DIY Home Security - ON A BUDGET!

[@Ironbuket]

Alternatively glue loads of old laptops to your ceiling and remote connect in to them via wifi!

[@greencertifiedweb]

LOL, thanks for the laugh!

[@Ironbuket]

@Dan Except that requires you to know what you are doing, where as any idiot can superglue a laptop to the ceiling. It is the future of home security, just wait and see

[@Qchiko]

Although I will never do this, sounds like a lot of work and would go with raspberry pi to make it easier versus a ton of USB cables. I like learning stuff like this, thanks for the video. Although

[@mactaggart7854]

@@Ironbuket about to try this. This is a brilliant hack. I'm thinking I may model with a remote quick release to hit any intruders in the head.

[@AlbySilly]

@@mactaggart7854 Be sure to use really old models since they have a lot of heft to them so you'll be sure to knock em out

[@pedrosmith221]

6:11 rare view of a pack of USBs getting out of the cave

[@karras6239]

it needs an edit with the animal planet or nat geo logo lmao

[@andreproject4285]

USB snakes!

[@monkeywithaskirt]

this made my quarantined day

[@83merv83]

I thought they where just myth.. Amazing in there own habitat!

[@coyhuskie9638]

NO! xD Just stop xD im eating and don't want to choke on it hahha xD

[@HR-dz5vu]

Thanks DIY Perks. I followed this video to install my own home CCTV. Here are my additonal tips: 1) Do not cut the USB extension cable. Instead use a shorter USB data cable to attach to webcam. This way you can disconnect and move the camera around without long cables to move with it. 2) Do not use two webcams of the same model and chipboard, ContaCam will think it is the same camera and will not load the second. The cameras need to be of different model or chipboard. 3) Get a ball and swivel mount to be able to rotate the camera to your desired view. I used an unused dashcam swivel piece. 4) Use some plastic board to mount the webcam on. Stick down with some picture frame adhesive like 3M.

[@jhonrinkarsi2269]

Haroon R thanks.

[@dharan.5285]

Regarding point #2. wont the cameras use different COM ports?

[@Phil-pln]

Haroon R if didn’t understand the first one... there is still a cable from the Camera to the laptop

[@HR-dz5vu]

At 5:59 of this video Matt has used a long cable along wall and ceiling to connect to camera and laptop. What I am saying is that keep the usb wire to camera very short (say 15cm) and use a USB connector for the rest to connection to laptop/pc. This was you never need to remove long wire from wall and can change/fix the camera very easily by disconnecting the short camera USB. Hope this makes sense now.

[@ShiroCh_ID]

@@chfourchfour and USB is Universal Serial Bus so its Serial port

[@goodisanoun]

Can you do an updated home security video? Maybe with night vision and doorbells and alarms?

[@audris8113]

You could install basic IR lights through a light sensor for night vision. Just make sure the webcam doesn't have an IR filter or check beforehand if you will be able to remove it.

[@colesgaminggames]

yes

[@TFMsnavy]

@diyperks I would love an update. Maybe with cellphone cameras too

[@shadow20482]

​@ThatOneWierdVox Anymore? It couldn't be done from the start

[@shadow20482]

@ThatOneWierdVox clicking in a comment to reply works, writing a channels id or username does not

[@EVILBUNNY28]

This is some proper DIY, and not a single hot glue gun in sight!

[@KarrasBastomi]

And duct tape.... 🤣

[@BloodAsp]

Hot glue and ducktape had a baby, it is called Sugru. ...Hot AND sticky anyone? o.o scarred

[@UpcycleElectronics]

Hey don't h8 the hot glue!

[@OtherDalfite]

@@UpcycleElectronics hot glue isnt bad but its been turned into cancer by a lot of "lifehack" videos which are pretty good at wasting the hell out of it for nothing

[@jftechdrones]

@@OtherDalfite MrGear

[@DIYPerks]

Hope you guys enjoy the video! :) Btw, if you're a Patron don't forget to check the feed on there for a little update. One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that I did encounter one webcam that needed to be 'turned on' before it would be detected by the system. It's rare, but to get it going if you encounter it you just need to bridge the 'ID' wire (of which there should be only one left over) to 5v using a 10k resistor to give it a voltage. Don't forget that as these cams are so small you can use them for birdwatching if you put up some bird houses with them inside. Cheers, Matt

[@jftechdrones]

But you know what's better than NordVPN? TUNNELBEAR! Tunnelbear is the simple VPN app....ok this joke's really old.

