How to watch your CCTV cameras on a Samsung Smart TV

A big TV is a good screen for security cameras: someone at the door, the shop counter, the pet or the baby, all without picking up a phone. There are four practical ways to get camera feeds onto a Samsung Smart TV. Each works, and each has a drawback. Below we go through them, and show where GroverHQ Camera Viewer, our live-view app for Samsung TVs, removes the drawback.

First: do you have a recorder or a single camera?

• DVR or NVR (a box with several cameras plugged into it): the box usually has an HDMI output, and its network features (RTSP/ONVIF) let a viewer app show individual channels.
• Standalone IP camera (Wi-Fi or network cable, no recorder): there is no HDMI port to use, so you need a viewer app, casting from the camera maker's phone app, or the brand's own TV app.

1. HDMI from the recorder

Most NVRs and DVRs have an HDMI output. Run a cable to a TV and the recorder's own interface appears on the screen. It is simple and reliable, and it gives playback of recordings.

The drawback: the cable. It has to run from the recorder to the TV, which is often in another room, and the TV becomes dedicated to the recorder. It also does not work for standalone IP cameras.

With Camera Viewer: the TV connects over your existing network, so there is no cable run and the TV stays a normal TV. Open the app when you want to look, close it when you are done. Keep the HDMI link as well if you want playback, because the app is live view only.

If you do use HDMI:

1. Plug an HDMI cable from the recorder's HDMI output into a free HDMI input on the TV.
2. Switch the TV to that input with the remote's Source button.
3. If the screen says no signal, change the recorder's output resolution (for example to 1080p) in its display settings, and try another HDMI port or cable.

2. Cast or mirror from a phone

Open the camera maker's phone app and cast or screen-mirror it to the TV. It needs no extra hardware.

The drawback: it ties up your phone. The phone has to stay on and nearby, the picture can be laggy, and a call or a notification can interrupt the stream. Casting options also depend on your TV and phone model.

With Camera Viewer: the app runs on the TV itself and pulls video straight from the camera. Your phone is not involved, so it can be switched off or in another room, and you operate it with the TV remote.

3. The camera brand's TV app

Some brands publish a Smart TV app. Check the Samsung TV app store for your camera's brand.

The drawback: support varies a lot by brand and model, and many brands have no Samsung TV app. If you have mixed brands, say a Hikvision recorder and a CP Plus camera, you would need several apps, if they exist at all. Brand software for computers, such as Hikvision's iVMS-4200 Lite, does not run on a Samsung TV.

With Camera Viewer: it works by protocol, not by brand. Any camera or recorder that offers RTSP or ONVIF can be added, so cameras of different makes appear in one app.

4. An RTSP or ONVIF viewer app on the TV

This is the category Camera Viewer belongs to. Cameras and recorders that offer RTSP or ONVIF can be shown by a viewer app, whatever the brand, over your home or office network.

The drawback of generic viewer apps: the TV and cameras must be on the same network, and many apps expect you to type a long RTSP address with a login using a TV remote, which is slow and error-prone. Our guide on finding your camera's RTSP URL explains the address formats and how to test a stream in VLC.

How Camera Viewer helps: it scans your network to find cameras, or lets you add one by IP address, so you do not have to build an RTSP URL by hand. You enter the camera login once, and it is saved and encrypted on the TV for one-button reconnect.

The four options side by side

What GroverHQ Camera Viewer does

• Finds cameras on your network automatically, or adds one by IP address.
• Works with IP cameras and NVR/DVR recorders, with a channel picker for recorders.
• Switches between the lower-resolution Sub stream and the higher-resolution Main stream, with live sound when the camera sends AAC audio.
• Saves cameras and lets you name them, for one-button reconnect.
• Has a built-in demo camera, so you can see how it works before connecting your own.
• Keeps everything on your TV and network: video and camera passwords are not sent to GroverHQ.

The free version shows standard definition with a small watermark. An optional ₹99 per month + GST unlock removes the watermark and adds HD. It is coming soon to Samsung TVs in India: it is under Samsung's store review and not yet available. See the full Camera Viewer page for features, compatibility and FAQs.

If the picture does not appear

• HDMI shows no signal: pick the right input, lower the recorder's output resolution, try another cable.
• Viewer app cannot find the camera: check that the TV and the camera are on the same network (same router or switch, not a separate guest Wi-Fi), then add the camera by its IP address.
• Login error: recheck the user name and password. Some models need a separate ONVIF user.
• Black screen or stutter: try the lower-resolution (sub) stream; high-resolution main streams need a stronger network.
• Still stuck: test the stream in VLC on a computer first, as described in the RTSP URL guide. If VLC works but the TV does not, the problem is on the TV side; if neither works, the problem is the camera settings or network.

Limits to know about

• Live video can arrive a few seconds behind real time, so none of these replaces an alarm system.
• Camera Viewer is live view only: no recording and no playback. Your recorder keeps the footage.
• Cloud-only Wi-Fi cameras without RTSP or ONVIF will not work with a viewer app.
• Use the lower-resolution stream if your network is slow, and the main stream when you want detail.
• Make sure you have the legal right to view any camera you connect. Camera access is sensitive: read our Lawful Use Notice, Privacy Policy and Security Policy.

Samsung is a trademark of Samsung. Camera brand names belong to their owners. GroverHQ is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Samsung or any camera brand.