I have tried over the last year to set up a CCTV/monitoring operation in my front garden, but this has been unsuccessful. I bought a wireless camera
Image: http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/orcface/10057.jpg
but cannot get the camera output signal to appear on my TV video channel: wishing to avoid buying a DVR card for my PC (as I have so little success with installing new things on my PC), I bought a 'USB DVR LEAD - 4 CHANNEL USB SECURITY CCTV VIDEO RECORDER DVR' through ebay
Image: http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/73000535/Images/5/USB%20DVR%20Lead.jpg
but could not install the program necessary to use this as my PC (Win XP) kept giving error messages (I subsequently returned this item). NB. I have run a webcam on/from my PC without any problems.
Apart from the above-mentioned difficulties, my main problem now is the cost: I have been trying to keep the expenditure down to the smallest amount possible and I still need to do this. Things are not helped by the fact that I find some of the terminology used in advertisements confusing as they lack a full explanation, e.g., some refer to a wireless camera and then say only 'and connect this to your TV' although this clearly needs far more detail.
Anyway, in an attempt to try and keep things as simple as possible, I've decided not to use anything that works through my TV (which is being used for normal TV-viewing most of the time anyway), or my PC, but get a system that is complete, i.e, it includes *all* the parts needed, i.e,
camera (wireless)
receiver device required
recorder (2 hours max)
monitor (b&w or colour)
I have seen references to a monitoring process through IP, but this seems far too involved for me considering my success so far with using a computer for monitoring.
As it will be gathered from the above, apart from the set-up being complete and inexpensive, it will have to be fairly idiot-proof to set up and run. Can anyone point me in the best direction please. Thanks
David