[@DIYPerks]

Haha.... yes, that line from Linus is forever going to be burned into my brain... forever...... xD

[@jacka2850]

@@DIYPerks prefer you to Linus thooo, wish you could upload more frequently, but we all understand 🙂 keep going Matt!

[@Balancatraca]

Thanks so much for this, i was looking for cheap security option or my grandparents house, this is perfect ! thnks so much and i love the channel. is th number of cameras limited to th number of usb port or a usb hub would do the trick?

[@HiTimeNZ]

Cheers Matt. Any comments on iSpy v Contaware? (Ispyconnect.com)

[@zonki]

this could be also cheap way to get reverse and front cam into your car

[@loganparker4184]

@Jorn Navarre Contaware doesn't support android however I guess you don't need it for a car cam which is a really good idea actually

[@edrick7260]

but what if it's raining?

[@grilli8312]

@@edrick7260 yeah getting a dash cam and reverse camnus just better unless you want to 3d print a plastic mold for the webcam

[@anthonyfisiihoi]

The reason I'm here! Looking for DIY reverse cams using laptop cam.

[@djrevvy8449]

@@anthonyfisiihoi you need to make sure the image is flipped for reverse cameras so it's the same as looking in a mirror otherwise it's very confusing haha

[@pinkyUndsoo]

This video is straight up 2 years old and was what i really needed right now. Holy macaroni i love the internet.

[@Khyleb253]

Install VNC Server on that computer and now you can see them from anywhere on your phone

[@hakunamatata324]

I would recommend have a VPN server with your home which is far more security and easy to do so. Have keys created instead of password and voila. You can access the cameras from anywhere, with total security and not having to worry that someone might hack the VNC Server without you knowing :)

[@isabeldiaz6467]

Before i dive into getting VPN or whatever. How could i see them to wifi so i can watch what they are recording anywhere i am? My grandpa being reckless lately so im planning hoe to see hidden cameras in his hoise in case of an emergency

[@Khyleb253]

@@isabeldiaz6467 download VNC Server on the laptop that has the "security Cameras" hooked to it. And Download VNC Viewer on the Computer you wish to View them it from. And then log in. I'm being really vague just Google VNC Server to learn more.

[@hakunamatata324]

@@isabeldiaz6467 almost any great router brand nowadays has the VPN feature on it if you are not so familiar with computers things. With that said, you can access from anywhere you go, the connection is encrypted, and so on. VNC does not provide enough security do anyone with the right knowledge can access it, find out its geo location, and etc. Unfortunately, people don't think. They install a bunch on shit inside their house, voice assistant, smart TV, etc, without knowing the danger around it. I have a DNS + VPN at home so my mobile, computers, consoles, smart TV, are not able to send tracking data, personal information over to Google, Microsoft, Samsung, etc. You have no idea all the data trying to leave your own home everyday. I've being working with technology in the last 10y, I'm 30 now. Users have no idea all the shit out there.

[@kenjifox4264]

@@hakunamatata324 where can I learn more about setting up a VPN server? is there anything like that for raspberry pi ?

[@philipbrady7635]

wow, great to see old stuff being reused, and functioning better that most off the shelf expensive units.

[@2001jadenable]

This paired with some motion activated lights outside would definitely make a very nice budget friendly setup

[@Alexandra-Rex]

Just don't place motion sensor lights where you walk often. I never get used to them suddenly turning on, so they always startle me 😋

[@HaasGrotesk]

Or even having IR lights that are not visible to the naked eye?

[@x-iso]

yeah, actually without IR support it's not much of a security setup. not only you have to add IR lights which would automatically turn on and off, but also strip IR filter from camera sensor (which might be impossible to do properly since it's way too tiny and usually lens stack is glued around sensor on these).

