Blue Iris

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-11T14:57:18+00:00

An update.. followed suggestion regarding the Amcrest. I deleted the camera and start over from the beginning.. Plugged in IP addy with user/psw and used the Find/Inspect function. Make: Amcrest, Model: *ProHD/IP.....Main Stream RTSP. Media/video/RTSP port: 554, Discovery/ONVIF' port:80. Under Video tab, Image format- Size: 960x 480, Max rate: 15 fps, Anamorphic is checked.

Stream profile: Main stream was selected. Sub identified 2 MediaProfiles of substreams1 and substream2 were identified. When using either sub-stream, the camera windows became fuzzier and lower res. Also noticed that video stream in the camera windows were choppy. After much trail & error, for Sub stream, I used the MediaProfile:Main stream.. image became sharp and motion was no longer choppy. Topping it all off, the Gmail notification, image was no longer 'overblown'.

I have been using the import/export function quite a bit.. to 'save' my configs as I went along.. so I can restore to a config that I had previously use..
Still a bunch of tinkering / massaging to fine tune trigger/record/alert (trigger>Motion Sensor>Config Object Detection, Use Zones + Hotspots) to avoid missing alerts or false alarms.

Attempted to use the AI function with no success.. BI hangs or becomes sluggish.. unusable!. When the spirit moves me, I'll give it another try..
First things first.. let see if BI in its current configuration is stable, capturing, and displaying all the 'necessary' stuff.. then I'll embellish with the bells & whistles..

Cool beans. Mission accomplished..., for the most part.

On the sub streams: They are lower resolution and will look like crap compared to 4K unless being viewed in a small display situation such as in BI desktop console view among a bunch of other cameras also at their sub stream resolutions..., or remotely via a phone app on a 2 1/2 x 5 display over a low bandwidth connection or even on a laptop or computer that lacks the horespower to process 4K, (let alone H.265 4K.) That's generally their function from the 'viewability' aspect.

On the other hand, sub streams perform very useful utility roles in the background of most any video camera surveillance system, not the least of which is diminishing the role of the CPU in processing massive amounts of hi resolution video data unnecessarily when it is neither being viewed or processed/encoded for recording and storage..., among other things such as triggers and alerts, etc.

Think of sub streams as the worker bees of the system doing the heavy lifting to keep the queen happy until it's time for her to emerge in all her glorious Super UHD 4K wonder...., which generally occurs automatically by simply double clicking something or reviewing stored files, etc. The 4K stuff is still there, but only when called upon to be viewable or processed further than its stored state -- if the system and camera configuration are set up to work accordingly.

That gets us to the camera(s). A common issue that causes performance problems when just getting acquainted with Blue Iris is going by what the vendor provides as the optimal settings for their devices. They may be appropriate for their particular (proprietary) ecosystem or version of a standard (ONVIF) or interpretation/implementation of a protocol (RTSP) or video codec (e.g. MPEG/H.264/H.265), but may not play nice with how Blue Iris wants to process things on its own terms -- which are generally very accommodating, but with a few notable exceptions especially relating to decoding and especially with higher resolution cameras at higher frame and bit rates.

Stutter and jerky streams/recordings are usually the result of mismatches between the camera encoding and what Blue Iris is capable of decoding effectively. The most common mismatch is caused by 'Smart Codec', H.264/5 'High', '+', 'Super', or whatever 'extra' designation is applied the their particular version of H.264 or H.265 encoding.
Don't use these settings. Only use H.264 or H.265 alone.

Another issue with Blue Iris is what some consider just poor H.265 processing in general. Some will obviously debate this. Others have yet to find H.265 ready for prime time even though every vendor out there would have you believe otherwise. When having weird stuttering or tearing or artifact filled streams, check the codec in the camera's webUI configuration. If it's not set to straight up H.264, change it. Reboot things and your problems will likely disappear.

Anamorphic is usully only active if a non-standard image size exists for the sub-stream. The third sub-stream is rarely used.

AI is a whole other bag o' snakes. My advice there is to learn the basics of BI's motion and object detection features before jumping head first into CPAI and all the issues that come with it -- and they are numerous on every level no matter what anyone would like to have you believe otherwise. Also bear in mind that sub streams are used for motion and object detection triggering when active. This also alleviates additional strain on processing resources.

The more experienced you become with how BI can directly process triggers from an AI camera itself via ONVIF, the less time you'll waste and less headaches you'll have..., at least initially.

Good luck and have fun with it!

