What I learned in random order:
  • RTSP is not yet supported as far as I can tell
  • On the dashboard, Type: Image/ Motion JPEG does work
  • The substream image / Motion JPEG on the Amcrest cameras has a max resolution of 640x480
  • I couldn't get authentication + the dashboard integration to work. I have to hit the web view URL below (*video.cgi*) directly and login with a user, then go to my <apex.local> url at which point the dashboard video works. I think this might mean no dice on apex fusion, will investigate.
  • Amcrest (and all other) PLUGINS are non functional these days because of security issues in browsers which have since disabled them. However, there is still an Amcrest 'chrome app' that for whatever reason doesn't come up in the chrome web store search. A lot of clicking around and I found it here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...e-ntp-launcher
  • There are two obstacles getting this to work.
    • Getting a 'web view' (video via a URL) from your camera...either by passing credentials via the URL or by turning off authentication (aka anonymous login to Amcrest). The amcrest native app worked super easy, and I'm sure using their DVR or whatever works nicely. However, video over a URL is not obvious.
    • Getting that 'web view' to work in the local apex dashboard. Even though Neptune Systems 'tease us' with an H264 option in the dropdown, which offers higher resolution, I couldn't find anyone successfully getting it to work on these forums. My guess is that that option was created back when browsers still supported the plugins required for the videocameras to stream H264 video.

  • I'm satisfied with '640x480' for my dashboard, and using a separate app/URL to view high resolution video. It would be super neat if there was a way to embed a random URL/Link in the apex dashboard to make this easy, but a browser bookmark isn't the end of the world.
  • The URL for the amcrest 'image / motion JPEG' once subtype was configured to motion JPEG is http://<IP-ADDRESS>/cgi-bin/mjpg/video.cgi?channel=0&subtype=1


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