Using a camera with composite

[purps]

There doesn't seem to be much information on this, unless I am searching the wrong things.

What's the best way to integrate composite cameras into your LMCE system?

I see this capture card is supported http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Hauppauge_WinTV-PVR-USB2

....but I don't want to use the camera with myth - ideally I would like a scenario alongside my other security scenarios. Can it be added in this way, or is it myth only?

I am not in pocession of any capture card, so I am open to any other capture card suggestions! I have seen various mentions of the EasyCap as well (even if it does sound like female contraceptive).

Cheers,
Matt.

[Armor Gnome]

Going to follow this post and hopefully the two of us can work this out.  I also am looking to use analog cameras and need to get that feed into my system somehow.  Here are the things I have tried so far and the success I have had:

WinTV-150 

Myth on tuner port, camera on composite = telling sara that the camera was there gave me no picture on the security scene or web admin
$ cat /dev/video[0] > video[0].mpeg
Doing this for each of my inputs on that card (0, 24 and 32) gave me randomly static or a signal.  Obviously the camera was not in control of switching inputs and something else was. 

Myth on tuner port, camera on composite = telling sara that the camera was another piece of AV equipment (dish network satellite 211K??)
$ cat ~
Again sometimes I got an image and other times not.  However, I was able to pull up the cam from the orbiters by selecting the satellite.  No motion detection, no neat PK screen but the image got to the screen.  Obviously at this point I know the camera feed works and that the capture card works.

Reinstall
I read that the winTV-150 likes to randomly reset itself to outputting /dev/video[X] from the tuner input.  There was a command in the satellite group that contained a string pointing to a Select_Input.sh file.
Connected the composite camera feed to an RF modulator and connected it to the tuner port.  Video again as a satellite but no motion and no ability to record using the satellites PK screen.
Changed the controlled by category for Satellite>[P211K] and the device template to generic analog camera,  leaving the original commands and ruby codes.
No complaints from Motion Wrapper for getting a new child but no image on screen.


That was about the extent of my testing on different hookups.  I just moved up to 10.04 so I have a lot of other things to work on at the moment but I like this project. 

How many cameras are you looking to connect, and what functionality do you need them to have?  If they are all composite then a easy solution would be to pick up an old AV receiver that you can find IR codes for, pipe all the cameras into its composite inputs and switch inputs each time you launch the screen for that cam.

[DragonK]

Have a look at Bluecherry Cards.

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Category:Video_Capture_Boards

Karel

[purps]

Hi Karel,

Thanks for the reply, that looks just the job, but alas they do not appear to be available in the UK. Although I can always order one from across the pond if it's worth it.

I might order the camera itself before I do anything else. I have my eye on a wireless IR spy cam thing on eBay. Ideally the capture card will be in my core, but the camera will be down the bottom of the garden. So hopefully the receiver can go next to the core in the house without the signal degrading too badly, otherwise the wireless receiver and card will have to go on my workshop MD.... which I would like to avoid because I don't want that to be switched on 24/7.

I should mention at this point that the camera is to monitor nesting boxes. The other option is to have the receiver going straight to my television - I could still have a scenario that switches to that input, which would be sweet (plus it would be nice and smooth), but not sure how I would do any recording however.

Cheers,
Matt.

[Armor Gnome]

I should mention at this point that the camera is to monitor nesting boxes. The other option is to have the receiver going straight to my television - I could still have a scenario that switches to that input, which would be sweet (plus it would be nice and smooth), but not sure how I would do any recording however.

I adore this idea.  The wireless cameras although I read all the threads and realize they were hard to get going are now hooking up flawlessly.  Analog to capture cards is much more difficult I have found.  I think while I work on the settings to get mine working I am going to go with your idea of a triggered input change and live feed.  This signal could even be passed down through devices with their own inputs going to the tv, such as a receiver or VCR.  We loose the functionality of cams hooked up in this way as motion detectors however small zwave pip or motion switches are easy enough to add in that regard.

It is a shame though for the price, my analog cameras are much nice quality and video than my IP cams and they cost about 1/3 as much.  Harbor Freight here in Michigan has color infared cameras with 80 feet of wire for $39 (US).  They do an amazing job of seeing in the dark and I dont doubt would even detect motion in it.

To build on your idea of a switched feed, I will play around with announcements in text to speech and maybe a custom skin to switch to the closest AV device based on current room or selection made from a quad view display on (non-onscreen) orbiters.

 

[purps]

IP cameras are a bit expensive for me considering what I am going to do with them, although they should be headache free.

I have now bought a camera (was only 20 quid, linky http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180913595661?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_2050wt_981), so we'll see how it works down the length of the garden and through a few walls.

Current plan is to get a second-hand Hauppauge PVR-150, as I saw somebody had some success with VLC on 10.04, and start there. VLC can be used for both viewing and recording. Then if I can integrate it into LMCE, it's a bonus.

Cheers,
Matt.

[seth]

 
Hello.

I use a wired camera solution that I have about $149 US in. It includes 4 cameras, the necessary wiring. They do quite well in darkness or light.

The card I used to hook them up was a Hauppauge ImpactVCB. This card was $50 US.
a link:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116068

The device is not plug-n-play yet, I have been spending far too much time with Android, and neglecting my LMCE duties.

However is is set up automatically by my LMCE 10.04 system as to drivers and such. When the core boots up, you can see through DMESG that it has set it up a /dev/videoX entry.

Configuring it was simply a matter of running the included BNC cables, this particular variant of the card has BNC connectors, to the four (4) ports and then defining them as motion generic analog cameras. The trick is setting up ports, as well as device.

For example my card came in as /dev/video0, bumping my PVR500 card up to /dev/video1, and /dev/video2.

So for the motion camera setup, I chose:

The camera's I bought cost $100 US for four (4) of them. they were on sale at the time.

Linke here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16881339013

they work great and are configured:

device 0 - backyard including the back door
port 0 (first port on left if you are looking at the back of a standard tower case)

device 0 - side yard
port 1 (second port from left )

device 0 - front yard including the front door
port 2 (third port from left)

device 0 - driveway including the garage and garage entrance
port 3 (fourth from the left)

So if is a card you are looking for, the Hauppauge Impact cards are configured by the system (not plug-n-play yet, will see getting it so with a template and all)
and the cost is less than $55 US. It comes in 3 port, 4 port, BNC, and Composite (rca plugs).

The cameras are very inexpensive Night Owl's - 4 for less than $200 US.

The want to be configured at 320x240 resolution, but LinuxMCE uses them as 640x480

Any tweaks can be made in the /etc/motion directory files.

Best regards,

Seth