Analogue Security Camera Feeds

[Belgique]

Being quite paranoid (after some vandal attacks and home invasions in the neighborhood), I decided to install a CCTV security camera to monitor our gatehouse entry point.
The idea was to feed its output into a couple of surplus 19" LCD computer monitors (i.e. analog or digital inputs). However my installer is saying that:

a. can't be done, need to utilize a TV monitor (i.e. I'm guessing it must need a tuner to process the signal).

b. Son #1 claims that all that is needed is a ( LINK )
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"Premium VGA To RGB Component Cable
Premium 6 ft VGA to RCA Component cable for your monitor / projector Connects PC / laptop to LCD projector, HDTV, and other Y / Pr / Pb component RGB display system Connectivity: Connector HDDB15 15-pin (M x 1) Connector"

c. However the smart-wiring contractor ( a real fat-catter who just loves to pad bills to the max), won't concede that a VGA to RCA converter is feasible and simply maintains that:
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"In terms of Gate House Cameras, if you would like to have a single screen for each Unit as discussed with your son you could utilise a Composite Video to VGA converter for direct feed to your LCD monitors from the camera for each Unit. Unfortunately the monitors that you have do not have a basic video input for direct connection from the video output of the camera. You can purchase this type of product directly from the likes of Jaycar Electronics, their part number is # XC-4873 and is valued at somewhere around $90 for each display. We can of course supply and install these units if you desire. We would perform this work as an addition to your original contract. I would suggest that this may be a good place to look if you would like a Dummy camera as well. You will find that they have a number of different designs available. Should you wish it to be a camera that is recordable instead, then a cable would need to be run from the Hub in the Garage to the nominated camera location. A dedicated DVR can be supplied and installed should you wish or your son could once again no doubt help with a video input card and the appropriate software to a computer. Please be aware that should you wish to operate a recording device on a PC then the PC will need to be on all of the time. This is one reason that a dedicated DVR can be more appealing for many people. Please let me know if you would like for Electronic Interiors to supply and install any of these products."
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Electronic Interiors may seem to be reasonable but they're the same outfit who wrote up our contract for a home theatre with a projector/screen configuration. Anybody who's seen a large LCD/Plasma screen's HIGH DEFINITION in direct contrast to a fuzzy projected screen would realize that one wouldn't have a bar of projected imagery. It's just not compatable to HD LCD or Plasma's big screens - and carries the ongoing very significant costs of frequent bulb replacement. The cost of one bulb covers the five year extended warranty on a 65" plasma screen.

So a lot of the "advice" that you get out there is totally self-serving and intended to polish the contractor's bottom line - not align with or facilitate your desired outcome. It's a $35K smart-wiring contract - and we are starting to suspect that we've been "sold a pup". All the logical requirements are additional, extras or variations (involving variation fees and extra mandated escalatory profit margins (45% in lieu of a contractual 15%)"

Anybody got a simple answer?/ simple solution? - to monitoring a CCTV camera's analog out put on an LCD computer monitor?

Software?

[birrddog]

Belgique,

I am not sure from your description what the end configuration you want to look like.

The short answer is most things are possible, not all solutions though are practical (due to extra components and or cost).

So I get you want to have a camera at the gate, and you want to see it in the house, lets expand on this detail.

1) Do you want to look at the gate camera from
a) Computer's in your house
b) Televisions in your house
c) dedicated monitor (s) in your house
d) all of the above

2) Have you already purchased the camera, and if so, what are the details

3) Please provide some more details on the screens you have, particularly in relation to question 1.

4) What cabling do you have in place
a) in your house
b) to the gate location for the camera

[green granite]

Or you can buy wireless cameras which can be part of your computer network. No wiring to do just fix it in position.

for example: AXIS 207MW - Network camera - colour - fixed iris: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

[Belgique]

1) Do you want to look at the gate camera from
a) Computer's in your house
b) Televisions in your house
c) dedicated monitor (s) in your house
d) all of the above

Just on the lcd screen (preferably).....without running a laptop or desktop continually. Via a converter if necessary ("their part number is # XC-4873 and is valued at somewhere around $90 for each display")
. Via a DVR if the vandalism from the passing after-pub-closes trade continues.

2) Have you already purchased the camera, and if so, what are the details?

Contractor won't disclose as it's part of his package deal (and I suspect that he doesn't waant to reveal that it's a cheap and nasty comestible run-of-the-mill piece of crud.

3) Please provide some more details on the screens you have, particularly in relation to question 1.

LCD 19" Monitors are Samsung 191 and 193P plus (quite unobtrusive computer flat screens that can sit on a shelf somewhere)

4) What cabling do you have in place?

Contract was non-specifically to provide cabling for gatehouse CCTV to house (monitor not specified). For aesthetic and space reasons, obviously the bulk and power draw of a CRT type monitor is undesirable (and an LCD TV (19") costs about $500+. Hving a number of LCD monitors laying around seemed to be the cheap and easy solution.

a) in your house

"Smart-wiring" is the short answer (includes TV, Muzak and broadband network cabling). In an increasingly wireless capable field, only the dumb buy "smart-wiring"(or so I latterly realize). Once you discover that the system will not be living up to your expectations, the contractor screws you for any "extras" that they neatly sidestepped in the contract.

