Digital Video Recording Sleep

[5aces]

I know some people on here have already set up a DVR to record themselves at rest.

While at my local Computer shop I decided to tackle the setup myself,as it was going to be $250Can for a refurbished PC with a Windows XP License to act as a DVR,plus an additional charge for a Hard Drive of your choice and $50Can to configure the software that comes with the DVR Card.Sony Camcorders with NightVision were just too darned pricey...SO:

Stowed away in my home was an old PC that met the minimum specs to assemble the set:
CPU: Pentium 4 (1.8GHz)--(1.4 works fine)
RAM: 256MB--(had 756MB)
Motherboard: Intel 845/865/875/895/915 chipset (maximum 945)--(ha old 845)
HDD: 80GB or above--(had 160G HD)
GRAPHIC CARD:ATI chipset lower than 1050 (64MB)--(lucky,ATI 9550)
O/S:Windows 98/2000/XP/Pro-NO Vista---(hmm XP check!)

Time to grab the parts:

1X4CH DVR Card 120 FPS+Kodicom Software($130)
1X1/4" Sharp CCD 21LED InfraRed Dome Camera($115)
1X12V 1.5A AC Adapter($20)
1X25' BNC+power Cable($12)

Looks like this:


Software from Kodicom is old(last updated 2003!),which is why the DVR card was inexpensive.Lots of features if you can plug through the 86 page PDF.
You must partition at least 20G of the HD for storage.
After installing the DVR card in a PCI slot,the drivers were touchy to load.I accomplished loading via the device tree.
Since I will not be using the Remote access features,set up was fairly easy.
I already had a SoundBlaster Live! souncard,(required) so I can enable the sound recording feature on the software.
Tonight I shall have the oppotunity to view and hear myself 'SLEEP' How cool is that?

[Mtnviewer]

I've been thinking of researching how to do just this for myself and for a friend in denial. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting your set up. Please let us know how it's working for you.

[Guest]

Wow.....and I thought I was overdoing it by adding a webcam ($25) to record my sleep

[Mtnviewer]

Are the $25 webcams good enough in low light or no light? Do they come in Infra Red varieties? I never thought to look but will now. Good idea if there's one out there.

[Guest]

The one I use (a Lorex, don't have the model number at hand) has a few IR lights on the unit. The software that came with it was useless (requires an Internet connection to run as a recorder) but I found some shareware to do what I want. I have it set to take photos at 30 sec intervals which makes it pretty easy to go through a night's sleep frame by frame if necessary.

[5aces]

Ahh...you will find that this software is security oriented and also has a 2-Way voice feature to scare the crap out of pesky intruders!
(AKA--"This is Alarm Force Central,please identify yourself immediately,police have been dispatched"...through a home loudspeaker!)

Really it is for home security,something I always wanted to take a whack at installing.Doubling as a Sleep Monitor is a bonus.

Software makes it easy to chart movement,take JPEG snapshots after review or put an AVI onto a USB flash drive.No plodding through hours of video to try and find when you are moving around,as motion shows up on the graph,like in the picture I uploaded.

Expandable system for up to 16 cameras! Plus you can view the cameras via remote PC access,after the system dials you up on your cell to notify you of any sound or movement.You will need an InfraRed LED Camera to capture you in Black and White at night.Mine switches from Day/Night automatically.Here are the specs of the Cam and Card:

Kodicom KMC-4400R 4Channel Real-time DVR Capture Board

Operating System Windows 2000/XP
Display Frames 120fps (100fps in PAL)
Recording Frames 120fps (100fps in PAL)
Input 4 Cameras (Expandable up to 16 channel)
Expandable up to 240fps Up to 240fps (200fps in PAL) with 2 boards
Video Compression Engine-K (Kodicom compression algorithm)
Resolution NTSC: 640x480,320x240,160x120
PAL: 768x576,384x288,192x144
Image File Size 3Kb@320x240(384x288)
Port 1 composite out
Audio 1 Channel out from sound card
Support IE Browser & Remote software

Real-Time remote surveillance
Easy operation with a user friendly interface
High resolution digital image (no degradation)
Low management, operation and maintenance cost
Adjustable recording speed for each camera
Constant and event-controlled recording
Low management, operation and maintenance cost
More economical than time-lapse VCR
3 levels of password protection

Camera:
15Meters Infrared Color CCD security camera, 1/4 inch Sharp CCD. Dome cam, 420TV lines, Auto ATW & AGC & BLC, DC 12V.

Try dat with a WebbyCam!

[Guest]

Other than the expandability and the lower resolution (640 x 480) the webcam and shareware software do all of the above

[5aces]

Possibilities are endless.Eventually I will add some more cameras around the house to keep watch and the quality of real time video is surprisingly good.
Exactly what I wanted out of this project.

Post your setup of WebCam and Shareware,if you please,maybe Mtnviewer can get some more ideas...

Speaking of ideas this is a favorite of mine:http://www.plasma2002.com/blenderdefender/

[jnk]

And be sure to wear something nice as you sleep, in case the video later gets leaked to the Internet!

[5aces]

Amazing what you can find on the Internet,I have no idea who this is but it sure looks like a 'leaked' picture...ha ha!



Lest we Forget...

