Simple way to view IP Cameras on TV

[pete_c]

Got one of those and I don't have a signal. Unfortunately I haven't got around to trying to troubleshoot which link of this Rube Goldberg chain is failing yet.

 
That is what W2P is using with the RPi / XBMC set up. 
 
You can do a custom XBMC box / set up providing some entertainment and CCTV views both in HD / SD using this stuff.
 
1 - XBMC on an RPi (which is just an image on an SD card)
2 - HDMI to Component audio/video
 
This would provide you with either an SD component video out for your TV or an HDMI (via RPi) to you TV and a nice application called XBMC making an older television become a smart TV or sorts.

 

[Swancoat]

@DEL - of course - I only used that drive because 1) it was laying around and of no real use to me, and 2) I have redundant recording currently between 2 systems.
 
@swancoat - I have one of these - it was a test related to bugs in RPi/XBMC related to audio out... but long story short - it turns HDMI to Component audio/video and it works great.

 
Ahh, that's basically what I have (although it's black - I guess from a different Chinese reseller). Anyway, I Also bought a VGA to Composite converter (the NVR box has a VGA output) and that didn't seem to work either. (Amazon seems to have an endless supply of converter boxes for various purposes in the $9-$20 range). Anyway, signs are starting to point to the ultra-cheap RCA brand RF modulator...
 
Troubleshooting is harder than expected since I ditched a whole bucket of cables I thought I'd never use again last year. It would be easy to test by just taking a long RCA cable from the converter box directly to the TV, but I actually don't have any anymore. Arghh.

 

[Swancoat]

Alright! I got some cheapo cables, started troubleshooting and found the problem.

Ultimately, it boils down to a powerful combination of laziness and stupidity.

So the HDMI to Composite converter and the VGA to Composite converter (I tried both) ship with USB cables to power them, but no converter. No worries, I just grabbed an old iPhone plug and used that. The iPhone plug does not appear to supply enough power. The NVR itself had USB ports, and they even supplied enough power to make this work. (I'm a little surprised the iPhone adapter didn't supply enough power. Like, how much power do these things need? Maybe it's just a bad adapter).

Anyway, it's tough to describe the warm wave of satisfaction washing over me as the picture materializes on screen. Even knocked down to composite video resolution, I have to say the picture looks pretty decent when viewed in a PIP window.

 

[tmbrown97]

Glad you got it worked out!  I never really paid much attention to the power source - I was plugging the RPi into my Kenwood in-dash navigation unit using the adapter (at one point a bug in XBMC for RPi made the audio from the analog weak but from HDMI it was fine so I was trying this to get a better audio output - of course it made no change)...  so for power I just used the other USB on the back of the Kenwood deck and it worked right away.
 
Apple uses a handshake of sorts to enable the higher power and from what I can tell they only deliver their full power to Apple devices.

 

[drvnbysound]

Glad you got it worked out!  I never really paid much attention to the power source - I was plugging the RPi into my Kenwood in-dash navigation unit using the adapter (at one point a bug in XBMC for RPi made the audio from the analog weak but from HDMI it was fine so I was trying this to get a better audio output - of course it made no change)...  so for power I just used the other USB on the back of the Kenwood deck and it worked right away.
 
Apple uses a handshake of sorts to enable the higher power and from what I can tell they only deliver their full power to Apple devices.

 
I have a friend who uses an iPad charger for his Android phone... Overall, it's probably not good for the battery, but the higher output iPad charger does supply more power and thus charges faster than most phone chargers.

 

[Swancoat]

The reason I have spare phone chargers around is that I use the iPad one on my phone. Absolutely charges faster.

 

[tmbrown97]

I think something also changed over the years... I noticed my old iPad chargers (Gen 1) won't even supply power to some of my Lightning-connectored devices...  I will claim no expertise in the area (don't care enough since there are simple solutions) but I know the gist of the handshake process that occurs...  luckily enough manufacturers have gotten smart enough lately to make it so we just don't have to worry about this.  Anker has been great.

 

[jetsetter]

Ok. Still working on this thing. The little NVR is works like a champ, and I've got a little rule that switches the AVR input over to it when the doorbell rings. Actually works well.

