Re: How can I do this (CCTV)

[Matt Ion <soundy106@xxxxxxxxx>]

Crash Gordon wrote:
> Residential install; lady wants two exterior cameras (no biggie I already
> ran two coax, two cat5e, two power wires - so I'm set for anything).
> But she can't make up her mind what she wants us to do with the
> signal...DVR, Capture Card, modulate to TVs??
>
> Since her brother gave her a prefectly good 2 year old computer, I figured
> I'd just install a decent capture card with internet capabilities on the
> computer and run a remote LCD display to her bedroom (about 15 feet from the
> computer). The 'puter will be located at the structured wiring box.
>
> That seemed too simple.
>
> Now she's thinking she may also want it modulated to 3 TV locations.
>
> This is why I go nuts.
>
> She has money for anything reasonable I come up with.
>
> Can I take the output from the cameras and modulate it AND send it to the
> capture card? Or is this backwards thinking.
> She's got me confused now.

If you have a capture card with a composite video *output*, you could
just split that out to an A/V input on each TV - rather than changing
channels, then, she'd just hit the Input Select button.  You might need
some sort of video-distribution amp to split it three-ways without
signal loss, but it will be a hulluva lot cheaper than most high-channel
modulators (you could get a channel 3/4 modulator designed for video
games for about $15-$20, but that's more likely to interfere with a
channel that's already in use).

If she needs to see BOTH cameras on her TVs, a basic quad or used MUX
would do as well, providing either a 2x2 or PIP view, or stepping
between cameras.  Most have in/out loops so it's easy to run the cameras
into the box and then chain them out to the capture card.  The output(s)
from the quad or MUX can then go to a modulator, or split out to the
TVs' A/V inputs.