CCTV on Playa - Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia

dadara · Post by **dadara** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:26 am

Hello All

I'd like to add surveillance camera's to my Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia project,
as a visual element enhancing the Big Brother feeling and as recording devices to use for filming my project.

Since I'm from Europe and want to combine the CCTV footage with other film footage, I'd need the camera's to record PAL, so I was wondering if in the States
I could get camera's that could record both NTSC and PAL and what would be the best source to look for them.
Also I was wondering if it's possible to run CCTV camera's on batteries instead of electricity and what would be the best system available that could handle the dust.
I know there's very advanced hi-definitions surveillance systems available at the moment but I'm looking for the low-quality b/w type that is instantly recognizable as CCTV footage.
And obviously I won't need the ones that are internet remote-controllable.........

If anyone of you has any technical knowledge about surveillance camera's or knows a good source where to get them and technical assistance in the States that would be great!

On behalf of Dreamland Security

Dadara

Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia -
a Border Control Checkpoint to enter your own Dreams

[youtube][/youtube]
http://www.dreamyourtopia.com
http://dreamyourtopia.blogspot.com

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 6:49 am

These guys are great.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

It's getting easier to convert PAL to NTSC, so you have different approaches you could take.
I'm not completely up to date on this stuff.
There are sealed cameras and many with housings.
Often you find them used in the housings.

dadara · Post by **dadara** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:15 am

gyre wrote:These guys are great.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

They indeed look professional guys, but also quite expensive......
I noticed all their camera's are full-color , very hi-quality, while I'd be content ( even more content ) with the grainy old-fashioned greenish quality which instantly communicates "this is surveillance camera footage"

Any suggestions where to find those?

gyre wrote:It's getting easier to convert PAL to NTSC, so you have different approaches you could take.
I'm not completely up to date on this stuff.

Anyone who is up to date and knows how to do it?
I keep hearing it's very expensive, but I can imagine that nowadays modern technology did change that?

gyre wrote:There are sealed cameras and many with housings.
Often you find them used in the housings.

"Where could I find those?" asks the ignorant foreigner (me) wishing to embark on the American Dream

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:36 am

I have seen software for PAL/NTSC conversion as well as hardware.
I'm sure B and H has cheaper stuff.
I find it hard to find stuff on their site.
Really low res stuff is available on ebay, dept stores, target, kmart, walmart and so on.
Cheap ones will be unlikely to be multisync compatible.
How cheap do you want?

You may find it easier to bring small ones with you.
No reason not to go all PAL unless you need to mix NTSC footage in.
BH used to carry PAL at good prices.

Used stuff is where you find it.
I don't know a single good source.

Other stores
http://www.jr.com/
http://www.tigerdirect.com/
Tiger can be annoying to deal with, many rebates
New egg is another deep discount place.
I still end up at BH or JR most of the time.

Old video cameras can be used but will not be dustproof at all.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 8:18 am

Token · Post by **Token** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 11:49 am

This is easy if you have a laptop. Any old cheap USB camera will record in either format on a computer.

Most laptop computers will run from a 12V battery and the USB cameras are powered from the laptop.

Hell, if you have a laptop I'll donate a couple old USB cameras with IR mode. You can record everything in Infra Red for that extra edgy look. It even has that software that records one or few frames per second like security cameras in liquor stores.

dadara · Post by **dadara** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:05 pm

Token wrote:This is easy if you have a laptop. Any old cheap USB camera will record in either format on a computer.

I have a laptop, but don't know if I want to bring out my new Mac and have it out in the dusty open. unfortunately coming from abroad I won't have an old laptop lying around, but I am quite sure I can find one with a little help of my friends

Unfortunately I lack a lot of the infrastructure I have at home, but coming for 8 months to the States as a temporary Art Immigrant I think is very fitting for the American Dream!

Token wrote:THell, if you have a laptop I'll donate a couple old USB cameras with IR mode. You can record everything in Infra Red for that extra edgy look. It even has that software that records one or few frames per second like security cameras in liquor stores.

YES! that look of the security cameras in liquor stores is definitely what I'm looking for! Looking forward to get hold of those cameras of yours........

Slowly but surely Dreamyourtopia is becoming more and more Reality

motskyroonmatick · Post by **motskyroonmatick** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:25 pm

I get all my inexpensive security type cameras off of e-bay. Many if not all have been shipped direct from Asia. I make sure they are 12 volt dc so that they will work on my mutant vehicle. You might try the dome type camera so that the outer part can be cleaned of dust for a brief period. I got all of my 12 volt monitors off of e-bay or from a thrift store. State surplus sales sometimes have really good quality monitors for cheap that are both 12 volt dc and 120 ac. The recording part I know next to nothing about but I assume there would be a recording device in 12 volt dc that would record in the correct format. Possibly a hard drive type used in in car police cameras.

Good luck!!!

roamer · Post by **roamer** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:32 pm

I'll be adding a couple of CCTV cameras to the entrance of Brit Camp but they'll just be empty boxes with a red LED attached.

I would add a flashing speed camera too but hardly anybody would recognise what it was.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:10 pm

Loop a burning tire over it and I'd recognise it.

Token · Post by **Token** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:29 pm

dadara wrote:YES! that look of the security cameras in liquor stores is definitely what I'm looking for! Looking forward to get hold of those cameras of yours........

Send me a pm here on Eplaya when you are ready. I'm in Los Angeles but can ship these anywhere. They are pretty small.

dadara · Post by **dadara** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:26 am

Token wrote:
dadara wrote:YES! that look of the security cameras in liquor stores is definitely what I'm looking for! Looking forward to get hold of those cameras of yours........
Send me a pm here on Eplaya when you are ready. I'm in Los Angeles but can ship these anywhere. They are pretty small.

Thanks everyone so far!
I'm also getting another bunch of CCTV camera's from a company that has upgraded to hi-quality full-color ones, so it seems I'll have the camera part of this aspect of my project covered and can play around with those to get some freaky cool results!

Now I'll have to check how to get the recording done. Since I'll leave for the States first of July I'll have time to get it all set up before embarking on the road trip to the Playa to start building beginning of August.

If there's any hi tech nerd geeks computer hacker types out there from the Dallas Fort Worth area who could help me with setting up this system during my preparations in Dallas, please contact me.

Any technical tips appreciated, so I can start doing my tehnical research already and make it all fool proof ( and hopefully dust proof ) before
heading out to BRC

"BIG DREAMER IS WATCHING YOU"

CCTV on Playa - Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia

CCTV on Playa - Checkpoint Dreamyourtopia

Recording Devices and Technical Set Up