Hi, can you please share some more details how (and where) did you set up this rule and what components did you use to achieve this automation? What kind of door bell do you use? I am on search to buy an IP (sip based) intercom and the one I saw has an embedded MJPEG cam in it, so I was wondering if this can work together with a mini-nvr and have this nice automation i.e. switch my TV to the mini NVR HDMI input on ring (turn it on also if it is on standby would be fantastic if possible too!)
 
Thank you in advance!

 

[Swancoat]

Hi, can you please share some more details how (and where) did you set up this rule and what components did you use to achieve this automation? What kind of door bell do you use? I am on search to buy an IP (sip based) intercom and the one I saw has an embedded MJPEG cam in it, so I was wondering if this can work together with a mini-nvr and have this nice automation i.e. switch my TV to the mini NVR HDMI input on ring (turn it on also if it is on standby would be fantastic if possible too!)
 
Thank you in advance!

Doorbell sensor goes to Elk M1G.
My Home Automation software is Indigo (Mac). There are plugins for the Elk M1G and also for a Denon AVR. Then it was just that much logic for Indigo to see the Elk has picked up a doorbell ring, and if it does, change inputs on the Denon.

 

[drvnbysound]

Doorbell sensor goes to Elk M1G.
My Home Automation software is Indigo (Mac). There are plugins for the Elk M1G and also for a Denon AVR. Then it was just that much logic for Indigo to see the Elk has picked up a doorbell ring, and if it does, change inputs on the Denon.

 
I too used the Elk doorbell sensor with my Elk M1G. I used the M1G natively, with an XSP to change the input of my LG TV. Most LG TVs have a native RS232 port for control of the TV.

 

[Desert_AIP]

I finished my RPi project. 
I display the cams via the RPi and port it to the TV on HDMI (port 4).
 
I integrated it with Amazon Echo/Alexa.
 
The RPi is running a WeMo emulation which is native to the Echo. 
When the RPi is commanded by the Echo to turn something on, in this case it sends a CEC command to the TV via the HDMI port to turn on the TV and switch to port 4 as Active Source.
 
Because the WeMo protocol is native I can use the phrase "Alexa, turn on the Driveway Camera". 
Instead of the more clumsy "Alexa, tell Homeseer to turn on the Driveway Camera."
"Alexa, Driveway Camera on."  Also works.

 

[pete_c]

Great news Desert_AIP!
 
Are you utilizing an RPi2 or an RPi3?  Are you using Wheezy or Jessie?
 
Are the CEC drivers included in the current build or addon?

 

[Desert_AIP]

I'm running an RPi 2. It's on PoE so I don't need wireless and I get higher bandwidth.
The RPi 2 seems to handle it OK. A 3 would be faster. There is about a second and a half lag before Alexa responds "OK". But the TV starts action within half a second.
That RPi is also running my Ubiquiti Unifi server software to manage my WiFi AP constellation. I don't think it's over tasked which is amazing.

I'm using the latest Raspbian Jessie lite on a 4 GB SD card I had laying around.

I combined several internet tutorials to get where I am.

I should post links and a tutorial.

Whenever I do anything on the Pi I create a text file with all the commands that got me to a working application.
That way if I have to recreate it, it's just a matter of cutting and pasting the commands via SSH.

 

[drvnbysound]

I finished my RPi project. 
I display the cams via the RPi and port it to the TV on HDMI (port 4).
 
I integrated it with Amazon Echo/Alexa.
 
The RPi is running a WeMo emulation which is native to the Echo. 
When the RPi is commanded by the Echo to turn something on, in this case it sends a CEC command to the TV via the HDMI port to turn on the TV and switch to port 4 as Active Source.
 
Because the WeMo protocol is native I can use the phrase "Alexa, turn on the Driveway Camera". 
Instead of the more clumsy "Alexa, tell Homeseer to turn on the Driveway Camera."
"Alexa, Driveway Camera on."  Also works.

 
How many cameras are you displaying? Roughly what resolution and frame rate? 

 

[vc1234]

How many cameras are you displaying? Roughly what resolution and frame rate? 

And what software is used ?
 
Thanks.