Newbie needs help please

[kal]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post.
5 yrs ago I bought a Visuall CAM8 cctv kit. There are four cameras with s-video conectors (round with pins inside).
The cameras connect to a clever box, where you can control volume, date, name stamps, and sequence on each camera.

The box has 2 AV scart sockets and rca pin type (audio out, video out) connectors. It has RF in and out. Infra Red Remote transmitter to control devices such as VHS recorder.

I am using a VHS home video at the moment, but it runs out of tape very quickly, even on detection only mode.

I wish to connect connect it to a hard disk, where it just starts recording on detection mode only, and starts all over again automatically when hard disk is full. If possible I would like to connect to the cameras and controls over the internet.
I have a old P4 computer lying about, and am on a very low tight budget.
Can anyone help with suggestions or a hook up I can do with my present equipment please ? Kal
I can email a picture to anyone on request.

[notle]

Hi Cal,

I suggest you take a look at About Active WebCam
which should do everything you want, and more. I think there's a free version available for evaluation, which doesn't include all the bells and whistles.
You're also going to need video capture hardware of some kind. A USB device will probably be cheapest.
Bear in mind the cost of running a PC 24/7. A dedicated DVR will generally consume a lot less power. Also PCs have an unfortuate tendency to crash without telling you, until you come to look at your recordings

Cheers,
Steve

[pakatak]

Is it the control box you are talking about that triggers the video recorder to start a record when motion is sensed?

With any digital recording system now, motion detection will be a feature, as will time & date event stamping etc. So that box would probably be obsolete when connecting to your PC as if it's just a VCR trigger it will probably not do the same when connected to a PC.

Ideally you could connect your cameras to a 4CH digital video recorder or a 4CH PCI card if you want to go down the home PC route - unfortunately it sounds like your camera connections are made to fit that box only, a PCI card or DVR will almost certainly not have 4 s-video style inputs.

[iStorm]

Pakatak is spot on, your cameras use motion detector through a pir sensor, camera systems now a days use pixelation, scrap your detector box then you will need to find out what power the camera's are using and find a suitable powers supply for them, the you need to cut of the s/video ends of the cables and in side you will probably have 6 cores of cable and the screen earth, (+Power) (-Power) (Video) (Earth) (Audio) (Trigger) (Screen) You then need to determine which cable is which...........