BlackVue Sync

Synchronizes recordings from a BlackVue dashcam with a local directory over a LAN.

BlackVue dashcams expose an HTTP server that can be used to download all recordings. This project downloads only recordings that are not already downloaded, optionally limiting downloads in a local directory to a date range.

A typical setup would be a periodic cron job or a Docker container running on a local server.

Features

• Portable runtimes:
  • A single, self-contained Python script with no third-party dependencies. It can be can be copied and run anywhere, either manually or periodically.
  • A docker image that runs periodically via an internal cron job.
• Smart: Only downloads recordings that haven't already been downloaded.
• Resilient: If a download interrupts for whatever reason, at the next run the script resumes where it left off. This is especially useful for possibly unreliable Wi-Fi connections from a garage.
• Hands-off: Optionally retains recordings for a set amount of time. Outdated recordings are automatically removed.
• Cron-friendly: Only one process is allowed to run at any given time for a specific download destination.
• Safe: Stops executing if the destination disk is almost full.
• Friendly error reporting: Clearly communicates a range of known error conditions with sensible verbosity.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.5+ or Docker.
• A BlackVue dashcam connected via Wi-Fi to the local network with a fixed IP address.
• Recordings must be downloaded to a destination on a local filesystem.

Compatibility

Tested with: DR750S, and works with all models that use the same protocol, e.g. DR900S, DR650S, DR590/590W, DR490/490L Series.

Verifying connectivity to the dashcam

For illustration purposes, all examples assume that the camera is reachable at the dashcam.example.net address. A static numerical IP address would just as well.

A quick way to verify that the dashcam is online is by using curl.

$ curl http://dashcam.example.net/blackvue_vod.cgi
v:1.00
n:/Record/20181026_135003_PF.mp4,s:1000000
n:/Record/20181026_140658_PF.mp4,s:1000000
n:/Record/20181026_140953_PF.mp4,s:1000000
...
$

Another way is by browsing to: http://dashcam.example.net/blackvue_vod.cgi.

Usage

Manual Usage

The dashcam address is the only required parameter. The --dry-run option makes it so that the script communicates what it would do without actually doing anything. Example:

$ blackvuesync.py dashcam.example.net --dry-run

It's also possible to specify a destination directory other than the current directory with --destination:

$ blackvuesync.py dashcam.example.net --destination /mnt/dashcam --dry-run

A retention period can be indicated with -keep -- e.g., two weeks. Recordings prior to the retention period will be removed from the destination directory. Accepted units are d for days and w for weeks. If no unit is indicated, days are assumed.

$ blackvuesync.py dashcam.example.net --destination /mnt/dashcam --keep 2w --dry-run

A typical invocation would be:

$ blackvuesync.py dashcam.example.net --destination /mnt/dashcam --keep 2w

Other options:

• --grouping: Groups downloaded recordings in directories according to different schemes. This helps manage large amounts of recordings, e.g. helping speed up loading recordings in the BlackVue Viewer app. The supported groupings are:
  • daily: By day, e.g. 2018-10-26;
  • weekly: By week, with the directory indicating the date of that week's monday, e.g. 2018-10-22;
  • monthly: By month, e.g. 2018-10;
  • yearly: By year, e.g. 2018;
  • none: No grouping, the default.
• --priority: Downloads recordings with different priorities: time downloads oldest to newest; type downloads manual, event, normal and parking recordings in that order. Defaults to time.
• --max-used-disk: Downloads stop once the specified used disk percentage threshold is reached. Defaults to 90 (i.e. 90%.)
• --timeout: Sets a timeout for establishing a connection to the dashcam, in seconds. This is a float. Defaults to 10.0 seconds.
• --quiet: Quiets down output messages, except for unexpected errors. Takes precedence over --verbose.
• --verbose: Increases verbosity. Can be specified multiple times to indicate additional verbosity.

Unattended Usage

Plain cron

The script can run periodically by setting up a cron job on UNIX systems.

Simple example with crontab for a hypothetical media user:

*/15 * * * * /home/media/bin/blackvuesync.py dashcam.example.net --keep 2w --destination /mnt/dashcam --cron

The --cron option changes the logging level with the assumption that the output will be emailed. When this option is enabled, the script will only log when normal recordings are downloaded and when unexpected error conditions occur. One would typically see an email only after driving or when something goes wrong.

Note that if the dashcam is unreachable for whatever reason, in --cron mode no output is generated, since this is an expected condition whenever the dashcam is away from the local network.

NAS

Many NAS systems allow running commands periodically at set intervals.

openmediavault

The openmediavault NAS solution allows running scheduled jobs with support for mail notifications.

Example:

Docker

Overview

The acolomba/blackvuesync docker image sets up a cron job internal to the container that runs the synchronization operation every 15 minutes.

Quick Start

It's a good idea to do a single, interactive dry run first with verbose logging:

docker run -it --rm \
    -e ADDRESS=dashcam.example.net \
    -v $PWD:/recordings \
    -e DRY_RUN=1 \
    -e VERBOSE=1 \
    -e RUN_ONCE=1 \
    --name blackvuesync \
acolomba/blackvuesync

Once that works, a typical invocation would be similar to:

docker run -d --restart unless-stopped \
    -e ADDRESS=dashcam.example.net \
    -v /mnt/dashcam:/recordings \
    -e PUID=$(id -u) \
    -e PGID=$(id -g) \
    -e TZ="America/New_York" \
    -e KEEP=2w \
    --name blackvuesync \
acolomba/blackvuesync

Reference

To operate correctly, the docker image requires at a minimum:

• The ADDRESS parameter set to the dashcam address.
• The /recordings volume mapped to the desired destination of the downloaded recordings.
• The PUID and PGID parameters set to the desired destination directory's user id and group id.
• The TZ parameter set to the same timezone as the dashcam. Note that BlackVue dashcams do not respect Daylight Savings Time, so their clock needs to be adjusted periodically.

Other parameters:

• GROUPING: Groups downloaded recordings in directories, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and none are supported. (Default: none.)
• KEEP: Sets the retention period of downloaded recordings. Recordings prior to the retention period will be removed from the destination. Accepted units are d for days and w for weeks. If no unit is indicated, days are assumed. (Default: empty, meaning recordings are kept forever.)
• PRIORITY: Sets the priority to download recordings. Pick time to download from oldest to newest; pick type to download manual, event, normal and parking recordings in that order. Defaults to time.
• MAX_USED_DISK: If set to a percentage value, stops downloading if the amount of used disk space exceeds the indicated percentage value. (Default: 90, i.e. 90%.)
• TIMEOUT: If set to a float value, sets the timeout in seconds for connecting to the dashcam. (Default: 10.0 seconds.)
• VERBOSE: If set to a number greater than zero, increases logging verbosity. (Default: 0.)
• QUIET: If set to any value, quiets down logs: only unexpected errors will be logged. (Default: empty.)
• CRON: Set by default, makes it so downloads of normal recordings and unexpected error conditions are logged. Can be set to "" to disable.
• DRY_RUN: If set to any value, makes it so that the script communicates what it would do without actually doing anything. (Default: empty.)
• RUN_ONCE: If set to any value, the docker image runs the sync operation once and exits without setting up the cron job. (Default: empty.)

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the COPYING file for details

Copyright 2018-2019 Alessandro Colomba