On Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:38:39 +0100
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

After the recent problems with the ancient Ubuntu and Zoneminder installation, I thought about upgrading the PC, the old Dell is now 24
years old.
I have a new separate Swann system, but I cannot find how to extract
video from it, it likes Windows, not Linux.

So I am looking at a new (or refurbished) desktop PC, hoping to use my existing CCTV cameras, all with BNC connectors, and to be able to add
one more, making 4 in total. It also monitors one WiFi camera on the
network. Tje PC is also my daily laptop backup device.
My old video card is a PCI, which is now ancient history, so will be
no good for a new PC. Satcure, where I got my first video card from,
went bust some time ago.

Looking around, I see modern versions, but at huge prices, £250 up to £600!! Yikes. Am I looking for the wrong item here? I don't believe
the old card cost anything like that much.

A sample of what I find: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0D9NQZ2VH/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=AKG67ZUVCCXRK&psc=1
But I don't have SDI, and I don't want to replace my cameras or my
cabling. I am just looking for a PCI-e, BNC connectors, CCTV video
input card,

There is:
https://tinyurl.com/3smbmmhj
also known as:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Potadak-Captura-Adapter-Computer-Camera-Black/dp/B0CCDCLL5G/ref=sr_1_140?crid=ZQ64KGYGR0UF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.z-FIUNnsxAdgHlwX1RlfFRn8U0hm9D5LhTXHaELlQN8lsa7tU6cLwpZo1bjed5npm5LPhrdsoubaowZjmN3hPhos0n0Ly_t-JN4C1VIND-DuA8BJVTI3nh_

AR-vGbt2iOKyERzGmK5VBKquSqV1-N3EZ4nkY8Pz5PQtxttI1m2HqOQ-utUt18BBG8ICr_L7dqEBKreLTHnThSCZT0k1l4d8kjknq8IkmCHeS0WjnfSI.EI8jbBtNOBcmbrhK97vIlojvxMOYz-tXJQWmixSWSrg&dib_tag=se&keywords=PCI-E+video+camera+capture+cards&qid=1726225777&sprefix=pci-e+video+
camera+capture+cards%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-140

which doesn't say SDI, in fact it doesn't say much of anything, but
therefore MIGHT work with my existing cameras. But there is no
spec.! And I have no idea who Potadek is/are, they seem to sell
everything you could think of. Jack of all trades, and master of none,
comes to mind.
I'm sort of lost here, any help welcome.

Well, I have been playing around, and talking to the card manufacturer,
who still wants me to do things like recompiling their Multicam
programme!
To condense the results, I am now using a new camera, with a
higher resolution than the ones that work perfectly well on the old
card in the old PC.
Using channel 0 of the new card, with the other channels set to None
for Function, I have the input for the card set as:
Mode: PAL; Capture Palette: RGB32; Target colorspace: 32 bit colour;
Capture Resolution: 768 x 576.
The camera says that its resolution is 976 x 496. Using these figures
in the setup results in nothing.
With the 768 x 576 setup, the Source tag on the Console screen goes
green, and I get an image. But the image is continuously scrolling, and
is fractured. Vague hunts of the real view are tantalisingly hunted at.
Any other Resolution setup I try fails again. I am sure the answer is
out here, but how do I find it?
Again, any help very welcome.
But at least I have made progress!

--
Davey.

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Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

Using channel 0 of the new card, with the other channels set to None
for Function, I have the input for the card set as:
Mode: PAL; Capture Palette: RGB32; Target colorspace: 32 bit colour;
Capture Resolution: 768 x 576.
The camera says that its resolution is 976 x 496. Using these figures
in the setup results in nothing.
With the 768 x 576 setup, the Source tag on the Console screen goes
green, and I get an image. But the image is continuously scrolling, and
is fractured. Vague hunts of the real view are tantalisingly hunted at.
Any other Resolution setup I try fails again. I am sure the answer is
out here, but how do I find it?
Again, any help very welcome.
But at least I have made progress!

I know nothing about video capture, so I'm out here. But it sounds like PAL 768x576 is the right thing (the camera is PAL if it's TV standard as I think most analogue security cameras are). Do you need to turn on interlacing?
PAL is 50Hz interlaced, ie 576i.

You could ask in one of the TV groups as it sounds like a TV-type problem.

