Native Apple HomeKit integration

[BrianErdelyi]

You installed Homebridge AND a plugin.  Sounds like you installed the unifi-video plugin.  I believe you're using Protect?  That plugin is not for you.

I use homebridge-camera-ffmpeg-omx plugin.  I'm having some problems livestreaming with the homebridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin.

[fpb]

@BrianErdelyi - I installed the plug-in that you mentioned but still getting these error. 

I'm not sure if I have the config.json correctly. I added the camera rtsp url under source. Any idea?

root@homebridge:~# homebridge
/usr/lib/node_modules/homebridge/lib/server.js:219
  var username = config.bridge.username;
                               ^

TypeError: Cannot read property 'username' of undefined
    at Server._loadConfig (/usr/lib/node_modules/homebridge/lib/server.js:219:32)
    at new Server (/usr/lib/node_modules/homebridge/lib/server.js:56:38)
    at module.exports (/usr/lib/node_modules/homebridge/lib/cli.js:30:16)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/usr/lib/node_modules/homebridge/bin/homebridge:17:22)
    at Module._compile (module.js:653:30)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:664:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:566:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:506:12)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:498:3)
    at Function.Module.runMain (module.js:694:10)

[fpb]

Anyone running Homebridge in a RPi connected to Protect can share their config.json file? I'm trying to have mine setup but I'm having hard time.

[BrianErdelyi]

Here’s my config:

{

   "bridge":{

      "name":"Homebridge",

      "username":"11:22:33:44:55:66",

      "port":51826,

      "pin":"123-45-678"

   },

   "platforms":[

      {

         "platform":"Camera-ffmpeg-omx",

         "cameras":[

            {

               "name":"UniFi G3 Flex",

               "videoConfig":{

                  "source":"-rtsp_transport http -re -i rtsp://192.168.2.26:7447/pqSBSzLFBznJlUHn",

                  "vcodec":"h264_omx",

                  "audio": true,

                  "maxStreams":2,

                  "maxWidth":640,

                  "maxHeight":480,

                  "maxFPS":15,

                  "debug": true

               }

            }

         ]

      }

   ]

}

[fpb]

I think this is my problem. I have missing these values. From where I get them? BTW: Thanks in advance for the help / share. 

{

   "bridge":{

      "name":"Homebridge",

      "username":"11:22:33:44:55:66",

      "port":51826,

      "pin":"123-45-678"

[BrianErdelyi]

Also notice I’m using the homebridge-camera-ffmpeg-omx plugin.

[BrianErdelyi]

Those values are configurable.  You can set them to whatever you want.

[BrianErdelyi]

Here’s is how I setup my RPi using Raspbian Stretch Lite.

Update package database

sudo apt-get update

Upgrade installed packages

sudo apt-get -y upgrade

Install Node.js repository

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_8.x | sudo -E bash -

Install Node.js 

sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Install avahi

sudo apt-get install -y libavahi-compat-libdnssd-dev

Install ffmpeg

sudo apt-get install -y ffmpeg

Install homebridge

sudo npm install -g --unsafe-perm homebridge

Install Homebridge camera plugin

sudo npm install -g homebridge-camera-ffmpeg

Configure Homebridge

Homebridge (need to launch and close Homebridge once before editing config file)

sudo nano /home/pi/.homebridge/config.json

[fpb]

@BrianErdelyi - You config.json example works for me. I'm up and running. Few questions; On the main screen of the Home App the App seems to update the image every 12 or so seconds, is this configurable? When I select the camera it keeps Loading and then I get "No response". Is your setup working fine? You can see the live stream?

[BrianErdelyi]

First, what device are you using to view the camera?  I use my iPhone.

it is normal that the thumbnail refreshes ever 10s.  When you open the camera it will take about 10s then you’ll see “live”.

Same config but if I use the homebridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin I get an error when I try live streaming.

[fpb]

---

@BrianErdelyi wrote:

First, what device are you using to view the camera?  I use my iPhone.

it is normal that the thumbnail refreshes ever 10s.  When you open the camera it will take about 10s then you’ll see “live”.

Same config but if I use the homebridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin I get an error when I try live streaming.

---

I'm using an iPhone X.

