So HA can see the camera as a generic camera component. It supports OVNIF and RTSP. But as far as answering the doorbell, I use the app that the hardware manufacturer provided. LaView in my case. I think the video in the app and the capabilites are decent, not the best, but fine. I will say that I found quickly, that I dont care much about answering the doorbell, but I do like getting camera captures and alerts to know when things happened so I can look later.
English please. I’ll help this time (via Google of course )
I saw your forum post. Does it integrate well with HA and act as a video intercom? I am looking for something and I came up with your description.
@rtenklooster
I was thinking doing exactly the same for a doorbell :
Are you using ESPhome or how are you controlling your esp from HA ?
What kind of home server do you have ? Synology ? QNap or homebrew ?
Can you share your code on how you achieved this? Am running more or less the same setup, but having issues in the automation “if doorbell is pushes then send images to telegram”…
If you still need it 
(or maybe someone else will need it), this is my code for sending images via
telegram:
- alias: 'Send picture through Telegram'
hide_entity: true
initial_state: 'on'
trigger:
- platform: state
entity_id: binary_sensor.doorbell
to: 'on'
action:
- service: notify.alfred
data:
title: 'Someone is at the door'
message: 'Arrived {{ now ().year }}/{{ now ().month }}/{{ now ().day }} {{ now ().hour }}:{{ now ().minute }}'
- service: notify.alfred
data:
title: 'x'
message: 'x'
data:
photo:
- url: http://192.168.1.2:8765/picture/2/current/
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I tried to use ESP32-CAM as a video doorbell, but I didn’t like the results, so I am looking for other options. I want to be able to store normal quality videos when motion is captured and to inform when somebody presses doorbell button.
I’m considering two options now and I need advice, what is better:
-
$60 doorbell from Aliexpress with RTSP support (https://ru.aliexpress.com/item/33029882709.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.18812e0eDCsWM6).
I can mount it near the front door, record I’s RTSP feed with motioneye and use the native app for doorbell button press events. -
Raspberry Pi 3 ($35) with a camera module ($30).
I can mount Raspberry PI 3 inside my apartment and even attach a screen to it later, and mount a camera and call button near the front door with the use of extension wires. Install MotionEye on this raspberry to create RTSP feed for my main motioneye server and use MQTT to transfer button press events.
What option is better and are there other options?
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My issue with any/all of these solutions is that HA does not pass audio through to you. I currently have a Xiaomi wireless button as a doorbell and then a HikVision camera feeding into HA with the MotionEYE HassIO add-on. I can have the video / snapshots sent to me by HA but without audio… well, it’s not an intercom.
Using the native app for a doorbell or IP camera with microphone is the only way to get audio at this stage. I have been waiting for HA to deal with audio from these devices for years now.
2 Likes
that’s a pretty cool device, if it works well
Also to be integrated in HASS you need a URL for the images … I have a XiaoVV camera: RTSP works well, but no image URL (can’t find one), so I can’t integrate in in HASS.
I also wish to have button events to be connected with HASS with mqtt or something, without is mmmhh half integration
For anyone looking at the Hikvision doorbell suggested by @juan11perez, there are two versions. The DS-KB6403-WIP 12VDC variant and the DS-KB6003-WIP 16-24VAC variant. Walmart currently has the LaView rebranded DS-KB6403-WIP for sale at $59.99. https://www.walmart.com/ip/seort/940342811
There are awful reviews on Walmart, but this thread https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/hik-connecting-ds-kb6003-wip-wifi-door-cam-to-7616ni-e2.24219/ is a little more technical and people say it does very well for a local IP doorbell.
I have ordered one and hope to reflash the LaView firmware to the Hikvision firmware. The camera supports H264 RTSP, ONVIF, and two way audio through the app. Ill report back with impressions on how it integrates with HA once it arrives.
When I envisage those clips of awful people at walmart, I can’t help but shudder at the thought of their forums/reviews.
