There goes the neighborhood...

[completelyhis]

Neil,
Thanks very much for sharing the results. A few questions:

any indication on how it would connect w/ HS? What I'm thinking I'd like to do would be to use my existing motion detectors to trigger (or do the cameras have their own?). I'd also like to be able to have HS know when something's been recorded, so i can be notifiied. I'd also like to be able to provide the ip address to the vista MCE plugin and have it show the cameras...is that an option, i wonder? Would HS and/or the camera software be able to email/txt me still images if it detects motion and takes video? Is the playback accessible from your tv, with the remote? can you customize the camera layout, ie only display 4 cameras and make each 25% of screen, instead of 9, or cycle through each camera in full screen on a timer or switch to wichever camera has motion triggered recently, as in front door camera, etc.

do my ramblings make sense?

Ian

[completelyhis]

thumbnail for Crotchety Old Man club?

[neiltimms]

Neil,
Thanks very much for sharing the results. A few questions:

any indication on how it would connect w/ HS? What I'm thinking I'd like to do would be to use my existing motion detectors to trigger (or do the cameras have their own?). I'd also like to be able to have HS know when something's been recorded, so i can be notifiied. I'd also like to be able to provide the ip address to the vista MCE plugin and have it show the cameras...is that an option, i wonder? Would HS and/or the camera software be able to email/txt me still images if it detects motion and takes video? Is the playback accessible from your tv, with the remote? can you customize the camera layout, ie only display 4 cameras and make each 25% of screen, instead of 9, or cycle through each camera in full screen on a timer or switch to wichever camera has motion triggered recently, as in front door camera, etc.

do my ramblings make sense?

Ian

Yes, you can change the view on the tv from individual camera up to 4 and then all 9

I have existing motion sensors in HS that notify me. I'm really not sure if it will be possible to view the cameras from MCE or whether there can be much, if any integration with HS.

As i mentioned the software interface is pretty lame and not very flexible. Honestly i haven't played with it much - running cables outside in 106 degree heat kind of wipes you out!

What i am going to do is use my Global Cache to switch the tv to the camera screen and to an individual camera based on what motion sensor was tripped. I would love to get e-mailed snapshots but again i feel pretty much cooked right now so i'm afraid i will break something if i start playing around now!


Neil

[completelyhis]

sounds positive enough to get me to give it a try! thanks again for the info.

[neiltimms]

forgot to mention. Mike was right, the record frame rate is fixed and has to be pre-defined.

Since i will be using 7 camera total i will have 4 @10fps and the less used cameras will split the remaining 20fps at 6 or 7 each.

The 10fps is fairly fluid and is not really choppy.

[completelyhis]

a few more image suggestions

[Old-Man]

I will be interested how well it works at night.

[Old-Man]

One other thing, do you have any pictures you took of where you mounted the cameras?

[neiltimms]

OM,

not yet, i will take some pictures this week and post if you like, as mentioned i only have 4 of the intended 7 mounted right now and still have some work to do on nailing down the cables.

I will get some night time pictures and put them on my website tomorrow

I made them quite conspicuous intentionally. I want people to see that i have a camera system, hopefully that will work as an additional deterant.

It came with a few stickers as well saying "under surveilance" so i stuck them at every door.

Neil

[neiltimms]

a few more image suggestions

I like the muppet

[Old-Man]

OM,

not yet, i will take some pictures this week and post if you like, as mentioned i only have 4 of the intended 7 mounted right now and still have some work to do on nailing down the cables.

I will get some night time pictures and put them on my website tomorrow

I made them quite conspicuous intentionally. I want people to see that i have a camera system, hopefully that will work as an additional deterant.

It came with a few stickers as well saying "under surveilance" so i stuck them at every door.

Neil

I would love to see how the night ones come out.

My wife wants me to hide the cameras as much as I can. I want people to see them like yours. People will think twice if the see them.

I think what I'm going to do is set-up the DVR player first. Then hook up the cameras to make sure they are mounted just right. By chance did you do that.

[Old-Man]

OK, you got me going. I opened the box and started playing with it. I installed three of the cameras to see how it looks. Not bad if you ask me. I just hooked it up to a montor that we had sitting here.

The question I have for you Neil is, in the instructions it said to install the hard drive. Did yours come installed? Mine was installed.

OM

[neiltimms]

Mine was pre-installed also

[completelyhis]

You guys think 380 lines would be enough to get a definitive id on a face and license plate from 30' away or so, at night? someone jerks are cutting the filler hose on the church bus and trying to siphon gas out of it, i'm getting tire of replacing the hose, so i'm parking the bus at my house. my neighbors are tired of that. i'd like to catch the punks in the act and have the judge sentence them to community service, weeding the church garden or something, while I preach to them 8 hours a day (ok, dreaming a bit there).

anyway, looking for a good wireless camera to do the trick, cost is issue, though, most of what i'm finding in my price range for the camera is 380 lines.

[neiltimms]

I'm going to have to say probably not, especially at night. You would need 400+ with powerfull IR for night vision