Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - Computer requirements for home surveillance
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valbor
12-28-07, 08:53 AM
Hi,
What are the computer requirements for a computer based home surveilance system with 4 cameras and DVR?
Can I also use same computer for running home automation?
Thanks,
Val
What are the computer requirements for a computer based home surveilance system with 4 cameras and DVR?
Can I also use same computer for running home automation?
Thanks,
Val
kcxj
12-28-07, 12:57 PM
Not reccomended. I would use a standalone DVR. If you don't want to buy a DVR, then you could build one. Find the PCI DVR card you would like to use, along with the required software and match the requirements of the software to the PC.
MrRonFL
12-28-07, 02:40 PM
You need to look at the specs for the viewer software, but pretty much any modern machine with a decent amount of RAM will do the trick. Really, the DVR card does a lot of the heavy lifting for this trick.
What you do need is as much hard drive space as you can lay hands on. That is what dictates how much recorded footage you have access to.
You could use the same machine to run a home automation system. If so, I would suggest installing two hard drives, and having the second, larger drive be the video storage drive (it will cycle more, and take more wear and tear, so when it does fail, it is less likely to take down the home system).
On the whole, a lot depends on your computer configuration comfort level. If a lot of system level tinkering is your cup of tea, have fun. If not, then the standalone DVR is the better choice (which can be networked into your home network and viewed from any computer that can access the network).
What you do need is as much hard drive space as you can lay hands on. That is what dictates how much recorded footage you have access to.
You could use the same machine to run a home automation system. If so, I would suggest installing two hard drives, and having the second, larger drive be the video storage drive (it will cycle more, and take more wear and tear, so when it does fail, it is less likely to take down the home system).
On the whole, a lot depends on your computer configuration comfort level. If a lot of system level tinkering is your cup of tea, have fun. If not, then the standalone DVR is the better choice (which can be networked into your home network and viewed from any computer that can access the network).