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Mobile Ojisan

The future is now in the land of the rising sun

 

Jan 27, 2006 06:37

Network camera on the cheap (2)

Posted by mobileojisan
Two channels of video not enough? All right then, how about four video channels for network watching?

This video server comes, again, from Evergreen Co. of Akihabara, IPVideo EG-SIVA24. Price: 14,800 yen (US$128).


EG-SIVA24, very tiny (100 x 57 x 25mm) but powerful and cheap.



Video interface is not USB, but a good old composite video. So, no cheap USB Web camera on this server. But, on the other hand, I bet your junk box is full of old video equipment. Close circuit video cameras, old low-res digital cameras, video recorders... all these retired gears with composite video output can be connected to SIVA24.

I have several disused cameras, all of them from Akihabara junk shops. A black-and-white, two colors, an infrared, and a couple of tiny spy cameras, too. These junk can be revived again, hurray!

Two video size can be chosen remotely, high and low. 640 x 480, or smaller. Only one stereo audio input, this is a drag. The typical network camera function, motion detect, is not being neglected by SIVA24. If a cockroach jumps into the view of one of the four cameras, SIVA24 sends a warning email with the portrait of cockroach attached. At the same time, the mugshot of this six-legged culprit is sent to the FTP server.


Four video channels (Motion JPEG) at a glance. Only one stereo audio channel, though.


Four channels can be viewd on one remote display. Well, it's not unlike a tired rent-a-cop watching boring security videos of nighttime storehouse scene.

Now, you can be an all-watching, all-prevailing, all controlling Big Brother. Not too bad at less than US$130.



 
 


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