New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

David L

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Does anyone know if the Laview's built-in chime would be good enough to get by with? I don't currently have a mechanical chime.
The chime on these Doorbells are very loud, loud enough for us to hear 30 feet away from our front door in the living room, but that is with no TV blaring or other noise going on. If you have a dog, they will definitely hear it.
 

David L

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First I want to apologize for some of my post/questions, after reading from the beginning of this thread/topic, a lot of my questions were already mentioned/answered, I guess I was just lazy in my searches. I have so far read up to page 17 :) so I will hold any future questions until I catch up.
Also I want to thank Everyone who has shared their knowledge and experiences, I have learned a lot here and this is by far is the Best Forum for our second generation Hikvision Doorbell.

Speaking of sharing, here is a YouTube video that helped me with my first Transformer question, even though the test is on a Ring it still can apply to us here. The Video is six minutes long and worth the watch.
(TRANSFORMER QUESTIONS ANSWERED)

I have read post here and other places where people seem to be more focused on the 16v or 24v (Volts) and not on the 10VA to 30VA (Load). Maybe this will help:
On a Mechanical Chime there is Zero Amps (Load) drawn until the Doorbell button is pushed, adding a Smart Doorbell takes away from the required power the Chime needs to properly operate. Why? Because you are adding a device that requires constant power (Load), this is why the VA (Load) needs to be increased, not the 16v or 24v
I have also read several post online that after someone changes their 16v transformer to 24v their Mechanical Chime became louder, this is understandable since the voltage to the Chime was increased, of course this is not always the case depending on the output voltage of a transformer, as the Video has proven, but it is worth noting.

Another way to look at this is if you have a 60VA transformer you could connect two Smart Doorbells to it with a Mechanical Chime (Front/Back Doors).

So my suggestion would be that if you have a 16v 10VA transformer then stay with 16v but increase Load to 30VA or higher, it seems the majority of the post I have read are replacing them with the Edwards Signaling 598 Class 2 Signaling Transformer which offers 16v @ 30VA OR 24v @ 30VA (if you have this existing type of transformer)
 
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David L

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AGr
Generally you're better off connecting to the 2.4ghz band because this needs to penetrate an outside wall. It uses less than 5mbit so you just need a stable, not necessarily fast, connection
Agreed...
 

David L

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KIS, to me, is less parts to fail, including cloud. That said, I'd gladly take IFTTT integration over additional hardware attached to my doorbell, if it were available. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet, but I'd like to find out what else I can get out of this doorbell other than an rtsp stream. Currently, in order for me to cast my doorbell video to my Google Home Hub or Chromecasts, I need to utilize iSpy (free BlueIris-like software) to transcode the rtsp stream into an http mjpg stream. I gotta think this doorbell has other streams and snapshot URLs just like nearly every IP camera on the market. I'd also like to be able to enable and disable the alarm functionality from my home automation system via http call or some other method. Enabling/disabling recording via API call would be nice too. I take it there is no publicly available API. If not, who should I nag about this? RCA? Or, Hikvision, is it?

I've had the RCA HSDB2A doorbell installed for only a few days and so far so good. I'm using the RCA Security app and the app is reporting the doorbell has the latest firmware. Here are some questions:
My question is a little premature since I am just starting to learn how this could possibly work, did you setup iSpy or iSpyServer to work with your RCA HSDB2A to cast video to Google Home Hub or Chromecast? I am also interested in trans-coding the RTSP feed to HTTP. I have a Fire HD tablet running Actiontiles that I would like to display my Doorbell video, it does not have to work with motion, alerts or audio, just video stream. Actiontiles does not directly support RTSP.Forum. Just curious if you are using iSpy.
 

dbaker

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My question is a little premature since I am just starting to learn how this could possibly work, did you setup iSpy or iSpyServer to work with your RCA HSDB2A to cast video to Google Home Hub or Chromecast? I am also interested in trans-coding the RTSP feed to HTTP. I have a Fire HD tablet running Actiontiles that I would like to display my Doorbell video, it does not have to work with motion, alerts or audio, just video stream. Actiontiles does not directly support RTSP.Forum. Just curious if you are using iSpy.
I am looking to do the same thing with Google Home Hub. This is the best write-up I have found to convert from rtsp to a google hub viewable format. :
I haven't had the time to give it a try yet, you may able to just use the conversion pieces. Also not sure if the HLS format will work with ActionTiles?
 

