Hopefully this isn't an annoying post for you guys.
I have been contacted to help setup at least 6-8 camera system for a hostel in my hometown and for a personal business contact I am friends with. I have used DVR systems in my time in the USAF as well in some retail enviroments. I even setup a DVR system with webcams for my dorm room in the USAF to see what the heck they did when they inspected my room
By trade, I'm an IT Professional.
What questions I'm curious about.
The system to get setup should just be a PC with a large HD and the cards for the channels. You mount the cameras where they are needed, connect it, and walla?
My thing is, I'm clueless about the software out there. This isn't a system that would need to protect top secret information or anything, but just be robust enough to stay online for recording in the 1 second increments (or whatever works) to monitor the small campus area and parking lot to make sure that there is no foulplay, theft, etc., since the hostel is between the good part and bad part of town.
I don't know if the cameras that have a panning and tracking ability are expensive, or if the tracking is controlled by the software. Automatic panning would be nice, but isn't needed. I'm just curious at what all I will need to setup a proper system.
The campus isn't larger than 1 acre, consists of 4 units and the parking lot. I would like to be able to monitor the parking lot and the 4 corners and maybe one in the admin office/entrance.
If you have any good wiki/tutur links, I'd love to see em. This may lead into more things if I setup this up and feel like I have a very good grasp at doing this. I will also be setting a system up on a home in the near future.
Thanks for your time
-Fin
I have been contacted to help setup at least 6-8 camera system for a hostel in my hometown and for a personal business contact I am friends with. I have used DVR systems in my time in the USAF as well in some retail enviroments. I even setup a DVR system with webcams for my dorm room in the USAF to see what the heck they did when they inspected my room

By trade, I'm an IT Professional.
What questions I'm curious about.
The system to get setup should just be a PC with a large HD and the cards for the channels. You mount the cameras where they are needed, connect it, and walla?
My thing is, I'm clueless about the software out there. This isn't a system that would need to protect top secret information or anything, but just be robust enough to stay online for recording in the 1 second increments (or whatever works) to monitor the small campus area and parking lot to make sure that there is no foulplay, theft, etc., since the hostel is between the good part and bad part of town.
I don't know if the cameras that have a panning and tracking ability are expensive, or if the tracking is controlled by the software. Automatic panning would be nice, but isn't needed. I'm just curious at what all I will need to setup a proper system.
The campus isn't larger than 1 acre, consists of 4 units and the parking lot. I would like to be able to monitor the parking lot and the 4 corners and maybe one in the admin office/entrance.
If you have any good wiki/tutur links, I'd love to see em. This may lead into more things if I setup this up and feel like I have a very good grasp at doing this. I will also be setting a system up on a home in the near future.
Thanks for your time

-Fin
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