Any DVR/NVR that can integrate with HA?

D

dammad

Member
Sorry if this has been answered somewhere concretely before.

I've read around and am very familiar that many CCTV DVR/NVRs use either Java or ActiveX controls to allow viewing. However, I can't seem to find one that overcomes this limitation.

I'm looking at creating a home automation/CCTV system, but I want to get live streaming into the HA system. IP Cameras seems like one route, but they are very expensive each. Is there was a DVR or IP server that just streamed H.264 and was integratable with any popular HA (Elk, HomeSeer, HAI, etc.)?
 
Out of curiosity - why the limitation of no ActiveX or Java? Most systems use these because they have been pretty much the only way to build the client functionality needed to stream video into a browser. Flash would be another one, and I guess to some extent a smart client. I understand there are security and performance concerns to all of these methods, but it would be pretty much impossible to get efficient streaming video via straight http IMO.

Also - all of the IP cameras I have seen also require a client side Java or Activex app so they may not be able to overcome the limitation.
 
Another option is to integrate the capture with a capture card with your HA box. Personally didn't like the utilization of just 1 stream mixing in with HA.

Another way is to run another capture program on same said HA box to capture IP streams. Yet another is to do a mix of analogue and digital. Using an analogue DVR with all the controls there and just using your HA box as a portal.

Years ago my concern was having to set up a reverse proxy so that I could see the video stream from only one box. Today the stream is kind of regenerated. But for remote access today whether its a phone or a computer I still go directly to the source DVR.
 
You're looking for the holy grail. The sad part is, many of these units are Linux based, so it would be relatively easy for the manufacturer to support streaming without using ActiveX/JAVA ;)
 
So right now it is next to impossible to integrate CCTV with a HA system? Do they just do it through implementation of proprietary interfaces?

What is the easiest set of CCTV and HA systems that integrate well?
 
Exactly what type of "integration" are you looking for? Many DVRs have alarm outputs that you can use to detect movement in a zone and act on it. If you are concerned about viewing the cameras on a screen, that can usually be done without too much trouble. Obviously it is easy for IP cameras (I have one and just have a web browser embedded in my automation GUI that shows the camera in real time). But even analog can/has been done before.
 
sic0048 said:
Exactly what type of "integration" are you looking for? Many DVRs have alarm outputs that you can use to detect movement in a zone and act on it. If you are concerned about viewing the cameras on a screen, that can usually be done without too much trouble. Obviously it is easy for IP cameras (I have one and just have a web browser embedded in my automation GUI that shows the camera in real time). But even analog can/has been done before.
Click to expand...

That is a good question. I was hoping to get the video from the CCTV to the touchscreens in home, on to the TV and on to my iPhone. I figured that if the solutions used ActiveX then getting the video (rather than just a sequence of images) on the touchscreen would be difficult because ActiveX is not supported on embedded hardware like my TV/PS3 or most automation touchscreens.

Can you tell me more on how this would be done? I must have missed something in my understanding of how CCTV would integrate with a HAI/Elk/Homeseer, etc.
 
I did a commercial security DVR project a couple of years ago. Without having enough detail relating to the project and in a rush to install security a Windows based DVR was purchased (also based on the support infrastructure) with 5 analogue cameras plus one PTZ. Cost was around $80k plus (maybe closer to 100K) for said system. The MS Windows interface was a bit kludgy and the software was pretty limited in functionality. I could see all the cameras though at good FPS. I suggested that the next commercial installation use a Linux base and to train support folks in said maintenance of product. Think I was looking at a new Honeywell based DVR.

For a bit after a person walked in to an office and shot his wife in the face there was a push to add more security cams at all of the hub and spoke offices. After last years downturn in the economy and "budgets" the "security" budget got wacked along with a few thousand employees....
 
twilo123 said:
many dvr companies are starting to come around now and for the ones that don't new ones are springing up. just look on the app store for dvr or cctv, etc. and see which apps support which dvr. from there you can figure most of it out. we have a whole list of compatible dvr for our iphone app you can use as a reference. Total Control Vidcam Edition Compatiblity List Click Here
Click to expand...

The Total Control Vidcam list is very useful thanks. I don't see many DVRs/NVRs on the list. Does this imply that going the IP camera route is safest for integration (and more expensive)? Any recommendation for a good outdoor IP camera that doesn't break the bank.
 
I think using IP cameras is probably the easiest for wrapping it into a automation system. But they may not be the cheapest or even the best quality for the situation. Analog cameras send out an analog signal. So while some high end automation systems (like Crestron, etc) may be able to take an analog signal and display it on a touch screen with the other digital signals, most of the time you need to convert that analog signal to a digital signal. Then a computer can take that digital signal and display it "inside" an automation template. Search for "analog video network converter" and you'll see what I am talking about. The downside is the expense to these converters.

Another option is to take the analog signal and distribute it to TVs and displays just like other video signals. Of course this is relatively easy and cheap and probably most common here. But there is a rudamentary difference between doing that and the conversion process above.

I currently have a IP camera and display it inside my CQC templates on my touch screen computer. To do this with an analog signal, I would need to convert it to a digital signal first. But I could take an analog signal and display it on my TV - probably even easier than I could display my IP camera on the TV (that would require having a computer output to the TV).

Hopefully this makes sense. There are two realms to think about - analog and digital - and you have to decide which is better for your situation.
 
Yes, the compatibility list is for tested units. we support more than those via api but it is best to start with that list for our apps.

We also have a Total Control Public Camera Section of online demos.

For DVR all around we prefer Nuvico. DM would be another obvious choice. on the cheapos it varies but some are better than others. We try to do videos when possible at Total Control YouTube Channel
so sometimes you can get an idea there.

As kind of mentioned above we do support video encoders for analog feeds to make them digital with a supported stream in our apps some times.

Dan (electron) said:
I assume you tested most of those DVR's? If so, which one did you prefer?
Click to expand...
 
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