Turn a Local RCA Camera(USB/PCI) into an IP Camera?aka relay

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awalp
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 1:41 am
Location: United States

Turn a Local RCA Camera(USB/PCI) into an IP Camera?aka relay

Post by awalp »

What I want to do is quite simple, and I'm sure the answer also is, but the answers has been hard to find.

I want to turn an extra computer, and a RCA Camera->USB/PCI -or- USB Webcam into an IP Camera(s).
How: Using extra computer with locally attached camera, as a converter/relay; with an IP Camera output.

Create converter/relay computers to turn RCA Cameras using USB or PCI as an input into IP Cameras (output).

So I can use zoneminder on a central computer as a DVR and use as a source, remote RCA->USB/PCI cameras converted/relayed as IP Cameras.
--- Only questions about howto create relays, the relays need only be background server processes, no DVR/local storage features; except maybe a buffer.


......More explanation of what I want to do...

Input: Camera
Input: Cable Type: RCA
Input: RCA->PC Converter (USB or PCI Adapter for BNC/RCA)
Relay: --Linux Server--
Relay: Video Relay Software
Output: --Ethernet--
Output: -- IP Camera protocol

How can I relay local attached video cameras as IP Cameras..
-- Specifically, RCA Security Cameras, with a RCA->USB interface, or an RCA->PCI/PCI Express interface

Having a Linux computer take local video input, and output the video stream in IP Camera protocol

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Basically, trying to overcome physical limitations of RCA Cameras...

I want to have a single central DVR attached via Ethernet, otherwise physically independent from the Cameras.
-- Not an Option: Use 2.4ghz Wireless cameras or RCA extenders.

So I would be using something like zoneminder as the DVR server for the cameras (supports local, and remote IP cameras)
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Question how to: Turn a couple of old computers into IP Camera Server relays,
-- RCA Cameras would attach locally via RCA->USB Adapter -OR- RCA/BNC PCI/PCIe Card
-- The relay would not be the DVR itself, just a background server process on the computer relaying and converting the video feed from the local input, and outputting it as IP Camera.

Summary: Howto turn cheap RCA / USB Cameras into an IP Cameras, using Linux as a converter/relay server.

Summary Question: How can I get an IP Camera standard video signal output using Linux as the IP Camera hardware, and RCA Cameras as the actual camera.

Goal: Allow me to run my DVR server on a separate computer in any location on LAN,
using IP Cameras (which are really RCA->USB/PCI Cameras connected to a remote Linux computer).


Or if there is a GPL/Freeware software for Windows, that would add to the amount of locations I could use as a relay.
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Question....
How to turn an old computer and an RCA->USB/PCI or USB Camera / Webcam into an IP Camera?

So I can use zoneminder on a central computer to access remote RCA->USB/PCI cameras for a DVR System.
clipo
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:55 am
Location: Manchester, UK
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Post by clipo »

Hello,

What you are suggesting is easy with 2 more more zoneminder systems, if you have your central system working as you want acting as the DVR ect then if you install zoneminder on the remote system and just have the monitors as 'monitors' no need to store or do any image detection and just uses these remote zoneminder monitors as a source for your DVR system, look down this post for the section where I explain how to setup remote monitors

http://www.zoneminder.com/forums/viewto ... highlight=

this could also be done with a custom setup on the remote system just capturing images and making them available to a zoneminder system in some form but you would have to code your own system for that and I'm sure you would rather do it with a tried and trusted system.

Also for your information I am currently running the setup I have explained above and it works perfect,

I have a zoneminder system installed in a friends house with some cameras attached via RCA this is then linked via a network cable to my house and my zoneminder system that also has several camera attached via RCA and they all records each others camera and do monitoring.

Let me know if you manage to setup your system.
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