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You got your wires crossed. The 6003 is 16-24V AC, the 6403 is 12V DC
Just took reception of the DS-KB6403-WIP last week. apart from the android app that’s not the most stable, it works rather well.
RTSP stream is stable (once upgraded to the latest firmware)
Motion detection via the HA hikvision binary sensor doesn’t work so I’m using motion for motion detection via MQTT
Also note there is no way to catch the button press event unless you try and use tasker on an android phone
There is a new version of the Hikvision (laview, rca, nelly, etc) doorbell cam that is 3mp, and offers the same functionality and has the same “issues”. I really like it much more than the prior model, which I also had. It streams fine, has RSTP, OVNIF, and a PIR motion sensor. The motion sensor does not report with the hikvision component (just like the previous model). As mentioned by others, you can use tasker to capture events.
The doorbell runs about $130 USD, but was down under $100 for one of the brands during black friday.
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How can this be done?
I just use a ESP 32 inside the home and have these iTag devices outside the home. Due to BLE, it runs for months . For Camera and motion sensor, use a old action camera installed on the top of the door. It does require 5V supply.
Both ESP32 and Camera are integrated to Home Assistant via ESPHome and Motioneye respectively
You’re right, i had mixed them up. I just edited my original post to prevent confusion.
I was not aware the button press was undetectable. That is disappointing as ONVIF profile C has provisions for those sorts of input conditions. Have you tried accessing the doorbell using ONVIF device manager to see what it can detect? If the button is readable on there then there will be an easy path to integrate it into HA.
If I can get timely and accurate motion events to HA then I may be able to live without the button input.
Thanks.
I don’t believe the doorbell is ONVIF compatible. It’s certainly not listed on Hikvision’s website specs:
https://www.hikvision.com/europe/Products/Video-Intercom/Wi-Fi-Door-Bell/DS-KB6403-WIP
It’s still available at $89, a 47% discount off the normal price. Get 'em while they’re still available!
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Great deal. I really like this doorbell quite a bit. The 180 degree FOV allows you to see the ground right in front of the doorbell. Only thing that I miss is that the motion senor alerts do not work in HA at the moment. Something about the doorbells not being fully compliant with the hikivision api
The video quality of the 3MP sensor is really, really good. The PIR is a bit too sensitive, having to be dialed back to minimum range with the EZViz app. I tried using the Hikvision integration over a year ago with their ‘cube’ cameras. It worked well, but needed to be restarted every few days to remain active. 
Without a restart, it would hang up and stop working.
Oh, if you want ONVIF capability, grab the LaView firmware link from the IPCamTalk website thread for this camera. It provides ONVIF.
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The Hikvision has a few flaws: it will only work with the Hikvision App and there is no way to integrate it easily into the home automization. Yes, you can intercept the rtsp-stream but you will not have two-way audio which makes it a simple camera with a call-button.
The other known minor flaw of the Hikvision is that the infrared leds cause blemishes in the video stream at night and kind of renders it unusable.
A Pi-zero-cam solution is cheaper, has more capabilities and again: two way audio will be complicated and it has to be integrated in some aesthetically pleasing housing which is not everybody´s cup of tea. Someone mentioned a Pi-zero with MotionEyeOS would be good but be aware that MEye does not and will not support two-way audio.
From all the solutions presented, mine would be taking a RaspberryPi 4, adding a logitech 920 HD-cam and an external ring-button. Add a bluetooth speaker and connect a microphone. Run WebRTC for the images and two-way audio. For right now, this is the only way to get a video stream, call-button and two-way audio integrated into any home automization user interface without any need to use the manufacturer´s app or their cloud.
Another neat way is using an old Android-phone, use a Kiosk-software to display an html-page with a ring-button and IP-webcam software for the video calls. Again, the inconvenience might be that not everybody is capable to design an enclosure to make it a neat solution someone wants to have at the door.
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