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Use an old TV as a security camera monitor

Updated October 2026

The old TV in the spare room can become a dedicated camera screen. Plug an Android TV stick into its HDMI port, install NasCam, and it shows every camera your Synology NAS records, in the hallway, the garage or behind the shop counter.

Have an old Apple TV in a drawer? It can run the same camera wall.

Will your old TV work?

If it has an HDMI input, yes. That covers nearly every flat-screen TV sold since about 2008, and every computer monitor with HDMI. Resolution matters less than you might think: a 1080p set shows a grid of cameras clearly, and 720p is fine for a few.

A smart TV that stopped getting updates years ago is fine too. Its own apps do not matter, because the stick takes over the screen. If the TV already runs Android TV or Google TV, as many Sony, Philips, TCL and Hisense sets do, try installing NasCam from its own Play Store first and skip the stick.

A tube TV with only SCART or composite inputs is the one that does not work. Converters exist, but a second-hand monitor costs less than the trouble.

Which stick to buy

• Xiaomi TV Stick 4K. The cheapest option that works well, often sold for around €40 to €60. NasCam is tested on a Xiaomi stick. Use the power adapter in the box; a TV's USB port often cannot supply enough current.
• Google TV Streamer. Costs more, and has a built-in Ethernet port. Worth it if the TV is far from the router.
• NVIDIA Shield. Fast and wired, and more than a camera screen needs. A good use for one you already own.
• Chromecast with Google TV. No longer sold new, but a second-hand one works.

Amazon Fire TV and Roku sticks will not work. NasCam is not available on them.

Set it up in fifteen minutes

1. Plug the stick into HDMI and into its power adapter, then follow the stick's own setup to join Wi-Fi and sign in with a Google account.
2. Install NasCam. The quickest way is from a phone or laptop: open the NasCam listing, press Install and pick the stick from the Install on device list. Or search for NasCam in the Play Store on the TV.
3. Sign in to your NAS with its local address, for example 192.168.1.20, port 5000, and a DSM account. The account needs Live View permission, and Playback permission for recorded events.
4. Pick a layout. Top 10 puts two large cameras in the middle with four smaller ones above and below. Grid shows every camera at the same size.
5. Turn off the screen saver. See the next section.

For a screen others can see, give it its own DSM account and limit that account's Surveillance Station privileges to the cameras that belong on it. NasCam shows only what the account may see.

Keep it on screen

Android TV starts a screen saver after a few minutes without a button press, and some sticks go to sleep after that. For a camera screen, set both to Never, or to the longest time your stick offers.

• Google TV (Google TV Streamer, Chromecast with Google TV): Settings → System → Ambient mode for the screen saver, and Settings → System → Energy for when the display turns off.
• Android TV (Xiaomi TV Stick, Mi Box, NVIDIA Shield): Settings → Device Preferences → Screen saver, which holds both the screen saver and the sleep timer.

Menu names shift a little between brands and Android versions, so look for screen saver, ambient mode, sleep or energy.

When one camera is open full screen, NasCam keeps the screen awake by itself. The grid follows the stick's settings.

Then check the TV. Many TVs sold in Europe switch themselves off after four hours without a remote press, to meet energy rules. Look for Auto power off, Auto standby or an Eco setting and turn it off. Computer monitors do not do this.

What it costs

The TV is the one you already have. The stick is a one-off purchase. NasCam is free to install, and the free version shows camera 1 and each camera's 3 most recent events, which is enough to check that everything works on your own NAS.

A screen with more than one camera needs NasCam Pro, which unlocks every camera and the full event history. It is a low-cost monthly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Your price is shown in Google Play.

Compare that with Synology's own route to a screen. Surveillance Station's Local Display runs only on Synology's NVR and VisualStation hardware, a separate box you buy and cable next to the TV. More on that here.

What it does not do

• No pan, tilt and zoom control.
• No two-way audio.
• Synology Surveillance Station only. It is not a general RTSP viewer.
• Not available on Amazon Fire TV or Roku.

What you need

• A Synology NAS on DSM 7 or later, with Surveillance Station 9 or later and your cameras added.
• A TV or monitor with an HDMI input.
• An Android TV or Google TV stick or box on Android 6.0 or later, or a TV with Android TV built in.
• A DSM account with Live View permission, plus Playback permission for recordings.

Full details are on the setup page.

Questions