Premises security (part 4) Using Your Computer for DIY Video Surveillance
Hi People
Tonight I want to look at connecting a video security camera installation to a computer and using that computer to record and send alerts to remote recipients.
In summary to-datePart 1 discussed the different types of security systems.
Part 2 explained the differences between Local and Monitored alarms and Perimeter vs. State-change detection along with a look at some different video security surveillance cameras.
Part 3 looked at wireless vs. wired security systems.
So now we come to Part 4 which starts looking at what we can do with the inputs from those perimeter and state-change sensors.
Lets start with my favourite topic - Video surveillance
We have our wired or wireless cameras, now what can we do with them?
Tonight I want to look at connecting a video security camera installation to a computer and using that computer to record and send alerts to remote recipients.
In summary to-datePart 1 discussed the different types of security systems.
Part 2 explained the differences between Local and Monitored alarms and Perimeter vs. State-change detection along with a look at some different video security surveillance cameras.
Part 3 looked at wireless vs. wired security systems.
So now we come to Part 4 which starts looking at what we can do with the inputs from those perimeter and state-change sensors.
Lets start with my favourite topic - Video surveillance
We have our wired or wireless cameras, now what can we do with them?
Let’s start with the Wired variety
Purpose built recorders
There a number of purpose-built multi-channel video surveillance loggers on the market.
These range in price from about A$998 to over A$2000 depending on how many camera channels they support, what media they record to (video tape/fixed-disk/DVD), what polling and motion-capture features are built into the units and what remote access capabilities they provide.
The sheer range of options is too vast to discuss in this general forum but specific questions can be entered via comments and I will do my best to address them.Have a quick look at this link to get an idea of the range of equipment available
http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/index.htm
with specific reference to this page which shows some recorders
http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/digital-recorder.htm
As a very high-level summary, I would be looking for a self-contained unit which has remote management capabilities via secure web access, records at-least four camera channels simultaneously or in rapid-poll sequence, overlays date/time on the picture and has motion-capture facilities.
Four cameras should be the minimum, as this potentially covers along all four sides of a 15 meter square building in total darkness (0 lux) using InfraRed imaging.
These range in price from about A$998 to over A$2000 depending on how many camera channels they support, what media they record to (video tape/fixed-disk/DVD), what polling and motion-capture features are built into the units and what remote access capabilities they provide.
The sheer range of options is too vast to discuss in this general forum but specific questions can be entered via comments and I will do my best to address them.Have a quick look at this link to get an idea of the range of equipment available
http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/index.htm
with specific reference to this page which shows some recorders
http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/digital-recorder.htm
As a very high-level summary, I would be looking for a self-contained unit which has remote management capabilities via secure web access, records at-least four camera channels simultaneously or in rapid-poll sequence, overlays date/time on the picture and has motion-capture facilities.
Four cameras should be the minimum, as this potentially covers along all four sides of a 15 meter square building in total darkness (0 lux) using InfraRed imaging.
[Note as an aside: lux is the measure of light available
On the Sony website, LUX is defined as "Relative amount of light that will produce a viewable image”
According to the International System of Units, "LUX" is defined in terms of lumens per meter squared (lm/m2)
Unless you are deeply versed in the realm of scientific units, these definitions were probably not very enlightening. Back in 1909, with the advent of electric lighting, it became necessary to find units to discuss how bright something was; several first world countries adopted "the international candle" as the amount of light something generated - how many candles it took to generate the same amount of light. Unfortunately, in the 1940s some bright spark figured out that different candles produce different amounts of light.
The irony is that the term "LUX" is used to define how much light something produces; however, camera marketers use this figure to profess how sensitive the camera CCD is to receive light.]
Connecting the cameras
On the Sony website, LUX is defined as "Relative amount of light that will produce a viewable image”
According to the International System of Units, "LUX" is defined in terms of lumens per meter squared (lm/m2)
Unless you are deeply versed in the realm of scientific units, these definitions were probably not very enlightening. Back in 1909, with the advent of electric lighting, it became necessary to find units to discuss how bright something was; several first world countries adopted "the international candle" as the amount of light something generated - how many candles it took to generate the same amount of light. Unfortunately, in the 1940s some bright spark figured out that different candles produce different amounts of light.
The irony is that the term "LUX" is used to define how much light something produces; however, camera marketers use this figure to profess how sensitive the camera CCD is to receive light.]
Connecting the cameras
The connectivity is as simple as locating the cameras in a suitable position to ensure they operate within their environmental specifications. It pays to position them so they do not look directly into bright light at any time.
Eg. Straight at a street lamp; the rising or setting sun; car headlights or security flood-lights.
Route power and video cables through secure conduit or via roof/wall cavities from each camera to the Digital Video Recorder and connect each camera to a separate channel on the recorder. Set up the software and you're off-and-capturing.
A PC Based Recorder
Eg. Straight at a street lamp; the rising or setting sun; car headlights or security flood-lights.
Route power and video cables through secure conduit or via roof/wall cavities from each camera to the Digital Video Recorder and connect each camera to a separate channel on the recorder. Set up the software and you're off-and-capturing.
A PC Based Recorder
As an alternative to a dedicated DVR, a PC can double as an office-tool by day and a surveillance system by night.
The main thing I have found is that the system needs to have LOTS of disk storage available [depending on how many days of video history you want to keep], with lots of memory (RAM).
Having used several different camera software packages, I’ve found a safe spec would be a 2.6GHz processor, absolute minimum of 1GB of RAM, at-least Windows XP or later and 250GB or more of disk storage.
Several of the software packages that I am familiar with are CAMGUARD, Watcher, and GeoVision, but there are lots more available too.
Connectivity to a PC can be achieved one of two ways.
Via a USB receiver, either wired or wireless
Via multi-port video capture cards. These often come in four-port format so multiple cards can be used to increase the number of cameras which can be monitored.
The main thing I have found is that the system needs to have LOTS of disk storage available [depending on how many days of video history you want to keep], with lots of memory (RAM).
Having used several different camera software packages, I’ve found a safe spec would be a 2.6GHz processor, absolute minimum of 1GB of RAM, at-least Windows XP or later and 250GB or more of disk storage.
Several of the software packages that I am familiar with are CAMGUARD, Watcher, and GeoVision, but there are lots more available too.
Connectivity to a PC can be achieved one of two ways.
Via a USB receiver, either wired or wireless
Via multi-port video capture cards. These often come in four-port format so multiple cards can be used to increase the number of cameras which can be monitored.
The Wireless option
In the USB scenario, either a wireless receiver is connected to the USB port and set to poll the local wireless cameras or a USB video concentrator is connected to the USB port and the camera signal cables connected to the video inputs of the USB concentrator.
Surveillance Software
Surveillance Software
Software for the surveillance varies from product-to-product but in general consists of setting camera parameters such as format (NTSC/PAL), brightness, contrast, frame-rate etc. Set up the motion-capture or time-capture parameters. Set up the history housekeeping. Set up the alerting mechanism (remote-web, email alert, SMS, etc)
Live Video Output
Live Video Output
As an after-thought, some wireless camera receivers allow their output to be passed directly to a composite video display device, so in it’s most basic format the cameras could be displayed live to a video monitor somewhere.
Next session I’ll talk a little more on remote-web connectivity and may start on non-video monitoring.
Next session I’ll talk a little more on remote-web connectivity and may start on non-video monitoring.
posted by Col. Sanders | 6:15 AM
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