IMHO that camera is a toy, with not so hot bang:buck. Your best option is a hybrid DVR in a PC with a baseband TV output. Once you look at the big picture you may find this is also your least expensive solution too.
IP Camera to PC and TV? No DVR needed.
- Thread starter Neurorad
- Start date
IMHO that camera is a toy, with not so hot bang:buck. Your best option is a hybrid DVR in a PC with a baseband TV output. Once you look at the big picture you may find this is also your least expensive solution too.
upstatemike
Senior Member
I am not a camera person and can't speak to "Bang for the Buck" but I approached my camera decision the same way I approach most HA research... make a list of requirements and see what meets them within the budget I have allotted for the project.
My Budget for my camera project was $2,500
My requirements were:
1- Be able to view real-time video from the front door, back door, garage and driveway from my desk, the kitchen, the bedroom, and the basement lab (with options to expand to more locations easliy. This would require 4 pan/tilt cameras or 8 fixed cameras (I had no preference).
2- Cameras must be outdoor rated to minus 20 farenheit and be resistant to UV, rain, snow, etc.
3- Cameras must include audio.
4- Cameras must be color and work well in low light conditions.
5- Cameras must stream audio and video over my existing LAN. (I was willing to run wires to the camera locations but not to all of the viewing locations.)
Nice To Have features (not required) were:
1- Ability to add recording at some point in the future.
2- Ability to access cameras remotely over the internet at some point in the future.
Research Results:
Cameras requiring separate weather housings quickly exceeded my budget.
Most options for using 8 fixed cameras exceeded my budget.
Many popular solutions did not meet the audio requirement.
Solution:
Picked 4 Panasonic BBC-HCM331A cameras. Street price is approx. $460 each for a total of $1,840. These are IP, PTZ, do not require separate weather housing, include audio, and are rated for the required operating temperatures. They also enjoy wide support by makers of camera DVR apps.
Installed 2 BB-WV10A camera servers. 1 feeds the house video through a modulator. The second is local to the kitchen providing an easy to use IR remote to operate the Pan/Tilt/Zoom. Cost was approx. $250 each for new units (required agreesive shopping as prices are all over the place on this item). Total $500
The cameras stream directly to browser sessions on the music server in my office, a laptop in my bedroom, and a PC in the basement lab, so cost for those locations was $0.
Total project cost $2,340
My Budget for my camera project was $2,500
My requirements were:
1- Be able to view real-time video from the front door, back door, garage and driveway from my desk, the kitchen, the bedroom, and the basement lab (with options to expand to more locations easliy. This would require 4 pan/tilt cameras or 8 fixed cameras (I had no preference).
2- Cameras must be outdoor rated to minus 20 farenheit and be resistant to UV, rain, snow, etc.
3- Cameras must include audio.
4- Cameras must be color and work well in low light conditions.
5- Cameras must stream audio and video over my existing LAN. (I was willing to run wires to the camera locations but not to all of the viewing locations.)
Nice To Have features (not required) were:
1- Ability to add recording at some point in the future.
2- Ability to access cameras remotely over the internet at some point in the future.
Research Results:
Cameras requiring separate weather housings quickly exceeded my budget.
Most options for using 8 fixed cameras exceeded my budget.
Many popular solutions did not meet the audio requirement.
Solution:
Picked 4 Panasonic BBC-HCM331A cameras. Street price is approx. $460 each for a total of $1,840. These are IP, PTZ, do not require separate weather housing, include audio, and are rated for the required operating temperatures. They also enjoy wide support by makers of camera DVR apps.
Installed 2 BB-WV10A camera servers. 1 feeds the house video through a modulator. The second is local to the kitchen providing an easy to use IR remote to operate the Pan/Tilt/Zoom. Cost was approx. $250 each for new units (required agreesive shopping as prices are all over the place on this item). Total $500
The cameras stream directly to browser sessions on the music server in my office, a laptop in my bedroom, and a PC in the basement lab, so cost for those locations was $0.
Total project cost $2,340
upstatemike
Senior Member
I really appreciate the specifics. Your project approach is quite logical.
Quick q - cama server 'beeps' when motion is detected. I looked through the manual, and it didn't specifiy if you could toggle this function on/off. Annoying beep?
Thanks again
I'm not using motion detection so I didn't configure anything related to that. I don't get any beeps.
Photon
Active Member
If first class performance is the goal, and if the dollars are available, then contact CollinR for a solution. I chose a solution most of us would refer to as a toy as my issues aren't worth a pro-grade fix. I picked up an Avermedia 9100a from Geeks.com http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BL...S-N&cat=VID along with a few of their really cheap cameras. I split the video from the driveway camera and send it to the video input on the kitchen TV. I connected an unused VCR to the audio input and one video channel. We can track guest arrivals from the kitchen, and I can monitor three cameras and check CNN or weather warnings from my office or anywhere else on the Internet. When we are away from the house on vacation it is great to check indoor and outdoor thermometers and a clock to check power outages, not to mention the pleasure of inspecting the snow situation from a tropical beach. I don't want to operate a garage door with the Elk unless I can see there is nothing/no one in its path, and a $15 camera lets me do that just fine. No need to read license plates.
I found the 9100a has a horrible reputation, and it claims a bunch of features I haven't tried. However, it reliably serves four video channels and requires no attention from me. I haven't monitored power consumption, but the 9100a and its wall wart are barely warm. I think it is well worth the $80 I paid, and it is even cheaper now.
I like my Panny BLC10a PTZ much more, but it was much more expensive, and it has no video output; just IP.
I found the 9100a has a horrible reputation, and it claims a bunch of features I haven't tried. However, it reliably serves four video channels and requires no attention from me. I haven't monitored power consumption, but the 9100a and its wall wart are barely warm. I think it is well worth the $80 I paid, and it is even cheaper now.
I like my Panny BLC10a PTZ much more, but it was much more expensive, and it has no video output; just IP.
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
You also may want to consider a slingbox since you stated no DVR is required. This way you can also view from work, or even via your phone. You can also feed the video signal out of the Slingbox directly to a TV.
I use a system that switches cameras using an IR matrix controlled switch, an Ocelot (learned IR from matrix switch and Slingbox), and the two feeds on my Slingbox Pro. This way I can select one of eight cameras on my AT&T Tilt phone. It works great and I can also watch TV on my phone if I desire.
Anyway, just a thought...
I use a system that switches cameras using an IR matrix controlled switch, an Ocelot (learned IR from matrix switch and Slingbox), and the two feeds on my Slingbox Pro. This way I can select one of eight cameras on my AT&T Tilt phone. It works great and I can also watch TV on my phone if I desire
.Anyway, just a thought...
