|
|
Camsecure CCTV |
Webcams CCTV Software and Systems |
Information Help & Advice Section |
Hello there and welcome to our Information Help and Advice section. If your just getting into Webcams, CCTV, IP Cameras, or Video Streaming then its easy to become baffled by all the products, software and terminology used on the subject. In this section i am going to try and throw some light on these in clear and easy to understand terms so you will soon be able to enjoy all the features of these products. Please have a look through this section and the associated Help and FAQ sections and if you still cant find what your looking for please feel free to email us directly. We will start at the beginning with some basic definitions and answers to Frequently Asked Questions and move on to the more complex devices and procedures. Please follow the links to more detailed information if you need it. There are lots of topics to select on the left. |
What is a Webcam? A Webcam is any camera that can be used to generate images that can be accessed and displayed on the World Wide Web. Even so the actual term Webcam usually refers to a camera - typically a USB camera, that connects to a computer first and then to the Internet. |
What can i use a Webcam for? Webcams are often used for personal use in the home by parents who want to give distant relatives visual access to their children or want to monitor what goes on in the home while they are at work. People might also use webcams in the home to keep an eye on things while they are out of town or even just to see what their pets do all day. The uses of a webcam are limitless. Businesses often use webcams for video conferencing, and webcam technology is used by numerous other entities to give the public access to a variety of information, from weather and traffic to the feeding habits of the most recently acquired zoo animal. Some schools and day care facilities use a webcam to allow parents to see what their children do at school. |
What is an IP Camera? IP cameras are Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that use Internet Protocol to transmit image data and control signals over a Fast Ethernet link or the Internet. As such, IP cameras are also commonly referred to as network cameras and connect directly to a router - no PC needed. |
What can i use an IP Camera for? IP Cameras can be used just like Webcams or CCTV cameras with the added benefit that they dont need a PC local to the camera to stream over the Internet. IP cameras are often used for surveillance in the same manner as analog closed-circuit television. A number of IP cameras are normally deployed together with a digital video recorder (DVR) or a network video recorder (NVR) to form a video surveillance system. IP cameras are highly flexible devices and when coupled with the correct software and used over the internet a worldwide surveillance system is easily constructed. |
What is an IP Video Webserver? A Video Webserver is a unit that lets you connect standard video sources to the network or internet without using a PC. The connected devices can then be accessed like an IP camera. Any device with a standard composite video output can be connected to a webserver e.g. a CCTV camera, home video camera or even a Sky Digibox. |
What does CCTV stand for? As the name implies, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is a system in which the circuit is closed and all the elements are directly connected. This is unlike broadcast television where any receiver that is correctly tuned can pick up the signal from the airwaves. Directly connected in this context includes systems linked by microwave, infrared beams, etc. as well as the conventional coaxial cable. |
What does FTP Mean? FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is used to upload static camera images to a website or server. For more detailed information click on FTP Image Upload. Find FTP Software Here. |
What is Video Streaming? Video Streaming is the term used for sending fast moving images over a network or the Internet. See Basic Streaming Techniques for more details. |
What is an IP Address? This is a unique set of numbers which identifies a specific PC or other device like an IP Camera on a network or the Internet. They take on a form like this 85.56.207.123. IP addresses can either be Fixed or Dynamic. A fixed IP address never changes and is called a Static IP. A Dynamic IP address can change for a number of reasons. For this reason a dynamic IP could be difficult to use for cameras as you would not know what it was from one day to the next, but there is an easy way over this problem. See Streaming with a Dynamic IP for more details. |
What are Carl Zeiss Optics? Carl Zeiss Optics are the superb autofocus lenses used on some webcams. Find out more about Carl Zeiss Optics. |
