JVC Netherlands uses SecuritySpy to observe the building and surroundings when we are out of the office and to monitor the showroom (with a lot of expensive stuff) and the entrance 24 hours a day. We have a set-up of 35 cameras: 10 JVC VN-C10U and 25 JVC VN-C30U. All these cameras are on a dedicated network because of the network traffic SecuritySpy produced when monitoring 35 cameras real-time (about 40Mbit/s constant). To run SecuritySpy we use a dedicated G5 Xserve (1 x 2.0 Ghz CPU, 1.5 GB Memory and 3x250 GB Discs). This server runs constant at 100% CPU usage with a load of 2.5 but even with this high load SecuritySpy creates perfect MPEG movies with a frame rate of 3 or 4 frames per second. Because we have a lot more cameras than the average user we run into some problems other users didn't have. We mailed Ben about our problems and Ben reacted very fast, with a few problems he advised us and for the other problems he fixed it in SecuritySpy and send us a new version within a week so we are very satisfied with the support from Ben. SecuritySpy is a nice product and it definitely adds some to our security.

Click here for pictures of the setup at JVC Netherlands

Gulfstream® Flight Test is using SecuritySpy onboard GV-SP test airplanes to monitor avionics display operation in support of development and certification activities. The GV-SP has 4 14.1 inch Liquid Crystal Displays on the flight deck that provide flight, navigation and system status information to the flight crew. Four cameras (one for each LCD) are connected to a dual processor G4 X-Serve utilizing internal and PCI FireWire 800 interfaces. The SecuritySpy application is used to continuously record all four inputs at real-time frame rates with MPEG4 compression. SecuritySpy is a terrific application that is reliable, stable and efficient. Prior to SecuritySpy, each camera was wired to a tape recorder with a duration of approximately 1.4 hours per tape and with flight times ranging from 3 to 5 hours per mission, well, Flight Test was using a lot of tapes. Today, we are utilizing the removable hard drives with the X-Serve and are able to record a large number of flights on a single drive. Post flight viewing has also been made considerably easier with the SecuritySpy option to record files in fixed time increments and the inclusion of the file start / stop time in the name makes finding the event almost too easy. Flight Test Engineers are routinely accessing video files on the airplane minutes after a question arises about the avionics. They are able to review the video to determine the sequence of events and thus can provide a more precise report to engineering at the conclusion of the flight. In many cases, the pertinent MPEG4 videos have been e-mailed to the engineers so that they can see the problem exactly as it occurred.

SecuritySpy has accumulated hundreds of flight hours and has helped Flight Test become more efficient and responsive with video data. Ground support personnel are pleased that they don't have to label 3 sets (4 each) of tapes per flight – they now simply create a directory and point the SecuritySpy file output to it. It is also important to mention that support of the application by Ben has been great. The response to our initial enquiry about the use of SecuritySpy for Flight Test was greeted enthusiastically with several good recommendations that led to a successful implementation on the GV-SP.

Bill Osborne
Lead Flight Test Engineer

I currently have eight cameras running. 7 IP cameras and one digital camera connected via firewire directly to the server. The server is an Apple Xserve 2 x 1.3 GHz PowerPC G4 with 1.5 GB RAM and 233 GB (4x233 GB Mirrored RAID) With these eight cameras I am using about 58% CPU and around 1.6 MB/s for network traffic 24x7. My digital camera is capturing around 22 frames per second while my IP cameras capture around 3 frames/sec. I use motion capture with a 5 second buffer before motion and 10 seconds after motion for most cameras. This gives me about 8 days of video and uses around 150 GB of hard drive space.

