We’re thinking of using HA for a museum application. In one case, we play a video at certain times if motion was detected within two minutes. In another case, we play a video whenever motion is detected.
As a bonus, it’d be nice to use remote buttons to stop a video, or start it regardless of the rules.
Can we do this with HA and our own hardware? How about HA Green?
Also, I assume HA can act as an ad-hoc network, since it runs on Linux so just configure it as we would for any Linux.
HA is used as a control center, so if your player and motion sensor can be accessed remotely somehow and HA can integrate into that, then it can read states and start/stop and do all the other things.
HA have a huge number of integrations, so the possibility is there, but if your player is using a proprietary protocol, then it might be trickier.
HA core is actually a docker container, so you can probably run it on your own hardware, if it has at least 2Gb ram for HA, at least 32GB storage for the installation and run a 64bit CPU.
Raspberry Pi 4 or equivalent hardware is probably the recommended minimum, but a mini-PC is often cheaper today anyway.
HA can also be installed as an OS with HAOS. This installation method provides a pretty locked down OS and the HA core on top of that. HAOS is low on maintenance burdens, because the OS and the core is locked down and the dev team makes sure they follow each other with updates.
HAOS will make it impossible to run an adhoc network on the OS installation (unless HAOS is run as a VM, then the hypervisor might still be able to do it)
Thanks, Wally!
I read that HA can play a local video file. I was planning to use RPi 4, but am surprised that a mini PC is cheaper.
Thanks for the clarification about HAOS – I presume that’s what HA Green uses. So, probably won’t go that route.
There will be no internet access and no devices on the Wifi network except the motion sensors (I think they’re wifi) and the other video controller (second one needed only due to distance between locations.) They’ll be headless, with the HA web UI for control, and SSH for maintenance/troubleshooting. Hopefully, a setup and forget application. (Yeah, heard that before.)
Raspberry Pi was cheaper earlier, but Mini PC have become cheaper and Raspberry Pi more expensive.
When you add up the extra gear you need for a Raspberry Pi, like case, heatsink, fan, power supply, maybe a SSD expansion and a SSD and maybe also a powered USB hub to drive radios and other USB gear, then it quickly add up to something similar in price compared to a mini PC that have it all as standard.