New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

The Automation Guy

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As far as my DB1 goes, I'm debating on either repurposing it, keep it as a backup or try to sell it.
If you have another exterior door and it already has a doorbell (or can be wired for a doorbell easily) then I would say repurpose it. Otherwise I'd probably sell it.

I put mine in the garage (where there was a second doorbell already wired). I had it in my mind to put a normal camera in the garage, but after putting the doorbell camera there, I decided that it accomplished the goals I was hoping for (mainly seeing if the garage door is up or down. This allowed me to "repurpose" the camera that was going to be put in the garage to the back yard.
 

pete_c

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Hikvision DB Home Assistant Onvif configuration.

Historically here have been using the ONVIF to MQTT plugin located here ==> dmitrif/onvif2mqtt

Its been working fine.

Recently noticed an ONVIF addon to Home Assistant which appears to provide same said information.

Description is located here ==> ONVIF

I created a new MQTT sensor for the onvif2mqtt plugin by editing the configuration.yaml file adding this:

binary_sensor:
- platform: mqtt
name: "DB PIR Sensor"
state_topic: "onvif2mqtt/Doorbell/motion"
availability_topic: "onvif2mqtt/status"
qos: 1
payload_on: "ON"
payload_off: "OFF"
payload_available: "ON"
payload_not_available: "OFF"
device_class: motion

I have the PIR hard wired virtually to the OmniPro 2 panel by running a python script which reads the motion sensor status and publishes to an ESP 1 relay board with Tasmota directly connected to the panel for one zone defined as a PIR DB sensor.

Enabling the ONVIF plugin and connecting it to the DB see this now:

hikvisiondbmotioncard.jpg

dbmotion.jpg

Testing DB motion to Alexa announcements using the Home Assistant Media Player ==> Media Player

Also testing using HomeSeer / mcsMQTT plugin and Microsoft SAPI (I collect voice fonts).

It's a bit too sensitive so using batch configuration narrowed down FOV for motion to just one or two cubes. Sort of works.
 

The Automation Guy

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@pete_c - Nice!

I have been using MQTT to turn on my front porch lights when even I have motion on that camera and it's night and the lights are out. I've simply been using the MQTT event trigger in BI, but that just sends a specific MQTT command when triggered. I like the retained history that you have with Home Assistant however.
 

dkmcgowan

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I'm using the ezviz db1c and got it working great, thanks for all the info here, this thread is awesome...

One question, I know it's a fixed lense, and in blue iris the rtsp stream is fisheye, but in the ezviz app they have a horizontal mode, which maybe just does software zoom to fake it but it looks like a normal camera view. Any idea on how I could accomplish that in blue iris? I assume not, but figured I would ask. I don't need the extra field of view and find the other easier to view, but want it in blue iris which does all my motion recording.
 

dkmcgowan

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I'm using the ezviz db1c and got it working great, thanks for all the info here, this thread is awesome...

One question, I know it's a fixed lense, and in blue iris the rtsp stream is fisheye, but in the ezviz app they have a horizontal mode, which maybe just does software zoom to fake it but it looks like a normal camera view. Any idea on how I could accomplish that in blue iris? I assume not, but figured I would ask. I don't need the extra field of view and find the other easier to view, but want it in blue iris which does all my motion recording.
nvm, I found the setting for 360 and set it to wall/vertical and it's like I want in recordings at least... I wish there was a de-warp option for live view... Maybe I will play with AOI to try and crop it myself
 

LTek

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Testing DB motion to Alexa announcements using the Home Assistant Media Player ==> Media Player

Also testing using HomeSeer / mcsMQTT plugin and Microsoft SAPI (I collect voice fonts).

It's a bit too sensitive so using batch configuration narrowed down FOV for motion to just one or two cubes. Sort of works.
I run Homeseer with mcsMQTT (not Home Assistant), if you share how I'd be happy to test also.
 

pete_c

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I use Hikvision Batch Configuration for the FOV stuff. Not sure if this is a video or PIR motion detection schema.

For the basic hardware motion via ONVIF I utilize an application called ONVIF2MQTT. I installed this on the Homeseer Box running in Ubuntu 20.04.

@LTek, which are you interested in? Amazon TTS or MS SAPI TTS via Homeseer? mcsMQTT is very intuitive.
 

pete_c

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So I use the Home Assistant Alexa Media plugin. TTS is only part of the plugin. For Homeseer I send MQTT commands via mcsMQTT to Home Assistant for Alexa TTS.

This is not a speech proxy for Homeseer.

It is way different than using the speak command in Homeseer. Rather you configure the TTS automation on HASSIO and then tell Homeseer to tell Alexa to speak via MQTT.

