Use of External Monitor

ChrisSouthFLA
ChrisSouthFLA
edited June 2015 in SecuritySpy
Hi Ben,

Curious if there is anyway to use a regular TV video style monitor to see cameras (IE: TV in the same house/office location where SecuritySpy is located). Not sure if this would be possible in the same way you would be able to use SDI/HDMI cameras via a BlackMagic capture device, just reversed.

This would be useful in my case to just have a video monitor/tv dedicated for live camera viewing (but don't want to do it as an extended desktop as my SecuritySpy Mac is not in my actual office computer, but as HDMI or SDI).

Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks!!!!

Comments

  • Ben
    Ben
    Hi Chris,

    If I'm understanding you correctly, what you want to do is set up an HDMI output from your SecuritySpy Mac in order to connect it to an HDMI TV (please correct me if I have misunderstood you). This is relatively simple to achieve, assuming your Mac has Thunderbolt ports - see this OS X Daily article for full details: How to Connect a Mac to a TV with HDMI

    Then the Mac will see the TV as a second monitor (or first monitor, if it is currently headless), and you simply set SecuritySpy to full screen mode and add the cameras you want to the full screen display.

    Does this answer your question?
  • ChrisSouthFLA
    ChrisSouthFLA
    Hi Ben,

    Thanks for the quick response. Yeah, unfortunately my Mac does not have an HDMI port. It is a MacPro Tower (latest model before the current "trash can" model). It's dedicated mac to my security system.
  • Ben
    Ben
    Hi Chris,

    In that case, you should have a spare DVI port at the back of your Mac Pro. It should simply be a case of getting a DVI-to-HDMI cable to connect the TV to your Mac (there are some available on Amazon), though I have personally never tried this. If you give it a go, please report back and let us know how you get on.
  • ChrisSouthFLA
    ChrisSouthFLA
    Will give that a try. My cable run has to be about 150 feet, so I may need to go with a DVI over cat5 converter but will let you know what ends up working. Thanks!!!
  • Ben
    Ben
    Yes 150ft is definitely too long for HDMI, but as you say there are DVI-over-Cat5 solutions that typically promise distances around 150ft, so there's no reason why this shouldn't work. Just make sure to use high-quality cables. Good luck!
  • ChrisSouthFLA
    ChrisSouthFLA
    Thanks. Will update once I give it a try. Cheers!
  • peterdewolf
    peterdewolf
    I'd like to know if you get this worked out. Please post your solutions if you do
  • MacPig
    MacPig
    Hi, I'm planning my CCTV for my new home. I will use 16 ip camera in a MacMini in a Room of my house. I think this is ok.
    But i want to put a extra TV near the garage door to see whats happening outside of the house. This TV have to show only the external cams (4).
    How can I delivery the sinal to TV? its about 150 foot mac mini to tv garage.
    if you can help me.
  • MacPig
    MacPig
    I draw a layout of the system a want install in the future https://www.dropbox.com/s/mdew38p14yfmkjb/cctv layout.jpg?dl=0
  • Ben
    Ben
    edited July 2015
    Hi @MacPig - that looks like it will be a very nice system. Considering you have a 150ft distance from Mac to monitor, I would suggest that the above DVI-over-Cat5 solution should work well for you. Hopefully @ChrisSouthFLA will report back with his experiences.
  • MacPig
    MacPig
    I'm sorry, I don't understand. I use a DV-over-Cat5 on TV ok!
    One point go TV other point to switch.
    But I use SecuritySpy to select the cam and send the sinal to TV1 and TV 2?
    Sorry for the questions i never configure any cctv, this is will be my first.
  • Ben
    Ben
    Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean exactly. With the two TVs connected to SecuritySpy, the Mac will see these as additional computer monitors. When you set SecuritySpy to full screen mode, each attached monitor is an independent full-screen display. You choose which cameras should be shown on which screen by right-clicking on each screen and using that menu to add/remove cameras.

    Does this help?
  • ChrisSouthFLA
    ChrisSouthFLA
    Hi!

    Just wanted to jump back on here and let you know I have not had a chance work this out yet, but plan to get it done in the next few weeks. Will report as soon as I try a few options I have in mind.

    Cheers!
  • ChrisSouthFLA
    ChrisSouthFLA
    Ben,

    Any possibility of adding an option to send multi-view to an external monitor such as using a device like these?

    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892451-REG
    Or
    http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/964120-REG

    Basically, what you would do in an video editing system, in playback mode.

    If this was a possibility, then the image/images could be sent from the output device and sent to a video monitor without having them on the computer's desktop, or extended desktop. Then it would be an actual video signal that then could be ingested in to a channel in your office or homes cable TV system (using a modulator and combiner by inserting the signal to any selected channel. For example ch77) and then allowing you to see your cameras on any tv in the house or office when you tune in to ch77.

    Again, the key is to be able to send the video output from the computer not as a monitor, but as a "legal" video signal. That could be done by allowing SecuritySpy the option to output to an output card rather than a desktop.

    I hope this makes sense, and sorry for the long explanation, but wanted to make sure it was properly explained.

    Any insight would be truly appreciated.

    Cheers!


  • Ben
    Ben
    Hi Chris,

    This would be possible, but would require a certain amount of development work. SecuritySpy already implements the Blackmagic API for video input from their (excellent) devices, so we are familiar with it, and it shouldn't be a massive leap to do video output. however I'm not sure how much demand there would be for such a feature. It's possible that we could implement this for the next major update, but certainly not in the immediate future.
  • ChrisSouthFLA
    ChrisSouthFLA
    Thanks Ben! I agree, they make great stuff (I'm in the TV production world, and we use they stuff all over... Trucks, studio, field production, etc.).
  • dougyfish
    dougyfish
    I have one installation where I had to send the HDMI output of a Mac running SecuritySpy a little over 250 feet. I have a Monoprice HDMI over Cat5 setup that I've used in conference rooms and it works over 50 foot cables so I tried that first. No luck, it wouldn't push the signal 250 feet. I bought a TripLite B126 pair and it also did not work over that distance. A colleague recommended the Optoma EVBMN-M110 and it worked perfectly. It has a lot of features that I don't need and it's a little expensive but it worked.
  • Flyingdiver
    Flyingdiver
    The Optomoa is HDBaseT, the others were not. HDBaseT is really the only reliable way to push HDMI long distances. There's lots of other vendors for it (including Monoprice), but I think they pretty much all use the same chipsets that the company that invented the protocol sells.
  • kid_rob
    kid_rob
    You may also consider AppleTV as an intermittent solution. It allows one to mirror one's Mac video output on a TV over WiFi or Ethernet. I'm guessing that this is not a stable long term solution.

    FUTURE: With Apps able to be developed specifically for the AppleTV, perhaps someone will enhance Remote Patrol to have an AppleTV app. This would effectively add a SecuritySpy channel to one's AppleTV.
  • ChrisSouthFLA
    ChrisSouthFLA
    Apple TV app, would be a great solution!

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