Lot Description
HUGH HEFNER SIGNED ROBE, SLIPPERS AND PIPE
A custom red and black silk/rayon robe, signed boldly in gold ink on the top left breast pocket," Hugh Hefner." The lapel collar extends to the waist with one breast pocket, two hip pockets, single button front closure and a sash. Together with a pair of velvet slippers worn by Hefner and signed in black ink inside the bottom right sole, "Hugh Hefner." Also present is a tobacco pipe constructed of briar wood and black plastic at the mouthpiece. The pipe is engraved,"Drummond Imported Briar."
Various sizes. Price Realized (Set Currency) $1,076
Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate$800 - $1,200

[5aces]

(Yes,I unplugged the ethernet cable and the recording time stamp advanced one day when I reconnected...)

Back to the request reporting on how this set up worked.
I cannot imagine the same results with a cheap infrared webcam and open source software.
You may be inclined to hack a regular webcam and replace the stock filter with two pieces of blackened photo film to create a night vision camera.
Looking for free software to manage the data is another story.Yes you will save money in doing so.

Now...
All the solid blue bars are motion activated movements.Honestly,I was shocked at how restless I was.
Playback only entails watching the live moving portions,around 50 minutes worth.
Went into bed app.12:15AM and took the mask off at 5:00AM.Apalling how I fidgeted around,at one point sitting up,clearly do not remember this.
Hands were constantly touching my head and at one point I was pointing a finger into the air(index).
After removing the mask(which I do recall),I was still unknowingly massaging out the effects of my "horse bridle"(as I call it!)from my head/face.
Movements greatly inceased after CPAP was cast away but I just couldn't take it anymore...
I didn't have a 9-volt battery for my amplified microphone,so I tried to use a small condenser microphone that picked up very little sound.
This is a high quality,watermarked,use in court,record of events--that just tells it like it is in digital clip version.Irrefutable.

So,what was the point of all this?
Beyond a doubt I am having some serious breathing issues.I have been to an ENT and diagnosed with Nasal Polyposis and Mild Sinusitis,via CT scan.
Medically,all efforts have now been exhausted and this digital record screamed it out to me.
Nasal surgery is next,no avoiding it now,this project eliminated any reservations I once entertained.

It's all in the details,you may choose to build something for less money=more inventive but the options and quality are incomparable...

[Guest]

actually the cheap IR webcam (decent IR illumication for 6 feet) set up to take photos at 30 sec intervals (the shareware software can handle motion detection) produces a video that runs under 5 minutes in length for an 8 hour period and can be easily examined frame by frame if necessary

all for an order of magnitude less cost

[5aces]

Thanks,Guest,for pointing out the cost effectiveness of a webcam based approach.

Agreed,not 'everyone' has a Pentium 4 Intel/ATI GPU/Soundcard/XP based PC around the house for single use.
Using the parts I've listed gives you the opportunity to effortlessly drill down in minute detail to verify sleep habits.
Definitely this model is at the high end.
At the end of the day,you are left with a quality,expandable home security system that has support and warranty from an authorized reseller.

Next,I would place the new Sony Handycam DCR-SR45 30Gigs=20 hours of recording with sound.
Up here they are about $300 and a tripod for say,$30.No software,no PC,just straight up record with Super Nightshot.
At the end of the day you have,well,a Camcorder.

Finally we have the infamous IR Webcam.


This was one of the first to pop up and I found the review kind of humorous:

Genius, a Taiwan-based company, is offering the VideoCAM Trek 310, an infrared web camera. Yes, IN-FRA-RED. According to Bios Magazine, the webcam, which will switch back and forth between regular and infrared modes automatically, will record video (with sound) at 30 frames-per-second at 640 x 480 resolution and capture still pictures at 1280 x 960 pixels. It will connect to your computer via USB.

The device's size is what you'd expect for a web camera at 3.5 x 2.36 x 4.72 inches tall and weighs in at 3.17 ounces. The company claims that it will be able to create a high-quality picture regardless of the lighting situation. Looks like all of you midnight marauders will be able to chat it up with your Internet friends in different time zones without bothering anyone else in the room.

Ok, now look. I've studied the 'need' for a gadget like this from every angle, and all my conclusions lead to NAUGHTY TOWN with a free pass to Indecent-ville. Unless my name is Sam Fisher (and not a day goes by that I wish that it was), I wouldn't need something like this unless I was up to something risque, right?

Oddly enough, the website doesn't provide "Where to buy" information for North America. The camera currently available in other parts of the world for an equivalent of US$35. Any takers?

Yes,at the end of the day you too,will have a webcam!

[awh]

Oddly enough, the website doesn't provide "Where to buy" information for North America. The camera currently available in other parts of the world for an equivalent of US$35.

I couldn't find that one, but I did find a different model online for 4000 yen, less than 20% of what I paid for the sleep study... And I'd see results right away (I am currently in a very annoying 2-week waiting period for my PSG to be scored)

Might actually be worth doing, to compare sleep pre- and post-CPAP...

[5aces]

If you do purchase an InfraRed WebCam,please post your result in this thread,for future reference.

I know the Kodicom DVR card and software was over $400Can just a couple of years ago,so the price has dropped on digital security.
There are less expensive IR Camera and USB Video Capture devices to be found,like at RadioShack.I just happen to like the security software.
The software,although dated,really is all encompassing and I was just in the shop today,getting a few instructions on some of the options.
Overall,I am more than pleased with the sleep observations,which hopefully won't be required much longer.
Between the Digital Video/Sound and an Oximeter,I think you would have a great home tool for assessment.
Home security will be the next use for this setup.
I already have a rather expensive Logitech Motion WebCam but no infrared option...so I would be interested to see the results of this type of system.Post it here please!

Two things have stood out from the Doctors on this:
1)-Sleep Fragmentation Results
2)-How did you get the Oximeter results? ha ha