[Solved] Using home server as a DVR for 2-4 cameras

[krone6]

After my mom's car was stolen today I have an even greater priority to put up a camera or two around the house. I don't want to go with a kit since I already have the server to record the video 24/7. I want to manage that stuff myself. What I don't have is a way of getting a camera I'd buy to be able to connect to that server so it can send the video to the server's hard drives and begin recording.
I know I'm missing a ton of information on this. I am new, so if there's any information I should know about any of this (such as a good outdoor IR nightime camera) tell me.

Thanks in advance for any help. I wish i could have had a more specific question, though it's really just me wondering how to hook up a few cameras to use my home server as the DVR instead of buying an already built dvr.

Additional Comment:

Found out someone I know knows a little about this stuff and told me I was looking for a DVR card with BNC interfaces on it. Sadly the prices of them are high, so I'll settle with a kit or a seperate DVR with a single camera for now.

At this point if anyone has used any security items from monoprice.com let me know. I am planning to buy some stuff there.

[luckybob]

recording video 24/7 is a BAD idea. instead you want to have a 30 second loop. The software keeps a 30 second buffer and only keeps it if there is a change.

Also, its really NOT that expensive.

4 input card card - $8: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221077091144
1 camera - $14 : http://www.ebay.com/itm/290747918835

cabling is up to you and each camera will need some sort of 12v wall wart, but your local thrift store will have them cheap.

They make usb and pci-e cards but i'm too lazy to look them up. Also do NOT buy anything even remotely called "easycap" they are XP only.

[krone6]

Originally Posted by luckybob

recording video 24/7 is a BAD idea. instead you want to have a 30 second loop. The software keeps a 30 second buffer and only keeps it if there is a change.

Also, its really NOT that expensive.

4 input card card - $8: http://www.ebay.com/itm/221077091144
1 camera - $14 : http://www.ebay.com/itm/290747918835

cabling is up to you and each camera will need some sort of 12v wall wart, but your local thrift store will have them cheap.

They make usb and pci-e cards but i'm too lazy to look them up. Also do NOT buy anything even remotely called "easycap" they are XP only.

Is there a sample video for that camera? I am doubting a $14 camera like that can reach 30-50 feet down a driveway with enough quality to make out arms and legs of a person at least.

Though I'll look into that input card some more. Thanks for the links.

EDIT: Also, why is it bad to record 24/7? I won't know when something will happen, wouldn't it be a good idea to catch it if it happens at 5:18 am or 3:20 am for example?

[luckybob]

because most of the video will be motionless. you should only record when there is movement. those video cameras do 640x480 video for the most part. they do okay. Cameras in the $50 to $100 range do a LOT better. like with everything, you get what you pay for.

[maxgull]

Sorry to hear your moms car got stolen!
A friend of mine bought a $300 camera system, 4 cameras and the DVR (or whatever it is) he said he was suprised at the range (he has 10 acres), it is night capable and he said it was a breeze to set up. He also mentioned that it was accessable remotely from the internet thru an IP address. I gotta ask him where he got it, he didnt mention a brand name, sorry.

[AruisDante]

Woot today seems to be listening to your needs.

Also, from what I've seen of home security, you really aren't going to find many cameras above the 640x480 range in the reasonable affordability bracket. They all seem to be about $500-1000 a camera.

Additional Comment:

Originally Posted by krone6

Is

EDIT: Also, why is it bad to record 24/7? I won't know when something will happen, wouldn't it be a good idea to catch it if it happens at 5:18 am or 3:20 am for example?

Mostly hard drive space. You would fill up a 1TB hard drive very quickly over a 24 hour span unless the video is very compressed with feeds coming from 4 cameras. It's also a PITA to review 24 hours of video footage looking for that one moment when something happened.

Generally speaking a real home security system will do this automatically.

[krone6]

Thanks for the help all. I'm seeing dvr cards with cables and software for less then $50 from this seller on ebay for new. Has all the features i need and the software looks feature-rich enough to do what i have to do. I didn't know the camera resolutions were that low though.

@Maxgull: if you can find me that model number on the kit please do. Also, can i see a video sample at day/night (mainly night) of a camera it has? Specs can tell me a camera is good but the video sample makes that decision final. If a $15 camera looks fine then i'll buy the $15 camera for example.

