Cameras on your TV without an HDMI cable

Updated August 2026

If you are pricing a 20-metre HDMI run, an HDMI-over-Ethernet extender, or a VisualStation to get your cameras onto the living room TV, there is a cheaper route. It only helps if your cameras already live in Synology Surveillance Station.

Why your NAS probably has no HDMI output for this

Surveillance Station can drive a monitor directly through a feature called Local Display. It runs on Synology's recorder hardware, the NVR1218 and the VisualStation VS960HD and VS600HD.

It does not run on the DiskStation DS-series, which is what most people have. Some DS models have an HDMI port, and it still will not give you Surveillance Station on a screen. So before you run a single cable, you are buying a second box.

What the wired routes cost you

A long HDMI cable. Reliable to about 15 metres. Beyond that the signal gets unpredictable, and you are drilling through walls for a cable that carries one fixed layout.
An HDMI-over-Ethernet extender. Reaches roughly 55 metres over CAT5e or CAT6. It needs a transmitter and a receiver, each with its own power supply, and a cable run between them.
A VisualStation. Synology's own answer. It is separate hardware to buy, mount, power and cable next to the TV.
A mini PC at the TV. Runs the Surveillance Station client in a browser. It works, and now you have a computer under the television to keep updated.

Every one of these ends with a box and a cable near the TV.

The network route

Your cameras already reach the NAS over the network. Your TV can too.

NasCam is an Apple TV app that signs in to Surveillance Station with your DSM account. The Apple TV already sits by the television and already talks to your network, so there is nothing to mount, power or drill for. It shows a multi-camera grid, full-screen live view, and the recorded event timeline.

It costs $9.99 once, against an extender kit plus cabling, or a VisualStation.

Where a wired display still wins

A permanent HDMI display is always on. It shows the same wall of cameras without anyone picking up a remote, and it keeps working if your network does not. If you want a shop counter or a hallway screen that never sleeps, buy the VisualStation.

NasCam runs on the television you already watch films on, and shows the cameras when you open it.

What you need

Cameras already configured in Synology Surveillance Station 9 or later, on DSM 7 or later.
An Apple TV HD (2015) or any Apple TV 4K, running tvOS 17 or later.
A DSM account with Live View permission, plus Playback permission for recordings.

If your recorder is a Hikvision, Reolink, Dahua or other brand, NasCam cannot help you. It reads Surveillance Station, not the cameras directly.

Questions

Does my Synology NAS have an HDMI output for cameras?

Almost certainly not. Surveillance Station's Local Display feature runs on Synology's NVR and VisualStation hardware, such as the NVR1218, VS960HD and VS600HD. Regular DiskStation DS-series models do not offer it, even the ones with an HDMI port.

Can I just run a long HDMI cable to the TV?

Plain HDMI is reliable to roughly 15 metres. Past that you need an HDMI-over-Ethernet extender, which reaches around 55 metres over CAT5e or CAT6 but needs a powered box at each end. Either way you still need something with an HDMI output to plug into, which a DS-series NAS does not have.

Do I need to buy a VisualStation?

Only if you want a wired HDMI display. A VisualStation is separate hardware you buy, cable, and power next to the TV. An Apple TV running NasCam uses the network you already have.

I have a Hikvision, Reolink or Dahua NVR. Will this work?

No. NasCam reads cameras through Synology Surveillance Station. If your recorder is another brand, NasCam cannot see it, and an HDMI run or extender is still your option.

Is Wi-Fi fast enough, or do I need Ethernet to the Apple TV?

Wi-Fi handles one or two streams on most networks. For a multi-camera grid, wire the Apple TV with Ethernet, or configure a lower-resolution secondary stream in Surveillance Station.

NasCam puts your Synology cameras and their recorded event history on your Apple TV. $9.99 once, no subscription.

View on the App Store for Apple TV