Scott,

Yep, we do& I reckon it's been worth it.  You nail a dozen or so kids and they realize that the only way they got caught was the video & they slowly get the message.  Caught a kid pinching a mobile phone one day, but it's scary seeing what goes on in some classes.    It also works well for students logging in as other students and doing inappropriate things - you can see what kid actually logged in to a particular computer.

There are two different systems -

• a standalone DVR box with an large hdd.  You can buy a box that connects to 4 ($950) or 8 cameras (about $1600)
  
• a PC with a special multipoint TV tuner that allows multiple cameras to be connected. Card costs from $550 to $1800

Cameras are about $290 each, but infrared ones cost more (need IR emitters).  You also need power supplies, fake cameras, "smoke detectors" to hide the cameras in, cable etc.

The box method is very simple to set up but has disadvantages low quality images, hard to seek incidents (like searching in a VHS system), very short record duration, you have to connect a TV to the box to view what's happened. 

The PC of course gives you as much control as you want.  We record at 5 fps and then jump to15 fps when motion is detected.  To search, you drag a rectangle over the damaged area and you fast forward until there is motion within that rectangle.  We have 7 cameras going at the moment, and the past 8 days recording takes up 218 Gb

As far as the privacy issues are concerned, PROVIDED you advise that covert video surveillance is going on, it's OK.  However, you are NOT allowed to record audio!

We dealt with OzSpy & they seem to have most bases covered - they can show you the cameras in action.  However, their manager is a bit of a dinosaur and tries to sell the box version rather than the PC one - he hasn't caught on that computers are useful!


Scott Robinson wrote:

Hi all, Is anyone monitoring their computing labs (or other classrooms) by video? We have a fair amount of theft and damage (and don't get me started about how little some teachers supervise or care what is going on in their classes...) so it seems one way of catching some culprits. I'm interested in how you did it, and whether you had any issues about privacy or people concerned with being monitored, and how you may have dealt with it. I'm guessing some sort of written policy. Thanks in advance, Scott _______________________________________________ NovellSchools mailing list NovellSchools <at> lists.redlands.qld.edu.au http://lists.redlands.qld.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/novellschools

-- Cheers & Beers Cruickers

<div>
Scott,<br><br>
Yep, we do&amp; I reckon it's been worth it.&nbsp; You nail a dozen or so
kids and they realize that the only way they got caught was the video
&amp; they slowly get the message.&nbsp; Caught a kid pinching a mobile
phone one day, but it's scary seeing what goes on in some classes.<span class="moz-smiley-s1"><span> &nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span>It also works well
for students logging in as other students and doing inappropriate
things - you can see what kid actually logged in to a particular
computer.<br><br>
There are two different systems - <br><ul>
<li>a standalone DVR box with an large hdd.&nbsp; You can buy a box that
connects to 4 ($950) or 8 cameras (about $1600)<br>
</li>
  <li>a PC with a special multipoint TV tuner that allows multiple
cameras to be connected. Card costs from $550 to $1800</li>
</ul>
Cameras are about $290 each, but infrared ones cost more (need IR
emitters).&nbsp; You also need power supplies, fake cameras, "smoke
detectors" to hide the cameras in, cable etc.<br><br>
The box method is very simple to set up but has disadvantages low
quality images, hard to seek incidents (like searching in a VHS
system), very short record duration, you have to connect a TV to the
box to view what's happened.&nbsp; <br><br>
The PC of course gives you as much control as you want.&nbsp; We record at 5
fps and then jump to15 fps when motion is detected.&nbsp; To search, you
drag a rectangle over the damaged area and you fast forward until there
is motion within that rectangle.&nbsp; We have 7 cameras going at the
moment, and the past 8 days recording takes up 218 Gb<br><br>
As far as the privacy issues are concerned, PROVIDED you advise that
covert video surveillance is going on, it's OK.&nbsp; However, you are NOT
allowed to record audio!<br><br>
We dealt with OzSpy &amp; they seem to have most bases covered - they
can show you the cameras in action.&nbsp;
However, their manager is a bit of a dinosaur and tries to sell the
box version rather than the PC one - he hasn't caught on that computers
are useful!<br><br><br>
Scott Robinson wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid4576DD72.BF70.0076.0 <at> tss.qld.edu.au" type="cite">
  Hi all,

Is anyone monitoring their computing labs (or other classrooms) by
video? We have a fair amount of theft and damage (and don't get me
started about how little some teachers supervise or care what is going
on in their classes...) so it seems one way of catching some culprits.

I'm interested in how you did it, and whether you had any issues about
privacy or people concerned with being monitored, and how you may have
dealt with it. I'm guessing some sort of  written policy.

Thanks in advance,

Scott

_______________________________________________
NovellSchools mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:NovellSchools <at> lists.redlands.qld.edu.au">NovellSchools <at> lists.redlands.qld.edu.au</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.redlands.qld.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/novellschools">http://lists.redlands.qld.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/novellschools</a>

  
</blockquote>
<br><br>-- 
Cheers &amp; Beers

Cruickers
</div>