Shared Knowledge

"How to: Get High Quality Home Security Audio and Video Over the Internet"

29 January 2009

Summary: do not care for image quality of wireless webcams sold. Using a Slingbox and a cheap video camera, get high quality video over the Internet

To get video of the interior of your home over the Internet, meaning you can view from any web browser in the world you can:

Buy one of the Internet capable video cameras available. These cameras have all the electronics to allow for Internet web browsing but all but the most expensive have very low resolution cameras built into them and no audio. These can be had for $200 or less. Ones with higher resolution cameras and perhaps low light capability and/or Internet control of camera pan or tilt can go as high as $1000. Most, if not all, of these cameras can be configure for either Ethernet or wireless operation.

But there is another way to go if you need high resolution Internet video and that is to buy a Slingbox Solo and any decent video camera. The Slingbox has the electronics to allow what ever video and audio is connected to it to be accessible via web browser. To the Slingbox you attach your video camera and turn it on.

With the Slingbox-video camera combination, you have a decent, reliable, web browsing capable system with high quality audio and video. Total cost? $200 for Slingbox Solo new and maybe $250 for a nice video camera. (Much less if both bought used).

Notes:

- Most of the off-the-shelf Internet capable video cameras include a home recording function software utility. This function allow you to turn on or off home video recording to a computer hard drive.

- If you already have a Slingbox HD Pro, you could simply connect a video camera to this device. (A Slingbox HD Pro allows a user to view his or her home high definition cable or Tivo-based movies or other inputs, like a video camera, from any web browser in the world.)

- If your want your camera in an area not served by Ethernet (Slingbox only supports an Ethernet connection), you can buy a wireless gaming adapter and attach this to your Slingbox and configure it with your wireless router. Cost of wireless gaming adapter new is about $80, used for $40.

-The video camera can serve dual purposes if desired as you can use it as a normal video camera and then connect it to your Slingbox only when you need home security video.

- With the Slingbox-video camera approach, you would not have any sort of video record capability.