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Home > Video capture card and security cameras -- everything you need to create your own PC-based video surveillance system
November 17, 2006
By: Lynn Bryant
The three main components of a home surveillance system
are the cameras, monitor, and digital video recorder. You
might be under the impression that in order to get the
functionality you are looking for, you need to purchase the
entire system including DVR already assembled. This is
simply not the case. You can actually create your own
personal video surveillance system complete with a digital
recorder by assembling the components yourself. All you
really need is a personal computer, a video capture card and
security cameras, and you have the making of a complete
surveillance system. Of course, you will have to assemble
the components together yourself in order to have a
functioning system. However, after a little review, you may
come to realize it is not as difficult as you might think.
The primary focus of this article is on how you can go
about assembling your own DVR. You might be wondering why
you would want to build you own DVR. The reality is that it
is actually fairly simple to turn one of your existing
personal computers into a fully functioning DVR. By
utilizing the power of your personal computer, you can
actually build yourself a commercial grade DVR that allows
you to manage and store all of the video from your network
of cameras. We will take a closer look at what a security
camera video capture card is, and how it can be used to
create your own fully functioning DVR.
A video capture card is the hardware that is used to
convert the video from the surveillance camera into a
digital format that is recognized by your computer. A
company called
Skyway Security markets video capture cards that you can
use to set up your own DVR system. Their
G-Max series capture boards offer color quad processing,
motion sensors, pan/tilt/zoom functionality, and time-lapse
recording functionality. Once installed, the video capture
card actually acts as a built in web server. You have the
option to view live streaming video feeds either directly
through your computer or over the Internet. Skyway
Security's capture cards range in price from $315 to $1,500
depending on the number of video camera inputs you require.
Another company that sells video capture cards for you to
build your own DVR is
EZWatchStore.com. They sell a business grade video
security kit called the EZKIT-BU, which comes with a
4-channel video capture card and software package
necessary to convert your PC into a video security DVR.
While this kit allows you to install up to four cameras, you
can purchase additional 4-channel expansion boards that let
you expand your surveillance system to support 8, 12, or
even 16 cameras. The EZ Watch DVR kits enable you to
playback video on your PC, remotely access and adjust camera
angles, set up automatic email alerts, easily backup and
manage video files, remotely view camera through the
Internet, and many more features. This kit sells for $299
and comes with a complete 1-year warranty.
With the right video capture card and software package,
it is very simple to turn your personal computer into a
fully functioning DVR. It truly is a simple way to achieve
the functionality and convenience of using your personal
computer as the command station as it were for controlling
and monitoring your personal video surveillance network.
About the Author
Lynn Bryant is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Surveillance-Guide.com. Your
definitive guide to video surveillance equipment, CCTV
cameras and wireless security systems for home and business.
Also See:
[
Mobile school bus video surveillance systems for student safety ]
[
GE
SmartHome wireless home security systems -- safety for families ]
[ Is the
invasion of public privacy from surveillance cameras worth it? ]
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