I am sorry that I will be repeating many other threads. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the answer in the older threads about IP Camera URLs.
They all mention strm files but I am very new to plex and I don’t even know what a strm file is.
Now my question;
I want to add my IP Cameras (mostly Foscam) to my Plex server as a source.
is it possible ? if yes, how ?
thanks
No, this is not possible with Plex.
if it is not possible, what are the strm files ?
I don’t know what strm files you are referring to?
This is possible, but brittle and does not work well. You’d need to create an m3u8 file with the camera’s stream url. Then you rename this to be an “mp4”. You drop it into a library, let Plex scan it… it’ll see the video, and the ffmpeg backend doesn’t really check if it’s an allowable video file or not.
But it tends to play for less than 10 seconds at a time, and crashes the PMS about every 3rd try. It works slightly better for live audio, where it still crashes every 3rd time but will play indefinitely if it does not crash.
It would be simple for Plex to add this as a feature and make it work, but I suspect they refrain from doing so for some legal/liability reasons (don’t want to end up like Kodi).
thanks.
but I didn’t understand this:
if I the final file will be mp4 extension, why do I create a m3u8 file ?
and how is it created ?
shall I just write the full URL in a text file and rename the extension to be mp4 ?
can anyone tell me how to configure a camera in strm file ?
Not reliable at this time as @BrigoNortensson has already stated.
It crashes Plex as this is more of a hack and NOT a supported/intended feature.
I no longer even attempt it as the crash to the server impacts me more severely than actually having visibility within Plex.
I use other software/apps to accomplish viewing my cams with quick-launch capabilities via my remote or by invoking Alexa.
I think that if it was just a matter of security cameras, they might be willing to add it as a feature. The trouble is that allowing this feature also accidentally allows other features which I suspect they are averse to adding for legal/liability reasons.
Think about it, if Plex accepts “http://192.168.1.17/mycamera” as a stream that shows up, why then not the same stream for the local radio station? Or the one for Bloomberg and various other tv stations now allowing partial/24hour feeds on the web page?
By making it possible they’d make it inevitable, and either have to constantly play whackamole trying to disable that without disabling security cameras. Or, let it happen, then get smote by a certain class of organizations that rhymes with shmro shmortz when they make the predictable legal claims.
It really sucks. Practically every radio station in the world now has an unlocked http stream, just buried in their own crappy web page. If they allowed this, you could click a button and have all of Los Angeles’ radio stations (even the bad AM ones) or Detroit’s… or London’s. And video streams… it’s just sad.
I think we have all the features we’re ever going to get. They’ve moved into their no-new-features-that-aren’t-monetization-phase.
@SiscoPlex said:
Not reliable at this time as @BrigoNortensson has already stated.
It crashes Plex as this is more of a hack and NOT a supported/intended feature.
I no longer even attempt it as the crash to the server impacts me more severely than actually having visibility within Plex.
I use other software/apps to accomplish viewing my cams with quick-launch capabilities via my remote or by invoking Alexa.
what do you use for your cameras to control with Alexa ?
@“ilkeraktuna@gmail.com” said:
They all mention strm files but I am very new to plex and I don’t even know what a strm file is.
.strm files were available in the old Plex that was a fork from XBMC (a long time ago). This “trick” with strm files no longer works.
@BrigoNortensson said:
Think about it, if Plex accepts “http://192.168.1.17/mycamera” as a stream that shows up, why then not the same stream for the local radio station? Or the one for Bloomberg and various other tv stations now allowing partial/24hour feeds on the web page?
This is and has been available for a very long time in the form of channels. Channels can list or index sites and provide Plex with such streams. The problem with most IP cameras is that they use a protocol (rtsp) that is not compatible with Plex.
@SiscoPlex said:
Not reliable at this time as @BrigoNortensson has already stated.
It crashes Plex as this is more of a hack and NOT a supported/intended feature.
I no longer even attempt it as the crash to the server impacts me more severely than actually having visibility within Plex.
I use other software/apps to accomplish viewing my cams with quick-launch capabilities via my remote or by invoking Alexa.
what do you use for your cameras to control with Alexa ?
@sander1 said:
@BrigoNortensson said:
Think about it, if Plex accepts “http://192.168.1.17/mycamera” as a stream that shows up, why then not the same stream for the local radio station? Or the one for Bloomberg and various other tv stations now allowing partial/24hour feeds on the web page?This is and has been available for a very long time in the form of channels. Channels can list or index sites and provide Plex with such streams. The problem with most IP cameras is that they use a protocol (
rtsp) that is not compatible with Plex.
I am OK to not use RTSP. I would be fine with even JPG streams (taking photos every 500 msec)
so how can I do that channel thing?
I use an app called IP camera viewer pro, I then created an activity in my harmony hub to launch the app.
At this point I can add the activity to Alexa and use her to launch the app.
The app runs on your phone ? And how do you get it on TV ?
The app is available in the amazon app store for my fireTVs and it is in the google app store for my nvidia shield tvs as well.
I purchased the paid version for both which allows me to use it on all my TV streaming devices.
One paid version from amazon for all of my fireTV’s and fire tabs(home automation control tabs) and one paid version from google for all of my android TV’s, phones and android tablets.(kids tablets)
I paid for the app because I do not like ads. They do however have a free version in both stores also.
If anyone needs help in how I have accomplished this… let me know.
@SiscoPlex said:
I use an app called IP camera viewer pro, I then created an activity in my harmony hub to launch the app.
At this point I can add the activity to Alexa and use her to launch the app.
Likewise I have a harmony activity to launch plex. so after I have answered the door(when seeing on the ip cam app) it is the pizza guy and sat back down I can say, " Alexa, turn on plex." This launches plex again… this also dims all the lights to off.
I have my all my lights controlled with my harmony activities also.
Launching plex, netflix, hulu or amazon video dims all the lights to off.
Pausing the video in these activities brings selected lights up to 10%(for popcorn, bathroom breaks… you know… intermission)
Playing the video dims all the lights to off again.
Launching music(Amazon, Iheart, pandora or over the air) turns the lights on and sets the strip lights to music flow.
Add all of your activities to the Alexa routine for “Good Night” and have whatever is on… turn off when invoked.
PS Lighting integration uses a home automation hub(Samsung Smartthings).
PSS I hate alexa’s search so I use google search instead through my alexa… LOL
I solved this Problem nearly the same.
I bought the App “tinyCam Monitor PRO for IP Cam” from the Amazon store. Now i can check my cameras really fast over my FireTV. Just changing the Input source on my TV. I installed the App also on my Android phone.
The App recognize all my cameras, even the old ones without rtsp. The App is very strong and costs less than 4 euros.
My recommendation!
