DHIVA LABS · LEARN

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Add security cameras ​

Show your security cameras on HomeDeck's Cameras tab, from any brand, and open any of them full screen.

How HomeDeck shows cameras ​

  • ONVIF is a standard most IP cameras support. HomeDeck can find ONVIF cameras on your network and read their stream addresses for you.
  • RTSP is the protocol most cameras use to send live video. A stream address looks like rtsp://192.168.0.104:554/stream1.
  • A snapshot URL returns a single still picture, for example http://192.168.0.104/snapshot.jpg.

The camera grid shows still snapshots that refresh, rather than live video, so even an old device can show many cameras. Live video plays only when you open a camera full screen. Cameras from Home Assistant appear here too, with no extra setup.

Find ONVIF cameras ​

  1. Open the Cameras tab and tap Scan for cameras (or the scan button, Scan for ONVIF cameras, at the top).

  2. The ONVIF camera scan dialog shows Looking for cameras…, then the cameras that answered.

  3. Tap a camera. The Add form opens with its details.

  4. Enter the camera's Username and Password, then tap Fetch streams from camera. HomeDeck fills in Stream URL and reports how many streams it found.

  5. Give it a Name, such as Front door, and tap Add camera.

If no camera answers, ONVIF may be turned off in the camera's own settings. Turn it on there, or add the camera by hand. If HomeDeck's network scan saw devices offering RTSP, the Cameras tab lists their addresses as likely cameras.

Add a camera by hand ​

Use this for cameras without ONVIF, and for analog cameras connected to a DVR or video encoder: each DVR channel has its own RTSP address.

  1. On the Cameras tab, tap Add camera.

  2. Fill in Name, and Username and Password if the camera needs them.

  3. Type the Stream URL. The camera's or DVR's manual lists the exact format.

  4. Optional: type a Snapshot URL (optional). Grid thumbnails then use it, which is much lighter than video.

  5. Tap Add camera.

TIP

On an old phone or tablet, always add a snapshot URL if the camera has one, and prefer a camera's low-resolution sub-stream for the stream URL. HomeDeck picks sub-streams automatically for ONVIF cameras when performance mode is on.

Watch a camera ​

Tap a camera tile to open it full screen. If the camera can pan, tilt and zoom, tap PTZ controls at the top to show a control pad.

If a stream will not play, HomeDeck says Could not play this stream. with the reason. Check the username and password first.

WARNING

Camera usernames and passwords are kept in HomeDeck's private app storage on the device. Use a separate, view-only camera account if your camera supports one, and do not leave a panel with camera access where others can take it.

Next steps ​