David L

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I am looking to do the same thing with Google Home Hub. This is the best write-up I have found to convert from rtsp to a google hub viewable format. :
I haven't had the time to give it a try yet, you may able to just use the conversion pieces. Also not sure if the HLS format will work with ActionTiles?
Thank you for the link. Looks like I have a lot of reading to do like I did in getting this Doorbell :) Will share anything I find or get working. Was it you that got Alexa working?
 

dbaker

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Thank you for the link. Looks like I have a lot of reading to do like I did in getting this Doorbell :) Will share anything I find or get working. Was it you that got Alexa working?
I am only running google stuff at my house but my parents are running on Alexa. I am looking at this for them, much simpler.
Monocle
 

David L

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I am looking to do the same thing with Google Home Hub. This is the best write-up I have found to convert from rtsp to a google hub viewable format. :
I haven't had the time to give it a try yet, you may able to just use the conversion pieces. Also not sure if the HLS format will work with ActionTiles?
I think I found my Forum for Actiontiles, seems TinyCam Pro may be my answer for Android...

https://support.actiontiles.com/communities/12/topics/3441-tinycam-pro-android-app-web-server-stream-rtsp-and-wyze-cam-to-actiontiles

I did open a ticket with Google Nest so we will see what they come back with, being able to cast our RTSP video stream to Google Hub or Chromecast would be great.
 

NickTheGreat

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Does anyone know if the Laview's built-in chime would be good enough to get by with? I don't currently have a mechanical chime.
It's very loud, if that's what you mean. I'd personally rather it was a hair quieter. But it kinda depends on how big your house is, and how it's laid out.
 

Martin Paul Sr

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This thread is huge.
I see @Chadsturgill and @Glen Mark and others really know these doorbells... So I have a couple questions for them.

Quick background first.
I am already using HSDB1 from LaView, worked kinda like shit for the past year, dropping RSTP connections a lot.
They did some kind of upgrade and the device/webUI password was no longer valid, no access to RSTP at all anymore.
There was also no way to reset it using their app and any and all instructions I could find.
It also would not take the verification code on the QR label as the device password. I spent days resetting the device and retrying the setup.
The only way to see the image or use the device was with the mobile app, that's no good for me.
I need RTSP for my Blue Iris or it's no way Jose.
So I gave up on that camera and found the RCA HDSB2A for $119.99 at B&H Photo and bought it.

Then I discovered a Windows management tool called SADP available to download from LaVIew.
There I could list the device and get the password changed by sending an encrypted XML output file to their tech support and they send you one back (I guess this is so HikVision always has access hahahaa).
You copy the return file into the SADP interface and bingo you can set a new password and it worked.
Between that and improving my LAN with AiMesh, the old HSDB1 is pretty decent now.

A couple of questions :
- Is it worth it to upgrade to the HSBSB2 or send it back and keep the old HSDB1?
- Any big improvements, especially with WiFi strength and holding a signal?
- Should a 5 GHz connection improve anything (not available on HSDB1)
I already understand the view angle difference and I think I like the old 180 all around but maybe the 105 / 180 will be fine too.

I have one scarier question:
- Do you think IP cam companies are just slowly gonna stop or allowing access to RSTP streaming on low-priced home-grade products?
After all, the consumer market is now huge and it's not about NVRs or private networks, it's about cloud services.
You know Nest and Ring, Simpli Safe, etc. gotta be kicking the shit out of these more open IP cams.
You don't see sellers of Hikhua stuff like Amcrest or LaView, etc talking about NVR or Blue Iris, etc. on these consumer devices any more.

Anyway thanks for your attention and help if any... !!!
 