The thumbnail refresh every 10s without ploblems. But when I open the camera I get this error;

[BrianErdelyi]

How did you install FFmpeg? The old plugin doesn’t provide much output

Alternatively, try using the non On my way! Plugin and see what the output says.

[BrianErdelyi]

@fpb Can you remove the line where audio is set to true?

[fpb]

---

@BrianErdelyi wrote:
@fpbCan you remove the line where audio is set to true?

---

Just tried but the live video doesnt work.

I also tried with homebridge-camera-ffmpeg-omx and homebridge-camera-ffmpeg with the same result. The snapshots works ok. 

With the homebridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin on the debug results I see these errors;

Codec AVOption profile () specified for output file #1 (srtp://192.168.1.233:60250?rtcpport=60250&localrtcpport=60250&pkt_size=1316) has not been used for any stream. The most likely reason is either wrong type (e.g. a video option with no video streams) or that it is a private option of some encoder which was not actually used for any stream.

[swscaler @ 0x19b4070] deprecated pixel format used, make sure you did set range correctly

Output #0, rtp, to 'srtp://192.168.1.233:65339?rtcpport=65339&localrtcpport=65339&pkt_size=1316':
  Metadata:
    title           : 802AA84ED26C_0
    encoder         : Lavf57.56.101

    Stream #0:0: Audio: pcm_mulaw, 11025 Hz, mono, s16, 88 kb/s
    Metadata:
      encoder         : Lavc57.64.101 pcm_mulaw

[mpeg4 @ 0x19ae800] Either both buffer size and max rate or neither must be specified
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (aac (native) -> pcm_mulaw (native))
  Stream #0:1 -> #1:0 (h264 (native) -> mpeg4 (native))
Error while opening encoder for output stream #1:0 - maybe incorrect parameters such as bit_rate, rate, width or height

but I'm playing with the settings without luck yet.

[BrianErdelyi]

I can only get video with the omx plugin. I’d still like to know how you installed ffmpeg since this is the reason for most issues.

I had a bit of a breakthrough with the non-omx plugin. It appears that Protect may have two separate streams. I’ll try and swap the commands.

[fpb]

I did a clean install again and used your steps. with the only difference that later I noticed that the instructions points to the non omx plugin and then I unistalled the non-omx and installed the omx. 

[fpb]

---

@BrianErdelyi wrote:
I can only get video with the omx plugin. I’d still like to know how you installed ffmpeg since this is the reason for most issues.

I had a bit of a breakthrough with the non-omx plugin. It appears that Protect may have two separate streams. I’ll try and swap the commands.

---

The plug-in web point to another source to download the ffmpeg, but I can't access it. Did you used that one originally?

homebridge-camera-ffmpeg-omx

ffmpeg plugin for Homebridge. Optimized for Rapsberry Pi via GPU encoding.

Installation

1. Install ffmpeg on your Raspberry Pi.

   a. Download this package: sudo wget goo.gl/gMGA81 -O ffmpeg.deb

   b. Install this package: sudo dpkg -i ffmpeg.deb

   c. Ensure that the user you are running homebridge as has access to /dev/vchiq. ie sudo usermod -aG video login where login is the user you are running homebridge as.

2. Install this plugin using: npm install -g homebridge-camera-ffmpeg-omx

3. Edit config.json and add the camera.

4. Run Homebridge

5. Add extra camera accessories in Home app. The setup code is the same as homebridge.

[BrianErdelyi]

I don’t like the omx docs.  I follow all steps for the non omx plugin.  It works fine.

[fpb]

@jclarkenz - out of curiosity what plugin are you using for the Protect / homebridge integration? The question is because I tried two different plugins and I can't get live video on the Home App.

[BrianErdelyi]

FYI, I have finally resolved a problem with the homebridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin and Protect.

Protect seems to include the audio in the first stream and video in the second stream.  I had to modify the homebridge-camera-ffmpeg plugin to have it expect video in the second stream.  I have also disabled audio in my homebridge configuration.  My next testing will be to see if it works with audio enabled.

See the following thread for details.  https://github.com/KhaosT/homebridge-camera-ffmpeg/issues/222#issuecomment-441333661