The Making of a Web-Cam

1. A web camera begins with a video camera. For versatility I've used an old, beat-up camcorder (say, $50) with auto-focus, auto-brightness, and zoom. These features make it easier to place the camera where I want it and to accomodate the varying brightness as the sun hides behind clouds. If you want these features in a new video camera, I'd recommend taking a look at the various video cameras offered by Home Automation systems

2. Your computer needs a way to connect to the video camera. My camcorder is connected to my computer via a Hauppauge WinTV video capture card. I've found it to be a reliable card, widely available at a low price (about $100), and it lets me watch TV on my computer.

3. None of this works at all if you don't have an ISP (Internet Service Provider) -- someone who provides you with a place to put your web pages. Most ISPs include a few megabytes of web page space as part of your connection fee. My ISP is Easystreet, located in Portland, Oregon.

4. Next you need some web camera software: a program that runs on your computer and periodically snaps a picture from the computer's camera, dials up your ISP, and copies the picture to your web page. I use ISpy, a $49 shareware webcam program from the Netherlands, but I've also heard good things about WebCam32 (also shareware, at $25). Either program has good instructions on how to set it up. My copy is configured to take a picture once per hour between 8am and 8pm.

5. If you want your camera to be more than 6 feet from your computer, you'll need a wireless video transmitter and receiver. The camcorder plugs into the transmitter, and the receiver plugs into the WinTV card. I bought a WaveCom Sr. Transmitter/receiver from Home Automation Systems at about $180/pair, which lets me put the camera anywhere within 300 feet of the computer.

6. You might as well go whole-hog and buy a nice tripod to mount the camera to. A good tripod can avoid that "sinking of the Titanic" feeling caused by balancing the camera on a stack of books, and can avoid a lot of wear-and-tear on the equipment. I've used cable-ties to strap a power strip and most of the camera parts to the tripod so I can easily drag the whole mess around the house.

Web-Cam Tips

• It's a snapshot camera; not a surveillance camera -- let your visitors know what the web-cam does and when it does it. I've pasted the URL of my home page on the tripod so that anyone caught by the camera knows where they can see their picture. I've also found most people like the camera once they know that it only takes one picture per hour.

• Avoid sending pictures of a dark room. I've setup ISpy to take pictures only during the daylight hours so that folks in other time zones can see an interesting picture - nobody likes looking at a black photo.

• Move the camera frequently. Even the most interesting view becomes boring after a while.

• Pose occasionally. Think of the web-cam as a friendly photographer. Move it around to catch your household events: birthdays, holidays, the loss of your kitchen sink....

• Make a "best of my web-cam" photo album. Even your most dedicated viewers can't stare at your home page all day. An album lets everybody see those great photos that would otherwise be lost to posterity.