Security cams to TVs via Chromecast?

[wkearney99]

It's the age-old problem of what's the 'least tedious' way to easily bring up security camera video on TVs in the house?  
 
I've had a Swann DVR8-3000 for a few years and it's serviceable.  It does the job with it's analog cameras.  I've used an Android app 'IP Cam Viewer Pro' but it's an ugly app.  It's WAF rates pretty low.  Searching here a moment ago, someone mentioned "TinyCam" and I'm going to take a look.
 
But I'm wondering, with all the ways you can push media to a TV (or remote control the streaming device on it) I'm thinking why not use one of those for pulling up the camera feed?

I'm not talking about doing a screencast from a tablet/phone device, yes, that would work.  I'm thinking more like having my Amazon Echo be able to do something like "Alexa, tell security to show front porch camera on family room TV".  Not dig around for a tablet or a remote and tap through a ton of stuff.  I realize this isn't going to happen without something on-site that handles knitting the resources together.  Homeseer, CQC or some other kind of automation framework.
 
At some point it's going to require the ability for this on-site box to actually be able to call upon the local Chromecast (or other display endpoint device) to start pulling the content.  Current the TVs and AVRs have IP control, so switching them around wouldn't be overly complicated.  I tend to avoid the on-TV 'smart apps' because they're usually terrible and tedious to use (and often impossible to automate remotely).  Using a streamer like a Chromecast is an inexpensive alternative without requiring a lot of half-assing it with a remote control.
 
Anyway, has anyone run across anything like this?

 

[wkearney99]

Searching here a moment ago, someone mentioned "TinyCam" and I'm going to take a look.

 
Hmm, that's about the same.  It's a little "less ugly" UI-wise, but accomplishes the same thing.
 
As a side note, yeesh, I feel bad for the software developers dealing with all those different variations of security recorders!  I'm guessing a lot of them are using the same core software framework?

 

[pete_c]

Well personally here it involves multiple pieces but it is basic. 
 
Just remote controlling my Kodi box to bring up a CCTV feed via the Homeseer server. 
 
Or just clicking on a favorite on Kodi which is a CCTV stream (any size overlay if you want).
 
The Kodi box is used in an STB like manner.  That said I also backfeed an HD mix via the antenna connections.
 
The Kodi UI is very refined and there are many themes and they all really do the same and just look different.
 
You can do this manually via a one liner using VLC. 
 
That said it is a computer IP streaming connection to the LCD TV rather than an analog connection.  You can still do an analog connection (I do that too back feeding my antenna stuff).
 
I do events here also to Homeseer Touch screens.  This andsleeping the screen, displaying a weather screen or CCTV screen.  The event can be driven by the Amazon Echo.
 
All of it though is in a Linux Ubuntu world (no wintel no android  - just the meat of Ubuntu).  
 
Relating to those Chromecast devices; the Kodi folks redid the OS / Hardware stuff and it works better than using Android as a base.  (better direct to kernel  / hardware interface than the Android interface).

 

[wkearney99]

Sure, that's been one way to do it.  When you mention backfeed HD mix, what're you using output the antenna connection compatible signal?  In the old days it was pretty easy, and relatively cheap, to use an RF encoder and some RF filters to piggyback onto the antenna connections.  But with the advent of ATSC that's a lot less convenient (and a lot more expensive).  With analog cameras that also afforded an opportunity to split the signals from each camera to the DVR and an RF modulator.  So you could pull an NTSC signal from the camera, RF modulate it onto a TV channel and just use the TV's own RF tuner to watch it.  That'd work with the cameras I have now but won't if/when I start using IP cameras.  

 

[pete_c]

When you mention backfeed HD mix, what're you using output the antenna connection compatible signal?

 
Historically had those cable TV (SD) signal injectors - rack mounted 1U sized and about 2" wide.  Today though just using an analog tuner which feeds a channel back to the HD RG-6 cable.   My LCD TV's auto tune both NTSC and ASTC signals still (not sure on the new LCD TVs).
 
Unrelated but where I had learned a bit of this stuff was the local cable company in the 1980's took over an old school building in our town.  There they built local cable television studios in the school.    A friend of mine asked if I would like to volunteer to do a local access television show for cable.  I said OK.  It was purely voluntary.  About 20 of us participated.  Our teacher whom worked for the cable company taught us how to use all of the equipment and cameras and editing video devices.  We did a cooking show.  It was recorded in the studios and in a local forest preserve where we would do BBQ type television shows.  Well only one guy was in front of the camera 99% of the time. The rest of us took turns doing some part of the show.  I had a lot of fun learning all of the stuff. I do not know if anybody watched the show but we had a good time making the show.
 