[@john4398]

@@x-iso wtf I got a notification from you and I haven't read this comment even.

[@SweBeach2023]

Well, having an old laptop running 24/7 could easily rack up an substantial electricity bill. So long term I suspect a dedicated solution would be more cost effective. And of course far less fiddly and prone to problem.

[@RailRoad188]

Infinitely more private than almost every commercial offering. The picture quality looked pretty good! This is a great place to start, thanks!

[@SalawuIbrahim]

Your voice is so soothing, feels like an old British documentary.

[@yusriplanner4666]

True

[@kingofracism]

Definitely not lol. Old British documentaries normally talk in a different accent. This dudes accent is modern

[@carlphelpsphelps5447]

@@yusriplanner4666 a

[@Double_Vision]

If you want to hear a much more authentic British documentary accent coming from a living person, search for Mark Felton Productions on KZbin. His accent isn't precisely the old Received Pronunciation accent of some documentaries, but it's nostalgic!

[@CursedCapsuleStudio]

How it's made vibes

[@lukaswalczak93]

I love that this channel is 99,9% about recycling dead laptops :D They are so versatile^^

[@ELECTROHAXZ]

Scavengerx3 It's not 99% about laptops, if anything there's more lighting projects than there are laptop projects.

[@lukaswalczak93]

@@ELECTROHAXZ But he actually built some Lights out of Laptop Backlights so we are both right :P

[@ELECTROHAXZ]

No, you're wrong, 99.9% of his content is not about laptops, he did make the backlight window light but 99.9% of his content is not about laptops.

[@CB-xp9ew]

that's great dude

[@TheUnboxerMan]

ELECTROHAXZ The classic fun at parties dude here.

[@Shazzkid]

*covers laptop webcam to protect privacy* Also me: *puts wifi webcams around house for protection*

[@JeandrePetzer]

normies: covers laptop cam walks around with phones front facing cam facing them all day

[@dermodmaster6016]

Shh... deauthentication is a lie and the moon is a hologram!

[@SpoodleProductions]

I will never understand covering the camera. Even if the government or someone else was spying on you with it, the camera would have the least useful things on it. If they were gonna go through the trouble to hack into your camera, why not just do the microphone instead? Or better yet, the GPS? You can't tell that they're running and have the same permission level on most devices. They'd probably be able to collect more incriminating data on it too, since the camera has to be pointed at something to record it and these could just record stuff all the time.

[@iLoveTurtlesHaha]

@@SpoodleProductions No no no, they know what they are doing with the webcam. XD i.imgur.com/IrGQdSe.png

[@alextell7019]

and your web cam has a hard wired light so you know when its on

[@willsgrandad]

Followed this tutorial, now I can see in the tunnel of my train set. Just need to get some LEDs set up inside the tunnel. Thanks for the upload.

[@SchoolforHackers]

That’s a very cool use.

[@omsirut]

I laughed when the USB plugs crawled out of the hole in the wall

[@yvonnedavis1363]

Me too lol

[@citylumberjack8381]

Me 3! It reminded me of a low-budget, straight to video, stop-motion horror/comedy. "Attack of the Creeping USB Cables"

[@mohammedissam3651]

😂 yeah 🤣 me too

[@corsai7506]

Ive always wondered why old PC and laptops could not be remodelled into other useful tech. But this guy has made the dream come true!. I wish I had the tech savvy (or a soldering iron) and then I could turn stuff into super powerful and useful hardware for my home.

[@TDG2654]

I can't imagine the horrors that that laptop has been through

[@hajimson]

That was my first thought. Poor lenovo

[@davidreinhart373]

RIP X220

[@muhwyndham]

that is x220 at that, it's a quite rugged lenovo, which i can't imagine what the owner do to make such a hard and strong laptop looks like that...

[@Tekspert]

It participated in a how to basic video

[@dtwistrewind7361]

It looks like a murder weapon to me, someone has a saw head I think.

[@alexandru-danielpopovici7293]

"Security cams" sellers hitting with 2k+ dislikes :) Thank you for the content!

[@alexandru-danielpopovici7293]

@Alex Gamer I am.

