4 ms·

I built my own NVR a half a decade ago, using motion detection on nodes (RPi Zero W), recording to a NFS share, and a object detection program running on the se

I built my own NVR a half a decade ago, using motion detection on nodes (RPi Zero W), recording to a NFS share, and a object detection program running on the server using Pyionotify to detect new files. When it detected a person it sent a notification with Pushover, including a screenshot of whatever was detected, and uploaded the file to a remote server as well. Local NVR isn't worth much if people know where it is. It went through several iterations and "i wonder if" branches, including offloading object detection to Azure ML, and using Azure IOT Hub. While it generally worked well, i've since replaced it with mainstream NVR. UniFi protect for home and HomeKit Secure Video for my summerhouse. Less maintenance, same or better functionality :)

eternityforest 5y ago
I definitely see a lot of value in just using the commercial solutions. The ML algorithms seem to have improved a bit, so doing everything on a Pi is more reasonable(Or was, before they became unobtainium), but there's still the issue of... it's a DIY project you have to build. On the other hand, the good mainstream solutions cost actual money, and everything seems to be moving to subscription models, and being able to use a $30 unmodified Amcrest is pretty nice.
- 8fingerlouie 5y ago
  > the good mainstream solutions cost actual money They do, though a lot can be had "relatively cheap" depending on your needs. In my summerhouse i just want to keep an eye on things when i'm not there, and a dirt cheap Eufy Pan & Tilt [1] camera costs around $50, does object classifcation on board, and has HomeKit Secure Video built in, and if you subscribe to iCloud+, it supports from 5 to unlimited cameras. As it were, we already had an iCloud+ subscription, so the camera operates "for free". It uses very little power, and integrates with my HomeKit bridge in the summerhouse, so no additional infrastructure was needed. Total power consumption for camera + bridge is around 7W, meaning it uses around 62 kwh / year, which matters with european energy prices going through the roof currently. Haven't seen electricity at below €0.5/kwh for a few weeks, and have seen peaks of €0.9/kwh. [1]: https://eu.eufylife.com/products/t8410 https://eu.eufylife.com/products/t8410
  - eternityforest 5y ago
    Wow, that's a lot more expensive than our power. Of course a lot of us don't make very much either. That's a pretty good price for a camera, if you've already got iCloud, but doesn't seem totally practical if you don't already have any Apple gear.

eternityforest 5y ago

I definitely see a lot of value in just using the commercial solutions. The ML algorithms seem to have improved a bit, so doing everything on a Pi is more reasonable(Or was, before they became unobtainium), but there's still the issue of... it's a DIY project you have to build. On the other hand, the good mainstream solutions cost actual money, and everything seems to be moving to subscription models, and being able to use a $30 unmodified Amcrest is pretty nice.

8fingerlouie 5y ago
> the good mainstream solutions cost actual money They do, though a lot can be had "relatively cheap" depending on your needs. In my summerhouse i just want to keep an eye on things when i'm not there, and a dirt cheap Eufy Pan & Tilt [1] camera costs around $50, does object classifcation on board, and has HomeKit Secure Video built in, and if you subscribe to iCloud+, it supports from 5 to unlimited cameras. As it were, we already had an iCloud+ subscription, so the camera operates "for free". It uses very little power, and integrates with my HomeKit bridge in the summerhouse, so no additional infrastructure was needed. Total power consumption for camera + bridge is around 7W, meaning it uses around 62 kwh / year, which matters with european energy prices going through the roof currently. Haven't seen electricity at below €0.5/kwh for a few weeks, and have seen peaks of €0.9/kwh. [1]: https://eu.eufylife.com/products/t8410 https://eu.eufylife.com/products/t8410
- eternityforest 5y ago
  Wow, that's a lot more expensive than our power. Of course a lot of us don't make very much either. That's a pretty good price for a camera, if you've already got iCloud, but doesn't seem totally practical if you don't already have any Apple gear.