Video Entry Phones.

Hi there People,

Just after some info if possible. Due a recent incident the wife has asked for a video phone placed at the front gate, to allow entry.

Currenty I have a very simple C-Bus system installed. B&W touch screen controlling only lighting in lounge, with some scenes.

Just after info on what would be the best route to take, i.e C-Bus or straight video door phone.

Any help you could pass on would be greatly appreciated.

Cheerio

Crackers

 

How about a 24x7 camera which has a video feed to the whole house and only records when something in the frame changes. ($200-$400)

For the front door you can use any common phone system with relay trigger for door release. That trigger can go into C-Bus with a coupler or however you want to port that information (through alarm then c-bus) ($500 onwards).

Straight video phones are a "simple" solution which connects 2 ends together. They are sealed, fixed and annoying, sometimes because of the picture quality and sometimes the failure rate.

You can just as easily marry video security systems and c-bus systems with phone systems to create a far more flexible solution. Then you have call handling, image feeds and lighting scenes.

 

Hi Tobex,

Thanks for your reply. I actually had been looking at a ethernet set up which records on motion detection.

I do agree with you on the simple video phone setup. That one was one of my concerns was reliability as I have never seen one that last the test of time.

The video from the camera, would you feed that to a C-BUS touch screen or other image device?

Crackers

 

Hi Crackers,

Most video recording systems with hard drives have a live feed back out to something else. I normally connect it to the video modulator and run a TV in the kitchen. Most TV these days have PIP (picture in picture) so that the soapie can run at the same time as the security footage.

Most modulators also have a video out and there are composite video splitter amps.

If you are using Ethernet based camera then it should have a video out. I assume the internet based component is easily viewed on a browser driven touchscreen.

 

Hi again,

The system I have been fiddling with is a apple OSX based system.

Security spy.

I found the software fantastic for what it is designed to do, however as you have said you then either have to run a PIP or seperate TV. But the cameras themselves are just network cameras, they don't care what they hook up to and I do believe they are browser based.

I did a search this morning on the forum and came up with a product from digital homeware, which looked the goods but I am guessing I would have to sell the wife and Kids in order to afford such a system.

Ow to win the lotto........

 

Crackers

There are plenty of well priced DVR's on the market that will work with IP cameras either hard wired or wireless. As tobex said the output from the DVR can be modulated to your RF system and viewed on any TV or via a web browser. If you then incorparate IR (or RF) control you can then view individual or multiple cameras at once. Most DVR's allow for record on motion detection.

Bill