[AG-TECH] Cheap Video Cameras

Don Lewis djlewis at ualr.edu
Tue May 28 18:31:26 CDT 2002


The capture card has a composite video input ( rca phono )
and any ntsc compatible camera will work with it. I have used
everything from a small toshiba webcam, Closed circuit security
cameras and the more expensive ones. A cheap and readily available
starter camera would be a camcorder. Still offers zoom and
auto-focus as well as auto-white balance and auto iris.

just my two-cents...
Don Lewis
VRC/AG Tech
LITTLE ROCK, AR

>===== Original Message From Don Morton <morton at cs.umt.edu> =====
>All,
>
>I'm helping a couple of good folks incrementally jump
>into the AG world.  They both, theoretically, have
>I2 and multicast, but no funds for an AGN yet.  So,
>I've interested them in building a cheap "proof of
>concept" system much like the one in my office (the one
>that delivers those views of mountains and deer to
>y'all), just so they can start to familiarize themselves
>with the basic software components, work out multicast
>issues, etc. while they're still waiting for Santa to
>bring them their real AGN.
>
>The one area I feel weak in is the choice of a video
>camera.  I happen to use an expensive one in my office
>(costs more than the computer), but that's just because
>I happened to have a spare.  For these folks, I'd like
>to be able to recommend one with the following properties
>
>- CHEAP - remember, this is just proof of concept
>- Compatible with the Hauppage video capture cards recommended
>  in the AG hardware list, and of course the AG 1.0
>  Redhat distribution.  In other words, I don't want to
>  be having to compile new drivers, etc.  My "guess" is
>  that the only drivers needed are those to interface with
>  the Hauppage, and that the Hauppage is relatively
>  "camera independent" as long as one has the right
>  input (like S-video), but I'm not sure of this.
>
>Does anybody have a recommendation for a tried and tested
>video cam that satisfies the above?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Don
>--
>   Don Morton                   http://MRoCCS.cs.umt.edu/~morton/
>   Department of Computer Science       The University of Montana
>   Missoula, MT 59812 | Voice (406) 243-4975 | Fax (406) 243-5139

Don Lewis
Senior Computer Specialist
Graduate Institute of Technology
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
voice: (501)569-8016
email: djlewis at ualr.edu





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