Security/status monitoring

Jay Ashworth

Well-Known Member
I am just Captain Questions, this month, ain't I? Virtual beer for everyone! :)

I'm working up a quote for security and situational awareness monitoring for a theatre hereabouts. The goal is to be able to use the cameras for user-absent security monitoring and recording, for user-present situational awareness ("what's going on in the scene shop"; "how big is the house"; "is the audience in from the lobby"; "how many people in the box office line") *and* to use the main auditorium camera for late-seater monitoring, in conjunction with the existing 70v system (which means low-latency to avoid sync problems)... this last idea in conjunction with a digital signage rollout, also from scratch.

I'm looking at some 4mp IP cameras from TrendNet that look very spiffy, and I'm contemplating a current version of ZoneMinder -- though I have to clear it with the contractor and the client. I *know* that approach would let me split the security camera monitors for backstage and booth monitoring, in addition to security recording.

It *might* let me split for the signage app as well, or I might need to make sure the cameras are dual-stream; I'm working on getting a single unit in hand to check for that.

Has anyone addressed these issues in a relatively recent time horizon? Which hole(s) were you trying to dig, and what shovels did you use? How'd it work out? Did you design/implement yourself, or have a contractor do parts?
 
I've been wanting to do something similar as a back burner project in our space since we got robbed by roof-dwelling ninjas a couple years back. Our space is outfitted with an ancient Samsung DVR setup with 4 external cameras that are powered by some flavor of Cat5 and either coax or cat5 again for the signal. I'm not sure if that's what you mean by 70v system? That to me sounds like a paging horn, I'm not sure if there's a video standard involved. All of these cameras are external and none of them are worth a hoot other than showing that a person-shaped blob was in the field of view at a particular time.

Thoughts that immediately occur are data storage and management. Camera systems are not as set it and forget it as we'd like them to be. Additionally, cameras running 24/7 will wear out, though I suspect more expensive models might have greater longevity. Storage has to be maintained and archived or deleted periodically. A RAID setup would make the most sense. In a closed network of IP cameras you might be able to use some type of NAS for the job. I'm not super familiar with ZoneMinder, we currently use iSpy with a webcam as a cheap fix until I can finish research enough to invest in a more permanent solution, but it looks like it could do something like that. Also, with any ethernet setup, you're going to have to deal with the occasional network crisis too.

My current thought now is to look into one of the package DVR units rather than build something homebrew. Most of those run on two pair of an ethernet cable (power and signal) and therefore can be placed anywhere there's an ethernet termination. As for our SM monitor I'm thinking of upgrading our stage camera with something HD and replacing our tube TV's in the lobby as well, using the same feed for the stage feed and the lobby. Putting some sort of switch in the lobby run so we can also patch in a computer to run slides to the lobby displays instead of the live feed as needed.

I'd be interested to see what others might say too. My research indicates that there is not a good cheap way to do security cameras and expect results post-incident.
 

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