[birrddog]

Belgique, first off, that part son #1 mentioned won't work, it works in the opposite direction (i.e. vga to component, not visa versa)... also, typically video cameras either output a single video cable or coax (that you tune into via tv).

(Component means video is transmitted over three cables, for red green blue, and is not typical for this type of config).

Eitehr way it looks like you would need some for of converter (whether as part of your pc or standalone), would could end up costing more than a monitor supplied by your vendor.

As green granite suggested, the best solution for your needs would probably be a wireless camera you buy online and view on your existing computer, which will be a) something you can install yourself and b) allow you the ability to record (possibly even with motion detection). You could buy one of these and install yourself for less than what a contractor will charge you to drive to your house.

If you do look for an infra-red one with infra-red lights (so you can record at night and the infra red lights don't give away the fact you are recording).

You may need to put a disclaimer on your wall that the area is being recorded if you plan to a) put the camera facing outside your property (vs. your looking "in your property and coincidentally capture some areas outside) and or b) you plan to use the footage with the police as evidence.

With regards to smart wiring in your house, this is a wise thing... wireless has lots of limitations, and once all your neighbours start adding wireless you get contention and it can limit performance or even jam your wireless if there is too much congestion.

I use a combination of both.

I don't check this forum often, so feel free to pm me if you have any other questions.

[Belgique]

Thanks Birddog
Sounds logical.
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Just wondering what hard disk space you'd eat up continually recording - or whether iit should just trigger on proximate motion (i.e. via a highly directional motion sensor hooked to both recording cameras (normal and IR - and not via car traffic on the busy road out front)).
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I certainly don't recommend Electronic Interiors (Perth). They charge for advice and will give it only if you undertake to implement it on their terms and at their over-the-top prices. They "shill" for Artique (builders) who'll only use them under contract and who also come highly UNrecommended.

[birrddog]

Go for something like this.
(Not a specific endorsement, but the feature set I would look for)

It claims it can do motion activated recording.

How long you can record depends on disk space and resolution.

Unless you or no#1 son has too much smut on your computer as it is I would imagine you should be fine

[BigEndBob]

If the CCTV camera as composite output then use a tv card such as Pinnacle or similiar. They have composite inputs and the software can be used to record.
But you do need a computer.

[Nightrider]

I run my CCTV of 4 cams into a DVR with a 500 gig HD. Stores about 3 weeks continous recording at 640-480 res and 24 frames/sec.
DVR is ethernet compatible with own IP address, connected directly to router and the net, accessible without any PC as long as my internet is up.
Via coax DVR is connected to PC and TV, this allows inhouse viewing from anywhere via wifi and TV....

[x213a]

I think Tony Draper is a guru of sorts on this subject.

[Bushfiva]

Re installing motion sensors, any reasonable recording software should do this for you: on my setup (which is not a security program, so I won't bother naming it) I simply draw a box over the bit of screen I want it to monitor. It ignores motion in other areas of the screen, but if the target area has motion, it records from 20 seconds before the motion started to 20 seconds after it finishes.

[Avtrician]

A contractor that wont tell you what you are paying for?????

Better get rid of him and get a proper professional for starters.

Next thing is to spec the camera/s cabling requirements, switching recording and monitor requirements.

Or find a contractor who will listen to your needs, tell you exactly what your o[ptions are and the price and parts list.

[Belgique]

AVTRICIAN SAID:
A contractor that wont tell you what you are paying for?????

Better get rid of him and get a proper professional for starters.

Artique wouldn't work with anyone else (i.e. any other smart-wirer wouldn't have been let onto the property while Artique held the building insurance. That meant that Electronic Interiors could gouge us to the bone - which they did...... and specify what they were going to do. Artique also uses an inhouse designer who listens to what you want and then writes a contract full of acronyms and hieroglyphs to ensure that to really get what you wanted (and specified) you'll need 100's of thousands of dollars of post-contract variations (all at a fee and carrying a 145% profit margin). These type scamsters have the game sewn up and there is absolutely nil protection against then in the consumer protection laws.

[Avtrician]

Ooooh thats nasty.

In that case first find a discrete hit man.

[Nightrider]

When deciding for such a kit you need to consider if you want to be able to monitor via internet. In this case double check the DVR how it produces the output and allows a browser for viewing.
Most low-end DVR have the html-page you want to access stored in a CMOS chip and you are unable to alter anything. Producing the viewable page is achieved via an ActiveX module, which you cannot install in the Safari browser (all MAC), iPhone or Symbian based phones.
So, viewing is not possible with these devices.

Further, the back-up creates a file with the ending .in, beside a little viewer program which the viewing device will also download from the DVR, there is no program which can open this back-up file. Only this little view-program can save the file as an avi file, a lengthy process and again, not on any Apple device.....

Only my personal experience when I bought first the wrong equipment.

[Belgique]

Thanks.
Decision-time yet again.
With the building budget blow-out I doubt that anything beyond very basic will be possible.