[@ashscott6068]

Yeah. You know it's not burglars doing it, cus burglars don't give two shits whether you have cameras or not. Even insurance companies are like: "Well that could just be you in a balaclava"

[@alexandru-danielpopovici7293]

@@ashscott6068 :))

[@flightevolution8132]

@@ashscott6068 You're wildly wrong. Houses with cameras are much less likely to be targeted than those without.

[@theencryptedpartition4633]

@@ashscott6068 Oof 😅 sounds like coming from experience

[@AlisTaiRS94]

I just realised you could make your own video door bell by recycling the laptops screen, microphone and webcam. Alternatively during quarantine you could adapt the smart mirror project by including the webcam remotely for when shaving your own head. So many possibilities 👍🏻

[@derekchristenson5711]

"... for when shaving your own head" -- LOL, pandemic hairstyles

[@arnoldloudly5423]

Thank you for providing the exact knowledge I needed and exactly no extraneous bollocks. I followed your explantions first time and only needed to rewatch once to check my work. Brilliant mate...Thank you so much.

[@David-bc4rh]

The algorythms finally did its job for me.

[@brandonu.6422]

Seriously - this video is amazing, how did I just now run into it??

[@elgoncitystudio2667]

I'm tryinna do the algorithms as I figure out what an algorithm is,🙄🙄🙄

[@m567-s3b]

Same

[@yazdani3552]

Really good one 👍

[@rafa_saugi]

Minecraft repeaters are so useful, they made it in real life!

[@KwasnikPictures]

Infrared cameras next please!

[@DanielSMatthews]

You may find that is just a matter of removing a filter layer on some CCD chips, and adding IR LEDs for illumination. Not sure if this applies to laptop cam chips though as I haven't had the opportunity to check.

[@Hobypyrocom]

just dont bother... you will need $20USD or more per peace of USB extenders for the cameras to work on 30m distance... instead buy wifi ip cameras, you can get them for as low as $20USD and they have infrared, pan, tilt, motion detection, two way talk, mobile app... tons of options for the same price that you will need to do the "system" from the video and less work...

[@Hobypyrocom]

@starshipeleven the sweet spot of data transfer rate for an 1080p usb cameras (actually 720p real) is around 64-96Mbps, show me a $10USD usb extender with real data rate in those numbers? the ones i bought were $13USD each, they couldnt provide enough data rate for 10m distance and they even disconnect from time to time because of the low voltage they get from the pc at that distance... the ones that i found working decently are $22USD + shipping... btw yes i live in a house where i need even more than 30m of cable to the cameras (if you follow the walls even a 5m square room can need 10m or more of usb cable), i am not poor but i am not rich (i am tho lower than poor for Australian or western standards) and i cant afford a "real system" so i made my own for $150USD which has allot of options and logs and mobile app... i wasted a whole year making it tho... the electronics is custom build and took me 2-3 months but programming took me allot of time... protecting wifi cameras is easy if you know how to do it, i know... you can even modify wifi camera to make it lan camera which is cheaper than buying a lan ip camera... lack of money will teach you allot of things...

[@CJICantLie]

IamIUareU You can use a pi at each camera to give them wifi. Would cost less than $22 each that the cables cost you.

[@Hobypyrocom]

CJICantLie yeah but good luck setting up RTSP and video streams with two way audio, motion detection and alarm, one key installation, mobile app, physical pan and tilt, infrared and tons of other stuff those $20USD wifi ip cameras already have...

[@jonnywondr]

Surveillance companies hate this guy.

[@user-ut9ln4vd5m]

They still monitor, and could call the cops, supposedly. You can set up all the cameras you want but if it's only giving you a nice video of a break-in you don't find out about until the next day it's only doing half the job. Motion detecting alerts _could in theory_ let you do the monitoring yourself, but you've got to sleep and work and whatnot. And setting up your own alerts so they're not going off every time there's a breeze in your yard, or a pedestrian walking past, or your dog/cat takes a lap can be an exercise in frustration. Not that a monitoring security company's the greatest deal ever, some with contracts and prices so high you could afford to buy a new fancy remote controlled outdoor wifi camera every 2 or 3 months. They should have a monitor-only option if you've got your own stuff... some must.

