Help with viewing on multiple TVs

[cdogg44]

I am gathering pieces for a new Blue Iris install at the office. I would like to set up viewing on two different TVs (lobby & back office) with the traditional grid layout of cameras.

This is twofold, to prove to clients in an out the door that we have cameras, and also to allow the back office to see what's happening outside and around.

Is there a brand of TV that would work best for this? I also have two TVs to buy. I'm not expecting a Samsung or LG specific app, but does one brand work better with UI3 in the TV browser? Or does an android or Google TV allow a specific app?

Finally, I need to make this as idiot proof as possible in case a TV gets turned off, input changes, or the power blinks.

Any thoughts?

 

[TonyR]

I've streamed Blue Iris successfully to TinyCam, an Android app, to a 65" Sony Bravia 4K TV which is an Android O/S.
Others on IPCT have sideloaded TinyCam onto a Firestick and plugged that into a non-smart TV's HDMI port and streamed to it.
FWIW, BI's UI3 works best with a Chromium-based browser.

Don't know for sure, but IIRC, there's issues with the Samsung's browser and the LG's browser...hopefully others will clarify that.

 

[looney2ns]

I would guess, but don't know first hand, that a FireTV would have the Silk browser builtin, (chromium based) and that might work.
I use silk on a older Kindle Fire and on a Echo Show 8, and they both work fine for UI3.
I have an LG tv, that was purchased last year that UI 3 works with it's browser, but I've not had a reason to run it long term for stability testing. Only used it for like an hour or so at a time.

 

[IAmATeaf]

My LG Tv also has a browser and I’ve set it up as a remote control shortcut, so long press the number 9 and it launches the browser and UI3 but it does sometimes ask for credentials.

As it’s not used that often it’s never bothered us but if you want seamless the be warned.

 

[RuralDude]

I stream to a couple Amazon firetvs with no problem using silk browser.

 

[Kameraad]

I use hdmi extenders from gofanco, i have one TX feeding into a 5 port switch (they recommend using a dedicated switch) and 3 RX units. 2 of them are connected to TV's, i can just switch hdmi port with the remote or let Home Assistant do it based on some trigger. The last one is on my desk with a decicated computer monitor. Ive been using them for a couple of years now and they never failed me.

 

[Cache450]

I actually just tried viewing ui3 on a samsung 6 series tv... it worked but a little finicky. at times it worked great,other times it gave me a bunch of errors as i was logging into ui3.

It made me ask myself the question: how secure is this? without going down the "tin foil hat" road... does logging into ui3 with your credentials on a "smart tv" make a network more vulnerable? Assuming that the tv and BI server are on a simple home network that is connected to the internet? Ive just heard people talk about how insecure smart tv's are, and it made me wonder...

Would it possibly be more secure loading up ui3 on some other device (ex. old laptop or something) and viewing it on the desired tv via hdmi connection??

 

[TonyR]

... does logging into ui3 with your credentials on a "smart tv" make a network more vulnerable?

IMO, no.

Would it possibly be more secure loading up ui3 on some other device (ex. old laptop or something) and viewing it on the desired tv via hdmi connection??

IMO, no.......those same UI3 login credentials would have to be used with the laptop's browser, so.....

I actually just tried viewing ui3 on a samsung 6 series tv... it worked but a little finicky. at times it worked great,other times it gave me a bunch of errors as i was logging into ui3.

As mentioned in my post #2, you could sideload TinyCam onto a Firestick and plug that into your TV's HDMI port and stream to it from BI.

Also, in the BI web server's "Advanced" settings you can restrict LAN access to specific IP's.