Choosing a Webcam Solution: Cameras

Once you have determined the best system for your needs, the system can be designed. The first and most important element is the camera. A robotic camera - a camera with pan/tilt/zoom capability - can provide great detailed coverage of a large area. A static or fixed position camera can provide a set shot of a specific area.

The most basic Webcam cameras integrate with a web-connected PC through an existing USB port. Simply attach the camera to the appropriate port, install the associated software, and you are on your way to broadcasting. These cameras are the least expensive and the simplest to install, but there are usually tradeoffs in image quality and frequency of updates.

To use higher quality cameras (camcorders, security cameras, etc.) with your PC, a video capture device must be added to your system. There are many types of cameras available for use with a capture device, from miniature spy cameras to high-end broadcast cameras. Lens options include zoom, wide angle, daylight, and adjustable for some cameras. EarthCam has tested many of these cameras specifically for Webcam applications and provides the best solutions in all price ranges on the WebCamStore.

Since it can be quite inconvenient to use a bulky, unreliable, always-on PC, we recommend using an embedded network appliance designed for "webcasting". The EarthCam Webcaster Pro and Webcaster Pro Express make up the heart of many of the custom systems available from WebCamStore. The EarthCam Video Webcaster Pro can connect up to 4 standard video cameras, has a built-in 10Base-T Ethernet connection, two serial ports, an http administrative interface, and a robust scripting language.

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