I have HASSIO running concurrently on the same box as Homeseer 4. (new computer). The Alexa TTS is pretty fast. The Alexa Media plugin manages the Alexa Devices rather than uses it just for TTS.
 

pete_c

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Shut off the ONVIF to MQTT plugin running in Docker this past week and removing it today.

I kept seeing these errors in the HA logs ==> PullPointSubscription request and over time these would lock up the Hikvision DB.

I was using the HA ONVIF plugin but not for PIR motion and recently enabled some functionality and it works great.

Using this function: MyMotionDetectorRule Cell Motion in an automation as follows.

Here is a log trace of the function working:

platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.mymotiondetectorrule_cell_motion_detection
from: 'off'
to: 'on'
for: '1'

I am still publishing the onvif/motion MQTT statement to trigger an ESP relay connected to the alarm panel here.

id: '1617704971484'
alias: Front Doorbell PIR
description: ''
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.mymotiondetectorrule_cell_motion_detection
from: 'off'
to: 'on'
for: '1'
condition: []
action:
- service: media_player.play_media
data:
media_content_id: amzn_sfx_doorbell_chime_01
media_content_type: sound
target:
device_id: alexa device ID
- service: mqtt.publish
data:
topic: onvif2mqtt/Doorbell/motion
payload: 'ON'
- delay:
hours: 0
minutes: 0
seconds: 3
milliseconds: 0
- service: mqtt.publish
data:
topic: onvif2mqtt/Doorbell/motion
payload: 'OFF'
mode: single

Inside of the alarm panel I utilize a micro router firewall running OpenWRT. In the OS of OpenWRT I installed PAHO MQTT (Python).

BusyBox v1.30.1 () built-in shell (ash)

_
| |.-----.-----.-----.| | | |.----.| |_
| - || _ | -__| || | | || _|| _|
||| |||||__||| ||
|__| W I R E L E S S F R E E D O M
-----------------------------------------------------
OpenWrt 19.07.5, r11257-5090152ae3
-----------------------------------------------------
root@ICS-HAI:~#

Local startup looks like this:

# Put your custom commands here that should be executed once
# the system init finished. By default this file does nothing.

/usr/bin/nohup python3 /overlay/work/DB-MQTT-3.py &

exit 0

Script DB-MQTT-3.py looks like this:

Code:
import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
MQTTv31 = 3
MQTTv311 = 4
MQTTv5 = 5
message = 'ON'
def on_connect(client,userdata, flags, rc):
    client.subscribe("onvif2mqtt/Doorbell/motion")
    print("rc: " + str(rc))

def on_message(client, userdata, msg):
    global message
    print(msg.topic + " " + str(msg.qos) + " " + str(msg.payload))
    message = msg.payload
    client.publish("Omni/HikVision_PIR/cmnd/POWER",msg.payload);

def on_publish(client, userdata, mid):
    print("mid: " + str(mid))

def on_subscribe(client, userdata, mid, granted_qos):
    print("Subscribed: " + str(mid) + " " + str(granted_qos))

def on_log(client, userdata, level, buf):
    print(buf)

mqttc = mqtt.Client("petetest",protocol=MQTTv311)
# Assign event callbacks
mqttc.on_message = on_message
mqttc.on_connect = on_connect
mqttc.on_publish = on_publish
mqttc.on_subscribe = on_subscribe
# Connect
mqttc.connect("192.168.244.150", 1883)
#mqttc.connect("192.168.1.41", 1883)

# Continue the network loop
mqttc.loop_forever()
The above code triggers this ESP relay running Tasmota with is directly connected to one zone on the Leviton OmniPro 2 alarm panel (this could be any alarm panel).

TasmotaRelay.jpg

As I am now only using HA will probably remove the script from use and publish the relay on command from HA instead.

so doing this now:
topic: onvif2mqtt/Doorbell/motion
payload: on

and will do this afterwards:
topic: Omni/HikVision_PIR/POWER
payload: on

BTW this is the piece that HA and Homeseer use for either TTS or Sounds. You can send the sound to all of your Amazon devices or just one.
Here sending the command to the Kitchen Amazon Show device. You can also create an Amazon event which pops up doorbell video when this happens.


AmazonEchoShow.jpg
 
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pete_c

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HA automation doing pop up video when PIR / doorbell rings on Amazon Alexa Show. (and incorporating this with Homeseer)

HA Add ons required:

1 - HA ONVIF (there are no ONVIF commands relating to a hard doorbell press)
2 - Configure and wire in parallel an ESP wifi tasmota device to publish an MQTT doorbell press (optional)
2 - HA MQTT and MQTT broker if not running autonmously
3 - Alexa Media Player custom components
4 - Alarm panel to MQTT plugin (here specifically using OmniLinkBridge) and Ring-MQTT
5 - Monocle Alexa Skill (add this skill to your Alexa Devices)
6 - Monocle RTSP/RTP IP Cameras

Currently using MQTT events (doorbell push or doorbell PIR) to trigger Alexa TTS events.

