Camera Recommendation

💬 Lounge
#1

Does anyone know of a outdoor camera that can trigger a Hubitat Rule on movement and display in a smartphone?

I would like one that doesn't need my PC running and does not allow a connection to China.

I'm kind of flexible as to the interface and power source, however I really don't want a cloud connection.
I'm reasonably technical compentent but I don't have enough IT experience to be sure connecting to a cloud is not compromising my system. And I would prefer to not be dependent on a companies possible decision to discontinue service.

Perhaps this is too much to ask.

#2

How many cameras do you want, and how much are you looking to spend?

#3

I only need one. Cost is undecided but I'm not expecting to purchase the bottom of the line cheapo.

#4

We have Ring cameras and they work ok, but we're buying a new home and I'm looking for a non-cloud solution as well.

This doesn't help you at the moment, but I have one Ubiquiti G5 dome ($179) and one G5 bullet camera ($99) arriving soon. I already have a Ubiquity Dream Machine Pro (not cheap), but you can run cameras from the Dream Router ($199). There is at least one driver for Hubitat that interfaces with the Unifi Protect software.

One problem with Ubiquity is that it's often hard to get anything; they seem to have a major supply chain problem. And of course, you're locked into the Ubiquity system but at least it's local and apparently open enough for people to have figured out the API.

Once the cameras arrive, I'll update with my thoughts, FWIW.

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#5

I was going to mention Ubiquiti UniFi Protect also. They're all local and I run a HE integration that I wrote to get motion and smart detection (people, cars, packages) events and other functionality into my automations. But as @dcaton1220 said, the cost to buying into the ecosystem is high if you only want a single camera.

I'm currently investigating integrating cameras from Amcrest into HE. They are much less expensive and appear to offer the ability to be local only including video storage. I can't recommend them without personal experience, though. @mluck may an opinion.

#6

I think the hard part with your request is getting it into Hubitat. Hubitat doesn't have native support for cameras so anything that does work will be a custom integration. It will also likely need some kind of NVR Solution

Most folks I think use Blue Iris as the custom NVR and use it's integration. Blue Iris works with a ton of different cameras so it is just a matter of finding a camera that meets your needs otherwise.

Ubiquiti is probably the nicer option if possible and if it will send to directly to HE.

#7

I use a few Amcrest cameras running through Synology Surveillance Station. SSS can have the motion trigger an arbitrary webhook.

I've not hooked this into HE, but it should be possible. And it's all local.

But now you got me thinking about that again...

Oh yeah, the review.... I've been generally happy with them. Especially for the price. That being said, to ensure they're not talking to China or anyone else, I have rules on my router to prevent them them from talking to the outside world.

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#8

If this is a major concern to you, it is probably best to take care of this concern yourself through your network setup. All my IP cameras are on a VLAN that has no connection to the internet, therefore the cameras have no ability to connect to anything other than the computer that runs my Blue Iris software on my local network. Dahua and Hikvision cameras are banned by the US government for all government facilities and contracts.

Ubiquiti, Synology NAS, Blue Iris all have their pros and cons, probably best to simply go with the one that matches your current equipment. If you have a Synology NAS try their camera software (I believe it is free for the first 2 cameras), Blue Iris if you have a Windows Computer, and Ubiquiti if that is the network gear you use.

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#9

This :point_up: is :point_down:

I use Eufy cameras and integrate them through ioBroker running on a Raspberry Pi. They run and store video completely local.

It sounds to me like you have progressed, Grasshopper, to the point you may need a micro server (e.g., Raspberry Pi) to facilitate more advanced integrations. I also use mine to host Homebridge.

The ioBroker integration gives me access to extensive Eufy device capabilities such as motion vs person motion. I use this with my Eufy doorbell to play the Jetsons’ doorbell sound on speakers in the house when someone approaches the doorbell.

Playing the Jetsons’ doorbell sound was a request from my wife. Yes, she is a very doted on and happy wife. :grinning: This is good for my home automation pursuits. :sunglasses:

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