User-friendly camera system 'upgradeable' to ZM?

Post here to ask any questions about hardware suitability, configuration in ZoneMinder, or experiences. If you just want to know if something works with ZoneMinder or not, please check the Hardware Compatibility sections in the forum, and the Wiki first. Also search this topic as well.
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ptfrd
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:30 pm

User-friendly camera system 'upgradeable' to ZM?

Post by ptfrd »

I'm not an Open Source zealot, but I do try to avoid buying hardware that doesn't at least have the capability of supporting an Open Source solution.

For example, when buying a laptop, if I knew that a certain manufacturer was uncooperative with the Linux community, I wouldn't buy from them - even if my plan was to use that laptop to run Microsoft Windows. This is a matter of flexibility (plans change!), and principle.

Likewise for a security camera. I'm tempted to buy a user-friendly, end-to-end solution where the camera's manufacturer also provides the software, and everything should just work automatically. But I don't want to be locked in. So if I can find a system that could potentially be upgraded to use ZoneMinder instead of the manufacturer's own software, I'd probably buy that.

I subscribe to a consumer publication called 'Which Magazine', which does provide reviews of user-friendly security cameras. Their recommendations include products from Nest, Ring and Hive. These aren't listed on the HCL. Nor can I find anyting in this forum to suggest products from those companies are compatible with ZM.

Near the top of the HCL it says "Most modern IP cameras are ONVIF compliant, which means most modern IP Camera should work with ZoneMinder." I discovered this search page for conformant products, and again found no mention of Nest, Ring or Hive. So, should I just avoid those 3 companies altogether?


Also recommended by 'Which Magazine' were:
TP-Link Kasa KC200 Outdoor Cam
Logitech Circle 2


Neither TP-Link nor Logitech seems to have any products listed as conformant with ONVIF profile G.

Both companies names do appear on the HCL (TP-LINK, Logitech_700), but not those specific models.

So does anyone have any advice?

Thanks!
mikb
Posts: 586
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:34 pm

Re: User-friendly camera system 'upgradeable' to ZM?

Post by mikb »

My recommendation is to look in places other than Which? for reviews and ratings, especially on technical matters.

Find a computing mag, and try again! :)

You want to know about ease of use and consumer friendly? Then sure, some widely-supported, current fashionable-trend security-gizmo like Nest/Ring/Hive is likely to be top of the list. Just unbox it, click some buttons, it works. How it works, whether it's tethered to the cloud before it will allow you to use it at all, whether you have to pay for some ongoing subscription to make it work, whether when the company gets bored of supporting it in the future and shuts down some essential site it communicates with ... leaving you with a paperweight ... that might be left off the table.

Your best bet is to avoid any camera that has cloud functions, that comes with "an account" or "a subscription" or other suspect words like that, as it means you are going to have to pay money, or have your data siphoned off to their "secure server" before you're allowed to play with it. They will tempt you with all sorts of cool tricks that this cloudything can do for you, but be strong!

An IP camera that allows you to connect to it directly, and can serve you a still JPEG, motion JPEG, MP4/H264/H265 coded stream straight from the camera itself, is a good thing. A camera that won't suddenly stop working when your broadband/other link to the internet is lost!

I have D-Link DCS900s -- they came with Windows software which is still on the CD. I don't think they are ONVIF compliant, it might not have been invented then :) They work under Zoneminder because they have standard (open) interfaces to provide a still and movie (MJPEG) stream. That's all you need. Zoneminder is the software.
ptfrd
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:30 pm

Re: User-friendly camera system 'upgradeable' to ZM?

Post by ptfrd »

Thanks for your detailed reply.

mikb wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2020 5:35 pm whether it's tethered to the cloud before it will allow you to use it at all, whether you have to pay for some ongoing subscription to make it work, whether when the company gets bored of supporting it in the future and shuts down some essential site it communicates with ... leaving you with a paperweight ...
These are the kinds of things that I worry about.

But as long as I find something that can also be upgraded to use ZM, I believe I'd be adequately protected. Hence my question.

I don't want the hassle or risks of setting up my own system, but nor do I want the risks associated with buying a system that it wouldn't even be possible to have full control over, should the need arise. I want the best of both worlds.

Think of it another way. Many ordinary people wouldn't even be able to set up their own system, but could nonetheless be easily persuaded of the principled and practical benefits of hardware with Open Source support. So the Open Source community should be ready with hardware recommendations for such people. Then, if for example, the manufacturer suddenly quadruples the price of their cloud service, at least there is some alternative means for the users to keep using the hardware in the ways they desire - even if it involves some kind of 3rd party assistance. This would protect the users' own interests, while rewarding any companies that make Open Source compatible hardware.
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