I accomplish viewing IP Cameras on TV via WMC and Vera (and a few other programs like MediaBrowser to complet the picture. I also provided some conservative high level retail costs.
[*]iSpy Camera Server
- Receives Commands from Vera Home Automation Controller to Start and Stop recording based on motion sensors
- $10/mo + $150 per Night Vision Camera
- Detailed here via HTTP or alpha Vera plugin
[*]VoxCommando - Not required, but help provide audio out (wav files) and speech to text, as well as audio in (voice control)
- Receives text to speech
- Provides voice control of Home Automation, Windows Media Center.
- $40 for VoxCommando + $75 for Amulet Remote
- Detailed here (and Star Trek persona)
[*]Home Automation - Vera (www.GetVera.com)
- Vera uses Z-Wave to wirelessly communicate. It runs on linux and has several plugins for TCP/IP based control outside of Z-Wave (Hue Lights, Russound/Sonos whole home audio, Weather, Sprinkers, etc)
- Uses Z-Wave Motion Sensors
- Makes External Calls to WMC, VoxCommando, and ISpy via simple HTTP calls (iSpy/VoxCommando) or Vera Plugins
- Uploads Pictures Directly from Cameras to Internet if iSpy/WMC down.
- $250 Vera + $50 Z-Wave Motion Sensor + $50 Zwave Light Switch
- More detailed here
Basically, the experience is whether your playing music, watching TV, MediaBrowser, or Netfix in the WMC platform...when motion is detected:
- Vera begins to upload pictures to cloud servers
- Vera triggers iSpy to Begin Recording
- Vera sends VoxCommand to play a Wav file alert (in my case, a a star trek sound) followed by a text to speech message like "Outdoor Perimeter Alert, Motion Detected at the Front Door".
- Vera turns on the corresponding outdoor porch or flood light
- Vera send WMC switches to a simple HTML web page that refreshes the camera picture every second full screen for 15 seconds. This doesn't interfere with the currently playing video or music program which is displayed in a small windows PIP style in the bottom left corner. After 15 seconds, it automatically returns
When motion is not detected timeout (configurable on a per motion sensor level):
- Stop recording
- Turns off the corresponding outdoor porch or flood light
You could do other things too with Vera integration:
- Pop a Message Box in WMC alerting you of garage door open or describing where motion is (even if you don't have a camera) along with speech to text alert from VoxCommando.
- Pause the program in WMC via Vera if Doorbell is rung (in addition to showing camera feed)
- At Wakeup Alarm time...turn on TV, tune to Today Morning Show....and slowly ramp up bedroom lights.
- There are also Tablet Apps like AutomationHD and Imperihome that can receive HTTP commands from Vera to play speech to text and switch to a specific camera feed if you don't need it on your main TV. You could also use Vera to switch TV inputs to a different HDMI feed (via IR blasters like iTach) if you want a more traditional camera DVR setup.
In my case the WMC HTPC has a single HDMI output which gets split using a cheap 8 ports HDMI splitter ($80) that goes to each TV in the house. I have motion sensors in each room that has a TV/Ceiling speakers go on automatically when you walk in the room.
Off topic - If you want you or your family wants to watch own program, you can use usee MediaBrowser DLNA "Play To" funtionality, you can also direct stream to a TV in the Office, Living Room, or Bedroom TV (any DLNA DMS capable TV or Xbox). You can also stream to your phone or tablet too for watching remote...but sadly I'm digressing from the topic as DLNA direct stream or remote play can't get message box or camera feeds like WMC will...and that is what your asking for.
MediaBrowser is pretty cool though if you haven't checked it out.
Anyway, I hope this helps show you what is possible if you want this dialed in to your general tv watching experience...and much easier project if you have WMC already. Don't know if you would classify this as "simple"...but it will
Cheers!
