IP Cameras?

[Paddy]

I am looking to buy a baby monitor - yee gods!

In any case, I have ethernet ports in most rooms and I wonder if using an IP camera would be a good idea?

I guess I would need something portable(ish), with a built in mic and IR mode.

I assume I will then be able to stream the A/V to any equiped monitor in the house?

Seems like a cool idea plus the option to use at parties/swinging sessions seem endless!

Can anyone recommend models that wont break the bank?

[Tjalfe]

we use one at work for monitoring the front door.. I forget the brand now though, I will look it up tomorrow

we used to have a pixord brand IP camera @320*240, but the new one is 640*480 resolution, which is much nicer

[Helevitia]

Heh, funny you are looking at this, because I was looking for the same thing just a little while ago. I was actually looking at wireless cameras that you could hook up to audio/video in. this way I could buy two receivers and have one on my living room TV and one for my computer (I have VIVO on my ATI card). Here is what I was pondering over.

http://www.securitymaninc.com/product/outdoorwatch.html

[Helevitia]

I also saw this:

http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=351&sec=0

[Paddy]

Cheers guys!

I am looking for a wired product as I don't have a wireless AP yet, and I do have ethernet ports all over the place.

In any case, if I have to connect it to a power supply, I may as well connect it to a ethernet cable as well.

The models with LEDs look interesting but add a hefty price tag. These things seem more expensive in the UK, or perhaps I'm not looking in the right places...

[Paddy]

This website seems cheap, but I can't get my head around the technical specs.

***edit! Doh they aren't IP***

[Fat Tone]

It's been a while (actually just got shot of a lot of our baby stuff on eBay over Christmas) but I believe some of the more traditional baby-monitor manufacturers sell camera-equipped versions for not too much money. Probably cheaper than IP cameras anyway. Without googling, I'd have thought IP cameras would be a pefect aplication for PoE (power over ethernet) - could you do that?

[az]

Like FT said, IP cameras will probably be a lot more expensive than just a video babyphone - and with the latter, your receiver would probably be portable, or do you want to only observe the baby from the server room?

[VJ]

Nokia has some cameras...
Linksys has this product (specsheet shows that it has an RJ-45 connector, so I assume it can also be used in a wired network).

do you want to only observe the baby from the server room

It would suprise me if it weren't possible to view the camera from any PC in the network. (Linksys specsheet says this is possible)


Jörg

[az]

Of course, VJ. I was just exaggerating. He'd still have to be at a PC or lug his laptop around (though he has no WiFI).

[VJ]

Well, depending on the situation, that might not pose a problem... (up to Paddy to decide)


Jörg

[Paddy]

I can stream the video from my xbox to any TV in the house. So that is not a concern.
I'd rather have it over the network than onto a crappy portable TV.

I don't want WiFi because it would be jsut as easy to hard wire it, and I'd get a more reliable signal.

[az]

Mobotix is an industrial IP cam - not pretty, probably not cheap, but intelligent, durable, etc. Other than that, have a look at your version of Radio Shack.

[Tjalfe]

the one we have at work is this one http://www.aviosys.com/ip9060aplus.htm
at least it looks the same, may be an older version.
Its biggest problem is that it is not that great in low light conditions
I believe we got it from www.geeks.com when they were on sale once for cheap ( $69.99 or something )
While it does the job, there are probably better ones around

[Tjalfe]

oh yeah, you may want to find one which supports power over ethernet for the extra flexibility and there is always X10