to know or care to know or know any Linux; you will just be spinning your wheels.

              Today and mostly due to the competition out there between different types of IP cameras you have some good Wintel software NVR stuff which just works and is easy to integrate. The support for this wintel software is typically in a forum for the software and if its really popular then you will many Homeseer users using it for themselves and integrating the use into Homeseer.

              As stated most of the propietary embedded Linux NVR companies just build CCTV NVRs as single purpose CCTV machines. They are not meant to be integrated with other systems. Initially and right now they do provide proprietary web interfaces and probably to get more into the DIY market will start providing more API stuff for custom control of the CCTV.

              The above noted; a used proprietary NVR at a good deal works just fine as a CCTV box. Specific integration though to a propietary NVR though here on the Homeseer forum has never really been documented; mostly because there is a variety out there and no one set of common means of embedded NVR software.

              I would recommend though starting simple.

              Truely the KISS methodology does work when integrating CCTV into HS.

              Reading this forum will provide most of the information needed for said integration.

              There are many posts going back to the early 2000's relating to integration of cameras and CCTV and NVR stuff with Homeseer.

              Yes; it is difficult sometimes to find stuff here; but its really all here.

              Purchase a Foscam IP camera here, link the stills or motion from the camera to Homeseer; play with it as an introduction to learning about this stuff.

              You won't be spending a lot of monies doing this. Use Ultra's (Randy's) plugins for the Foscams.

              It is simple relative to reverse (or trying) engineering a propietary embedded off the shelf used NVR.

              The OP asked:

              What are others using to integrate with Analog cameras?
              Many ways are documented here on Homeseer. There was even a plugin for hardware capture card integration at one time.

              The above said; Homeseer was never a CCTV DVR/NVR program.

              The "first" Homeseer integration was simple and it was just using whatever HTML links there was to software or hardware.

              As the first SD IP cameras dropped in price then you started to see Homeseer integration with these cameras.

              Homeseer did sell the Foscam camera starting a few years back. I purchased two of these cameras.

              That said I used Axis IP cameras in the early 2000's and they too worked with Homeseer way back then just fine.

              Over the years folks did try to integrate multiple capture CCTV cards running software concurrent with Homeseer.

              It really didn't work that well or not at all.

              Personally I it was a PITA to learn how to integrate an 8 port capture card into Zoneminder; it was not plug n play in the early 2000's.

              Early off the shelf software that allowed hybrid analog and IP camera connectivity for CCTV stuff was really expensive.

              Personally here did commercial stuff using this software and the installations were not cheap but rather some 50-100K plus; but it related to security and that seemed to drive up the prices.

              In summary there is no real plug n play means of CCTV integration to Homeseer. I have used my stuff since the first days of HSTouch and it did work fine for me. There was no magic formula and it was simple and still is very simple.

              There are plenty of methodologies that many Homeseer users have implemented over the years and those are documented here on the Homeseer forum; nothing hidden nor special about the way this is being done.
              Last edited by Pete; February 18, 2014, 08:24 AM.
              - Pete

              Auto mator
              Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
              Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
              HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

              HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
              HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

              X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

              Comment


                #22
                Well, reverse engineering the Linux box was more an exercise in hacking than a smart way to address my CCTV needs. Nothing I hate worse than owning a product for which I am not given the passwords. I have dumped my Security provider for refusing to give me codes to a system that I purchased.

                Looking at your link, I see that it addresses the VM option. Nothing wrong with trying to stand up a Ubuntu VM on my box and seeing how bad of a performance hit I take (alas, CPU's are 32bit so Virt at the HW level).

                Comment


                  #23
                  Yup; many folks are using VM's today.

                  Here I am testing running HS3 for Linux doing simple stuff concurrently with Zoneminder running on Ubuntu.

                  This is the first time I have tried anything like this.

                  I am also running a Squeezebox server concurrently with my MythTV box and that works fine such that I can Stream live TV on my HSTouch clients and run Squeezeplayer on them as well.

                  Relating to CCTV stuff in general....

                  About a year ago my neighbor asked me to look at his CCTV stuff for three offices.

                  Two local and one out of state. Each office had two to three stacked DVRs with multiple analog cams connected inside and outside of the offices.

                  These boxes were installed professionally and cost a bit of monies.

                  It was interesting as the boxes were configured for access to the internet with whatever mobile phones the neighbor was using.

                  The CCTV boxes were all left at default for administrative access.

                  The firewalls in place also were totally opened and left at default access from the internet with all default passwords.

                  Typically I have noticed that many folks do want to remote control their home from their cell phones or integrate stuff like CCTV and be able to see their cams.

                  I have seen that whole making a cam stream work on the cell phone with a thrill of being able to do this and totally neglecting any type of security for the benefit of a CCTV view on the PDA phone which really sometimes is all that matters.

                  Thing is today there is "the dark side" of the internet that no one pays attention to; which is a bad thing.

                  I've now seen very similar with small businesses and larger businesses with network / internet connectivity and absolutely no security implemented what so ever...mostly though cuz it was done on the "cheap" with lackluster resources.
                  - Pete

                  Auto mator
                  Homeseer 3 Pro - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e 64 bit Intel Haswell CPU 16Gb
                  Homeseer Zee2 (Lite) - 3.0.0.548 (Linux) - Ubuntu 18.04/W7e - CherryTrail x5-Z8350 BeeLink 4Gb BT3 Pro
                  HS4 Lite - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenovo Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram

                  HS4 Pro - V4.1.18.1 - Ubuntu 22.04 / Lenova Tiny M900 / 32Gb Ram
                  HSTouch on Intel tabletop tablets (Jogglers) - Asus AIO - Windows 11

                  X10, UPB, Zigbee, ZWave and Wifi MQTT automation-Tasmota-Espurna. OmniPro 2, Russound zoned audio, Alexa, Cheaper RFID, W800 and Home Assistant

                  Comment


                    #24
                    I have a Lorex DVR that has a web interface. I also recall that HSTouch can display a web page. Have you looked into showing this? Also, there is a viewer for Android and iPhone in case that is an option instrad of viewing in HSTouch. Note that this second option will not playback a recording while the website will.

                    That said, I have been considering splitting the analog cameras on my system to a digital line as well and testing a second DVR. I will be looking at the Sighthound system http://www.sighthound.com/ after I finish my current project. Sighthound bought Vitamin D which has been discussed on this forum in the past.
                    Karl S
                    HS4Pro on Windows 10
                    1070 Devices
                    56 Z-Wave Nodes
                    104 Events
                    HSTouch Clients: 3 Android, 1 iOS
                    Google Home: 3 Mini units, 1 Pair Audios, 2 Displays

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