Electronic Alarms and Home Security Devices - installing a Network ip camera system

Hello, I've been searching the web for info on how to set up networkable ip cameras that will send a copy of recordings to a remote location. 2 weeks ago my home was broken into and I lost many irreplaceable items. And I am pissed! :madhell: (sorry..) My home was not an "easy mark". I have motion sensor flood lights on 3 sides of the house and a always on flood in front (which they struck and broke). There's a security screen door (it was pried apart and door kicked in) and all doors have dead bolts and locks. My safe/valuables were in a reenforced dead bolted closet. And safe was bolted to the wall. None of these stopped the creeps from succeeding. I only rent my home so i don't want to install a expensive alarm system. Camera's seem the next logical choice. I already have quite a few of the necessary items ie: Airlink 101 ptz camera, various CCD camera's w/ night vision, a small usb camera for covert placement inside, a Sensormatic Duplex Multiplexer (not really sure if/or how I can use it..?) and Macintosh iMac and MacBook Pro. I have been running into a few snags w/ the Mac's & finding compatible software. I have a general idea of what I want but lack the knowledge and know how to actually make it all work. Basically I need a recording sent elsewhere that they CAN'T steal. Most of my cameras are CCD and all have different end connectors (rca,cmos, etc). I'd like include motion sensing/tracking that would alert my iphone when triggered. The system has to be relatively low maintenance. So in haste I don't forget to turn it on and guests won't see to much. :eek: I'm trying to stay away from wireless ( to easily intercepted). My problem is how do I make all this work together? Are there services or servers that provide remote video storage? Would getting a DVR be prudent? If you can be of any assistance my appreciation will know no bounds!! Each time I leave my home now I'm overcome with the fear that "it " could happen again. GI2 Thank you

The cameras you have aren't IP cameras, so you won't necessarily have an Network IP Camera system.

If you plan on using your cameras, you will simply need to buy a DVR that has all the features you want. Many/most of the better ones have network ability, so sending info, messages, etc is fairly simple.

Storing the recordings off-site will be your biggest challenge. If it were me, I would just hide the DVR rather than try and store it off-site.

A *true* IP camera system could send the video feeds via FTP to an off-site server, but you are going to be very limited on data based completely on bandwidth. A regular DVR might be able to do this as well, but I'm not positive.

An internal LAN is not nearly as bandwidth restrictive.

If you get a networkable DVR, you could have it set to send screen captures every minute or so to an email. That way even if the main data storage is still on-site, you at least have still screen shots saved off-site.

A better idea instead of sending stills at set intervals is to make sure the DVR has alarm inputs, then you can set up a motion detector to send you a still or clip with a pre and post alarm time.

If you wanted to upload images somewhere an inexpensive program is Active Webcam.
I bought this to upload stills from an IP camera to a website.

It will handle IP, USB and video cameras except you will need a capture device for video cameras.

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