Apparently this requires the api: section add to the .yaml file. Is there another way to connect? I do not use Home Assistant so none of my ESPHome devices include this section as it caused them to reboot every 15 minutes. If I reconfigure them and include the api: section, will this contrib keep the device from rebooting unless the reboot is necessary to reconnect to Node-RED?
Do you have an MQTT broker? I use ESPHome and never use HA. I simply route everything via MQTT.
I do, and have been using it for my current devices, but there are some items which I thought do not work well with MQTT such as camera devices.
OK, not used a camera on an ESP to be honest. Probably depends on what you are doing with it. Single images probably OK. streamed video maybe not so much.
Even so though, I imagine there are ways to stream a video stream.
I use ESPhome as well with MQTT (no HA) and it works really well in Node-Red.
I have 2 used-cased for ESPHome with video (some garden monitoring), where I get the alerts via MQTT and get the video
and picture feeds via http / RTSP. Yes there are some delays but they are usually less than 3 sec.
My main video- surveillance is via BlueIris where I get all the alerts and handle the vide/picture feeds. Any alert from BueIris is sent to NR with details on where the respective alert file (Video or JPG) is stored on my NAS.. which I than can watch in NR 
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I recognize MQTT can be used, negating the need for the contrib and that one less contrib in Node-Red is probably a good thing. But I'm still interested to know if the contrib will replace the home assistant connection the API section requires to keep from rebooting the ESPHome device.
Julian,
My understanding was that the Home Assistant controlling body/foundation has subsumed the ESPHome project - i could imagine them closing down/stopping developing some of the non core HA functionality in HA going forward - had you read anything about this ?
Craig
Hi Craig,
Both HA and ESPHome now are part of the Open Home foundation.
I can't see any sign of ESPHome going away and I know that many people use it without HA.
The foundation was created to manage a number of now critical home automation projects.
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