What is the best way to do this? At some point I want to install an outside video + audio door bell or light bulb camera for a live feed. I might need to use a tablet for this but would prefer the TV. E.G. Who is at the door and what do they want.
I am just getting more and more frustrated while I go through that very same learning curve. For now, the bi-directional communication through the camera, though supported in the camera app, doesn’t seem to make it to Home Assistant.
My first two expensive learning curves, other users may benefit from:
Bosch Eyes Outdoor camera, does not integrate with Home Assistant at all. Offers instant communication once the video app has started. With a delay of 4-6 seconds until it alerts (1-3 seconds after someone arrived at the door, plus 3-6 seconds to launch the app and establish the bi-directional communication. While the default Bosch Camera App supports that and zooming, it does not integrate with the Bosch-branded Yale. So to open the door another 4-6 seconds until Yale App launched and connected, similar slow on Home Assistant August integration for Yale. Anything but “smart” or “contemporary”.
Reolink E1 Outdoor Pro. With Home Assistant support promoted. But unfortunately, the bi-directional communication is not supported! So it’s downgraded to a mere surveillance camera. Aside of this it integrates nicely with Home Assistant, but without, the use as a door camera is not possible.
Now looking at other cameras, you really need to get into the “closed comments” to find out, that so far all I checked fail to support the “talking” part.
I think the first camera in Home Assistant supporting the feature will have a strong USP (unique selling proposition) in the Home Assistant community…
I strongly urge the maintainers of the integration pages on cameras to add a note to the main integration information about this shortcoming, it’s causing not just with me quite some (sometimes costly) frustration!
To the manufacturers. Video is usually the bandwidth issue, not voice. And if not possible integrated, why not add the chip to be recognized separately by the Home Assistant App (or other integrators)?
My task: I need a solution that I have on one screen the camera image with bi-directional communication and the door opener - in my case a Shelly-powered standard electric door opener, others may use Linus Yale, Nuki, etc.
Not possible with Home Assistant. … Yet. And two out of three ain’t fine.