CCTV Software

[damage]

Yeah, I was afraid this wasn't clear.

What I'd like to do is be able to view any of 3 cameras on any of my TVs. To do this, I inject each into a modulator and get each camera on a separate TV channel. To add recording, I could use a DVR which would provide loop out for each camera, essentially splitting the signal to the DVR and to the modulator.

Now, if I go with a capture card solution, there is no loop out for each channel, just the single monitor output that you mentioned. If I hooked this up to the modulator, I could only see the "active" camera. This would still be feasible if I had a way to remotely change which camera is being output to the monitor output. I could use an X10 RF remote to select the given camera to output.

I would need a mechanism that given receipt of an RF X10 command could somehow send a command to the NV5000 application to change the active camera to another one which would put a different camera output onto the single channel that my TV is using to view the cameras.

I could code all of the RF, etc. handling as an HS plugin as long as there is some way to send the command to the NV5000 to change the camera.

In the mean time, I'll investigate this product some more to see if it's what I'm looking for, but from the little I've seen on the website, it looks good.

gk

here's one way you can do it - it's kind of a kludge - if you're running on a dedicated machine. you can run the avermedia software in full screen, quad splitter view. get a vga -> composite converter and connect to a modulator. if you click on any quadrant, it will bring that camera full screen. if you click again, it will return to quad view. you can use eventghost ( http://www.eventghost.org ) to create a macro that will position the mouse and click the mouse button so you can view a camera. (one macro for each camera to view) then another macro to click the mouse button to return to the quad view.

there may be a way to do this with the tv out and creating a trigger in their software (you made need the avermedia IO board) but i haven't looked into it. i chose the VGA out route because i like the quad view.

 

[gregking]

How does this notification work, i.e. does it require additional hardware?
I'm confused as to whether the audio/IO card is required to get event triggers into Avermedia. I also have an Elk and Ocelot, so either could close relay to notify Avermedia hardware.

I just can't tell from the pictures, but it looks like the expansion header must just plug into one of the connectors on the main card. If so, I but it's simple just to connect a ribbon cable to this connector, correct?

gk

Ok, here are a few screenshots showing the strengths of this package. Keep in mind there is much more you can do, but this is the stuff relevant to your topic:
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BTW, I also have my floodlights tied into my Elk M1 security system, so in theory (haven't bothered yet), the M1 could turn on an output, to notify AverMedia that motion has occurred, and start recording.

 

[electron]

Yep, the card has expansion headers, which you supposedly can get cheap if you look around.

 

[mtgoat]

Any pros/cons of running the NV5000 in hybrid mode (e.g. some IP and some CCTV inputs)? Performance, functionality?

 

[electron]

Not sure about that one, sorry.

 

[pete_c]

I believe Zoneminder was mentioned.

I have been using it for a "few" years now. Relating to triggers I am using both hardwire (IR) and virtual triggers with it. A few years ago I purchased a number of outdoor cameras with built in IR sensors. After about 4 years these are still functioning well and I have had no problems with them. The hardwire IR sensors are wired to my Omni Pro II. I am also using Xap and the IR sensors to trigger events (recording etc). Both triggering mechanisms tie into my Homeseer HA server. A few months ago I had a project relating to video security and looked at some commercial Wintel applications for video security. I really was not impressed with what I saw.

An example of what I do with one of the cameras - pointed at my front door (actually two cameras) - video motion, IR motion and doorbell trigger recording events.

Last year our neigborhood (small one entrance about 100 homes) had an issue with a small group of teenagers which were roaming around looking for unlocked cars. Historically we have never had any issues like this. I believe there were about 3 individuals. The would steal whatever they could get their hands on in the unlocked cars. IE: Golf clubs, radar detectors, etc. One night the across the street neighbor had a theft. I reviewed my security videos that night and acually got a good shot of one teenager peering into my car at 3 AM. Funny thing was that he triggered a number of events that actually recording everything he did for about 5 minutes. When he triggered the events all of my outdoor lights went on. He actually looked up towards the camera when the lights went on and I got a good facial picture (video) of him. While that was happening two of his friends were stealing the neighbors golf clubs and that also happened to be recorded.

While there are a few pieces to my setup its been working well now for the last few years.

I have put in a couple of Zoneminders in for some friends with commerical businesses. These setups are not tied into their alarm panels but have basically give them what they wanted for the price of a PC/video capture card. They monitor their businesses on their cell phones / at home on the internet. One business has a supply warehouse with about 4 cameras peering down. The other one is a store with cameras in the parking lot, entrance and in the store. The warehouse setup has been running for about 3 years and the only time its needed any maintainance was when lighting took out the server.

I currently utilize both IP cameras and legacy analog security cameras with my Zoneminder. Initially ran RG-6 / cat5 / power to all of the cameras but since have been using just cat5 cabling with balums (I see less video noise on CAT5 balum solution than the analog RG6 solution)

 

[midian]

Just to throw out another option, I am choosing to skip the capture card all together and just use network cameras. Of the various brands, some of the network cameras are really pretty professional too. I already have a few Panasonics inside the house and now am adding two Axis 207MW megapixel network cameras to view the outside. At the moment, I have my cameras ftp'ing the images to an off-site server. This means no DVR or capture card required! However, I am revamping the system to use ZoneMinder as one of the other members mentioned. Even if you run Windows, you can install a virtual machine such as Sun VirtualBox and then run your ZoneAlarm from within that. There are a lot of other really nice benefits to full Ethernet.

Hope that helps or at least spurs some new thoughts.

[Edit to correct ZoneMinder spelling]

 

[drvnbysound]

So I wanted to revisit this subject, as I am stuck between a rock and a hard place

I have acquired an Axis 2400+ 4-port video encoder. That said, I can now connect 4 analog cameras and have them networked and allow the Axis card do the work of "digitizing" the video. I have done a small amount of research and I am considering installing a VMWare product and ZoneMinder (so I can have the option to dual purpose the machine with any low power windows apps). I would also be up for consideration of any other reliable software, but it seems that ZoneMinder is one of the better 3rd party programs available.

On the other hand, I am considering putting the Axis card up for sale, and purchasing a NV5000 and using the provided software.

Suggestions?

For those using either setup, what kind of system specs do you have, and what type of load is the software putting on the machine?

 

[drvnbysound]

Anyone?

 

[batwater]

I'm running this...

Core4 Software & 16 port 2CIF Real-Time H.264 Encoder

PC doesn't even break a sweat, CPU runs at 2-5% since the card handles all of the encoding and motion detection on board. They also have 4 and 8 port versions of the cards. With the low CPU consumption I'm also running the PlayON service for SageTV to get Netflix and Hulu on the media extenders.

-Ben

 

[edselrt]

I'm running this...

Core4 Software & 16 port 2CIF Real-Time H.264 Encoder

PC doesn't even break a sweat, CPU runs at 2-5% since the card handles all of the encoding and motion detection on board. They also have 4 and 8 port versions of the cards. With the low CPU consumption I'm also running the PlayON service for SageTV to get Netflix and Hulu on the media extenders.

-Ben

What processor and display card did you use?
I am also considering this brand of dvr card for my set up.

Thanks
edsel

 

[batwater]

I stuck it in one of these...

HP a6500f

Loaded 2003 server on it. The stock software from HIK is not good hence Core4. Kept it stock other than I added a 1tb hard drive for video storage. The TI DSP chip the HIK card uses is sweet!

-Ben

 

[damage]

i have an nv3000 with 4 cameras using motion detection recording 640x480 running on a 35 watt d201gly2 box. cpu gets up to about 20%.