[@GAMRMNTS2]

** all shut up Dookey duke

[@flumiie]

@@user-ut9ln4vd5m diy is, again, the answer to the cheaper solution. Just diy a motion sensor

[@timwoodburn5895]

Damn, I didnt know laptop cams were USB! Thanks!

[@rbrtck]

Yeah, it's one of those things that make too much sense to actually be true, except in this case it is. Very handy to know.

[@juans6639]

They are not. He showed you how to identify the wiring once you remove them and soldered the camera wires to a USB cable.

[@Curiosity_Cars]

@@juans6639 They are usb.. they just wire to internal usb header instead of external port

[@djscrivbits8807]

Ye that’s why they aren’t as good as phone cameras

[@vitor900000]

Most things on a laptop usually uses the USB protocol but some are integrated on the main board. In other words you cant take them out. Cams, card readers and sometimes the touchpad are some of the things you can reuse. And about the quality it depends with USB protocol they are using. A USB 3.1 have more than enough bandwidth for 1080p raw or even 4k compressed.

[@TheComputec]

Genuinely impressed with this. Luckily I work in an It recycling plant so can pick up these webcams for pennies. Definitely going to have a go at this one! cheers for the wire tracing info and root hub tip !

[@est495]

Lucky!

[@by.Slice_]

hey there, how it went?

[@GoodBaleadaMusic]

DIY Perks makes Linus Tech Tips looks like one of those arts and crafts shows public access would put on to compete with Saturday morning cartoons.

[@TheNpcNoob]

Ltt is mainly a review channel tho

[@ParadoxicalThird]

He's also not an asshole, so you have a better creator who is also not an immense bellend. Linus is a really, really unpleasant person behind the camera.

[@budhiman.grahak]

You know linus personally like that😂

[@ReceptiveRaptor]

@@ParadoxicalThird slanders a famous content creator but doesn't cite anything 🥴

[@TisDansk]

@@ParadoxicalThird source: Trust me bro

[@rayknn]

You could also use a esp8266 board like an NodeMCU. This is a arduino compatible board, which could allow you to have all the camera's conected to your wifi network.

[@ChristopherKlepel]

this totally works I just made two webcam's with parts from old laptops I had in my basement thank you so much!!!

[@C4LLZ]

Mr. Dhillon ye same :/

[@C4LLZ]

Mr. Dhillon yes can’t get it to work. It shows up but the computer can’t see that it’s a Camera

[@C4LLZ]

Mr. Dhillon i have no idea

[@pawelabrams]

And you tried the "switch data cables around" trick, right?

[@pawelabrams]

So now it's a troubleshooting time: check all the cables and solders for any damage, check your USB plug if it even has four channels (sometimes cheap charging cables have data cables shorted)... But first, check for drivers for the camera at the scrapped laptop manufacturer's site! Maybe Lenovo had a not-so-standard camera installed.

[@johannesk.5039]

Maybe a quick tip to consider when building this: If your USB cable doesn't seem to be colorcoded like normally you can easily check what roots where by pulling up an image in which your plug is shown with its pins labels. Then you can use the multimeter again and find the corresponding pairs. Pretty easy on USB Typ-A from my experience. And I know it sounds pretty obvious but believe me, when you encounter this problem you won't instantly think of it. :D

[@jodyclaborn]

We miss your videos!!! Hope everything is going well for you.

[@farhanulhaq3580]

Any idea where he is....?

[@raven3831]

@@farhanulhaq3580 same question

[@farhanulhaq3580]

@@raven3831 He tweeted "he did something experimental which threw him back a long way. Will be back in March." I am already Waiting eagerly and very curious what's next....

[@raven3831]

@@farhanulhaq3580 thank you very much for this information .... waiting too

[@noobman1837]

@@raven3831... well its March... :/

[@hellomate7681]

i think it might be good way using raspberry pi to replace the laptop for 24 hour advance security camera

[@heyramineni]

That's a brilliant idea. We can also hook it up to a 10000mah power banks to provide power backup :D

[@parishna4882]

Old tablets used to have wifi modules that were also USB based. a usb laptop camera and a tiny usb wifi module, connected to a large enough battery pack, you could remotely monitor places...