To make my legacy Leviton HAI Ominitouch screens work with IP HD cames I utilize a Grandstream IP to SD decoder / encoder.  I configure multiple feeds to one on the Omnitouch CCTV hub and split the Axis camera analog feeds using a video amplifier (one per feed).  You can if you want to take an IP HD cam feed to the Grandstream encoder/decoder then output it to some NTSC channel mixed in with an ASTC signal. (IE for the Omnitouch 5.7's its just an IP feed to the screen).

 

[nicholass817]

Here I have an RF modulator (pviusa.com) that takes the digital signal (HDMI) from my NVR and pipes it to each of the TVs in the house via RG6.  When I want to see the cameras in any of the rooms I either switch the TV input to RF or turn on PIP (setup as single button on remotes to make it simple).  Drawback is that I get a call from an unhappy wife if I fart around with the NVR and forget to put it back on the front door view...and there is a lag when the signal is passed through the modulator.  It isn't a long lag, just frustrating while trying to change settings on the NVR when viewing through a TV.  Not the most elegant solution...would way rather prefer just to view the IP stream in PIP or popup of some sort on the TVs...if only we could view copy once content in Kodi...
 
Also, been considering tying the doorbell and some iTachs into the mix to automate certain aspects of it, but we are selling the house....so it'll have to wait.

 

[pete_c]

copy once content in Kodi...

 
Well you can but it is kind of a rigamarole.  You would add a MythTV instance and use Kodi to record.The playback then would be from MyTV Kodi Plugin.  Streaming the IP video to Kodi though wouldn't let you record.  You can also broadcast IP video via VLC via a one liner.

 

[Desert_AIP]

I've been using IP cams with a small android box and a CCTV app hooked to an HDMI port of my TV.

 

[nicholass817]

I've been using IP cams with a small android box and a CCTV app hooked to an HDMI port of my TV.

 
Well there's an idea!!  
 
Similar to that If you want to use Chromecasts you could run an instance of Chrome on your HAPC, run an IP camera viewer app in Chrome, and broadcast to the Chromecasts using the Google Cast app for Chrome....maybe.  

 

[pete_c]

Here built a tiny RPi2 Kodi box just for my parrot to watch television...not the CCTV stuff; but she can then feel outdoors a bit if she watches the CCTV cams (she sits next to the windows anyways but she started life as an outdoor parrot and today she is an indoor parrot - 40 years later) ...mostly though she likes cartoons...burying the box behind the LCD TV in the breakfast nook...there is no fluff on the RPi2/Kodi....

 

[bucko]

I'm working on the same thing now. I use an HDMI matrix/switcher which feeds all my TV's with up to 4 switchable inputs (IPTV box, Dune HD, cable box, DVR).
 
So I got an Android TV box (Minix X8-H Plus $120) and replaced the DVR input. I can run TinyCam app on the Minix. I can be viewing any TV and remotely switch the HDMI switch to the Minix input which brings up my cams via TinyCam.
 
The nice thing is that on the Minix I also run Imperihome which allows me to control all my home automation devices including my security panel, right from the TV screen as well. Then switching the HDMI switch back, I'm back to watching my TV show again. 
 
 When switched to the Minix input on my TV, I can even web surf, skype, check/answer emails, do everything I can do on my smartphone right from the TV. Also the Minix outputs 1080 HDMI so all images on the TV are quite good! Not to mention I have remote access to my PC and any other device on my network so I can do all my PC work sitting in front of my huge projection TV in my theator. 
 
BTW, I use On Controls on my iPad, Android  phone as my home remote control.

 

[drvnbysound]

I have a couple of options to view my CCTV cameras... I can use a SmartTV's browser to hit my NVR's webserver, or I could run an HDMI cable from the NVR to the various TV(s) and utilize a HDMI splitter if I need it in more than (1) location.
 
Today, I just utilize the former, the NVR's app, or browser from my office desktop.
 
My previous CCTV system was analog, and I utilized the in-wall coax as a video cable - converting F-type connections to BNC and RCA for the respective ends.

 

[pete_c]

@Bill
 
Tell us how you proceed. 
 
I am curious as I know you are currently into implementing your Amazon Echo in to your automation.
 
I am guessing you enjoy building your own stuff (software / hardware) and just wondering here.