Hi I am interested in buy a security camera for my office and I was wondering what kind of software should I get so I can view it on my computer. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I didn't know the market was so big until I went to looking to buy...now I am totally confussed on what I need and don't need.

Thanks ???

Take in this information at your own risk. This is not my area of expertise!

_________________________________________________

If thinking of getting a camera that uses composite output:

Its not so much a question of software, as it is a question of hardware. I don't know much about the interface of a security camera, but unless its USB or Firewire, the PC will most likely need some sort capture card. As far as I've seen, security cameras usually have a single composite video connector and a DC power cable.

In order to receive, and view, the video you would need a capture card that would be capable of capturing from a composite source. Almost any capture card would have at least one composite input, but if you plan on having more than one security camera, then obviously you would need a capture card with more than one composite video input. The prices for such a capture card varies depending on its quality, number of features, and included software.

Do to my lack of expertise, I can't just recommend a card off the top of my head. If you plan on using more than one camera, the number of capture cards reduces dramaticaly, and the cost (you saw this coming) rises a lot. But if you are only going to use one camera, just use a TV capture card such as the ATI TV Wonder. They are pretty cheap now.

Take a look at these:

• 8 Input Capture: http://www.futurepowerpc.com/scripts...C800B&REFID=PW
• 3 Input Capture: http://www.neqx.com/product.asp?pf_id=VC490
• 1 Input Capture: http://www.3gplaza.com/estore/contro...543&srccode=PW

Just remember to do a little research with google searches before making the purchases.

If thinking of using a camera that uses usb 2.0:

USB2.0:

These cameras are pretty common now because almost any semi-modern PC has a USB 2.0 port. The only problem is the maximum length of the USB cable. It is a rather short 5m unless a hub is used to amplify the signal.

Anyway, you probably won't need any extra hardware for USB2.0 unless your computer doesn't have USB2.0 ports, in which case you would need to purchase a PCI usb 2.0 expansion card. You will need some capture software which should be included with the camera.

Other:
Any other camera would either output to S-Video or Coax which would need a capture card with the respective inputs.



As far as software is concerned, it would usually be included with the camera or capture card hardware.

_________________________________________________

Hope I didn't get too confusing. I do that sometimes. I hope that helps.

__________________
If you have any questions you can email me at zack.schmid@gmail.com.

Thanks and yes that really did help me alot. I will check out your links. I'll let know what else I find out there..Thanks