I have a few questions, will put them all in one post:
I'm looking at the Axis cameras, primarily because of user experiences here, Linux operating system, and a relative who has looked into them. There is a big difference in prices and features between 2100 (indoor only, among other problems) and 2110, 2120, 2420.
1. One of the features that I'm sure boosts the price on the more expensive cameras is motion detection. If I purchase a camera (2110) that doesn't have motion detection as a feature of the camera, can motion detection work with the Zone Minder Software?
2. Any durability info on the cameras? 1 year warranty on a security camera leaves me speechless. Their most expensive camera, as well as the rest of their cameras only have a 1 year warranty. Once mounted, I would expect a security camera to last 20 years or more, similar to security cameras I am familiar with in the area and with businesses I know. Calling the Axis cameras "web cams" and therefore not expecting them to last the same as a security camera is a cop out. They are selling them as security cameras. Does anyone have any durability/long term performance experience with these cameras? My relative plans on installing them for customers through his business. If they all start crapping out in a couple of years after he's installed a couple hundred of them...
3. Other than the camera itself, and the video capture card (required for the Axis?), ethernet wiring, switch and electric, and the computer running ZoneMinder, is there anything else required? There are other accessories listed on Axis' site. They have one camera with a mpeg2 video capture. Then they list an mpeg2 license for compression, which doesn't sound cheap or perpetual. Am I correct in assuming that the license is for the mpeg2 camera (Axis 230), and I won't need this because either the camera I plan on purchasing doesn't use mpeg2 compression, or because I'm using Linux?
4. I'm using Debian (through Knoppix). I'm fairly new when it comes to compiling, having just compiled a few simple applications a while back (not on Debian though). But I've been running Linux a few years, so I know my way around a bit. I've seen on other sites that compiling MySQL is "not for the faint of heart", and that one should stick with binaries unless that is impossible and you know what you are doing. I figure I'd have a problem just getting the source code installed in Debian, let alone compiling MySQL to work with Zoneminder. I took a look at the readme, and it is for rpm based distros, not debian based. And it looks complicated enough that I'd probably get stuck. Has anyone put together a how-to or a step-by-step for Debian in getting Zoneminder installed?
5. I won't be able to confirm if Zoneminder, and the cameras work, until I get Zoneminder installed. I'd be installing the cameras under roof soffits that are at least 30 feet high outdoors. So I won't be able to test everything for a while. I have tried a usb camera (old, black & white only) that works with xawtv on Knoppix/Debian. I can manually take some screen captures with this setup (sorry, don't have name of camera, name not on camera, only shows up in dmesg when plugged in, can't plug in with computer running or I'll hang computer, and don't remember name) Does anyone know if I plug the Axis cameras into my network, will I be able to see if the camera works or take screen captures with xawtv or another application, so that I can determine the correct zoom/angle before final outside installation?
Thanks for the work on Zoneminder. It looks great. Wish it could be easier for non-technical people to use. Also, sorry for length of post, let me know if I should break apart future posts to one post per question, or if this was better.
Motion detect required in Axis cam? Durability? Other hardwa
Re: Motion detect required in Axis cam? Durability? Other ha
This is one of the accessories I was talking about:
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~kwyu/
To build a small box that does MPEG-2 video encoding, complete with archival and motion detection triggering (either by looking at the video or by having a motion detector attached to it). Each box will be connected to a surveillance camera and buffer its video to a central server. We planned to built a cheaper alternative to the AXIS 250S MPEG-2 Video Servers, which cost $800 each.
Is the above needed? I'm assuming not because either the other cameras use motionjpeg instead of mpeg2, or because I'm using Linux?
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~kwyu/
To build a small box that does MPEG-2 video encoding, complete with archival and motion detection triggering (either by looking at the video or by having a motion detector attached to it). Each box will be connected to a surveillance camera and buffer its video to a central server. We planned to built a cheaper alternative to the AXIS 250S MPEG-2 Video Servers, which cost $800 each.
Is the above needed? I'm assuming not because either the other cameras use motionjpeg instead of mpeg2, or because I'm using Linux?