Home Security Camera System - UI Application

A modern GUI application for managing and recording from multiple IP security cameras with automatic MAC-to-IP resolution, live monitoring, and automated storage management.

Features

🎥 Camera Management

• Multi-camera support: Monitor and record from unlimited cameras simultaneously
• Dynamic IP resolution: Automatically find cameras by MAC address using ARP
• Live preview: See thumbnail previews from each camera while recording
• Camera CRUD: Add, edit, and delete cameras through the UI

📹 Recording Capabilities

• Continuous recording: 30-minute video segments (configurable)
• Multi-threaded: Each camera records independently
• Auto-recovery: Automatic reconnection if a camera goes offline
• Date-organized storage: Videos organized in daily folders (YYYY-MM-DD)
• Automatic cleanup: Deletes recordings older than 3 weeks

💻 User Interface

• Camera Monitor Tab: Visual grid showing all cameras with live previews and status
• Logs Tab: Real-time logging of all system events
• Recordings Tab: Browse and manage recorded videos
• Control Panel: Start/Stop recording with one click
• Settings Dialog: Configure recording duration, storage location, and network settings

🛡️ Reliability Features

• Thread-safe: Proper threading for concurrent camera operations
• Error handling: Graceful handling of network issues and camera failures
• Status indicators: Real-time status for each camera (Idle, Connecting, Recording, Error)
• Persistent configuration: Camera settings saved in JSON format

Requirements

System Requirements

• Python 3.7 or higher
• Linux, macOS, or Windows
• Network access to IP cameras
• Root/Admin privileges (for ARP scanning)

Python Dependencies

pip install opencv-python opencv-contrib-python
pip install pillow
pip install scapy

Additional System Dependencies

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3-tk
sudo apt-get install libopencv-dev python3-opencv
sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

macOS

brew install python-tk
brew install opencv
brew install ffmpeg

Windows

• Install Python with Tkinter (included in standard Python installer)
• OpenCV and FFmpeg will be installed via pip

Installation

1. Clone or download the application files:

git clone <repository-url>
cd home-security-ui

2. Install Python dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Or manually:

pip install opencv-python pillow scapy

3. Verify Tkinter installation:

python -c "import tkinter; print('Tkinter is installed')"

4. Configure camera information:
   • Edit camera_information_mac.json with your camera details
   • See Configuration section below

Configuration

Camera Configuration File: camera_information_mac.json

The application uses a JSON file to store camera configurations. Each camera entry should include:

[
  {
    "Name": "garagecamera",
    "mac": "AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:01",
    "username": "admin",
    "Password": "your_password",
    "ip": "192.168.1.168",
    "stream": "stream1"
  }
]

Field Descriptions:

• Name: Friendly name for the camera (required)
• mac: MAC address for dynamic IP resolution (required if IP changes)
• username: Camera login username (required)
• Password: Camera login password (required)
• ip: Static IP address (optional if using MAC)
• stream: RTSP stream path (typically "stream1" or "stream2")

Camera Requirements

Your IP cameras must support:

• RTSP protocol for video streaming
• Authentication via username/password
• H.264 codec (recommended for compatibility)

RTSP URL Format

The application constructs RTSP URLs as:

rtsp://username:password@ip_address/stream_path

Common stream paths:

• stream1 - Main stream (high quality)
• stream2 - Sub stream (lower quality)
• h264 - Some cameras use this
• live/ch00_0 - Hikvision format

Usage

Starting the Application

Linux/macOS (requires sudo for ARP scanning):

sudo python3 home_security_ui.py

Windows (run as Administrator):

python home_security_ui.py

Main Interface

Control Panel

• ▶ Start Recording: Begin recording from all cameras
• ⏹ Stop Recording: Stop all recordings
• 🔄 Refresh Cameras: Reload camera configuration
• Status indicator: Shows current system state

Camera Monitor Tab

• Displays a grid of all configured cameras
• Shows live preview thumbnails during recording
• Color-coded status indicators:
  • Gray (● Idle): Camera not recording
  • Orange (● Connecting...): Attempting to connect
  • Green (● Recording): Successfully recording
  • Red (● Error): Connection or recording error

Logs Tab

• Real-time log of all system events
• Timestamps for all activities
• Error messages and debugging information

Recordings Tab

• Tree view of all recorded videos organized by date
• Shows camera name, timestamp, and file size
• Open Recordings Folder: Open file browser to recordings
• Refresh List: Update the recordings display

