Camera.md

Camera

Ava's camera feature provides high-performance video streaming to Home Assistant, with a completely redesigned architecture that outperforms alternatives like WallPanel and Fully Kiosk.

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Why Ava Camera is Different

Comparison with Alternatives

Feature	Ava	WallPanel	Fully Kiosk
Memory Usage	100-150 MB	150-200 MB	200-300 MB
Video Latency	Low	High	Medium
Frame Dropping	Minimal	Frequent	Occasional
Architecture	Native ESPHome Protocol	HTTP MJPEG	HTTP MJPEG
Integration	Native HA Entity	Manual Config	Manual Config

Technical Advantages

1. Native ESPHome Protocol

• Direct binary streaming via ESPHome protocol
• No HTTP overhead
• Chunked transfer for optimal performance

2. Smart Frame Management

• Automatic frame dropping when network is busy
• Prevents buffer overflow and lag accumulation
• isSending flag ensures no frame overlap

3. Efficient Memory Usage

• Uses Kotlin Flow for reactive streaming
• Single replay cache prevents memory bloat
• Chunk size optimized at 1024 bytes

4. Original Architecture Design

• Built from scratch for ESPHome integration
• Not a wrapper around existing solutions
• Designed specifically for Home Assistant

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Features

Static Photos

Capture single photos on demand.

Technical Implementation:

• JPEG compression with configurable quality
• Auto rotation correction based on device orientation
• Square cropping for consistent display

Video Stream

Live MJPEG video streaming.

Technical Implementation:

• Chunked binary transfer (1024 bytes per chunk)
• Flow-based reactive streaming
• Automatic frame rate adjustment based on network

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Settings

Go to Settings -> Experimental

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Camera	Turn on camera feature	Off
Use Front Camera	Default to front or back	Back
Video Frame Rate	Video stream frame rate	5 fps
Video Resolution	Video stream resolution	480p

Frame Rate Guide

Frame Rate	Use Case
1 fps	Monitoring, lowest bandwidth
5 fps	General use, balanced
10 fps	Need to see motion
15 fps	Highest quality

Resolution Guide

Resolution	Pixels	Bandwidth
240p	320x240	Lowest
360p	480x360	Low
480p	640x480	Medium
720p	1280x720	High

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Home Assistant Integration

Camera Entity

After enabling, a camera entity appears in Home Assistant:

• camera.your_device_name

Dashboard Card

type: picture-entity
entity: camera.your_device_name
camera_view: live

Snapshot Service

service: camera.snapshot
target:
  entity_id: camera.your_device_name
data:
  filename: /config/www/snapshot.jpg

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Performance Tips

For Best Video Quality

1. Use 5G WiFi if available
2. Keep device close to router
3. Start with 480p, increase if stable

For Low Bandwidth

1. Use 1-2 fps frame rate
2. Use 240p or 360p resolution
3. Use single image mode instead of stream

Troubleshooting Lag

Unlike WallPanel which often shows lag even with adjustments, Ava's architecture prevents lag accumulation:

1. Frame dropping is automatic when network is busy
2. No buffer overflow issues
3. If lag occurs, it self-corrects quickly

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FAQ

Camera not showing in HA?

1. Check if camera permission is granted
2. Check if camera feature is enabled in settings
3. Confirm Home Assistant is connected

Video stream laggy?

1. Lower frame rate (try 1-2 fps)
2. Lower resolution (try 240p)
3. Check WiFi signal strength
4. Ava auto-adjusts, lag should self-correct

Why is Ava faster than WallPanel?

WallPanel uses HTTP MJPEG streaming which has:

• HTTP protocol overhead
• No smart frame management
• Buffer accumulation issues

Ava uses native ESPHome binary protocol with:

• Direct binary streaming
• Smart frame dropping
• Flow-based reactive architecture

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