Synchronised multi-camera playback
Hi,
I’m hoping someone can clarify the correct way to do this because I feel like I might be approaching it the wrong way.
My SecuritySpy server runs on a Mac mini, and the machine is completely headless (no screen attached). I only ever access it remotely over a VPN connection. The server itself works perfectly and is recording cameras normally, and everything is really smooth.
What I’m trying to do is review recordings using the full SecuritySpy Browser with synchronised multi-camera playback, but from my MacBook and a wide screen monitor, not directly on the Mac mini as that is locked away and not accessible.
So far I have tried a few different approaches:
Installing SecuritySpy on my MacBook
I installed a second instance of SecuritySpy on the MacBook and recreated the cameras (with recording disabled) hoping it would allow the Browser to read the existing recordings.
Mounting the recording drives
The Mac mini stores recordings on external SSD +HDD drives.
I shared those drives and mounted them over the network on the MacBook so the files are accessible.
Connecting over VPN
I access the server network via VPN (Tailscale), so latency and bandwidth are not an issue and I can reach the Mac mini directly.
Despite this, when I open the Browser in SecuritySpy on the MacBook it either shows no recordings or spends a very long time scanning the drives without producing a usable timeline.
What I’m trying to achieve is simply this:
Remotely review footage from my MacBook
Use the SecuritySpy Browser interface
Have synchronised multi-camera playback across all cameras
Is there an intended or supported way to do this remotely, or is the synchronised Browser timeline only designed to be used locally on the server itself?
At the moment the only reliable option seems to be screen-sharing into the Mac mini running the SecuritySpy server, which works but feels a bit clunky compared to running a viewer locally, and I cant make full use of my wide screen monitor.
Any advice on the recommended workflow for this would be greatly appreciated.
System spec
Server:
Mac mini M4
16 GB RAM
4 TB SSD (primary recording storage)
8 TB HDD (archive storage)
18 Cameras
Network:
VPN connection via Tailscale
~100 Mbps upload / 900 Mbps download at both server and client locations
Client:
MacBook M1 running the latest version of SecuritySpy
Thanks in advance.
Just to say, I’m really enjoying the software. After years of working with Axis Camera Station and Hikvision NVRs, discovering SecuritySpy feels a bit like a dream come true.
Comments
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Great to hear that you're enjoying SecuritySpy!
Currently, the only method for synchronised multi-camera playback is the Browser window in the macOS user interface. While we do hope to also bring this functionality to the web interface at some point, this is a difficult feature to implement well, and I can't promise when this will happen.
So with a headless Mac, the only remote solution for this is currently screen sharing. Over a local network, this should work well. If you're seeing that the screen size of the headless Mac is too low, then add a dummy HDMI dongle that makes the Mac think it has a screen attached, which will enable you to choose higher resolutions.
You mention long scan times - this is unusual but should be rectified with some settings changes. In particular, if you have image capture enabled, which can result in thousands of files being created during the day, it's best to turn this off so that you just have movie files. If you can't solve this, email us and include a debug file (SecuritySpy menu > Debug > Create Debug File On Desktop) and we'll advise further.
