ONVIF cameras with person detection

Configuration
1

I’ve added a couple of ONVIF cameras with people detection to HA, but the added devices don’t have the “Human shape detection” sensor entities. Is there a process for specifying what sensors an ONVIF cam should have, or is it all automatic based on some handshake data?

(The cameras are Amcrest models, BTW.)

2

Amcrest integration will work better

It is local

Regarding your question

This integration uses the ONVIF pullpoint subscription API to process events into sensors that will be automatically added to Home Assistant. Below is a list of currently supported event topics along with the entities they create.

To help with development of this integration, enable info level logging for homeassistant.components.onvif and create an issue on GitHub for any messages that show “No registered handler for event”

3

Thanks, but the Amcrest integration doesn’t include people detection (unless its docs are out of date).

I did enable info-level logging for onvif, and it’s not reporting anything (except a time mismatch from another camera).

4

No
Sorry. I mix people and motion detection

It may show in the Amcrest events created when camera uses Amcrest integration. I will check and let you know. Will check onvif as well.

5

I’ve been using Dahua cameras and NVR with HA Onvif integration for years, and they don’t have a sensor for person (or vehicle) detection via the HA Onvif integration either. If your Amcrest cameras aren’t very old and are OEM models from Foscam, they’re probably OEM models from Dahua. If you’re lucky and they use the same API as the Dahua models, you could try rroller’s Dahua HA integration. If you haven’t already done that, you could try it. This also includes person and vehicle detection - at least for Dahua cameras.

Note: Unfortunately, rroller hasn’t really developed or maintained the Dahua integration for years. He only occasionally implements a few changes suggested and/or provided by other users. Since HA core updates have caused occasional problems with rroller’s Dahua integration, I abandoned it a long time ago and switched to the HA Onvif integration. This means I have fewer features available, but also less problems after HA Core updates.

However, I can’t tell you why Dahua’s person and vehicle detection isn’t available in the HA Onvif integration. :slightly_smiling_face:

BTW: There are also other issues with the HA Onvif integration in connection with Dahua (OEM) cameras and their sensors. I also created an issue report about this. But unfortunately, nothing has been done there either. :frowning_face:

6

Great idea, thanks!

I added the cameras through the Dahua integration, and on the two newest models the “Smart Motion Human” events trigger correctly.

I tried using the Dahua integration a while back with my Amcrest NVR and it worked, but it spammed the NVR’s logs with “login”/“logout” messages so I abandoned it. But it turns out the ONVIF integration is doing the same thing, so I guess that’s a wash…

7

Yes, I know the problem, and it has always been present with my Dahua NVR and the Dahua integration. That’s why I don’t use Dahua integration with my Dahua NVR. The problem (for me) only affects the NVR and not the Dahua cameras. Since rroller posted two or three years ago that he no longer had the time (or interested) to maintain his integration, I didn’t even create a problem report about the issue back then.

I’ve integrated my Dahua NVR using HA Onvif integration and haven’t had any issues with it (apart from the fact that the sensor for person detection is not present and other types of detection do not appear as sensors but under Diagnostic.). This means that there are no login/logoff entries every second in the NVR log.

BTW: Dahua cameras and NVRs are high-quality, good products that are widely used worldwide, but when it comes to HA, you’re probably better off buying some “cheaper” products from Tapo or Reolink, as they are better integrated and maintained with HA. :rofl:

8

I do the same for my Amcrest NVR (which seem to be the same hardware/software as Dahua, and probably other rebrands). I’ve been quite happy with that solution, aside from the missing person detection, but I can now work around that by also adding the cameras individually through the Dahua integration.

I tried one Tapo camera, but the amount of “feature-paywalling” they throw in there to try and force you to pay for their cloud service is an instant deal-breaker for me. It’s too bad, because I really like TP-Link’s Kasa and Deco products.

I do see a lot of praise for Reolink cameras, but I hate to give up on the solid builds and long feature list of the Amcrest/Dahua lines, so I’ll probably stick with them for better or worse. :stuck_out_tongue:

9

I have been using Dahua products (cameras and NVR) for over 10 years and I was very happy when Ronnie (rroller) first presented his Home Assistant integration for it in the ipcamtalk forum in 2021.

As already mentioned, Ronnie essentially stopped further development and support sometime 2-3 years ago, and that was and still is a real shame. But that’s something we have to respect and accept.

Unfortunately, no other user has yet created an HA integration for Dahua cameras, and as far as I know, the Amcrest integration also is no longer being developed. So, the only option left is integration via Onvif, and unfortunately, you have to live with the resulting limitations. But just because Tapo and Reolink cameras are better supported under HA, I certainly won’t switch from Dahua to Tapo or Reolink. :laughing: For me, the quality of an IP camera’s hardware and software is more important than HA support. :slightly_smiling_face: This means that for me, until further notice, only Axis, Dahua, Hikvision, and perhaps Hanwha remain IP camera manufacturers of interest. But that’s just my opinion and I gave up a long time ago trying to discuss with users why, in my opinion, Dahua IP cameras are better than Reolink IP cameras. :laughing: Even though the quality of Reolink cameras has improved somewhat in the last 1-2 years.