2024.12.5
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Generic Camera

The generic camera platform allows you to integrate any IP camera or other URL into Home Assistant. Templates can be used to generate the URLs on the fly.

Home Assistant will serve the images via its server, making it possible to view your IP cameras while outside of your network. The endpoint is /api/camera_proxy/camera.[name].

Configuration

To add the Generic Camera device to your Home Assistant instance, use this My button:

Manual configuration steps

If the above My button doesn’t work, you can also perform the following steps manually:

  • Browse to your Home Assistant instance.

  • Go to Settings > Devices & Services.

  • In the bottom right corner, select the Add Integration button.

  • From the list, select Generic Camera.

  • Follow the instructions on screen to complete the setup.

You must enter a URL in at least one of the fields Still Image URL or Stream Source URL, the others are optional.

Templates are allowed in the URL fields, which can be used to select different images or parameterize the URL depending on the status of sensors. Template validity and network access are checked during the configuration steps.

Still Image URL

The URL your camera serves the image on, e.g., http://192.168.1.21:2112/. Can be a template. Usernames and passwords are allowed in the URL, but if none are provided, the Username and Password settings will be used during authentication. At least one of still_image_url or stream_source must be provided.

Stream Source

The URL your camera serves the live stream on, e.g., rtsp://192.168.1.21:554/. Can be a template. Usernames and passwords are allowed in the URL, but if none are provided, the Username and Password settings will be used during authentication. At least one of still_image_url or stream_source must be provided. Note that a stream_source without a still_image_url can only be used if the stream integration is configured.

Username

The username for accessing your camera. Note that this applies to both still_image_url and stream_source.

Password

The password for accessing your camera. Note that this applies to both still_image_url and stream_source.

Authentication

Type for authenticating the requests basic or digest.

Limit refetch to URL change

Limits re-fetching of the remote image to when the URL changes. Only relevant if using a template to fetch the remote image.

Frame Rate

The number of frames-per-second (FPS) of the stream. Can cause heavy traffic on the network and/or heavy load on the camera.

Verify SSL certificate

Enable or disable SSL certificate verification. Set to false to use an http-only camera, or you have a self-signed SSL certificate and haven’t installed the CA certificate to enable verification.

RTSP transport protocol

Set the RTSP transport protocol to tcp, udp, udp_multicast or http.

Use wallclock as timestamps

(Advanced Mode only) Rewrite the camera timestamps. This may help with playback or crashing issues from Wi-Fi cameras or cameras of certain brands (e.g., EZVIZ).

Screenshot showing Google Maps integration in Home Assistant front end. Example showing the Generic camera platform pointing at a dynamic Google Map image.

Examples

In this section, you find some real-life examples of how to use this camera platform.

Weather graph from yr.no

  • Still Image URL: https://www.yr.no/en/content/1-72837/meteogram.svg

Instructions on how to locate the SVG for your location are available at developer.yr.no

Local image

You can show a static image with this platform. Just place the image here: /config/www/your_image.png

  • Still Image URL: https://127.0.0.1:8123/local/your_image.png

Sharing a camera feed from one Home Assistant instance to another

If you are running more than one Home Assistant instance (let’s call them the ‘host’ and ‘receiver’ instances) you may wish to display the camera feed from the host instance on the receiver instance. You can use the REST API to access the camera feed on the host (IP address 127.0.0.5) and display it on the receiver instance by configuring the receiver with the following:

  • Still Image URL: https://127.0.0.5:8123/api/camera_proxy/camera.live_view

Image from HTTP only camera

To access a camera which is only available via HTTP, you must turn off SSL verification.

  • Still Image URL: http://example.org/your_image.png

Live stream

To access a camera that has both a snapshot and live stream URL, utilizing the stream integration.

  • Still Image URL: http://194.218.96.92/jpg/image.jpg
  • Stream Source: rtsp://user:pass@194.218.96.92:554

If a camera only has a live stream URL and no snapshot URL, the stream integration can also generate still images from the live stream URL.

  • Stream Source: rtsp://user:pass@194.218.96.92:554

Secured access to the camera

To access a camera that requires secured access for still image or live stream (an HIK in my case).

  • Still Image URL: http://192.168.1.100/ISAPI/Streaming/Channels/101/picture
  • Stream Source: rtsp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@192.168.1.100:554/Streaming/Channels/102
  • Verify SSL: false
  • Username: user
  • Password: pass
  • Authentication: digest