After managing ZoneMinder for years I finally went with Reolink and I've been very happy with their cameras and NVR. Now it "just works" and I never think about it. I use their app sometimes to view the streams but via holes I punched in my network (you could also VPN) and I don't use any of their "cloud" features. If you wanted you could hook up your own client to the streams off the NVR, I have HomeAssistant grabbing those feeds and that's how I view my cameras 90% of the time.
Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
151–160 of 204 posts
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#152You don't mention your use case but the ESP32-CAM gets you an ESP32-based wifi streaming camera for about $10 USD. No app. No account. Surprisingly powerful.
https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-video-streaming-fa...
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#153After managing ZoneMinder for years I finally went with Reolink and I've been very happy with their cameras and NVR. Now it "just works" and I never think about it. I use their app sometimes to view the streams but via holes I punched in my network (you could also VPN) and I don't use any of their "cloud" features. If you wanted you could hook up your own client to the streams off the NVR, I have HomeAssistant grabbi…
I use Reolink as well, they work reasonably well, inexpensive, PoE, and speak ONVIF.
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#154I have worked professionally with access control and surveillance. I can give you two manufacturer recommendations: Axis and Geovision. Axis cameras are high end and expensive, but they will, in my experience, do anything an IP camera could reasonably be expected to do, and they will do it well. They are European in origin and are available from various retail outlets to ship this week. Geovision cameras are low end…
Christ on a cracker, Axis' website is horrible! I saw one model that looked interesting, but can't find a price. You have to click on "How to Buy" to get redirected to another page where you then have to click on "Find a Reseller Near Me" which takes you to a form you have to fill out with a bunch of personal information and then send to them, and maybe someone will get back to you. How do these companies stay in bus…
You aren't their target customer. Installers and resellers already know them or have a lower friction way to buy. They want you to work through resellers and not have to bother with supporting you directly.
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#155I have worked professionally with access control and surveillance. I can give you two manufacturer recommendations: Axis and Geovision. Axis cameras are high end and expensive, but they will, in my experience, do anything an IP camera could reasonably be expected to do, and they will do it well. They are European in origin and are available from various retail outlets to ship this week. Geovision cameras are low end…
Geovision has had a ton of security incidents. Perhaps they're easy to set up, but they definitely aren't secure.
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#156You don't mention your use case but the ESP32-CAM gets you an ESP32-based wifi streaming camera for about $10 USD. No app. No account. Surprisingly powerful. https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-cam-video-streaming-fa...
This is cool, and I have one of these! It's performance can be surprising both ways: somehow I am both underwhelmed and impressed at the same time.
I'm for sure looking for an alternative though.
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#157Currently using some canon cr-c300s for remote production from a music festival this weekend. They seem to do the job, depends whether you're happy with ndi-hx or not (we're actually taking the SDI out and putting them into Magewells with speedhq)
Probably not the price range you're thinking of. PTZ control and preview is via a normal webpage.
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#158I have worked professionally with access control and surveillance. I can give you two manufacturer recommendations: Axis and Geovision. Axis cameras are high end and expensive, but they will, in my experience, do anything an IP camera could reasonably be expected to do, and they will do it well. They are European in origin and are available from various retail outlets to ship this week. Geovision cameras are low end…
Christ on a cracker, Axis' website is horrible! I saw one model that looked interesting, but can't find a price. You have to click on "How to Buy" to get redirected to another page where you then have to click on "Find a Reseller Near Me" which takes you to a form you have to fill out with a bunch of personal information and then send to them, and maybe someone will get back to you. How do these companies stay in bus…
By selling mostly to business clients, where that sort of nonsense (no prices up front, contact for a quote) is more of a norm. Entities that are buying a dozen or dozens of cameras and other items to outfit a building, and plan on negotiating on volume.
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#159After managing ZoneMinder for years I finally went with Reolink and I've been very happy with their cameras and NVR. Now it "just works" and I never think about it. I use their app sometimes to view the streams but via holes I punched in my network (you could also VPN) and I don't use any of their "cloud" features. If you wanted you could hook up your own client to the streams off the NVR, I have HomeAssistant grabbi…
Reolink are the perfect price/performance for home use, in my book. Are they perfect? No. The focus drifts on some models after time (they'll fix it on their own, just not perfectly crisp all the time). The quality of video is "ok". Etc.
I'd love to go Axis, those are AMAZING. But an Axis dome camera is about $600 and Reolink is $90. If you're a business, Axis is the way to go. For home? Reolink.
All the individual cameras in my house are on their own LAN simply because they are plugged directly into the Reolink NVR. I can block the NVR from internet access if I choose. Doesn't seem to need it, other than for remote camera viewing. Which I can do via tailscale.
Re: Ask HN: IP cameras that don't require an app or internet?
#160After managing ZoneMinder for years I finally went with Reolink and I've been very happy with their cameras and NVR. Now it "just works" and I never think about it. I use their app sometimes to view the streams but via holes I punched in my network (you could also VPN) and I don't use any of their "cloud" features. If you wanted you could hook up your own client to the streams off the NVR, I have HomeAssistant grabbi…
+1 for reolink - I have four of them, running with both network and power over ethernet, each initially configured via their individual built-in web server, and now all hooked up seamlessly with home assistant. My only complaint is that the model I bought 4 of has been deprecated, and the closest equivalent is more featureful but more expensive :(