Re: [Motion-user] [Motion] Outdoor Video Capture

[Chris J. <ch...@je...>]

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007, dd...@sb... wrote:

> I'd like to design and install a home surveillance system for myself.
> As for the major components, (I think) I'll need: four cameras (one
> mounted at each corner of the house), some kind of video capture card
> possibly with some type of USB extenders, and the Motion software.  I
> might buy a cheap PC and install Linux solely for the home surveillance
> system.
>
> Now, it's not quite clear to me how exactly I go about selecting the
> hardware components.  I did begin reading the documentation, but it's
> too confusing and it requires too much time to read it all.  It would be
> nice if there was an overview pictorial showing how such a system could
> be configured.  (Yes, I would be willing to create such diagrams.  But,
> of course, I would need to understand how such a system can be designed
> in the first place.)
>
> Essentially, is it possible spend under $500US for all the necessary
> hardware (excluding the PC)?
>
> I'd also like to hear from those of you out there who already have a
> similar system installed: what hardware are you using?  how difficult
> was it to get the system running?  what was the cost?
>
> Feel free to add/suggest other tasty tidbits of information.
>
> DPD

   The main problem with using USB webcams as you propose is that they 
normally come with about a six foot cable, and extending the cables more 
than about 15 feet gets to be more expensive than using other kinds of 
cameras. The network cameras that Jeff suggested are a good alternative, 
and you can even use wireless network cameras if you hate wiring, although 
your cameras would still need power. My own preference is to use CCTV 
cameras connected to a video capture card in the computer through RG-59 
siamese cables. These siamese cables can carry the video, audio and camera 
power though the same cable bundle, to keep it neater. I've found the 
cables on e-bay as long as 150 feet, although my video lost most of its 
color at this length. Try to avoid the cheap ($20) CCTV cameras - the ones 
I bought worked at first but had failed completely within a few months.

   One thing I don't like about any of these cameras is that they are all 
limited to about 640/480 resolution. I'm been playing with the idea of 
designing a set of four 90 degree webcams at right angles that surveil a 
scene for motion and direct a regular digital camera to pan and tilt to 
where the action is while capturing (1 frame/5 seconds?). Imagine this 
optically-zoomed digital camera on a pole above my roof. I could hope for 
8 megapixel shots of any crimes on my whole block. :-]

   Yours,

     Chris