Feed camera output to TV - HomeAuto enabled
While potentially off topic from Security Spy (Currently have SS running on a late 2012 MacMini with 8Tb external disk with 8 licensed cameras and 5 others. Gradually converting to 3 or 4Mp IP cameras).
My objective is to be able to stream the output from a camera (either through SS or via the secondary feed from the camera) to a TV. The idea is to be able to issue a single "command" such as "Alexa, turn on Front Camera", and Alexa will pass the command to Indigo (my HA system), which will turn on the TV (sort of working), switch to the correct input (also sort of working), and invoke a streaming device talking to a camera. Although I have the SS app on the AppleTV - I don't know how remotely control that. Another approach might be to fire up a local browser or app on the Mac Mini (which runs both SS and Indigo) and have it Chromecast or something to a device attached to the TV set.
I have a Chromecast device, but have done nothing with it (and they are cheap enough to get more for other TVs). Some of the TVs have Apple TVs attached (and am willing to get more ATVs if needed), and others are "smart" TVs and have Roku or other apps pre-installed.
Ideally, I would be able to run more than one TV at the same time - I would prefer to NOT tie up the HDMI output from the Mac Mini (which currently is pretty low resolution and dumping to an HDMI->Composite->RF Modulator->Old NTSC TVs all over the house). I want the streams to the TVs to be at the TV native resolution (1080P typically).
Another use case, I have a flat screen mounted above the kitchen sink, where one would typically have a window. Since the view of the cellar stairs is uninspiring at best, I was hoping for a "digital window" using one of the IP cameras.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
My objective is to be able to stream the output from a camera (either through SS or via the secondary feed from the camera) to a TV. The idea is to be able to issue a single "command" such as "Alexa, turn on Front Camera", and Alexa will pass the command to Indigo (my HA system), which will turn on the TV (sort of working), switch to the correct input (also sort of working), and invoke a streaming device talking to a camera. Although I have the SS app on the AppleTV - I don't know how remotely control that. Another approach might be to fire up a local browser or app on the Mac Mini (which runs both SS and Indigo) and have it Chromecast or something to a device attached to the TV set.
I have a Chromecast device, but have done nothing with it (and they are cheap enough to get more for other TVs). Some of the TVs have Apple TVs attached (and am willing to get more ATVs if needed), and others are "smart" TVs and have Roku or other apps pre-installed.
Ideally, I would be able to run more than one TV at the same time - I would prefer to NOT tie up the HDMI output from the Mac Mini (which currently is pretty low resolution and dumping to an HDMI->Composite->RF Modulator->Old NTSC TVs all over the house). I want the streams to the TVs to be at the TV native resolution (1080P typically).
Another use case, I have a flat screen mounted above the kitchen sink, where one would typically have a window. Since the view of the cellar stairs is uninspiring at best, I was hoping for a "digital window" using one of the IP cameras.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Comments
The other thing would be to use a Thunderbolt port (assuming you have one spare) to add another HTMI output to your Mac mini with a simple monitor adaptor, which you then connect to your TV. You would then use a script that tells SecuritySpy to display the front door camera full screen on this additional monitor, and set the script to be triggered by Alexa/Indigo.
Stumbled over this post from a few years back - I ended up getting Digital modulators that handle an HDMI source at 1080P - so now I have Channel 1 (Digital) with the output from the mac mini - typically with the 16 camera window up, Channel 2 slaved to the AppleTV attached to the living room TV, and Channel 3 attached to a spare AppleTV.