Statistics: Posted by Pogo — Tue Jun 11, 2024 2:57 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-11T03:48:17+00:00

An update.. followed suggestion regarding the Amcrest. I deleted the camera and start over from the beginning.. Plugged in IP addy with user/psw and used the Find/Inspect function. Make: Amcrest, Model: *ProHD/IP.....Main Stream RTSP. Media/video/RTSP port: 554, Discovery/ONVIF' port:80. Under Video tab, Image format- Size: 960x 480, Max rate: 15 fps, Anamorphic is checked.

Stream profile: Main stream was selected. Sub identified 2 MediaProfiles of substreams1 and substream2 were identified. When using either sub-stream, the camera windows became fuzzier and lower res. Also noticed that video stream in the camera windows were choppy. After much trail & error, for Sub stream, I used the MediaProfile:Main stream.. image became sharp and motion was no longer choppy. Topping it all off, the Gmail notification, image was no longer 'overblown'.

I have been using the import/export function quite a bit.. to 'save' my configs as I went along.. so I can restore to a config that I had previously use..
Still a bunch of tinkering / massaging to fine tune trigger/record/alert (trigger>Motion Sensor>Config Object Detection, Use Zones + Hotspots) to avoid missing alerts or false alarms.

Attempted to use the AI function with no success.. BI hangs or becomes sluggish.. unusable!. When the spirit moves me, I'll give it another try..
First things first.. let see if BI in its current configuration is stable, capturing, and displaying all the 'necessary' stuff.. then I'll embellish with the bells & whistles..

Statistics: Posted by apple2k — Tue Jun 11, 2024 3:48 am

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-07T18:31:29+00:00

'Spcific method' was referring to what actual platform/method was being used; the Tapo/Amcrest vendor-based method for each camera, or Blue Iris..., and whether the Action set was from the Trigger or Alert tab with any associated options from either. I now see how you have it set up for the most part, at least for the Amcrest.

What I would suggest is enabling JPEGs 'When Triggered' in the Record tab to generate your image and play around with the quality and size for an acceptable result. (Seeing the action configuration would possibly be helpful to assist a bit more there also.) I'm also curious about any difference between the Tapo and Amcrest Alert setups.

So for the Amcrest camera Blue Iris config, I would urge use of the substream for a few reasons, not the least of which is CPU resource management. It's a little more to manage and get a handle on since it is the trigger source when active, but sub streams (especially when there are lots of cameras) can cumulatively save a ton of CPU headroom by it only needing to process much less demanding streams for most of the relevant BI functions. The lower display resolutions are hardly noticable when viewing multiple cameras on the desktop simply due to the reduced size of the images. The main stream is activated when a camera is clicked for full screen viewing and/or other types of functionality in a fairly automatic and seamless fashion when all is set up correctly..., which is generally the default settings in most cases.

And to see what may make Blue Iris the happiest with the Amcrest, do a fresh 'Find Inspect' with just the IP address and user/pass and see what it spits out. You should get the make and model of the camera in the resulting readout with Amcrest as Make and and *ProHD/IP.....Main Stream RTSP (or similar) as Model in the Make/Model boxes of the BI configuration. The main profile should be populated with the stream address while the sub stream profile may show 'none'. Clicking the drop down arrow in the box should show the sub stream address selection for adding to the configuration. Going this route may or may not make much difference over the generic ONVIF approach in the bigger picture with the possible exception of the audio format. Then again, it may avoid peculiarities and performance issues that won't occur until certain combinations of mismatched stuff occurs or piles up. Blue Iris is very unforgiving when it gets annoyed or has its feelings hurt. What it WILL do is activate the sub stream for the reasons already mentioned.

Anyway, give the above a test drive around the block and see how it goes. Others may have additional suggestions or clarification as well.

You seem to have a pretty good handle already. The learning curve should continue to be a fairly gentle one if you take it a step at a time.

Statistics: Posted by Pogo — Fri Jun 07, 2024 6:31 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-07T13:01:51+00:00

Thanks for helping me troubleshoot..
No, I do not have sub stream configured.. I will attach a few more pics of the Amcrest config.. Using Make: Generic/ONVIF, Model: *RTSP H.264/H.265/MJPEG/MPEG4 on Media/video/RTSP port 554, Discovery/ONVIF port 80 with Stream profiles of Main: (default) / and Sub: (none)

Not sure what you were referring to regarding 'specific method is being used to send the emails?'
here are a 3 pics of the Amcrest config being used.. maybe they will shed some light on your questions about 'specific methods'

I'd be happy to share any additional information you may need.. and if using Amcrest for Make & Model makes a difference, I'm willing to try it..
Thanks again for your help

Statistics: Posted by apple2k — Fri Jun 07, 2024 1:01 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-07T11:08:57+00:00

What specific method is being used to send the emails?

