ROBERT SAYRE wrote in a message to ROY J. TELLASON:

WC> I've seen 1,000 hour camera tape machines advertized.

RJT> Oh really?  And these use standard tapes?  I wonder how they
RJT> do that.

RS> usually they use a stepper motor that advances the tape one step,
RS> pauses, then one more step, etc. This writes over the same spot on
RS> the tape a few times. The last time being "saved" and then
RS> advancing to the next step, pause, etc.

RJT> This is a modified VCR?

RS>  Well, it was designed this way from the start, but they "borrowed" 
RS> existing technology, too. They look very much like any other VCR of 
RS> the same vintage.

RS>  Why reinvent the wheel?

Available from the typical vcr makers,  I suppose,  but not something you'd
ordinarily find in the stores with the usual ones...

RS> We currently use a computer system, with video going directly onto
RS> hard drives.

RJT> That's where my thinking was going next on this.  Aren't there a 
RJT> couple of consumer appliances out there that use hard drives?

RS>  Well, I have the ability to use my PC as a VCR. Does that count?  
RS> :^)

What are you using to do that?  I can see where it would be a handy thing
to be able to do.  And am wondering how much machine you need to do it...

RS> I've seen consumer "video cards" that support four cameras. I've 
RS> no experience with them.

RS> It can (does) do all of the above and more (alarm by time of day,
RS> access control camera call-up, playback during recording, etc.).
RS> Our system currently supports 64 cameras, but we're building another
RS> six story section, so we'll be expanding this a bit.

RJT> Hmm.  Is this sort of thing real pricey?

RS> I'm sure that it is; but, since it comes out of Security's budget, 
RS> I really don't know what they pay. I DO know that we're spending 
RS> over $500K for Access Control Equipment for that six story add-on.

The only access control I have to deal with at this point is a
badge-sensing little box at the door of the building,  nothing else in the
place I'm working at.

 RS>  The final cost might easily be double that. And that's with ME 
 RS> doing all of the programming and networking of all of the hardware.

Interesting stuff.

I had some thoughts today of pursuing work in a tech area again,  which I'm
not doing now and haven't been for a while.  Dunno if what skills I have
are what the market is looking for these days,  though,  which was the
problem the last time I tried it...

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