[@Jiloh5]

exactly my thought man! Im gonna try this lol

[@reverendbluejeans1748]

@@Jiloh5 Same here

[@Jadinandrews]

@@parishna4882 I actually opened an ancient android tablet to find exactly that, the wifi module was tiny and connected to USB via 4 wires soldered onto the pcb. So was the front facing camera, such simple straightforward engineering, but I didn't have my wits about me to keep those parts for some future home security project.

[@edmade3654]

Hey Mate, please dont disappear! Missing your projects :(

[@yaminintisar3535]

He uploaded :D

[@shodeb5564]

this is actually so much better than wi-fi dyi cameras. no burglar can just deauthenticate all your cameras and go in. hard-wire for the win

[@pesterenan]

Such an amazing idea! So simple to do and so important! Thanks for sharing!

[@Hobypyrocom]

isnt simplier and cheaper to just buy $20-30USD wifi ip cameras which have night infrared option, pan and tilt, alarm, microSD card for motion detection recording, android and ios app? so nop, its not a amazing idea, its lame idea nowadays actually...

[@azimalif266]

@@Hobypyrocom the channel is called diy perks, the ip cameras are hard to hide, easy to vandalise, you can install streaming software in your laptop and phone, you can add more storage to the laptop with a hard drive for way cheaper then memory cards, infrared can be added to these cameras for dirt cheap (you simply have to remove the filter and add a 1 watt IR led). Its an awesome build executed nicely. If you can "DIY" it better then do share.😀

[@S54]

@IamIUareU definitely not cheaper

[@azimalif266]

@@S54 Definitely cheaper.

[@BadMax02_VR]

Azim Alif and when you do it diy you always have control which software you want to use which camera modules for example from a laptop with an full hd camera would be more expensive but its possible an ir led is so simple because you can probably just run it the whole time even at day time so you just solder a ir led with a resistor to the 5v and ground pin and done

[@danielarsivana5991]

the reason that i like DIY PERKS than other youtube DIY channels 1. He is Friendly :) i love the way he explain something hard to understand into simple explanation 2. Easy to Understand even youre not good into electronics or anything like that 3. Simple but Amazing 4. Unbelieveable idea 5. Always inspiring me to do something :D

[@danielarsivana5991]

@@intriq8 for ordinary people yeah i agree this is bad idea but i think this is a great idea for DIY-people who likes to do something :)

[@theteddychannel8529]

Nice comment but really REALLY vague haha

[@theteddychannel8529]

i don't think anybody is willing to read such a long, and badly constructed comment. Try again.

[@johnnycage8952]

I definitely wouldn’t wanna use this guys washroom lol

[@jameshayden8357]

Haha peek a poop

[@Notacladist]

Why? What do you do in other people's washrooms? :-)

[@lovelybydecay7811]

@@Notacladist Idk about him, but now "searching for hidden cameras" is pretty high up there for me

[@cme64]

This motivates me to get back on my 7y old DIY smart home project!

[@17thSzAdDaM]

X220 you had a good life. :( Press F to pay respect!

[@radekoplustil6750]

F

[@nororlol4life819]

F

[@RyeOnHam]

F

[@davidreinhart373]

F

[@OleHenrikKvammen]

F

[@Sarnexus]

I'd recommend HP TrueVision HD webcamsa as they're true 720P webcams

[@nandanbhat629]

That's not a good idea coz if it's 720p then you will run out of space after some time if there are more than 3 of this 360 or 420p should be enough for cctv I think

[@xWood4000]

Another benefit is that you have full control if you use open-source so the company or the government can't spy if you do your job well. You can also endlessly update the system.

[@xWood4000]

@@pingumcping I do identify as a male, and that is irrelevant to this discussion.

[@adygombos4469]

You should identify as a woosh

[@xWood4000]

@@adygombos4469 I don't, since I was aware of the joke, there's just no smart and funny way to respond to that appropriately without starting a new discussion, which would be okay if this discussion could go further.

[@abyssstrider2547]

@@pingumcping This isn't place for memes you 10 year old.

