How-to's -Guide for security camera setup

[mbreeden]

I wanted to thank everybody that has done a How to & Guides. They are great and I have gotten a lot of useful information/ideas. I was wondering if some one could do a How-to/guide for setting up Security Camera's, what type of equipment you would need to view them, software & hardware. do's and don'ts. Recommendations

Thanks

Mike

 

[Squintz]

Here is an idea... Why dont you write one. We will all be more than willing to help you with all your questions and there are many topics on this subject already. Since you are interested in installing a system this would be a perfect oportunity for you to give back to the community. Most people who write the how-tos take lots of pictures and notes during the setup and then simply compile a how-to after.

If you plan to do a security system install I would love to read about how did it. You could write a review on the cameras you pick while your at it.

Were you planing on view this over the net live? Did you want to use moslty hardware or all hardware or software for recording also. Depending on what you have in mind and what your budget allows there are a million of options. I personally dont have a system in place but I do have a few cameras and have tried out some software. I could make recomendations but couldnt write a how-to from scratch. I would be more than willing to help you write one though.

Happy Cocooning.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I was wondering if some one could do a How-to/guide for setting up Security Camera's, what type of equipment you would need to view them, software & hardware. do's and don'ts.  Recommendations

Hi Mike;

First of all, many thanks for the kind words about our How-To's. I believe they are the flagship of our site here! A lot of them are not complicated and are aimed for the new user. All of them are there to spark ideas for our members own particular applications.

What were you thinking you would like in terms of the How-To specifics? For instance I wrote a How-To for integrating WebCamXP with Homeseer which shows how to setup that specific software to be viewed on HS webpages (capture thumbnails, status page, etc...). It really doesn't describe camera specs at all nor does it describe the capture card method.

There are so many choices when it comes to this sort of thing. For instance just in the method of capture you can get many many video grabber cards (single and multiple channels), DVR's (viewable via a web interface), video servers (view standard camera over TCP/IP internet connection), or a true TCP/IP Network camera.

The capture software also has a lot of choices. Electron has compiled a matrix listing of their specifications HERE.

Then there is a very large selection of cameras. A lot of posts have been listed here by various members describing cameras they purchased and their experiences with them. Some even have (multiple) screen shots. We have a few experts on here who can help with camera types, lens selection, etc...

The other problem is I really don't have a lot of experience with video cameras and capture methods. I only have a few cameras that I played with here and never really explored around much with all the different software vendors. So it would be hard for me to do a How To unless you had something specific in mind (and I happened to have experience with it as well).

Regards,

BSR

 

[mbreeden]

Squintz and BSR:

Thanks for the info. I already have a security system installed (HAI OPII). We have had some break in lately in the neighborhood which got me on the idea of a security cameras. After reviewing information on this site and other just made my head spin. There are so many different options and features in Cameras alone, not including software, hardware, etc. When I do decide on what I am going to do, i will do a write up and take plently of pictures. I just not looking forward to running cables in the attic in August. (I guess I could stand to loose some weight) I will keep you posted.

- Mike

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Hi Mike:

Ok Mike sounds good. Here are some questions to ponder.

About how much money are you thinking of putting into the camera system (include recording, cameras, motion sensors, etc...)?

What hardware do you have available now (HA PC, power supplies, etc...)? Include hard disk space and if you have an "always on" internet connection.

What do you want the system to do as far as monitoring (capture with motion, certain time of day, display thumbnails of captions, remote real time monitoring)?

Where do you want to monitor the system (kitchen, den, office)?

Do you require night time video?

How many locations/places need monitoring? All at the same time?

What is the motivation (all of them) for establishing the camera system (protect against breakins, see who was visiting/lurking around, remote realtime monitoring of the location, etc..)?

This will help recommend a starting point and possibly some systems to look at!

Regards,

BSR