X10 Camera Video Surveillance plug-in

[Bkphillips]

NOW AVAILABLE in the HomeSeer Updater
X10 Camera Video Surveillance plug-in

BETA TESTERS NEEDED - PLEASE EMAIL ME.

Fellow X10 Camera owners:

A friend and I have been steadily working on a solution for video surveillance. I have wanted to be able to follow someone around the exterior of the house having it all recorded. Having this file saved, archived and then emailed a link of it, so I can stream it from home and see it at work. Using motion detectors to start a camera and record for X amount of minutes and stop, UNLESS another motion is detected on the same or elsewhere and then have the X10 camera switch to the new area of detection, and keep the recording ON. Also as a feature has a default to oscillating around cameras when no motion is detected so I can just sit and watch it all LIVE from work from a player box that you can put in your HomeSeer web. This Plug-in requires no extra software, such as Ivista, Webcam32 – no jpg’s, no ftp’ing, no multiple machines– just FREE Windows Media Encoder. We have made it a plug-in and it does go thru a CONFIG to determine what motion sensor turns on what camera. Very simple and sweet. No special video card required!

Requirements: a USB to Video device, Motion Sensors & X10 cameras.
I currently use a Dazzle but I’m sure that the X10 USB to video will work just fine. (I have one – just haven’t used it yet.)

Let me know if you're interested !!! If there is a great number of you – we’ll do our best to get this into the HomeSeer updater!

[This message was edited by Bkphillips on Thursday, 27 February 2003 at 12:23 PM.]

[This message was edited by Bkphillips on Thursday, 27 February 2003 at 12:24 PM.]

[This message was edited by Bkphillips on Tuesday, 11 March 2003 at 03:52 PM.]

[Rupp]

Just a couple of points. I attempted to use this in the plugin I am currently working on and it uses 100% of my CPU on a 2.8 ghz machine with 512MB ram. From what I see the The "FREE Windows Media Encoder" is a resource hog. Are you seeing similar results?

-Rupp

[Bkphillips]

Rupp-

Pegging the processor is very possible - it really depends on what 'Profile' you pick. I generally use the 64K ISDN setting and the processor steadily humms at 34-35% - on an AMD 1G - so not very taxing at all. The quality is sharp enough for real-time web. I have also tried the scren capture setting, this too will peg your processor.
In enhancing our software, we want to develop multiple 'profiles' so you can record high for motion detected areas, and then return to a lesser setting for just realtime web useage.
Thanks for noting your concern.

[zoomkat]

The main problem I've seen with streaming using media encoder is the delay between the when the event happens and when you see the streaming video. Most sites using media encoder and media player have notes that up to 20 seconds are required to get the video streaming. This is not a problem with presentations and general webcam views, but is a long time if you are trying to track some activity realtime or pan a cam to follow the action and such.

[Bkphillips]

You are correct, IF you are speaking of broadcasting. Our intention is to record, which is going to give you much better results speed wise. Once the file is saved, you then can see it, and yes - there will be a buffer effect of a few seconds that may vary on file size and line conditions.

[jayfro]

If this is for security, why the needs for a true stream?

I am running Brians Hauppauge Plug in, and currently have it set to 1 second shots. Zero CPU utilization (win2k P450mhz with 128mb Ram), and I have great pictures whenever motion is sensed.

It got its first real use last night with the babysitter. I was nice to go back over the night and see her playing with the kids.


I could see where audio would be a nice feature for security, but 1 second vs. broadcast doesn't seem to be a big factor to me.

Jay Fro

[Bkphillips]

You have a solution since you have that capture card. When playing with capture cards (ATI) the ability to encode is severly handicapped due to the high CPU utilization for encoding since you're doing a screen capture. Taking quick pics and saving them is a viable work around for this. I personally am not about to open pic/sec to find the action - I'd rather a movie to browse thru. Such as (time&date).wme to watch using windows media player. I can scan thru it, reverse back, pause. And yes - sound is an option also.

As for the streaming - it's when you want to play it over the web. Other than that it's being encoded and archived.

[Bkphillips]

X10 Camera Video Surveillance plug-in

The expressed concerns are noted but we have further tested and found the following:

We're using a CROPPED version of Windows Media Encoder therefore LESS CPU utilization.
NO DELAYS - instant recording when motion is detected!!!!

[collegeboyslive]

where do you find a cropped version of encoder?

detail of setup in profile

[Bkphillips]

within VB

[kloosusa]

You can now get the trial version of the Cam Control Plug-in.

[electron]

would this plugin work with this card?
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...ct_code=293235

I am going to get this card this weekend, for surveillance purposes, so this plugin will be the first thing I try.

[skozin]

Did this project disappear? I don't see it in the updater.

[Rupp]

I believe it was "taken over" in one way or another by the Hauppauge video capture plugin:

http://ubb.homeseer.com/eve/ubb.x?a=...4&f=2252928396

[Rick Tinker]

Or the WebCam plug-in that is in the updater.