What does IP rated mean? An IP rating describes what level of protection a device has against the ingress of foreign substances into its enclosure and should not be confused with an IP camera. A camera can be IP rated for weatherproofing and an IP camera can also be IP Rated for weatherproofing. See IP Ratings for full details of how weatherproof a device is according to its IP Rating. The range of Camsecure Weatherproof Webcams are either IP65 or IP66 rated |
How To Do It Quick Links |
The first IP camera was released in 1996 by Axis Communications. It used an embedded Linux platform internal to the camera. Axis also released documentation for their low-level API called "VAPIX" which builds on the open standards of HTTP and RTSP. This open architecture was intended to encourage third-party software manufacturers to develop compatible management and recording software. Camsecure IP cameras are now available in a wide range of formats ranging from the standard models up to high specification Megapixel cameras. |
FTP Image Uploading can easily be accomplished with most Webcam Software. One of the very best programs for Webcam FTP upload is Active Webcam which also allows full video streaming too. For streaming video live, Camsecure Viewstream is the easiest webcam streaming program there is and lets you stream fast video in just a few mouse clicks. |
In 1991, the first webcam was up and running at Cambridge University's Computer Science Department, but since then, webcams have crept into homes, businesses, public streets and buildings. Webcams range in price and performance from still image only webcams to high performance models which can be used to stream live video at 30 FPS (frames per second) to multiple locations around the world. Webcams are often used for Video Conferencing and many FREE video phone systems such as SKYPE. Camsecure Webcams are wide in range and keen on price with a model suitable for every application. |
IP Video Webservers are very useful devices and let you connect analogue cameras to IP Networks. They are very useful for converting standard CCTV systems to operate and integrate with IP Networks. Camsecure Webservers are cost effective and highly reliable units. See our 9100, 9100A, 9310 models. |
CCTV has been around for some time but the latest technology has brought some great new equipment onto the market including All In One cameras, DVR's, DVR Cards, PTZ domes and Infra Red LED Lamps to name just a few of the advances in CCTV technology. |
Find your current IP address by visiting our support page getting visible on the Internet, your current IP address will be displayed on the top of the screen on the right hand side above the search bar. |
Carl Zeiss Optics are used on auto focus webcams such as the Logitech QuickCam Sphere AF and the Logitech QuickCam Proo 9000 AF. |
The IP Rating system is used on all electronic devices including CCTV to indicate the devices resistance to the ingress of foreign matter. The Camsecure Weatherproof Webcams are IP65 or IP66 rated. |
Product Support Quick Links |
By The Way.....Did You Know |
What is a Video Capture Card? - Find out More about DVR cards A PCI Video Capture Card is a PCB that is installed in a spare PCI slot in your PC. The card then allows you to connect CCTV cameras and other video sources direct to the PC. Depending on the software supplied with the card you may use it as a simple device for recording or backing up DVD's or it can become a highly sophisticated Security Surveillance Digital Video Recorder. Some Capture Cards also known as DVR Cards can also record audio as well as video and some even have controllable inputs and outputs too. You can get 1 - 4 - 8 - 16 channel cards and more than one card can be used in a PC to increase the number of camera inputs available. |
The Camsecure range of Capture Cards are available in 4 or 8 way models and with various chipsets at resolutions of 8, 9 or 10 bit. We have BT878 cards which are very common right up to the latest cards with Phillips and Techwell chipsets. All our DVR cards have full featured easy to use software supplied with them along with detailed installation instructions. |
What is a USB Video Capture Device / DVR? A USB Video Capture Device or USB DVR is a small unit that plugs into a spare USB port on the PC or laptop and allows you to connect a CCTV camera or other video source directly to the PC via its USB interface. You can get single channel units and four channel units too. Single channel is best as it uses less PC resource and the video is available at full frame rate. While not as powerful as a Capture Card they are very flexible and easy to connect. Another advantage is that they use the Windows WDM driver system so they can be used with all webcam programs and any other software that uses windows WDM for webcam s such as weather station software. |
The Camsecure range of USB Video Interfaces are high quality units and provide up to 30 FPS at a resolution of 640 x 480 and even 704 x 576. They can of course be used with any resolution up to these limits. Our USB DVR's are very flexible easy to use units. |
General information Quick Links |
