Jeremy & All,

Gspy is a Gnome utility that retrieves images from a video4linux device 
and processes these into a daily mpeg movie on the disk drive. Here is 
the link to their web page...

http://gspy.sourceforge.net/

...which looks to be as good as the WinTLV (Time Lapse Video) program 
which I use on Win2K at present. I would need to record from multiple 
cameras. Gipsy has a motion sensing feature not present in WinTLV.

So I am thinking that:

1. I would hope to use a multiple-input card.
    a. PixelSmart comes highly recommended, I have emailed them, no     
        response yet. Here is their URL:
        http://www.Pixelsmart.com/chart.html
    b. Alternately, multiple single-input cards could be used at higher
        expense.

2. Camera inputs should accept NTSC for black-and-white.
    a. B&W cameras are sensitive in near-infrared, see well in very
        poor light.
    b. NTSC cables, type RG-59 can run for very much farther than USB.
    c. NTSC type B&W cameras at 420 lines pluss are plenty high res
        enough.

3. Output format for Gipsy is MPEG, for WinTLV is AVI. Both are
    stand-alone formats which can be viewed without a non-free viewer.

4. End result would be one or two computers dedicated to archiving MPEG 
    or AVI files by date (a Perl script I could write) and delete them  
    by age as the HD nears fullness. A Perl CGI (which I'd write) could 
    keep a server-page up-to-date for the security folks to play with   
    when they wanted to review something. But mostly it would be        
    set-and-forget as a system.

I already have done a single-camera op with WinTLV and Perl in the past 
to catch folks messing with our testing machines after hours. So the HR 
exec laid this building security idea in my lap as the "resident 
expert". This after they shot down an astronomical bid from a 
rent-a-cop outfit to set up a similar bank of analog cameras with tape 
drives, etc, etc.

The job is mine. I can do it however I like. I might like to try it 
with NetBSD versus Win2K, provided I won't be going off on a limb only 
to saw it off behind me. I hate it when I go and do that. I can only do 
that about once a year and not draw any tisk-tisk's. My quota is in for 
this year...I think. Have to wait at least until Spring before I'm okay 
to go again.

So...nothing fancy, just capture the files, archive them by date, serve 
them when asked, delete them when old. Most of that is a job for Perl. 
It is getting the files in the first place that has me puzzled (but 
only if by NetBSD).

That's what I'd like to do, if can be done, NetBSD-style. Otherwise, 
I'll just play it safe, for now, until I know better this new (for me) 
OS.

Regards,

Gan Starling
Kalamazoo MI USA

  
On Tuesday 27 November 2001 03:03, you wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Nov 2001, Gan Uesli Starling wrote:
> > I've got a project at work for a video security system. Can do it
> > in Win2K, since I have before. But I find that Bt848 is listed as
> > supported under NetBSD. And I see a Linux package called Gipsy, but
> > not as a NetBSD package.
>
> What is "gipsy"?
>
> Tell us what you want to accomplish.
>
> I am thinking about video that when it changes drastically or quickly
> then it can alert you. This sounds interesting.
>
> What other video/camera hardware do you have?
>
> (I have used the Brooktree 848 driver to watch videos under NetBSD.)
>
>    Jeremy C. Reed
>    http://www.reedmedia.net/