new guy

[iRob 0]

Hey all my name is rob Im new to the boards and new to CCTV.. I am a paranormal investigator and I am interested in making my own CCTV system via PC so I can take it on investigations with me.

 

I want to pick up either an 8 or 12 channel video card and Ill start out with just 4 IR cameras... nothing too pricey or SUPER high quality since most IR is grainy and fuzzy regardless of the camera.. so my question to you all is if Im going to make a DVR and the CCTV out of a PC what specs should I have for the PC?

 

I would imagine I dont need a high performance video card (unless Im going to be doing video editing) because its going to run on the capture card.. so basically do I just need a fast Processor and a lot of RAM? how much? Im guessing that a 1TB HDD would be enough because Im just going to keep footage of a night at a time on there.. find what Im looking for and crop it, and delete the rest.

[scorpion 0]

We would need to know how you are going to use these products to give you better info.

 

I will assume that you are charging customers for a "service", and I would assume that the customer would like to have answers to their questions, and you have to prove, or disprove those questions.

 

Based on this I would say you should go for the most that you can spend verses what your clients pay for your services.

 

I am not a PC DVR expert, and I will defer to those who are.

Yes, I would recommend the fastest processor you can afford. There are many factors to setting up a PC DVR. Stick with Intel Mother Board, and Chip Sets.

 

First knowing your operational needs will dictate the kind of card that would be selected, then based on this card then a mother board would be selected based on the DVR card specs.

 

Just throwing any card in to any PC is an invitation to disaster.

I would get the best card one can afford to get the best quality video.

 

Perhaps one day you will capture video of a "goldmine" that will earn you alot of money, or at least give you that "15 minutes" of fame, and all of the TV shows will want to interview you, and show the now infamous video clip.

 

I would agree that a lot of IR video footage is grainy, but that tells me that it is poorly designed, or the budget was so low that one had to make due with what they had.

 

I will assume that you are setting up in residential houses, and business.

I do not know if you do outdoor environments, or not.

 

You will now have to act like a hollywood movie director! You have seen enough TV shows doing the "studio shot", or you have seen enough "behind the scenes" on a movie being promoted ect.

 

They alway have lights everywhere, and they are very bright. Have you noticed? You always see these panels with sheer material, and they are using them to difuse the lighting to make it softer. You also see them use panels to reflect light towards the actor/actress.

 

This is how you would set up a dark environment video shot. How would a paranormal investigator set up your video??

 

I am talking from a point of view of setting up cameras in a dark environment to catch a thief, and you will have to modify this to your needs as you understand it.

 

I set up cameras in a lot of dark bars, gentlemen's club, night clubs ect. I try to use what is allready there for lighting such as rope lighting, neon beer signs, and black lights. With this very low level of lighting I can get some real good shots.

 

Here is the camera that I love!

 

http://eclipsecctv.com/ECL-CPIR_hidden_camera.html

 

or

 

http://eclipsecctv.com/ECL-CPIRD_hidden_camera.html

 

 

The cameras in these products give a really impressive video believe it or not!

_____________________________________________________________

 

Now if you were to set up somekind of camera that needs IR you will want to know the distances of the walls involved.

 

Why do you ask? If the wall is close, and you have a powerful IR beam then you will have a big spot on the wall in the video because the IR is to strong. Faces will appear washed out.

 

If the wall is too far, and the IR is to weak then the video will be just dark grainy video except upclose to where the IR illumintor is located.

 

Why is it grainy? The camera is screaming for light, and the electronics are at their minumum work environment, and you are actually seeing the individual pixals reacting to the light, (or the lack there of), and that is the grainy appearance that you see.

 

Does your environment require total lights out, or a black out?

 

I would use several IR illuminators. I would point one at "center stage", and I might point one up at the ceiling to bounce off, and provide diffused down lighting. I would do side lighting as well. Now you have to watch out for windows that might reflect the IR light back to your camera.

 

If you find yourself in variable environments perhaps have someone modify a powerful LED IR camera so that you can control the IR intensity. This could be a variable knob that controls the power to the IR LEDs, or you could turn on, and off sections of the IR array to control intensity.

 

For covert work for PIs (cheating spouses) I can not setup lights everywhere I feel like it. I have to maintain how the place looked before I arrived, and I cannot leave any trace that I was there. Now this can become difficult real quick.

 

If you can find light sources that are on even though they may be low level, then you can use this to your advantage.

 

For example I am trying to catch video in a room. The hall light is always on, but perhaps someone does not turn on a room light. I can move back away from the area that is illuminated from the doorway of the hall light. Now I can point my camera in the direction of the illuminated area. If the "stage" is not illuminated then I have to get creative. I have to use nightlights. I use the nightlights that have the scent from one of those "make your room smell better companies". It would not be to far out of line for someone to add the aroma product, and it just came with a nightlight.

 

IR illuminators can be battery operated for short term operations, and they can be placed anywhere such as on top of a book shelf out of sight, or on floors for uplighting.

 

The design process is easy, but the covert work is a pain!

 

Tell us more about what you do, and what you need.

[iRob 0]

wow thanks thats a lot of info!

 

I will be using these cameras in houses and commercial buildings, we are not charging any fees though. I would more or less have a "command station" where all the equipment is set up in one area and just run cables around and attatch the cameras at the end. I was thinking of going with a little less bright IR and just the IR illuminators to brighten things up where I need it.

[scorpion 0]

Volunteer work?

 

Wow! That has to be a very expensive hobby!! LOL!

 

It sounds like fun! Do you have one of those devices that they use at Fire Dept where you can see heat signatures?

 

What other kinds of tools do you use?

[iRob 0]

Volunteer work?

 

Wow! That has to be a very expensive hobby!! LOL!

 

It sounds like fun! Do you have one of those devices that they use at Fire Dept where you can see heat signatures?

 

What other kinds of tools do you use?

 

it really isn't too expensive I mean this CCTV system is the most expensive piece of equipment we would use.. I don't have a thermal Imaging camera I would love to but we are talking $5,000-$10,000 for 1 piece of equipment. Sometime fire departments will donate theirs when they upgrade but very rarely...

 

as far as other equipment goes I use EMF detectors, Digital voice recorders, various audio enhancing software, IR digital camcorders, Digital cameras and thats pretty much it.. aside from the small things, extra batteries, LED flashlights, first aid kits etc..

 

and its hard to charge for a service you cant fully prove 100% ya know? people offer us money and the only thing we would take would be gas money if we drove a LONG distance, no more. We just like to help people understand their situation OR help them realize their place isnt haunted and that they can relax.

[richonor 0]

it's great!

[raymond851109 0]

hello,I am also New here,I am a salesman for CCD Camera