I love SecuritySpy. For ease of use, reliability and compatibility it can't be beat. We built a new Middle School 4 years ago and I met with 8 different security companies discussing video surveillance. None of their solutions were as compatible as SecuritySpy. They all had proprietary software running on proprietary hardware with proprietary cameras. I was so frustrated by the solution that we finally purchased (23 cameras) that I looked for a better solution. I believe I found the solution with SecuritySpy. One of the biggest issues for me was ease of access to review live or recorded video. With SecuritySpy I can view live feeds or recorded video from any web browser. No special software needed. Mac, PC, iPhone it just works. Granted for large files (over a GB) you want to be either on the server or have a fast ethernet connection.

The only reason I have 8 cameras is my budget is tight and I wanted to see how well SecuritySpy worked before investing in real cameras.

I have 2 different buildings that I plan on putting surveillance cameras in and I plan on using analog cameras in the setup that Ben suggests on his page. He has great resources on buying the right hardware and cameras for the job. One of the nicest features is how well it works with Macs. None of the 8 vendors we reviewed for the Middle School project knew anything about Macs. All of their software had to be installed and ran on a PC. We are 99% Mac and I had to get an extra computer to put in the Principals office for him to view students. Which by the way is the number 1 use of the security system we put in. I designed the system for building security but it turns out it is used much more for student discipline.

Bog Patterson
Technology Coordinator
Boone Community School District

We have now installed 21 x Axis 205 Cameras, 6 x Axis 206 and 1 x Axis 213 PTZ on the System, all of which are performing extremely well, the one huge advantage we find over our existing LG NetDVR systems, is that what you see on the camera is exactly what you record, the LG system shows live pictures and then compresses them, which means you can miss details just when you need them. Also the LG system picture quality is significantly worse in playback and you only get about 3 to 5 FPS from each of the Cameras.

With your system the camera compresses the picture and the computer is just storing the video at 25 FPS from 28 cameras that's an amazing 700 FPS v the LG's 120 FPS over 16 Cameras.

My next job is to Buy 2 more G5s, the Axis Blade Rack and 12 Axis Blades to transfer our CCTV From the LG system to SecuritySpy.

Conor Keoghan
Brown Thomas Car Park

Click here for pictures of the setup at the Brown Thomas Car Park

I have been one of the original beta testers for SecuritySpy since its first days and tested just about every computer and camera configuration available. It is absolutely amazing to see how SecuritySpy has grown and what Ben Bird has done with this program! Not only has he developed easy to configure and use software, but also a security camera program that is rock solid in it’s dependability. Ben is also a very responsive software developer who is open to design suggestions and has rapidly implemented many of the ideas that I have presented to him.

Because of my faith in the developer and the product, I have dedicated one Apple PowerMac G5 1.8 GHz DP to nothing but a SecuritySpy host in my home. It coordinates four analog security cameras via three Miglia AlchemyTV PCI cards and one Image Sources DFG1394 device around the clock. Another similarly setup PowerMac G5 delivers four more camera views via a Network connection and on a timed schedule, while easily remaining available for other family computer uses. The ease of use via several monitors in our home or via the Web Server features while we are away brings a sense of comfort and protection to my family.

RCTS Canada R&D uses the SecuritySpy program to keep an eye on our facilities when we are closed. The nice thing about the SecuritySpy software is that it runs flawlessly on our G4 Dual Mac, we have currently 3 apple iSight cameras in different areas that we want to keep an eye on from anywhere around the world.

The software puts up a solid web site when its running so you can log into the cameras in your building from a vacation internet café or your laptop or friends computer. You can then view your place of work or play from this remote location. I find this the most useful feature of the software, it's very comforting to know that all is well in your home or work place when you are a long way away from it.

Because the SecuritySpy software runs on our own computer system and network it's our own system and it does not interfere with any of our other monitored security alarm systems, fire systems.

This is simply the best security camera system we have ever seen. Ben Bird the software developer is very helpful with any questions I have had, but overall there is not much need for tech support for the product because it's a snap to setup and use. The software also has clear and concisely linked web site and documentation for extra features is also superb. Be sure and buy this program, it's the best you will ever find.

Reg Riemer

Click here for pictures of the setup at RCTS Canada R&D.