Currently with above Monocle skill enabled I can see the front door video camera by telling Alexa "Alexa show me the front door" or just pressing the Front door device under the Amazon Show automation devices.

Using automation with PIR motion or doorbell ring the following will pop up front door video automagically.

To display Hikvision DB camera using Monocle you create a script in HA.

I called the script

show front door

Sequence:

Action type - call service
Service - media_player.play_media
Targets - Echo Show you want to use to display doorbell camera
Content ID - 'show front door'
Content type - custom

Put the script in the automation that rings the doorbell or does TTS to Alexa.
 
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dkmcgowan

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I have a Ezviz DB1-C and it's installed and running with Blue Iris. I'm using the firmware that i came with V5.3.0 build 201106. I have ICMP enabled on the VLAN it's on and I use it over RTSP. It ran the first time for 3 days, then it stopped connecting, in Blue Iris and the Ezviz app. The doorbell shows still a solid blue light. I just killed power to the transformer and then back on, it reconnected fine. This time it ran for a week, but just did the same. I killed power and then flipped it back on and it's back. It's weird the light stays blue. I'm kinda disappointed it's disconnected this often though. Anyone have similar issues? It's a updated transformer too, 16V 30-VA from NuTone
 

flynreelow

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I have a Ezviz DB1-C and it's installed and running with Blue Iris. I'm using the firmware that i came with V5.3.0 build 201106. I have ICMP enabled on the VLAN it's on and I use it over RTSP. It ran the first time for 3 days, then it stopped connecting, in Blue Iris and the Ezviz app. The doorbell shows still a solid blue light. I just killed power to the transformer and then back on, it reconnected fine. This time it ran for a week, but just did the same. I killed power and then flipped it back on and it's back. It's weird the light stays blue. I'm kinda disappointed it's disconnected this often though. Anyone have similar issues? It's a updated transformer too, 16V 30-VA from NuTone

mine would bootloop every 25 seconds so i wasnt able to hook it up. Ezviv support is a joke. such a long process. still waiting for them to send me a new one that actual works.
 

pete_c

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Here is a quickie drawing of my DB connectivity. Note here do not utilize any cloud apps.

Connectivity to DB is via OpenVPN that runs fine on Windows 10, iOS or Android OS.

Hikvision Doorbell.jpg
 

pete_c

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@dkmcgowan

If it is switching over to AP mode just connect to DB AP. All of your settings are still there. Just switch it from AP mode to connect to your AP and you should be good to go without doing a complete reset of the camera.

I do not utilize the cloud app and have the DB disconnected and unregistered from it. Thinking using ONVIF is what was causing my camera to reset.
 

EricLEE

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anyone running the EZVIZ home assistant integration/plugin trying to replace my old doorbell with a DB1C and not familiar with MQTT, looking for motion trigger and doorbell trigger .
 

dkmcgowan

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I don't have to reset mine, and I'm not sure if it's switching to AP mode, will check that next time. I just flip the breaker on/off to the transformer and it fires right back up in seconds, so I'm not losing settings or antying
 

pete_c

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Yes if it goes to AP mode you will see a new AP come up. Here utilize a Lenova Tiny M93A with Gb and Wireless. I enable the wireless and see the Hikvision AP mode, log in and change it back to standard mode.

SSID: softap_xxxx
SSID: password

Log in via your old admin login / password with Batch Configuration and reset the AP to regular client mode; set your old SSID and password if it is not there already.
 

dkmcgowan

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Well it just did it again today, so this time < 24 hours. It was not in AP mode, the light was solid blue, and I could ping it, but the Ezviz app and Blue Iris over the RTSP port could not connect. I cycled power to it and it came right back up. Firmware v5.3.0 201106. I just used the Ezviz Studio and changed a few settings, disabled motion detection, switched back to variable bitrate, disabled the ezviz cloud, disabled upnp...

I will see if that changes anything... I also checked the ezviz studio camera logs, there was nothing, and I had no blocking from that vlan or IP in my firewall logs, which is PFSense
 

pete_c

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Yes here have been getting errors where I cannot access the DB with VLC or RTSP even though the camera is up and fine. I can get to it with Batch Configuration and make adjustments but do not see any video. Saids something like maximum users allowed. Using PFSense here too but no VLANs. This is with no connection to the cloud app.

Just tried Batch Configuration a second time and can see video.
 
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