And do you have the sub-stream enabled for the Amcrest?

Statistics: Posted by Pogo — Fri Jun 07, 2024 11:08 am

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-07T06:37:25+00:00

Hey Pogo.. thanks for the reply...

Assuming you're referring to the alert image generated by Blue Iris and not the camera, there are a couple places to adjust for size and quality. Under the Trigger tab in the 'When Triggered' options -> 'Immediate Actions' there's a selection for 'Hi-Res JPEG files' that may be inadvertently causing problems in the unlikely event that's where you set up your email alerts instead of from the actual 'Alerts' section. The latter would generally use an image based on the options in the Record settings which provides for quality and sizing adjustments that would normally apply to images used for an alert..., more or less.

here are 3 pics of what I'm talking about..

Goal is to try to get Amcrest_IP8 pic to look like the one for the C520WS.

Statistics: Posted by apple2k — Fri Jun 07, 2024 6:37 am

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-07T03:21:12+00:00

Had problem with trigger/alert/recording tabs till I finally got them working.

Welcome aboard. Yeah, there's a lot to unpack there right out of the gate. Sounds like you got a handle on it fairly quickly.

...the image sent along with email trigger notification. The image seem to be massive with scroll bars on right & bottom to see the full image. If I click on the image it will provide a full image without 'scrolling'. Any configuration options to fix this ?

Assuming you're referring to the alert image generated by Blue Iris and not the camera, there are a couple places to adjust for size and quality. Under the Trigger tab in the 'When Triggered' options -> 'Immediate Actions' there's a selection for 'Hi-Res JPEG files' that may be inadvertantly causing problems in the unlikely event that's where you set up your email alerts instead of from the actual 'Alerts' section. The latter would generally use an image based on the options in the Record settings which provides for quality and sizing adjustments that would normally apply to images used for an alert..., more or less.

BI is very powerful but also difficult to get it 'just right'.

Please let us all know when you do get it 'just right'..., and how you did it! LOL

Can I assume that I should stick with the Make: 'Generic/ONVIF' Model: '*RTSP H.264/H.265/MJPG/MPEG4) using 'media/video/RTSP' port of 554, 'Discovery/ONVIF' port of 2020?

Yes.

Any hints / tips from configuration standpoint to get the most out of the Tapo C520WS & BI5 would be greatly appreciated.

ONVIF triggers will be a good place to experiment, especially with the motion and basic AI functions of the camera itself vs. jumping right into the CPAI/Blue Iris jungle. If they'll work together via the camera's triggers for Blue Iris actions via ONVIF, you're way ahead of the AI game right there.

Learning how the motion and object detection features of Blue Iris itself function will take you a long way in understanding how the whole AI thing is supposed to work and whether it is a necessary component of your particular Blue Iris use case. Start out with basic zones and save the object detection stuff for later. Both at once create unnecessary confusion about which does what and how they interact as well as how they can work independently for different purposes / camera applications.

Enjoy the challenges and experience.

If it weren't fun..., Ha!

Statistics: Posted by Pogo — Fri Jun 07, 2024 3:21 am

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-06-07T02:13:42+00:00

Howdy all, noob with Blue Iris.. Recently bought a Tapo C520WS.. and mostly happy with it and the accompanying mobile app.. I'm just used to using a http web interface to access my camera
when at home as oppose to using the 5" phone screen.. thus Blue Iris 5.

After 3 days or so, playing with BI, got most of the stuff working including PTZ. Using ONVIF port 2020.. I got most of the information after using Find/Inspect.
MAIN & Sub streams were populated.. frame rates information were also populated.. PTZ seems to work reasonably well.

Had problem with trigger/alert/recording tabs till I finally got them working.

Another issue that I'm still having issues with is the image sent along with email trigger notification. The image seem to be massive with scroll bars on right & bottom to see the full image. If I click on the image it will provide a full image without 'scrolling'. Any configuration options to fix this ?

BI is very powerful but also difficult to get it 'just right'. (similar functionality of mobile app functions / smooth streaming.. intuitive.. etc)
Still tweaking with storage folder sizes. and possibly mess with the AI functionality.