[@xWood4000]

@@pingumcping Yeah. It's a big issue. Maybe we will use gender-neutral terms predominantly at some point.

[@Taikamuna]

It's always a good day when you upload! Keep up the great work ☺

[@Vishgraphy]

Why I see your comments everywhere ?

[@AJRestoration]

Vishgraphy mabe he is god?

[@pamelahaddad3893]

gh

[@isavedlatin3467]

@@Vishgraphy its a bot

[@Vishgraphy]

@@isavedlatin3467 Wao.. it's already been 3 years.

[@haganegenkotsu]

When Theon Greyjoy gives you home security tips!

[@monregranvillealexander287]

REEK!!

[@calciumchloride710]

He's got a new favorite toy, now...

[@virgilwalker683]

Nice video, but finding the correct device driver for the cam can be tricky, especially when the cam is more than 10 years old or if your using a outdated operating system. So, remember before even trying this video at home, make sure you do your research on the cam, who made it, and the manufacturer web site for the device driver download links.

[@shavoniilloyd7825]

I must say thank you very much on showing me how to build one myself. I came through a lot of challenging where my camera didn't have the round disc to tell which wire was negative and to make it worse there were 12 wires connected to the wire. But luckily i got it working and it so much fun just looking on what I have created.

[@S3KH4R]

yay! I made it. the cam from my sony laptop had only 4 wires( idk why), So it was super simple to find the 5v and ground wires.

[@mikejb2009a]

Great video. When you think you know everything about computers there's always something new. I would never have guessed it was so easy to hook up an old cam from a scrap laptop. I always thought they were proprietary connections just because they are inside. THANKS

[@numberslettersstuff]

Thanks for the tutorial. I tried something similar but broke the camera trying to sort out which wire was which. Wish I had this then! Subscribed and loved. Keep it up!

[@operatorblack]

I live in a terrible neighborhood, but I have a few old broken laptops around so this will help me put together a security camera system to keep myself safe. Thank you man

[@gabtheone]

You can use motioneyeos on the Raspberry pi

[@AaronPowell]

How many Webcam's can you link up to the pi ??

[@ScullyBrewing]

@@DaveOTech Extendable via a usb hub

[@ScullyBrewing]

@@DaveOTech True, though there are many beefier alternatives to rpi nowadays that are a similar form factor

[@Osmanity]

It would be to much load for more cameras for raspberry pi to handle. The fps would be to low. Better solution would be better image processing power computer

[@TimLF]

Maybe on an odroid

[@cleome__]

Nice timing on this video. Airbnb is struggling to deal with the trend of owners hiding cameras ;)

[@lepermessiah2011]

A security system on an insanely small boojit. Well done, sir.

[@lepermessiah2011]

@StealthyMonk *flies away

[@christianthompson1839]

Boojit

[@anggorotriatmojo1200]

Boojit

[@anggorotriatmojo1200]

Clearly this dude is indian

[@anggorotriatmojo1200]

Learn gramma arsehole

[@fenderstratguy]

This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Cheap used parts. Simple design. Nothing fancy.

[@Felixkeeg]

This was a great project. The only thing I'm not entirely happy with is the need for usb repeaters every 5 meters. Is there a way to convert the usb signal to ethernet? There are ethernet cables for outdoor use, so this would improve the resilience of the system by a bit. Also all the ethernet cables could be hooked up to a switch, which feeds into a raspberry pi or an old laptop. I think this would also eliminate bandwith limitations.

[@metalwolf112002]

For my system i use zoneminder as the DVR, for my cameras themselves i use webcams i had on had or purchased connected to pocket routers or pogoplugs. check out the tp-link MR3040 and pogoplug v4.

[@QuantumRift]

YES, you can get USB to ETHERNET converters from $5 to $10 or so. Pop that on, and use something like a NetGear Powerline (ethernet over home wiring) and BANG! YOu're in business! Or put the cam on a wireless router etc....BANG you're in business.

[@jlyn7468]

I love your videos. They're so full of well explained creativity and you make your advertisements not annoying at all. One of the greatest content creators in my opinion

[@mattbarber1987]

Great setup, but all feeds pictured in the video are in daylight. I feel that one major feature it's missing is some sort of night vision like most home security cameras use?