Additional Comment:

Originally Posted by AruisDante

Woot today seems to be listening to your needs.

Also, from what I've seen of home security, you really aren't going to find many cameras above the 640x480 range in the reasonable affordability bracket. They all seem to be about $500-1000 a camera.

Additional Comment:



Mostly hard drive space. You would fill up a 1TB hard drive very quickly over a 24 hour span unless the video is very compressed with feeds coming from 4 cameras. It's also a PITA to review 24 hours of video footage looking for that one moment when something happened.

Generally speaking a real home security system will do this automatically.

Good deal, though I'd rather use my server if possible. I already have it set to backup my data and it is rock solid stable, so i'm trying my hardest to not use additional parts that might be unneeded.

[luckybob]

I don't have any handy, but the little cameras are good for ~10-15 feet.

I have a camera similar to this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170876105411
it will do 100' pretty easy, but its a manual focus. Also you will need a 1AMP wall wart for these bigger cameras.

[krone6]

Originally Posted by luckybob

I don't have any handy, but the little cameras are good for ~10-15 feet.

I have a camera similar to this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170876105411
it will do 100' pretty easy, but its a manual focus. Also you will need a 1AMP wall wart for these bigger cameras.

Thanks. I can get a 1 amp from monoprice for $3, at least that part's not expensive.

I'll get some ideas from this camera and go from there. The one I'll probably buy should be fine, I just don't want too fuzzy of a picture when it's nighttime.

EDIT: I do have a few other questions. What are the connectors I am looking for? I figured it was male bnc for the camera's side and female for the card. Also, when i read this isn't the resolutions kind of small?

Record Resolution: 352*288(PAL),320*240(NTSC)

Even 640 x 480 is very small when i view it on monitors of any size...

[AruisDante]

320x240 is QVGA. It's very low resolution. VGA is the minimum I'd ever recommend using if you want to see more than a couple feet away from the camera.

[krone6]

Originally Posted by AruisDante

320x240 is QVGA. It's very low resolution. VGA is the minimum I'd ever recommend using if you want to see more than a couple feet away from the camera.

Dang, I'm going to need to spend more than $7 then on the dvr card.

EDIT: Found a card that can do D1 recording in real time for $74. As long as it supports 64 bit os's i'll grab it. Even an 8 channel too.

[digitaldd]

I have a friend with a small amount of area to cover and he's using a Bushnell trophycam from his garage for the same purpose. Pricey but its getting the job done.

[krone6]

Originally Posted by digitaldd

I have a friend with a small amount of area to cover and he's using a Bushnell trophycam from his garage for the same purpose. Pricey but its getting the job done.

Thanks for the reply. I looked at some other things while waiting for a response from some people and their products appear to do what i need it to do. Bought everything i'll need to have a main camera outside over my driveway and a small one in the porch. The dvr card wasn't too expensive either, <$100.

[ZJChaser]

I'd personally look at using Ubiquiti cameras. Web based cameras and the software(for the computer) is free. They do up to 720p resolution. $80-$110 each depending on model.
http://www.ubnt.com/airvision

[krone6]

Originally Posted by ZJChaser

I'd personally look at using Ubiquiti cameras. Web based cameras and the software(for the computer) is free. They do up to 720p resolution. $80-$110 each depending on model.
http://www.ubnt.com/airvision

Would I be able to use the software for my cameras I've already bought? I'll defiantly have to buy one from them if they can do 1mp with that tiny camera. Love the vibe I get from them too, it feels right.

EDIT: Wow... As soon as I buy my stuff I find a camera that is the same price that's a LOT better..

Additional Comment:

Got my stuff in yesterday after a few weeks of waiting (a few parts from over seas) and it works great considering the price I paid for the dvr card. The dvr company's support is top notch too; someone even got on teamviewer to help me yesterday when I never brought up teamviewer.

Overall pretty cool stuff. Thanks for the help everyone.

EDIT: Oh, and I'm also seeing why 24/7 recording is bad. A lot of my test motion-detection files are junk/garbage with not much happening (changing sensitivity at the moment). I could only imagine 2GB+ of a single day's worth.