what is needed to interface with iOS or Android "doorbell cameras" on ubuntu?

[Aaron Rainbolt]

On 1/15/23 13:12, Mike Marchywka wrote:
> I've seen a couple products like this, 20 dollars for camera and intercom,
>
> https://www.amazon.com/Doorbell-Wireless-Intercom-Rechargeable-Apartment/dp/B0BNVH3PSG/

OK, before actually answering the question, I would like to warn you, 
the reviews on this thing aren't actually good. They appear to be good, 
but the reviews are for a totally different product (some sort of phone 
case). I would really consider getting some *other* camera.

> Doorbell Camera Wireless,Smart Video Doorbell Cam Home Intercom HD Night Vision WiFi Rechargeable Security Doorbell Cameras,2-Way Audio,Cloud Storage,APP Control,Doorbell Camera for Apartment
>
> but not sure what i need to talk to it from ubuntu or how to reverse engineer a protocol.
> Any odea how it works? I've seen a lot of open RTSP ports on home appliances lately, does
> it just do streaming? If it has a REST API https I could easily talk to that.

There's no way to be sure without actually trying and finding out. It 
might just stream raw unencrypted video that you can pipe into VLC, but 
that would be a horrible security risk. Hopefully it will have some sort 
of authentication needed to access it, and some form of encryption for 
safety. Maybe it will have a REST API, maybe it will have some sort of 
binary proprietary mess. Even the video stream might not be in a 
standard format. It all depends on what the manufacturer designed it to 
do. It might not even give you a stream you can access at all. Perhaps 
it uploads everything to the cloud and then the app designed for it 
accesses that data, in which case you'd have to reverse-engineer how the 
app talks to the website.

What you're trying to do might be possible. It's just not practical 
unless you have a lot of time and the needed skills. It's also not 
something anyone here will be able to help with unless they own the 
exact camera or a sufficiently similar one, and have done the reverse 
engineering already. Sadly, it's also probably off-topic for this 
mailing list, since the question has to do more with how to 
reverse-engineer something we have no control over, rather than how to 
make Ubuntu do something.

> Thanks.
>
>
>
>   Mike Marchywka
> 44 Crosscreek Trail
> Jasper GA 30143
> was 306 Charles Cox Drive  Canton, GA 30115
> 470-758-0799
> 404-788-1216
>
>
>