How my cameras just saved me $300!

[gcimmino]

Most folks doing recording seem to use analog cameras with a PC capture card. Was wondering if there are any good recording options for Panasonic IP cameras (besides the software Panasonic sells)?

I can't speak to "good", but it seems like the commercial analog cards also support IP Cams. Take a look at some of the specs on the one IVB is using:

http://www.avermedia.com/nvd/hardware-recom.asp

I think there's also some open source DVR stuff out there that supports IP. I'll check and edit this.

Edit: Found the open source recording software, name of which I had forgotten. Here's their supported HW page:

http://www.zoneminder.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_hardware

 

[CollinR]

Zoneminder is not quite there yet, feel free to try but I wouldn't invest much in hardware expecting it to be "good". If you can get it running it does work at what it claims it does.

 

[mustangcoupe]

Most folks doing recording seem to use analog cameras with a PC capture card. Was wondering if there are any good recording options for Panasonic IP cameras (besides the software Panasonic sells)?

I have recently purchased this option. http://www.xmediastudio.com/XtraSense.php

 

[ver0776]

I am using the Chinese Kodicom clone 8-channel card that has a few threads on this board. It is a 240-fps card. It is in a dedicated machine, although an old 1.7ghz AMD box.

It only records on motion, but that is VISUAL motion, so shadows and everything triggers it to record for a couple seconds. I have it recording to 2x200gb SATA RAID 0 drives. I had it going to a couple of raptors, but since it writes pretty much all the time, when I knocked the power loose once, it crashed my F'n Raptors, so now I just use cheap drives =)

I am very happy with the setup and use the PDA software so I can see the cameras no matter where I am. I also have the Windows client on my work machine (PDA can not search, but only view live footage) but the normal Windows client is full featured.

For cameras, I am using http://www.geeks.com/additem.asp?invtid=OU...0FT&cat=VID it is my new favorite sub-$100 camera. I can not link to the card I bought as it was an EBay special.

Vaughn

 

[SnyperBob]

I am using the Chinese Kodicom clone 8-channel card that has a few threads on this board. It is a 240-fps card. It is in a dedicated machine, although an old 1.7ghz AMD box.

It only records on motion, but that is VISUAL motion, so shadows and everything triggers it to record for a couple seconds. I have it recording to 2x200gb SATA RAID 0 drives. I had it going to a couple of raptors, but since it writes pretty much all the time, when I knocked the power loose once, it crashed my F'n Raptors, so now I just use cheap drives =)

I am very happy with the setup and use the PDA software so I can see the cameras no matter where I am. I also have the Windows client on my work machine (PDA can not search, but only view live footage) but the normal Windows client is full featured.

For cameras, I am using http://www.geeks.com/additem.asp?invtid=OU...0FT&cat=VID it is my new favorite sub-$100 camera. I can not link to the card I bought as it was an EBay special.

Vaughn

Thanks for the info Vaughn, sounds like a rock solid setup. I'm definately going to run some more wire to support a similar setup in the near future.

Just another quick question, how do those cameras work at night? ie.. how is the range of the IR LEDs? Just wondering if I mount them on second story eaves, if the IRs are powerful enough to illuminate the yard enough to be able to tell someone is in the yard. I realize you can't have super high quality at night, but I just want to know if they're good enough to at least tell someone is in the yard. Thanks


- Bob

 

[johnnynine]

Zoneminder is not quite there yet, feel free to try but I wouldn't invest much in hardware expecting it to be "good". If you can get it running it does work at what it claims it does.

I've been looking for a solution recently as well and found that Zoneminder is free, has a web interface so you can see your cameras from any pc, and upload videos via ftp to an offsite location... all of which I like.

If there a preferred package that does all that at a reasonable cost?

 

[CollinR]

If reasonable = free then not to my knowledge.

The offsite storage is another problem. Obviously you can schedule FTP transfers on any machine, all the professional systems have off site as part of their central station system. With some thats free or I can get it to you for free with others it's pay.

Another factor is the number and make of the cameras, some provide free software with their cam. Others provide more "universal" software for most cams. The licensing fees on this can vary dramatically from nothing over hardware to I have seen $350/cam (it was crap SW too!).


Might post pictures as I said identifing someone you already know was there is totally different from IDing a complete stranger.

 

[ver0776]

Just another quick question, how do those cameras work at night? ie.. how is the range of the IR LEDs? Just wondering if I mount them on second story eaves, if the IRs are powerful enough to illuminate the yard enough to be able to tell someone is in the yard. I realize you can't have super high quality at night, but I just want to know if they're good enough to at least tell someone is in the yard. Thanks

- Bob

Dude, the $60 cameras from Geeks are SO bright, I am moving them all to the second floor and moving my $130 Swanns to the 1st floor. The Geeks camera look too bright at ground level. They are almost twice as bright as the equivalent Swann model. The ground level ones lightup clear to my street....

Definitly worth getting one and seeing! Geeks has them as low as $53 at times.

BTW, where ya been Bob!?

Vaughn

 

[SnyperBob]

Haha! Thanks again for the info. I've always been here and just keep adding ideas to the list.

I'm still (yes still) in the wiring stage for my house. I have about a mile of wire run already and still need more. Now I'll need to pick up even more for security cams, lol.

Hoping my wife will pull through with a new higher paying job, then I can buy some HA stuff!!

 

[123]

I've been waiting to testdrive vcrib ... but rapidshare makes me feel like I stepped into a phishing site. "You want to download a file. Please scroll down to proceed." Uh-oh.

 

[CollinR]

I threw up a mirror, Vaughn if you want you can spread that link freely (should be no hotlink restrictions). If you want me to pull it I will but I figured OS software and rapidshare so I doubt you would care.

http://www.lowvoltageonline.com/web-stuff/..._setup_0044.zip

 

[ver0776]

I threw up a mirror, Vaughn if you want you can spread that link freely (should be no hotlink restrictions). If you want me to pull it I will but I figured OS software and rapidshare so I doubt you would care.

http://www.lowvoltageonline.com/web-stuff/..._setup_0044.zip

Nah, the mirror is fine. I did not realize how gimped Rapidshare was, sorry. I am test driving a few other hosts too. I have plenty of bandwidth myself, but not wanting to post my FTP or IP for fear of my lax security arount the house. And not familiar with all of my other hosts like Yahoo or SiteGround well enough yet.

It is still an alpha version and only has object code, so anyone can have it. I will spend more time on making a smoother install before Beta though.

IM me if you want any help setting it up. IM = my email name @hotmail.com

Vaughn

 

[Sacedog]

Most folks doing recording seem to use analog cameras with a PC capture card. Was wondering if there are any good recording options for Panasonic IP cameras (besides the software Panasonic sells)?

I have recently purchased this option. http://www.xmediastudio.com/XtraSense.php

Has anyone else used this software? Seems prety affordable, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Mustangcoupe, how are you liking the software? What types of cameral tdo you have hooked up to it (IP / Analog)? If analog, what type of capture card are you using?

 

[CollinR]

That seems interesting to me as well, I must say though they posted like no meaningful specs. I did read they had a bug that caused problems if not using CIF resolution. So obviously when they developed it quality of the video was not a primary driver. All of my stuff can encode CIF I just don't have a single customer doing it.

The comperss to xvid is something interesting in itself, should be very intersting to you guys here too.

 

[MikeB]

Great story...

One of my clients has some IP cameras at his house, and he watched contractors build his garage over a period of a couple months.

It was a riot - every time I popped into his office he was like "Mike, come here - what is this guy doing???" or "Why is he leaving" or "Why are they just standing around talking?".