David L

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Kind of an ego trip replying to myself but I did order the camera tonight LOL. Should be here tomorrow from Amazon.
Congrats, you will not regret it. You may go through a few bumps in the road at first setting it up, but it is worth it.
In my Opinion it is the Best Doorbell on the market right now.
 

David L

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This thread is huge.
I see @Chadsturgill and @Glen Mark and others really know these doorbells... So I have a couple questions for them.

Quick background first.
I am already using HSDB1 from LaView, worked kinda like shit for the past year, dropping RSTP connections a lot.
They did some kind of upgrade and the device/webUI password was no longer valid, no access to RSTP at all anymore.
There was also no way to reset it using their app and any and all instructions I could find.
It also would not take the verification code on the QR label as the device password. I spent days resetting the device and retrying the setup.
The only way to see the image or use the device was with the mobile app, that's no good for me.
I need RTSP for my Blue Iris or it's no way Jose.
So I gave up on that camera and found the RCA HDSB2A for $119.99 at B&H Photo and bought it.

Then I discovered a Windows management tool called SADP available to download from LaVIew.
There I could list the device and get the password changed by sending an encrypted XML output file to their tech support and they send you one back (I guess this is so HikVision always has access hahahaa).
You copy the return file into the SADP interface and bingo you can set a new password and it worked.
Between that and improving my LAN with AiMesh, the old HSDB1 is pretty decent now.

A couple of questions :
- Is it worth it to upgrade to the HSBSB2 or send it back and keep the old HSDB1?
- Any big improvements, especially with WiFi strength and holding a signal?
- Should a 5 GHz connection improve anything (not available on HSDB1)
I already understand the view angle difference and I think I like the old 180 all around but maybe the 105 / 180 will be fine too.

I have one scarier question:
- Do you think IP cam companies are just slowly gonna stop or allowing access to RSTP streaming on low-priced home-grade products?
After all, the consumer market is now huge and it's not about NVRs or private networks, it's about cloud services.
You know Nest and Ring, Simpli Safe, etc. gotta be kicking the shit out of these more open IP cams.
You don't see sellers of Hikhua stuff like Amcrest or LaView, etc talking about NVR or Blue Iris, etc. on these consumer devices any more.

Anyway thanks for your attention and help if any... !!!
Here is a Scary question: Why are these listed on B&H as Discontinued?
RCA HSDB2A 3MP Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Camera Discontinued

upload_2019-8-16_7-51-28.png
 

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Ford

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This thread is huge.
I see @Chadsturgill and @Glen Mark and others really know these doorbells... So I have a couple questions for them.

Quick background first.
I am already using HSDB1 from LaView, worked kinda like shit for the past year, dropping RSTP connections a lot.
They did some kind of upgrade and the device/webUI password was no longer valid, no access to RSTP at all anymore.
There was also no way to reset it using their app and any and all instructions I could find.
It also would not take the verification code on the QR label as the device password. I spent days resetting the device and retrying the setup.
The only way to see the image or use the device was with the mobile app, that's no good for me.
I need RTSP for my Blue Iris or it's no way Jose.
So I gave up on that camera and found the RCA HDSB2A for $119.99 at B&H Photo and bought it.

Then I discovered a Windows management tool called SADP available to download from LaVIew.
There I could list the device and get the password changed by sending an encrypted XML output file to their tech support and they send you one back (I guess this is so HikVision always has access hahahaa).
You copy the return file into the SADP interface and bingo you can set a new password and it worked.
Between that and improving my LAN with AiMesh, the old HSDB1 is pretty decent now.

A couple of questions :
- Is it worth it to upgrade to the HSBSB2 or send it back and keep the old HSDB1?
- Any big improvements, especially with WiFi strength and holding a signal?
- Should a 5 GHz connection improve anything (not available on HSDB1)
I already understand the view angle difference and I think I like the old 180 all around but maybe the 105 / 180 will be fine too.