Menu Options

File Menu

• Settings: Configure recording parameters
  • Video duration (default: 30 minutes)
  • Recording directory (default: ./recorded_videos2026)
  • Network range for IP scanning (default: 192.168.1.0/24)
• Exit: Close the application

Cameras Menu

• Add Camera: Add a new camera to the system
• Edit Camera: Modify camera settings
• Delete Camera: Remove a camera from the system

File Structure

home-security-ui/
├── home_security_ui.py              # Main application
├── camera_information_mac.json       # Camera configuration
├── recorded_videos2026/              # Default recording directory
│   ├── 2026-02-03/                  # Date-based folders
│   │   ├── garagecamera_20260203_140530.mp4
│   │   ├── backyardcamera_20260203_140530.mp4
│   │   └── livingroomcamera_20260203_140530.mp4
│   └── 2026-02-04/
└── README.md                         # This file

Troubleshooting

Camera Not Connecting

1. Check IP address: Verify camera is reachable

   ping 192.168.1.168

2. Test RTSP stream: Use VLC or ffplay

   ffplay rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.168/stream1

3. Verify credentials: Ensure username/password are correct

4. Check firewall: Ensure RTSP port (554) is not blocked

MAC Address Not Resolving to IP

1. Check network range: Verify the network range in settings matches your network
2. Run with proper privileges: ARP scanning requires root/admin access
3. Check ARP table:

   arp -a

Application Won't Start

1. Check Python version: Must be 3.7 or higher

   python3 --version

2. Verify dependencies:

   pip list | grep -E "opencv|pillow|scapy"

3. Check Tkinter:

   python3 -c "import tkinter"

Recording Issues

1. Check disk space: Ensure sufficient storage
2. Verify write permissions: Application must have write access to recording directory
3. Review logs: Check the Logs tab for error messages
4. Test codec: Some systems may need different codecs:

   # In code, try changing:
   fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'mp4v')
   # to:
   fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'H264')

Performance Issues

1. Reduce camera count: Test with fewer cameras
2. Lower resolution: Use sub-stream (stream2) instead of main stream
3. Increase hardware resources: More RAM/CPU may be needed
4. Check network bandwidth: Ensure sufficient network capacity

Advanced Configuration

Custom Video Duration

Edit in Settings or modify config in code:

"video_duration": 30 * 60,  # 30 minutes in seconds

Custom Cleanup Period

Modify in code (default is 3 weeks):

three_weeks_ago = now - (3 * 7 * 24 * 60 * 60)

Different Video Codec

For better compression, modify in code:

fourcc = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'H264')  # or 'XVID', 'MJPG'

Network Range for Multiple Subnets

If cameras span multiple subnets, modify find_ip_by_mac:

network_ranges = ["192.168.1.0/24", "192.168.2.0/24"]
for network_range in network_ranges:
    # ... scan each range

Security Considerations

1. Credentials Storage: Passwords are stored in plain text in the JSON file

   • Keep configuration file secure
   • Consider encrypting the JSON file
   • Use strong, unique passwords

2. Network Security:

   • Use VLANs to isolate camera network
   • Enable HTTPS on cameras if available
   • Use strong RTSP passwords

3. File Permissions:

   • Restrict access to recording directory
   • Regular backup of recordings

Performance Optimization

For Multiple Cameras (5+):

• Use sub-streams instead of main streams
• Reduce FPS in camera settings
• Use hardware-accelerated encoding if available
• Consider dedicated recording hardware

For Low-End Hardware:

• Reduce video duration segments
• Use lower resolution streams
• Disable preview updates or reduce frequency
• Record to SSD instead of HDD

Future Enhancements

Potential features for future versions:

• Motion detection and alerts
• Remote viewing via web interface
• Cloud backup integration
• Email/SMS notifications
• Encrypted credential storage
• Multiple user accounts
• Mobile app companion
• AI-based event detection
• Export to different video formats
• Playback within the application

License

This application is provided as-is for personal and educational use.

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section above
2. Review application logs in the Logs tab
3. Ensure all requirements are met
4. Test with a single camera first

Credits

Built with:

• Python 3.x
• OpenCV for video processing
• Tkinter for GUI
• Scapy for network operations
• PIL for image handling

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Note: Always ensure you have proper authorization to record video on your property and comply with local privacy laws.