Tag Archives: macOS

Using tinyCam on Android for SecuritySpy

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While SecuritySpy has a dedicated iOS app that provides a great remote access experience on iPhones and iPads, we currently do not produce a dedicated Android app. This is because, since SecuritySpy is a macOS application, the vast majority of our users are within the Apple ecosystem, and very few use Android devices.

At this time, the best solution for viewing live video from your SecuritySpy system on an Android device is the tinyCam Monitor app. This app is inexpensive, easy to use, and has a built-in profile for SecuritySpy that helps to simplify the setup. Here’s how to set it up.

1. Set up access to your SecuritySpy system

If you need to access SecuritySpy only over your local network, all you need to do is to enable the HTTP web server under Settings > Web, and add a user account for password protection.

Additionally, for access over the Internet, follow the setup steps outlined here: SecuritySpy Installation Manual – Remote Access.

Your SecuritySpy server should now be set up for local and/or Internet access. Verify this by going to Settings > Web > Access Info; a panel pops up that shows access addresses for local and/or remote connections:SecuritySpy Access Info Continue reading →

Connecting Google Nest Cameras to SecuritySpy via Starling Hub

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Over the years, small app-based home cameras have grown in popularity, and there are now many competing offerings from companies such as Blink, Google, Arlo, and Ring. The appeal of these cameras is understandable, as they can work well for many home users, being compact, unobtrusive and easy to set up. However, they come with significant disadvantages, the most notable being that they will generally only work with the manufacturer-provided apps, thereby forcing users to purchase ongoing subscriptions for more than just basic functionality. This unfortunately means that most of these cameras will not work with our macOS CCTV software SecuritySpy.

Google’s Nest cameras are a popular option, and until recently it was difficult to link them up to SecuritySpy. However, this has all changed with new functionality built into the Starling Hub.Starling Hub Continue reading →

Replacing a Hardware NVR With SecuritySpy

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Want to switch from your current NVR to SecuritySpy? Hardware NVRs/DVRs can be limited, and their macOS software (like iVMS from Hikvision or SmartPPS from Dahua) often falls short. If your cameras support ONVIF or your NVR can produce RTSP streams, you can make the switch and gain all of SecuritySpy’s features while keeping your current cameras.

Your next steps depend on how your cameras are current connected – expand the section below that describes your current setup: Continue reading →

Create a Screen Saver With Your SecuritySpy Cameras

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Want to display your SecuritySpy cameras as a screensaver on your Mac? This tutorial will walk you through the process step by step.

Step 1: Install WebViewScreenSaver

WebViewScreenSaver is a free screensaver that displays web pages. The easiest way to install it is to download the latest version from the releases page (e.g. WebViewScreenSaver-2.4.zip) – when downloaded this unzips to a file called WebViewScreenSaver.saver, which you then double-click to install. Continue reading →

Using an iPhone or iPad as a CCTV Camera

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With the right app, an iPhone or iPad can make an effective security camera that provides standard RTSP video/audio feeds. This is especially useful for older iOS devices that would otherwise be unused, making for an easy and inexpensive way to add an extra camera to your video surveillance system built around our macOS NVR software SecuritySpy.

In order for an iOS device to be used for video surveillance, it should be powered all the time and set to never sleep. Such a device should never be used for a critical CCTV purpose, since things like power outages or app/devices crashes may require manual intervention to put right. This can be mitigated somewhat with Apple’s Guided Access or Single App features.

The following apps have been tested and confirmed to work well with SecuritySpy for H.264 RTSP streaming, delivering high-quality and efficient video/audio streams to SecuritySpy. Continue reading →

Dahua IPC-HFW2831T-ZAS Camera Review

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The IP camera market is replete with bullet-style cameras, with Dahua Technology being one of the major manufacturers of cameras of this type. Basic Dahua bullet cameras are well-designed, inexpensive, and generally provide good quality video, however it doesn’t cost too much more to get a model like this one, which has some key features that allow it to perform much better than basic models.

IPC-HFW2831T-ZAS

Dahua Technology IPC-HFW2831T-ZAS IP Camera

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Dahua IPC-HDW5831R-ZE IP Camera Review

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Dahua Technology have such an extensive range of IP cameras that it can be difficult to choose between them, especially between models that are superficially similar. Generally, Dahua cameras work very well with our macOS CCTV software SecuritySpy, and this particular model, the IPC-HDW5831R-ZE, looks like it could be something special.

This is an “eyeball” type camera, which is a form factor with some significant advantages: they are generally compact in size, easy to swivel and rotate to the correct position, and, unlike dome cameras, there is no curved perspex dome in front of the lens to reduce quality.

IPC-HDW5831R-ZE IP Camera

Dahua Technology IPC-HDW5831R-ZE

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Running an NTP Time Server on your Mac

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[UPDATE 30 JUNE 2021: This functionality is now built into SecuritySpy – see NTP Time Server Installation. We are leaving this post in place in case it is useful to anyone, but we can no longer provide any assistance or updates to the below instructions or scripts.]

When implementing a CCTV system (e.g. one based around our macOS CCTV software SecuritySpy) it is important for all cameras to maintain the correct time for the purposes of drawing accurate timestamps onto their video streams. Not only will this help you review recorded footage, but if there is an incident that needs to be reported to the police, it will help them with their investigation. You may even be asked to verify or demonstrate to the police that your cameras are set to the correct time.

For this purpose, you should always give your cameras a valid NTP server address (NTP stands for Network Time Protocol). The cameras will contact the NTP server at regular intervals to set their clocks (you should also set your cameras with accurate daylight savings time settings, so that any such adjustments are applied automatically during the summer months).

For this purpose, we recommend using one of the time servers that Apple provides for free, which are time.apple.com, time.euro.apple.com and time.asia.apple.com. Continue reading →

Setting Up A Home CCTV System

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In this blog post, we will go through the process of setting up a video surveillance system for your home, based around our macOS CCTV software SecuritySpy. When setting up a home CCTV system, cost is an important consideration, but we also want to choose high-quality hardware that is easy to install and set up. To this end, our example system will comprise the following components:

Cameras: we have chosen to use Amcrest IP8M cameras for the following reasons:

  • Physically quite small and unobtrusive.
  • Easy plug-and-play setup (no manual IP/network setup required).
  • High resolution (8 MP), night vision, and good codec support (H.265 and AAC).
  • A built-in microphone – essential for a camera covering an entrance.
  • Great value at around USD $100.

IP5M-T1179EW-28MM Camera Continue reading →