Can I assume that I should stick with the Make: 'Generic/ONVIF' Model: '*RTSP H.264/H.265/MJPG/MPEG4) using 'media/video/RTSP' port of 554, 'Discovery/ONVIF' port of 2020

Any hints / tips from configuration standpoint to get the most out of the Tapo C520WS & BI5 would be greatly appreciated.

Waiting patiently for TP-link Tapo to release the C525WB. Hoping I can tweak the config for C520WS to work on the C525WB.

Appreciated this forum for learning, helping, and sharing of the community.

Statistics: Posted by apple2k — Fri Jun 07, 2024 2:13 am

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-04-21T21:42:46+00:00

I did notice today that some of their newer products seem to support better framerates. The C120 is native 20 fps whereas it seems the C125 is "15/20/25/30 fps (Default 15fps)." If someone gets one of the C125's, please comment on how the framerate is set in the app, or if it's dynamically set by the camera. I'm also curious how their D130 wired video doorbell works.

https://www.tapo.com/us/product/smart-camera/

Statistics: Posted by kirk39 — Sun Apr 21, 2024 9:42 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-04-07T20:55:14+00:00

I went ahead and dialed 2020 into the ONVIF port for each camera. Much appreciated!

Statistics: Posted by kirk39 — Sun Apr 07, 2024 8:55 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-04-07T15:49:00+00:00

Happy to help.

I just happen to be playing around with mine at the moment and discovered that my advice about not entering anything for rtsp and Find/Inspect doesn't seem to always provide results.

And while Find/Inspect will initially work via port 80 and designate ONVIF port 8999, it doesn't auto-populate the Main and Sub Stream paths for the streams as it does if port 2020 is specified prior to the Find/Inspect. The ONVIF Source boxes at the bottom of the page are also correctly populated by this method. This will provide a much more likely chance of successful ONVIF communication between Blue Iris and these cameras.

Statistics: Posted by Pogo — Sun Apr 07, 2024 3:49 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-04-07T14:56:02+00:00

Thanks, Pogo.

I had previously thought that RTSP or ONVIF could be used to view and control cameras, but after some reading I see that RTSP is for video transport and ONVIF is for discovery & feature control, as you mentioned. Now it makes sense.

Statistics: Posted by kirk39 — Sun Apr 07, 2024 2:56 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-04-07T00:48:29+00:00

The initial discovery port is determined by Blue Iris and is usually 80. The ONVIF 'device service port' is determined by the device and needs to be specified in place of the discovery port for the ONVIF stuff to work between end points.

Try another Find/Inspect on one of the 110s using just the IP address and user/pass info with no ports entered. It may complain about wanting an integer entered. Just click OK until the inspection occurs and spits out the info. Port 2020 should be in the Discovery/ONVIF box if everything went right.

Statistics: Posted by Pogo — Sun Apr 07, 2024 12:48 am

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-04-06T22:35:13+00:00

I noticed that mine autoconfigured in Blue Iris to Media/video/RTSP port 554 and Discovery/ONVIF port 8999. Is that correct? The cameras are working.

I did notice another user somewhere here in the forum that seemed to be struggling getting PTZ to work for applicable cameras.

Statistics: Posted by kirk39 — Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:35 pm

Re: TP-Link Tapo Cameras

2024-04-07T21:04:42+00:00

I bought a C110 to monitor the flue temp of my wood burning furnace after reading what sounded like crazy hype about em. Figured I couldn't go wrong for $17 on sale.

I was (and still am) amazed. Best deal out there bar none -- except maybe some of the better Tapo models.

They're ONVIF compliant for starters. The initial registration is primarily for warranty purposes and they do not require cloud support to operate. Once configured for the local network they need zero internet connectivity. Solid RF performance for me so far. Not one single drop since I bought mine last Fall.

I haven't used any of the basic 'AI' features. (A stovepipe is pretty much a stovepipe.) But the Motion and Person detection supposedly work better than one would expect along with two-way talk and siren alert. SD Card recording. Notifications, of course. And audio based alerts (baby crying, etc.) Three resolutions. Great 2K image. Decent short range night performance. Great app, too.

ONVIF interaction with Blue Iris should be straight forward, including Pan/Tilt stuff with other models where applicable. What may throw folks is Tapo using port 2020 for ONVIF service.

The only caveats are the wall wart and a two connection max for live RTSP streams, "So Mom and Dad can both check on Baby at the same time".

As for powering, a couple adapters and some Cat-5 (or any old twisted pair laying around) and you're there.

The C110 is definitely making a splash in the econo-market -- and deservedly so.

I see they're all the way up to 20 bucks now.

Statistics: Posted by Pogo — Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:29 pm