Theo

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Theo wrote:

it sounds like PAL
768x576 is the right thing (the camera is PAL if it's TV standard

Yes, the camera may mention "resolution of 976x496" but that's only in
terms of its ability to resolve that many TVL from a chart like this, it doesn't mean it spits out 976x496 pixels, or should be captured at that resolution, 768x576 is correct.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EIA_1956_resolution_chart#/media/File:EIA_Resolution_Chart_1956.svg>

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:33:27 +0100
Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Theo wrote:

it sounds like PAL
768x576 is the right thing (the camera is PAL if it's TV standard

Yes, the camera may mention "resolution of 976x496" but that's only
in terms of its ability to resolve that many TVL from a chart like
this, it doesn't mean it spits out 976x496 pixels, or should be
captured at that resolution, 768x576 is correct.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EIA_1956_resolution_chart#/media/File:EIA_Resolution_Chart_1956.svg>

The Deinterlacing box was already set at Linear, by default.
Options offered are: Disabled, Four field motion adaptive-Soft, Four
field motion adaptive-Medium, Four field motion adaptive-Hard,
Discard, Blend, Blend (25%), V4L2: Capture top field only, V4L2: Capture
bottom field only, V4L2: Capture Alternate fields (Bob), V4L2 progressive, V4L2 Interlaced.

I had hoped that one of the V4L2 options would be correct, but none of
any of the options offered seem to work. The behaviour of the image
might change slightly, but it still does not work.
Hmm.
Considering where I was at a couple of weeks ago, this is
still progress, but I still can't get over that final hurdle.

--
Davey.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 24 Oct 2024 17:39:52 +0100 (BST)
Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

On Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:33:27 +0100
Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Theo wrote:

it sounds like PAL
768x576 is the right thing (the camera is PAL if it's TV
standard

Yes, the camera may mention "resolution of 976x496" but that's
only in terms of its ability to resolve that many TVL from a
chart like this, it doesn't mean it spits out 976x496 pixels, or
should be captured at that resolution, 768x576 is correct.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EIA_1956_resolution_chart#/media/File:EIA_Resolution_Chart_1956.svg>

The Deinterlacing box was already set at Linear, by default.
Options offered are: Disabled, Four field motion adaptive-Soft, Four
field motion adaptive-Medium, Four field motion adaptive-Hard,
Discard, Blend, Blend (25%), V4L2: Capture top field only, V4L2:
Capture bottom field only, V4L2: Capture Alternate fields (Bob),
V4L2 progressive, V4L2 Interlaced.

I had hoped that one of the V4L2 options would be correct, but none
of any of the options offered seem to work. The behaviour of the
image might change slightly, but it still does not work.
Hmm.
Considering where I was at a couple of weeks ago, this is
still progress, but I still can't get over that final hurdle.

It isn't NTSC is it? Probably not if it's a UK setup, but eg I was
looking at reversing cameras for cars and they mostly seem to be NTSC composite video. Suppose it makes sense as they don't need special
versions for Europe and they are never displayed on a TV, only on the dashboard LCD.

If the camera has only ever been used by a capture card and never a TV/monitor, it could be NTSC.

Theo

I did try NTSC earlier, but it failed. This camera is new and unused, UK sourced. But I'll try NTSC again tomorrow. No harm done if it fails
again.

--
Davey.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

On Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:33:27 +0100
Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

Theo wrote:

it sounds like PAL
768x576 is the right thing (the camera is PAL if it's TV standard

Yes, the camera may mention "resolution of 976x496" but that's only
in terms of its ability to resolve that many TVL from a chart like
this, it doesn't mean it spits out 976x496 pixels, or should be
captured at that resolution, 768x576 is correct.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EIA_1956_resolution_chart#/media/File:EIA_Resolution_Chart_1956.svg>

The Deinterlacing box was already set at Linear, by default.
Options offered are: Disabled, Four field motion adaptive-Soft, Four
field motion adaptive-Medium, Four field motion adaptive-Hard,
Discard, Blend, Blend (25%), V4L2: Capture top field only, V4L2: Capture bottom field only, V4L2: Capture Alternate fields (Bob), V4L2 progressive, V4L2 Interlaced.

I had hoped that one of the V4L2 options would be correct, but none of
any of the options offered seem to work. The behaviour of the image
might change slightly, but it still does not work.
Hmm.
Considering where I was at a couple of weeks ago, this is
still progress, but I still can't get over that final hurdle.

It isn't NTSC is it? Probably not if it's a UK setup, but eg I was looking
at reversing cameras for cars and they mostly seem to be NTSC composite
video. Suppose it makes sense as they don't need special versions for
Europe and they are never displayed on a TV, only on the dashboard LCD.

If the camera has only ever been used by a capture card and never a
TV/monitor, it could be NTSC.

Theo

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)