Jul 25, 2007 by batstooge | Posted in Security

I don't want to spend a fortune, but I'm not cheap either. Does anyone know of some decent wireless systems with about 4 cameras that I can mount outside and view from either my TV, Computer, or a monitor that comes with the system? Any help is appreciated.

First of all, if you are looking for a good usable image you probably want to stay away from the offshore gunk being schlepped off on the geeknet and big-box stores.

There are a number of ways you can go, as for viewing camera's on TV there are channel inserters available which will superimpose your video onto a channel on your CATV. Another method is wireless UHF transmitters, however the neighbours will also be able to see snippits of your video (Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on your openness)

Another method is to use a networkable DVR which you can access through your Local network (could also be accessable remotely if you have a static IP). If you don't already have one, you will have to get a multi-port router for this to work. Cheap only 30 to 150 bucks.

You could also get a stand-alone surveillance system with a video switcher / sequencer or quad display. This will only record if you attach a recorder, but if you are looking to view only this could be the solution for you. If you take a look back in my answer history there was a similar question where I went into more detail on the differences between Switchers, Mux's, Quad's and DVR's. I also wrote an article on camera's awhile back, it is fairly old, however most of it still applies. There is more information which may help on my website at http://www.keepsafesystems.ca.

I hope this helps you out in your endevour.

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The starting point of any C.C.T.V. system is the camera. Simply stated, a camera is a light sensitive device that converts particles of light into electrical impulses, however, there is a vast difference in the quality of cameras available to the consumer. Factors that differentiate the various cameras include whether they are color, black and white, light sensitivity, image resolution and image transfer technology. The consumer must also consider the inherent advantages and disadvantages in each of these different camera technologies and decide which features best fit their individual needs and goals.

In the past, color cameras have been both very expensive and lack-luster in their image performance, when compared to black and white cameras. New technology is now bringing the innovative technologies closer together in both the price and performance scale. The current differences between the two technologies are almost entirely limited to light sensitivity and light reactivity.

Light sensitivity is measured in LUX. The lower the LUX rating, the higher the sensitivity to light. It is important to keep in mind that even the best-rated cameras are limited by the technology of the day, as well as the visibility conditions present at the time of the surveillance. Although great advancements in low light surveillance continue to be ongoing, the image quality in a low light situation will rarely be up to the standards of daylight surveillance.

Color cameras, although much more appealing on the outside when compared to their black and white counterparts, generally offer less low light sensitivity than a black and white camera. The other advantage of black and white cameras over color cameras is its ability to "see" infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye. You can test this by aiming a standard television remote at a black and white camera while watching the monitor, the flashes you see are bursts of infrared light. The advantage of this becomes apparent in the ability to light up a dark area with infrared light, thus making images visible in almost pure darkness. With the color camera the area will appear unlit, however, to a black and white camera, the area will appear almost like daylight.

The black and white camera‚s reactivity to the invisible light spectrum can also pose a disadvantage in certain applications. Infrared light, although not visible to the human eye, is found in abundance in many everyday situations. For example, when aiming a black and white camera at hot pavement, it will "confuse" the camera resulting in an unbalanced image. Professional grade black and white cameras often incorporate infrared cut-filters. These cut-filters inhibit the infrared light spectrum in turn decreasing the cameras low light sensitivity.

The C.C.T.V. Industry measures image resolution in horizontal lines. The higher the line rating, the clearer the image will appear. With this fact in mind, consider that all electronic components within a C.C.T.V. System, from the camera, to the VCR, to the monitor. These items are all rated in the same way. The actual resolution of the entire system will only be as high as the lowest rated item. For example, if you have a camera rated at 450 lines and a monitor rated at 300 lines, then the result will be 300 visible lines of resolution because the monitor is the lowest rated item in this example. Another point to keep in mind is that the line rating is "Total lines" not lines per inch. Therefore a 12" monitor with a 300 line rating has a far better clarity than a 17" monitor with the same line rating.

The most recent and predominant advances in the C.C.T.V. Industry are the changes in image transfer technology. This technology deals with how the camera takes light particles and converts them into electronic images. Without going into too much detail, image transfer technologies include the following:

Phosphorus Tube Cameras - This camera has low quality, old technology and is susceptible to "image burn". Image burn is when intense light sources will burn themselves into the camera‚s light receptor resulting in the image appearing "memorized". Although this is not a problem with modern day cameras, image burn can still occur on monitors. Tube cameras are also known for poor low light sensitivity.

C.C.D - Also known as "Chip cameras". This camera is the most standard of cameras in the professional realm. C.C.D. cameras do not suffer from the problem of image burn and can incorporate various methods of signal processing, which offers a high level of flexibility to the installer.

CMOS Transfer Cameras - These cameras are very small and continue to get smaller as the technology advances. Although very attractive in their size, CMOS cameras generally do not offer the signal processing, image quality or low light sensitivity of the higher priced C.C.D. camera models. However, the technologies are slowly growing closer together to the point where CMOS cameras may eventually take over the Surveillance Industry.

The Surveillance Industry has continued to move towards the implementation of color cameras that switch to black and white, or even infrared in low light conditions. Although there are some models currently available on the market, the technology is not at a point where it is affordable enough to be manufactured on a large scale.