Generic Camera
generic
The Generic Camera integration allows you to integrate any IP camera or other URL into Home Assistant. Templates can be used to generate the URLs on the fly.
In Apple Home through HomeKit Bridge
What HomeKit Bridge makes of each kind of entity this integration creates, read from its source code. A device only gets the ones that apply to it.
| Entity | Shows up as | Note |
|---|---|---|
camera | Camera | Needs its own HomeKit Bridge in accessory mode |
2 reports below say how a device from this integration behaves in the Home app.
What people report
Generic IP cameras work locally via still image or stream URL; stream problems usually come from the FFmpeg/PyAV libraries rather than the camera.
- Works1
- Partly works1
- Not working1
| Device | In Home Assistant | In Apple Home | What they said | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generic IP camera | Works | Works in Home Streams correctly in Home app | Playback fine in HA and HomeKitSaved copyThe problem I use AgentDVR in order to get my camera available on HomeAssistant. I am able to playback video from all camera using the AgentDVR integration inside Homeassistant without trouble I can't stream any camera on Homekit integration. I have a frozen image and a "no answer, the camera doesn't answer" on Homekit. If i create a direct camera thanks to the Generic Camera integration, no issue, playback is ok on HomeAssistant and HomeKit. ### What version of Home Assistant Core has the issue? Home Assistant 2022.10.3 ### What was the last working version of Home Assistant Core? _No … Excerpt saved from GitHub on 2026-10-23. | Issue #80359 · 2022-10 |
| Nelly NSC-DB2 video doorbell | Partly works Local | Partly in Home Camera audio choppy or absent in Home app | Stream fine in VLC; Opus encoder issues, AAC unavailableSaved copyThe problem I have a video doorbell (Nelly NSC-DB2) exposed as a camera through the HomeKit module. Video/Audio works fine when connecting to the source using VLC, but opening it in the Home app on iOS results in either no audio (when using `audio_codec: copy` or choppy audio using the default opus encoder. Looking through the code, it seems like it starts an FFmpeg instance that sends the video and audio separately to the iOS client device. I have found other reports of this in the forums as well, which leads me to believe it is a widespread issue. … Excerpt saved from GitHub on 2026-10-23. | Issue #45164 · 2021-01 |
| Hikvision IPC-T140 | Not working Local | Streams stopped showing in 0.115 beta; libav suspectedSaved copy… sure where to start other than _upgrade_. All three no longer show the stream, even the one that's just a static image. The generic camera is a Hikvison IPC-T140. Excerpt saved from GitHub on 2026-10-23. | Issue #39850 · 2020-09 |
Gathered from GitHub issues, pull requests, discussions and docs, and from r/homeassistant. These are individual reports, so check the linked thread and the date before you buy.
How it connects
Local push
Talks to the device on your network, and the device tells Home Assistant the moment something changes.
Details
| Installs (analytics) | 36,882 (5.21%) |
|---|---|
| Added in | Home Assistant pre 0.7 |
| Set up in the UI | Yes |
| Maintainers | @davet2001 |
In ReReHome
Whatever HomeKit Bridge shares reaches Apple Home as normal HomeKit accessories behind your Home Assistant bridge, so ReReHome shows and controls them like any other.
Bridges get their own settings page listing the accessories behind them.
