Inexpensive way to view ip camera on multiple tvs?

[thesillym 0]

We have a Hikvision ip camera that we want to be able to view on multiple tvs throughout the house. Does anyone know of an inexpensive way to accomplish this? I prefer wifi or cat5 to distribute the video, but open to other options. Maybe an android device with hdmi out for each tv? Other?

[thewireguys 3]

http://miniandroidpc.com/

 

Great idea in theory but I have never been able to get it to run 24/7

[luckyfella 0]

What about a cheap used laptop on ebay?

[msecure 0]

We have a Hikvision ip camera that we want to be able to view on multiple tvs throughout the house. Does anyone know of an inexpensive way to accomplish this? I prefer wifi or cat5 to distribute the video, but open to other options. Maybe an android device with hdmi out for each tv? Other?

 

I will give it a try again and update you later. Previously tested with Dahua GDMSS & was disappointed with the results so have pack up the android sticks somewhere. The iVMSS-4500HD is so much better when I tested with my Nexus 10 so I guess it's time to revive my android sticks testing.

[buellwinkle 0]

I went this route thinking it would be a good idea, hear a noise in the night, turn the TV on, switch HDMI ports, use mouse to control Android app. In practice, not that practical. First, you have to wait for the TV to run on, you have scramble to find the right remote then find the mouse to control the android app then your eyes have to adjust to the bright TV in a otherwise dark room. It's disruptive if you wife is sleeping and would alert an intruder to your whereabouts.

 

I found a better solution, actually Maxicon found it first, I just starting it using it and it works for me. It's to buy inexpensive Android tablets, in my case running Milestone's app. I hear a noise at night, reach for my tablet at bedside, tap a button to turn it on, tap on the Milestone app, and voila, I have a view of all cameras. I can take it with me to hide or a safe room. If I left a TV on with all the cameras showing, if I have to move to another location, the intruder can enter the room and watch me if I have to move to another room or provide surveillance to them if police arrive.

 

I should be a writer for all these detective shows on TV, LOL.

[msecure 0]

I went this route thinking it would be a good idea, hear a noise in the night, turn the TV on, switch HDMI ports, use mouse to control Android app. In practice, not that practical. First, you have to wait for the TV to run on, you have scramble to find the right remote then find the mouse to control the android app then your eyes have to adjust to the bright TV in a otherwise dark room. It's disruptive if you wife is sleeping and would alert an intruder to your whereabouts.

 

I found a better solution, actually Maxicon found it first, I just starting it using it and it works for me. It's to buy inexpensive Android tablets, in my case running Milestone's app. I hear a noise at night, reach for my tablet at bedside, tap a button to turn it on, tap on the Milestone app, and voila, I have a view of all cameras. I can take it with me to hide or a safe room. If I left a TV on with all the cameras showing, if I have to move to another location, the intruder can enter the room and watch me if I have to move to another room or provide surveillance to them if police arrive.

 

I should be a writer for all these detective shows on TV, LOL.

Well, you can have a different use for it. Eg. While watching TV someone rings your front door bell, all you need is switch to the android HDMI channel, presuming it is switch on. I actually use a batch run app that will automatically load the camera. No need to fiddle with the mouse, just power on the stick it will connect to the pre-define channels. More convenient than carrying an android tablet.

[buellwinkle 0]

Even better as I use my tablet as a remote, so if I was watching TV, the tablet would already be in my hand or nearby. I can understand a use case of watching it on a TV, for example, the car wash I go to that also happens to be an MB dealer (don't have an MB, just use their car wash), has a display with 4 cameras showing their garage with the busy mechanics, so I agree there are other use cases for displaying it on a TV than home security. Actually can still use a tablet for that purpose as many have HDMI out or a dedicated android mini-PC.

 

For during the day, I'm on my PC all day, work from home, so I usually have an app on my PC with all my cameras to see if someone is at my front door, if a Fedex truck stops at my house, if someone is in the house I don't expect.

[thesillym 0]

We have a Hikvision ip camera that we want to be able to view on multiple tvs throughout the house. Does anyone know of an inexpensive way to accomplish this? I prefer wifi or cat5 to distribute the video, but open to other options. Maybe an android device with hdmi out for each tv? Other?

I was hoping to be able to view the camera in 1080p if possible. Do the android sticks have enough processing power to handle the camera at full resolution?

[luckyfella 0]

What about cheap used laptops with hdmi output? Just turn off power safe mode and screen saver and your good to go. Who cares what happens to them, they were cheap used laptops when you purchased them.

[buellwinkle 0]

I was hoping to be able to view the camera in 1080p if possible. Do the android sticks have enough processing power to handle the camera at full resolution?

 

Absolutely. The new dual and even quad core Android mini-PC's do well.

[MaxIcon 0]

What about cheap used laptops with hdmi output? Just turn off power safe mode and screen saver and your good to go. Who cares what happens to them, they were cheap used laptops when you purchased them.

 

I'm using an old laptop, as well as an Android tablet like BW mentioned. The tablet's good because it's easy to carry around and has super long battery life, while the laptop I use is left in a fixed location.

 

I use an ancient IBM T30, which doesn't have HDMI but was free, and it's connected to a monitor in the location I use it. The laptop is always on, pulling 21W with the lid closed, and the monitor's off until I need it, when it takes a few seconds to turn on and pulls another 35W. It runs 24x7, and has run a few weeks with no problems.

 

My problem with using a laptop attached to the TV was as BW says - it just took too long to switch inputs and turn things on. With the dedicated monitor, I hit one switch; with the Android, I hit a switch and swipe the screen, and it's ready.

 

Laptop and monitor power usage will cost me about the same as buying another Android tablet if I keep it on for a year, but it's working well so far.

[Douglaster 0]

Im into this as well.

 

With lots of IP cameras thru the house, i need a way to publish some of the images in the old analog circuit (wich are connected to the TV´s already).

[lowpro 0]

I use an active splitter to split the hdmi out of the nvr. One output from the splitter feeds the living room tv and the other feed gets sent via an active hdmi extender to my bedroom about 55 ft away. Ran (2) Cat5e cables. Works great.

 

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=109&cp_id=10110&cs_id=1011012&p_id=6532&seq=1&format=2

 

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=101&cp_id=10113&cs_id=1011306&p_id=8204&seq=1&format=2

 

For IR and Mouse control....I ran another Cat5e cable and I just wired the sensor and the mouse into the 1 Cat5 cable.

[thesillym 0]

Thanks for the great ideas!