CCTV in the studio

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empire_of_one

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I'm not sure this is the best place to ask this question, but if there is another area on this forum that would be better, let me know.

I've been in a couple studios where, instead of a window between the control room and studio, they used closed-circuit TV cameras to see into the studio. I thought that was pretty cool, and definitely would make soundproofing and construction of the wall between the 2 rooms easier and less expensive.
What I'd like to do is, be able to use my computer monitor to double as a CCTV monitor. I know there are TV tuner cards out there. Would one of those TV tuner cards work for CCTV too? Or would I need something else or a different kind of card, and if so, do those cards exist? TIA
 
It would only have to be able to accept base band video as that what the camera is outputting. Most CCTV cameras have a BNC type connectors for their video outputs and I'd imagine the video capture card will be equiped with RCA video inputs. No big deal though, you could do the plumbing with any decent 75 ohm coaxial cable, RG-59 or RG-6, use garden variety "F" connectors and just go to your neighborhood Rat Shack and get some screw on F to RCA and F to BNC adaptors.
 
Sure TV Cameras will work but they are used ONLY when you can't put in a decent window. Very Impersonal ;)

cheers
john
 
got to dissagree with trakrat. video cards have the bnc connector. I know cos i use my computer with a cctv camera for a net cam and othere messing arround. It also has the RCA

I think the CCTV camera would be cool in a studio. you can record the band if they do a live take and use parts of it for a music vid. what ya think?
 
studiocam

hey, people have webcams in their offices, bedrooms, showers, etc... why not a studiocam?

I would prefer to have a window but given the time, money and skills i have to work with the cctv seems like a reasonable choice. i have seen some cctv camera/card packages on the web that seem like what i'm looking for, so that's probably what I'll go with.
Something like this looks good:
http://www.123cctv.com/cctv/agora.cgi?page=remote.html
 
Good Idea, I have a Tracking room/theatre. I could use that as a reason to write off a new LCD projector.

I can see it now I can blow myself up 10' and use my thunder patch on the airfx to order the guys arround.
 
I use this technology in my studio.

The cameras are cheapo NTSC web-cams I purchased off e-bay of all places, one at a time. I then purchased a 1U switchbox that allows six NTSC cameras to be connected to one TV/Monitor, which gives me or the engineer the ability to view:

1. Outside side door (to see who's at the door to buzz in)
2. Vocal Booth
3. Other door of the bathroom (on the outside, leading to the house)
4. The driveway (to see who's approaching)
5. NTSC out of a digital cable box (for watching TV)
6. NTSC out of a VCR (for watching movies)

Inside my vocal booth not only do I have one camera mounted, I also have a 6" diagonal color LCD panel (NTSC) connected to a camera in front of the engineer, thus allowing the vocalist, guitarist, etc to see the engineer. THis was an add-on to the design because it makes more sense to have two way visual rather than just two way audio.

The switching box connects to the PC via a "Fast AV" card, which is gross overkill as its a fancy pro-level video capturing card. But we had the card and not really using it so it made sense to re-use what we have.

A friend of mine went an even simpler route. His computer, mixer and monitors are located on the opposite side of one of the vocal booth walls. He drilled a small hole, ran a USB extension cable through, epoxy'd it, then plugged in a logitech USB camera on the inside. This of course attaches to the PC on the other side of the wall and its easy to view with the existing software.

Low quality, but enough to get the idea of whats going on in the booth. He ignored my recommendation of 2-way video.

I agree with others comments that a window would be considered "better" but for what it would have cost us to do the window versus the "on the cheap" cameras, well, we went with the cameras. In my old home studio (bedroom and walk in closet) I had done the USB camera thing (wire under the door) and it works very well for what it was. In a rented apartment there was no real way to explain a double pane window installed in the walk in closet :)
 
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