I have one scarier question:
- Do you think IP cam companies are just slowly gonna stop or allowing access to RSTP streaming on low-priced home-grade products?
After all, the consumer market is now huge and it's not about NVRs or private networks, it's about cloud services.
You know Nest and Ring, Simpli Safe, etc. gotta be kicking the shit out of these more open IP cams.
You don't see sellers of Hikhua stuff like Amcrest or LaView, etc talking about NVR or Blue Iris, etc. on these consumer devices any more.

Anyway thanks for your attention and help if any... !!!
The HSDB1 is one of the worst products Hikvision has made in recent memory. I wouldn't even use it as a door stopper. The upgrade to the HSBSB2 is well worth it.

Most everything on the HSBSB2 is better/faster and the 105/180 is actually a better solution for viewing packages left at the door. Night vision is actually useable!

WiFi reception is night and day better with the HSBSB2 and I prefer using 5Ghz (only because it is unneededly faster and less congested)

Off brand companies may migrate away from the RTSP but the rule of the Chinese IPC devices is DON'T UPGRADE FIRMWARE IF IT AINT BROKE. That way we are guaranteed if the device is working cloud-independent today, it will continue to work without worry. (Many times with these cheap Chinese devices it is near impossible (or impossible) to revert back to previous firmware versions.
 

David L

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Not sure if you could change the admin password. Just for the sake of not forgetting what it is, I decided not to do it in spite of attempting it once.

On a separate note. I managed to overload the cpu of this camera or maybe triggered something that crashed it: I recently added a 4th RTSP stream (my NAS recording, Home assistant entity, Motion sensing, Facial recognition) and I noticed the streams all die 10hrs after a reboot. I am reducing the streams back to 3 to see if it behaves better as I had 3 for quite sometime without any issues. When it crashes, the doorbell is still up and connected through wifi. It just no longer rings my physical doorbell so it seems like video processing application crashed within the device. Rebooting the device recovers everything but only for another ~10h.

Edit: Confirmed that my problem is fixed... There is a limit to how many streams the cam can reliably support and it appears to be 3.
Is it fair to say that the Apps use RTSP feed when viewing a Live Feed? I know it is usually just for a short time but if we have 3 other feeds are going 24/7, it may have an effect on them during the time of our viewing...Just a thought...though you did state the 4 feeds lasted 10 hours before crashing so scratch that thought :)
I am sticking with your 3 Feed Rule...Thanks...
 

Martin Paul Sr

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The HSDB1 is one of the worst products Hikvision has made in recent memory. I wouldn't even use it as a door stopper. The upgrade to the HSBSB2 is well worth it.

Most everything on the HSBSB2 is better/faster and the 105/180 is actually a better solution for viewing packages left at the door. Night vision is actually useable!

WiFi reception is night and day better with the HSBSB2 and I prefer using 5Ghz (only because it is unneededly faster and less congested)

Off brand companies may migrate away from the RTSP but the rule of the Chinese IPC devices is DON'T UPGRADE FIRMWARE IF IT AINT BROKE. That way we are guaranteed if the device is working cloud-independent today, it will continue to work without worry. (Many times with these cheap Chinese devices it is near impossible (or impossible) to revert back to previous firmware versions.
Thanks @Ford.
I can attest from experience the HSDB1 is pretty crappy, I was just hoping the HSDB2 wan't as bad.
You're input informs me the HSDB2 is indeed better, so I'm keeping it.

Thanks again...!
 

dbaker

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Kind of an ego trip replying to myself but I did order the camera tonight LOL. Should be here tomorrow from Amazon.
I currently have the One Halo connected via ONVIF. I am new to Blue Iris (installed 4 days ago) so can't comment too much on feature set. I was super easy to add and I have not had any issues.
 

Martin Paul Sr

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I currently have the One Halo connected via ONVIF. I am new to Blue Iris (installed 4 days ago) so can't comment too much on feature set. I was super easy to add and I have not had any issues.
Thats' the same camera, LaView brand.
LaView has been selling it for a while, but the description (still) says:
"ONVIF Support available in Q2 2019"
I guess they kept their promise
Or may it had all along and they just need documentation or somthing.

I'm optimistic about this one now, I'll probably get to it Sunday.
 
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