OpenHAB failing to grab RTSP snapshots

If you have OpenHAB on Proxmox or any other virtualization and it sometimes fails to grab RTSP stream and create snapshots, then there is high chance that everything is fine with the camera and network and the problem is within your server hardware. I was investigating this matter a lot and came into this simple conclusion.

If camera does not have built snapshot URL coming from ONVIF (like on EasyCam WiFi with both ONVIF and Tuya) then your OpenHAB will try to make one from RTSP stream with ffmpeg. It starts ffmpeg process which will periodically (in my case every 2 seconds) grab frame and make JPEG out of it. However if you run your OpenHAB on some older hardware like I do (i3-4150 with 2c/4t) there is a chance that 100% utilization spikes on one vCore is too much for it… really. I noticed that with those CPU util spikes come also other connectivity issues and migrating OpenHAB to different server within the same cluster solved almost 100% the problem.

Instead of no image every minute or so now it misses snapshot every few hours. It might do this still because of WiFi signal strength and not because of lack of computational power on server side. There might be also case when camera is buy doing other things. Hikvision cameras notifies you with proper XML error code about this. Maybe there is also the case with EasyCam cameras. Who knows.

Fibaro Home Center 3 vs OpenHAB

Recently we’ve ordered Fibaro’s HC3 as a replacement for OpenHAB. First because it has integration with Satel alarm system and second that it has native Zigbee support next to default Zwave. OpenHAB also has support for Satel and by using external adapter you can connect Zigbee devices too. So why change OpenHAB to HC3 you can ask. Because it is a commercial product with a support and it feels like a product even if OH has similar or greater capabilites in few areas.

Any cons? Sure thery are.

Although it supports Nice devices like gates and garage doors, it works only with selection of devices, not all of them, not in every possible combination. Although it supports Zigbee devices, it is still in beta state. So do not expect that every cheap chinese module will work and from my experience like 50% will not work. HC3 sees them, adds them but they stay in unconfigured mode with no use. So it is better to order online to have a chance to send it back once it does not work. Overall integrations count is greater in OH than in HC3, especially when talking about official integrations and not third party ones.

So what about pros?

I better like to write Lua code in HC3 instead of writing DSL code in OpenHAB. Not a big difference, but QuickApp concept in HC3 seems to be more like getting things standarized. Generally speaking HC3 whole concept is more standarized with things set already by deafult, like alarm zones or garden watering. No such thing in OH by default. Lastly, HC3 in my private opinion has fewer UI quirks than OH.

Grand limitations and missing integrations

HC3 is not intended to be a video surveillance recording thing. I still have to use OpenHAB to get all variaty of IP cameras to offer still picture snapshots and MJPEG “streams”. RTSP streamig is said that will work only in Yubii (HC3 native mobile application) and only in local network. Well… it does not work for me that way neither.

There is no Huawei solar panel integration that will just work. There is no SmartThings integration. And finally there is no WiZ lights integration. Fortunately I managed to overcome these two limitations but integrating it by myself:

No conclusion yet. The battle is still on.