Re: Adding CCTV

[Ben McCormack <yahoogroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sounds like Geovision could be the way to go.

I have also found an Axis video server that fits the bill http://www.axis.c=
om/products/cam_241qa/index.htm=20
but it is around =A3700.

I do have some concerns on Geovision

1. It will need another dedicated PC. I was trying to be PC free and=20=20
just a Mac server but now need Homeseer PC and Geovision.
2. Not sure about Geovision detecting motion. I don't want to confuse=20=20
matters. Comfort will fill that function for me.


Paul - My choices are partially down to you!

Ben


On 5 Feb 2009, at  10:48, Paul Gordon wrote:

> Absolutely! - piece of the proverbial p*ss with comfort...
>
> Connect up the bell-press switch to comfort as an input, connect
up=20=20
> the
> contact sensor on the door to comfort as an input. I even have a
PIR=20=20
> in
> the porch facing the front path, so I sense approaching visitors a
> little before they actually reach the door - this gives a little extra
> time for processing logic, and thus a more "immediate"
response...
>
> Comfort then knows:
> - when someone is approaching the door, before they get there
> (regardless of whether they rang the bell or not)
> - when the doorbell is pressed.
> - when the door is opened.
> - when the door is closed.
>
> note that I have a PIR immediately inside *AND* outside the
front=20=20
> door,
> so if I could be *rsed to deduce the logic & write the code, I
could=20=20
> do
> all kinds of clever things based on whether the door was opened in
> response to a caller, or because an occupant is leaving the house etc.
>
> Once that information is in comfort, you can do anything in
response=20=20
> to
> it that comfort can do. This includes switching CCTV cameras,
and=20=20
> there
> used to be numerous examples of this of the Comfort web site. It would
> be utter simplicity to have it power on the camera - you would need to
> take care of ensuring that whatever CCTV system you have in place can
> respond appropriately; - i.e. as soon as it starts receiving
video=20=20
> from
> that camera, it needs to start recording... It also needs to not
> complain about "lost feed" when you power the camera down
again...
>
> In my case, I use comfort to do some of the things that it is best at
> (turn on porch lights if its dark etc.), but I also communicate these
> conditions immediately into Homeseer via the comfort-homeseer plugin,
> and do additional logic there, including sending an email to my=20=20
> mailbox,
> pausing any playing SONOS zones if the bell is pressed, etc. (It could
> also provide TTS announcements over any/all SONOS zones if I=20=20
> wanted...)
>
> I also have a CCTV camera at the front door, but that currently is not
> fully integrated into the above. It is connected to a GeoVision=20=20
> server,
> which has motion detection (with complete freedom to mask areas of the
> image etc.) so this automatically records when someone approaches the
> door, and emails me a still. (I could also have it upload the still to
> an FTP site etc.) GeoVision have some I/O modules available that
can=20=20
> be
> triggered by the motion detection, so I plan to fit one or two
of=20=20
> these
> and connect its output channels to comfort inputs so it will then be
> able to signal comfort as soon as movement is detected by any camera
> (one channel per camera allows me to tell comfort exactly which camera
> has seen motion). This effectively will allow me to use the cameras as
> additional comfort sensors, with *excellent* discrimination in the
> detection area (far easier than trying to tune a PIR to only see
> movement in a specified area). Then the detection of movement by a
> camera will become a comfort trigger, and can instigate any
comfort=20=20
> (and
> thus additionally Homeseer) response that I want.
>
> Once the in-beta Homeseer Touch software is available, that would
> include the ability to push out a customised screen display with=20=20
> either
> a still, or streamed live feed from the CCTV, and any log information
> that you want, - exactly as described in your question.
>
> You could also pass the info from Homeseer into xAP/xPL and use
that=20=20
> to
> drive any number of additional display devices around the house.
I=20=20
> don't
> know if there are any direct Comfort-xAP/xPL interfaces available (I'm
> not aware of any), but a UCM-xAP/xPL would be a useful device I=20=20
> think...
>
> BTW: Your choices are all good ones:-
>
> CBUS - Just works
> Comfort - Just works
> SONOS - Just works
> Homeseer - If you do it *properly* it pretty much also does
"just=20=20
> work"
> with a fairly high degree of reliability (IME).
>
> HTH
>
> Paul G.
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On=20=20
>> Behalf
>> Of Ben McCormack
>> Sent: 05 February 2009 10:08
>> To: UKHA Group
>> Subject: [ukha_d] Adding CCTV
>>
>> All
>>
>> As you have read I have decided to go down the cbus/comfort/sonos
and
>> possibly
>> homeseer route for my HA system. Things are progressing well but
>> slowly.
>>
>> Now I had thought about CCTV in the past but was never sure but
this
>> morning I found a
>> site that has made me rethink http://www.bwired.nl/Doorimages.asp
>>
>> There is a camera at the front door that is linked to the
doorbell=20=20
>> and
>> also the contact
>> sensor on the door.
>>
>> So it takes a picture and gives the following readout
>>
>> Doorbell pushed On Saturday 31 January 2009 - 19:57:42
>> Door Opened On 19:57:53  After 11 Seconds  For 8 Seconds
>>
>> Now the system to do this is home written so is not an option for
me.
>>
>> Has anyone got anything similar working
>>
>> Action : Comfort Doorbell pressed
>> Response : Camera turns on and records for 2 min or until door is
>> opened and closed.
>>
>> Any help or pointers appreciated.
>>
>> Ben
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>
>
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