eye spy

July 6, 2006 1:55 PM

Video security for gated first level parking garage (condos are above the garage). How can I do this easily and cheaply?

Are the options to have a camera hooked to a vcr or to a computer? Is there a better way so that we don't have to have electronics beyond the camera? Is there some sort of internet company that we could store the last 2 days or 24 hours worth of video and access as needed using some internet connected camera? What camera do we use? I would like not to have to rely on a homeowner or hoa maintained computer. Help!

What are the options for monitoring for our homeowners association? We aren't looking for real time security, but the ability to see what happened last night or yesterday. Right now, we're looking at one camera in one building, later 3 cameras 3 buildings.

posted by striker to Technology (3 answers total)

There's lots of equipment available to do this. You *could* set it up to use tapes, but who will change the tapes? Modern digital video storage is much better. Take a look at Smarthome, that'll give you an idea of what is available. With motion detection cameras (only record when something is moving) you ought to be able to get many days' worth of video on one digital video recorder.
posted by jellicle at 2:19 PM on July 6, 2006

striker - it's too late for me to reply tonight, if you really want to know, email tomorrow and I can tell you everything germane to your request. You can hook up a camera to a vcr and a computer. What you need is a dvr, prolly from honeywell; Do you have a "base location" to store any equipment? What is your budget? Let me know.
posted by AllesKlar at 9:54 PM on July 6, 2006

Zoneminder, and a couple of Panasonic BL-C30 wireless cameras?
posted by baylink at 8:48 PM on July 10, 2006