How many of you have security cameras about your home?
Of those that do, are any of them inside your living space?
Of those that are still here, ae the cameras accessable from the INternet?
Know where I am going? - Do you have any concerns about being watched in your own home?
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If you have cameras, have they caught anything or been helpful in any other way.
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Would anyone have any recommendations as tocameras to use, DVR to use or anything else pertinent?
Thank You
AC
I recently bought a Linksys DCS-900 netcam for $90. It works well enough when there is adequate light. It does poorly in low light conditions. I'm researching video systems to build one for my church; they've had a theft or two. Me being the techno-geek that I am, I figure I can build a decent system for them. So I've been researching.
First, Linux Motion is a neat video surveillance program. It constantly monitors all configured cameras for motion. When it detects motion, it starts recording; when it no longer detects motion, it stops recording. It is very configurable and has some neat algorithms for 'tuning' how it detects motion. Most of all, it is free (open source). It can record video, individual frames, or both; but storing individual JPEGs starts taking up a lot of disk space. Firewalls can be opened to allow internet access to Motion's 'live feed' interface. However, my thought is that if the motion can be recorded, there's no need to have a human watching the camera. (There are, of course, situations where immediate response to a scene is required, but most video surveillance can be recorded for later review. )
I've had Linux Motion on a 1GHz computer at church for three weeks now, recording the one netcam I installed there. At 640x480 resolution and 7-10 frames/sec, it records around 125MB per day, on average, of motion in the office hallway. It was recording about 200MB per *hour* at night until I figured out how to tune it to not see the camera's zero lux 'snow' as motion!
So far, inexpensive netcams (cameras that connect directly to the network), are not all that great; while the video they take is about adequate for identification purposes, they aren't necessarily reliable - the firmware often leaves enough to be desired. The DCS-900 , though, has been working OK for three weeks now; I've got about 2. 6GB of video stored now. I haven't looked at netcams that cost more than $150-$200, so I cannot offer an opinion about them. Inexpensive netcams are on par with the typical USB webcam. They are marginally adequate for security purposes. At 640x480 resolution and around 10 frames per second, a netcam uses around 1-2 megabits/sec of your network bandwidth. If I use netcams at church, I will have to install a separate IP network and pull new cables for it; they need their data network for office/computer work. Netcams have the advantage that they can be placed farther away from the computer; USB cables can only be so long.
Another reason for going with cheaper cameras is that for a store-n-forget system, movable cameras are not needed. Just determine what space needs to be surveilled and strategically place a camera to cover that area.
The next products I'm going to look at are cabled cameras, in the $50-$100 cost range. They connect to a video capture card on the computer via coax cable. The night vision version of the camera has a array of IR LEDs around the lens to provide near-infrared illumination when it's dark. The LEDs generally provide about 20' of illumination; this is adequate for most intents and purposes. If more illumination is needed, one can purchase or build arrays of LEDs that will provide longer distances or can be used to fill in distant areas. For example, if I put a wide-angle camera in the sanctuary, I could install IR lights at the doors to catch comings and goings there, rather than trying to illuminate the entire sanctuary. If I use these cameras, I'll have to pull coax cable to each camera. (And most likely it'll be coax cable with DC power cable for the camera. ) Wireless is out; it'd be too easy to 'jam' the RF, and it'd be too easy to 'tap into' the RF.
The video capture cards cost around $100 for a 4-port version up to $300 or more for a 16-port version. Some have audio, others don't. Audio isn't a concern at the church, so it won't be recorded. Hmmm. Perhaps I can name my system Anteyoelson.
(Google it!)
As to processing power, 10 fps of 640x480 video takes about 75% of the 1GHz CPU's cycles to process the motion. If I use four cameras, I will likely need a dual core 2GHz CPU at the least. I think 1GB of RAM will be adequate for all four cameras.
Ethics-wise, there's a balance to be found between 'keeping watch for trouble' and 'invading privacy', be it at home, at work, or in a school. Aiming a camera at the loo is the same as posting a guard at the door who notes names and times of entry and egress. But having that same camera 30' away watching all the doors in the hallway is much less intrusive. Using the video to browbeat and cow employees or family members is wrong. But using it as a research tool to fine-tune and develop policies and procedures should be acceptable. Objections are rarely that actions are being recorded. Rather, people object to how those recordings are later used. If no human ever reviews the recorded video, then there can be no objections. If the video is used solely to document illegal activity, there can be no objections; however, periodic requests to review the video policy is reasonable. If it is used to instill fear into family members, employees or pupils, then the subjects would be fully justified in dismantling the system.
Think of video records as being akin to medical records. If you have a problem, the doc needs to know your history so she can prescribe the best treatment she can. The nurse needs to know so you and the doc are properly prepared and needs to know enough so that perhaps he can prevent the doc from making an unintended tragic mistake. It might even be reasonable for the doc to review all records on hand should she realize there's a common pattern of dis-ease among her patients (she has a duty to you, but she also has a duty to society). But otherwise your medical records are to be left in the drawer unread and untouched. It's pert near the same with video surveillance.
Ah, stifled yawns and glazed-over eyes tell me it's time to finish.
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