Birdbox Cam

[brownt7]

Hi all. First of all, I have very little knowledge of what I am about to ask and I'm sorry if I sound like an idiot.

I have a birdbox with a camera built into it. It has a SCART output, which I have attached a HDMI converter onto, as my TV has no SCART inputs. I can view the live footage on my TV and this is very exciting.

What I'd like to be able to do, is stream the footage, in order that I could load up a site or page on my phone/work computer and see the live footage. I have read several things about encoders etc and am very confused. I can't be the only person trying to do this?

I do have a lap top, but would prefer not to have to use this to complete my goal, as I'm assuming it would need to be turned on at all times. Plus my laptop does not have USB3, which someone has told me you need to be able to do this.

Therefore, if there a device I can buy that would do this? I would have thought in this day an age, that there is some kind of little box, which I could plug the feed into, which would encode it and stream it throughout my router to the internet?

Your thoughts please? If it's not possible, I will be very sad.

[davexnet]

Perhaps you could use Youtube. Create a channel and look here:
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2474026?hl=en

There may be other possibilities but you do need an internet web address to stream
easier to use one of the existing services

[Cornucopia]

If you keep the existing SCART-to-HDMI converter, you will need:
1a. HDMI capture card/box/device, or alternately 1b. HDMI->USB converter box
2. Streaming encoder software/hardware
3. Internet upload capability

Using that existing converter, you could get a magewell HDMI->USB and a Intel NUC or Dell Micro, etc. and have it use Win OBS to both capture the USB (as a webcam) and stream encode (sending to YT, FBlive, Twitch, etc) and/or record/save the footage.
Those are both "little boxes". Or even littler, you could get an rpi and use the magewell, rpi and Linux OBS.

You COULD get a single box that does all this as one single-purpose dedicated "black box" piece of hardware, but you may be limited in your IO options and your feature set (possibly including site/protocol choices), and they usually aren't cheap (e.g. usually over $1K from makers like Crestron, Extron, Osprey, Matrox, Newtek). However, there are a few makers with reasonably-priced offerings: Blackmagic Design, BoxCast, and even Magewell have some in the 3/4/5/6 hundred range. Of those, I'd probably pick the Magewell as being the most reliable.

Regardless, you'd want to weatherize your installation and you'd have to run ethernet to it (or connect to WiFi somehow).

Scott

[brownt7]

Thanks for the replies so far. Useful info for me.

Cornucopia/Scott, your idea is interesting for me. Didn’t think of a mini PC. I will look into this as seen some for £100. This would make things easier.

I’m not sure about some of your abbreviations but think I get it. I’ll probably come back with more questions!

[pandy]

Raspebrry Pi looks like tailored for such applications - cost is way lower than miniPC and power consumption at least 10 times lower. You can even replace original camera in birdbox (if SCART then i assume SD) by some dedicated RPi hi resolution camera, place some additional light (IR will be invisible) and use RPi as capture and streaming device (with overall less than 5W power consumption).

[brownt7]

Raspebrry Pi looks like tailored for such applications - cost is way lower than miniPC and power consumption at least 10 times lower. You can even replace original camera in birdbox (if SCART then i assume SD) by some dedicated RPi hi resolution camera, place some additional light (IR will be invisible) and use RPi as capture and streaming device (with overall less than 5W power consumption).

Raspberry PI, never heard of this. Images are in 720 definition. Your idea sounds more cost effective. You’re sure it will be up to it?

[october262]

Raspebrry Pi looks like tailored for such applications - cost is way lower than miniPC and power consumption at least 10 times lower. You can even replace original camera in birdbox (if SCART then i assume SD) by some dedicated RPi hi resolution camera, place some additional light (IR will be invisible) and use RPi as capture and streaming device (with overall less than 5W power consumption).

Raspberry PI, never heard of this. Images are in 720 definition. Your idea sounds more cost effective. You’re sure it will be up to it?

see here for best setup - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bird+box+camera+setup

[betwixt]

For something similar application I use a Raspberry Pi 3 with a 'noir' camera. It can see in infra red as well as visible light and all it needs is a 5V supply. The data link is made using its built in Wifi and if you replace the original OS with 'MotioneyeOS' which is an incredibly simple (and reversible) thing to do, you get motion detection, text overlays and several hours of video recording for free. Resolution is up to 1080x1050 and at least with my WiFi setup I can stream to a mobile device or home PC at 50fps.

Brian.

[pandy]

Raspberry PI, never heard of this. Images are in 720 definition. Your idea sounds more cost effective. You’re sure it will be up to it?

I suspected this - judging from provided picture this is Standard Definition upscaled trough HDMI converter (SCART to HDMI) to 720p resolution.
Yes, RPi offer ready, field proven approach at relatively low power consumption - i bet that overall required power footprint will be bellow 5W.

This is guide (i bet one of many) how to get working RPi birdbox solution https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/infrared-bird-box - personally can't agree with all advices there but anyway you should get smart, low power, better quality solution. Also i don't like WiFi but i understand that for many people it is only feasible way to connect distant location.

[brownt7]

OK, RPI ordered.

Watch this space. I will update and hopefully post the link to my stream. (the bird is only roosting at night currently, but hoping this is a good sign for use of the box in the spring!