Universal CCTV: Your Personal Surveillance Revolution

Welcome to Universal CCTV, an open-source project that empowers you to effortlessly transform any PC, laptop, or Raspberry Pi with a camera into a sophisticated CCTV IP device, offering seamless streaming and recording capabilities.

Features That Redefine Security:

• Record high-quality videos with ease.
• Stream your camera feed effortlessly over the network.
• Effortlessly view and manage snapshots and recordings within the client interface.

Compatible with: Windows, Linux, and Raspberry Pi (Pi camera)

Effortless Setup for Every Device

Configuring Your Preferences

Tailoring your preferences is a breeze with Universal CCTV. Just follow these steps:

1. Create a new file named config_custom.json in the project directory.
2. Mimic the structure of config_main.readonly.json and include only the fields/items you wish to customize.

Raspberry Pi Bliss

Our Recommended and Tested Configuration Formats:

• Recording: h264
• Streaming: h264
• Thumbnails: jpeg
• Snapshots: jpeg

Linux: Overcoming Licensing Hurdles

Setting up on non-Windows machines may present some challenges due to licensing issues. Dive deeper into this topic here.

To navigate these challenges:

1. Install the H264 decoder by following these instructions: Install H264 Decoder on Ubuntu
2. Install Anaconda on Linux with this guide: Install Anaconda on Ubuntu
3. Create a dedicated environment: conda create --name UniversalCamera python=3
4. Activate the environment: conda activate UniversalCamera
5. Install essential pip packages: pip install -r requirements.txt
6. Secure your setup with necessary Conda packages: conda install --file condapackage.txt Optional:
7. Elevate your experience with VLC for on-device viewing: sudo apt-get install vlc

Our Recommended and Tested Configuration Formats:

• Codec: avc1
• Recording: mp4
• Streaming: jpeg
• Thumbnails: jpeg
• Snapshots: jpeg

Windows: A Seamless Experience

Our Recommended and Tested Configuration Formats:

• Codec: avc1
• Recording: mp4
• Streaming: jpeg
• Thumbnails: jpeg
• Snapshots: jpeg

Mac: Uncharted Territory

Not tested / no support

Initiating the Surveillance Symphony

Initiating the Universal CCTV application is a breeze. Simply execute python main.py and witness the transformation of your device into a surveillance powerhouse.

Crafting the Client Experience

In your terminal, execute npm run build to refine the client interface. This step is crucial after any client modifications to ensure a seamlessly integrated and visually appealing user experience.

Seamless Development Environment

Server/Python Development

Immerse yourself in the development process with a simple command: python main.py in your terminal.

Client Development: The Art of Refinement

Embark on your client development journey with the following initial setup:

1. Navigate to the Client directory.
2. Execute npm install -d.

For an immersive development experience:

1. Open a terminal.
2. Navigate to the Client directory.
3. Execute npm run start.
4. Access in web localhost:3000 Note: Be sure to use port 3000 as that is the development site if you wish to see live changes.

Note: Before committing any client changes, ensure you run npm run build to incorporate the changes into the source control.

Remember to choose a camera resolution compatible with your webcam. I learned the hard way that silent failures in writing to a file can often be traced back to a resolution mismatch. In my case, my camera was only compatible with 1440x1080 and not 1920x1080.