[@PunakiviAddikti]

Yes, there's no night vision. That would require high power IR LEDs and a moving IR filter over the lens. Ever heard of security cameras make a clicking sound when transitioning between night vision and daytime full color mode? It's the filter moving inside the camera.

[@wartillthendanimation]

@@PunakiviAddikti so are you able to just add the filters to the webcam cameras?

[@Guizo66]

​@@wartillthendanimation cameras see IR by default, they come with a filter to block most of it, so you would have to remove that

[@cantinasongband]

@@Guizo66the front facing camera on most smartphones does not have an IR filter and can see the light from a remote control for example

[@anonymouswda7658]

There are also alternatives using night vision specific cameras. The cheapest ones I find connects to a raspberry pi

[@urdlikormin8888]

Don't lose your time trying that ! I tried it with a 10 years old computer cam (5 wires) and another one that is 5 years old (9 wires). Both were detected but created usb powering limit errors shown by windows on 3 different computers. None were plug and play like shown in this video. I was going to try some other tips from this channel but I now believe that what is shown is simplified to keep people entertained.

[@rahulkalra3248]

Hey .. how much length have u achieved successfully? could you please help !!!!

[@kuckian]

The oil lamp thing on the right of your desk, i have the exact same one from when my granddad worked in the mines!!

[@johnedwards4176]

Davey lamp ,wont ignite gas in the mine like the naked flame did.

[@matthewnightingale2293]

The same.👍

[@CrybabyArtist]

@@NOSUBSCRIBERSWANTED you can tell you're and old guy cause, talking about "experienced minors" being miners and you know they don't allow that anymore.

[@Dansk55]

Make sure to setup a two way authentication or really strong 16 character password (a phrase or two that doesn't make sense together). Very important.

[@johnpossum556]

Those little cameras look so close to being a bore-O-scope cam.

[@andrytenor2148]

Great video. Could you make a diy dashcam out of a cellphone camera that automatically turned on and start recording as soon as you turn on the car. Thanks

[@specs6637]

I’m actually using this to add a camera into a droid form Disney I’m modifying. I’m having so much working on this. Thank you for adding this video

[@jan_harald]

would be awesome if you mentioned the approximated price your 6-cam setup was, for example "super cheap" "fraction of the cost" but could have mentioned stuff like "cameras cost me 10$ with shipping, and laptop I got for 20$, so it was around 30$" or something like that oher than that, the webcam being usb is REALLY handy to know, and great video overall

[@DoomRater]

I'd be more worried about the cost of all those USB repeaters. I've never even seen a USB repeater in stores.

[@jan_harald]

@@DoomRater nah, those aren't expensive, they're not "repeaters" but "usb extention cable" or "usb male to female cable" or something like that, I only have thick, shielded, looong cables here, so idk how cheap the cheapos are, but they're not too expensive

[@DoomRater]

USB has a length limit, after which a repeater signal has to be made or it'll miss the 5ms signal window. Extension cables will not do anything about that. That length is 5 meters...

[@JodBronson]

All that work..... For $2.84 you can buy a Min USB WebCam and you don't have to do all that work. All you need is the USB Port / Hub + Computer + the Free in the Video Software and you will be all set. eBay Item: 163188849225

[@i.suk.6146]

@@JodBronson But can you tack them to the walls like little super secret spy pinholw cameras? I don't think soooo

[@aron684]

Wow! men you're just amazing, You are a hero bro. You have really helped me. I will connect the old laptop to my router and since it has a common network to my other machines i will be able to monitor everything away from home.

[@levenzamendez3365]

Thank u so much.....I made my own USB webcam using old laptop inspired by you and I'm a 13 year old boy

[@davidlarson2534]

This is the video I’ve been looking for for a long time. The big issue with off the shelf video cameras is their bulk. What is to prevent someone from coming at it with a golf club? You can make a housing from thin sheet plexiglas so the camera can fit securely in any location. Thanks!

[@cobaink]

After beeing killed by the nightking looks like Theon Greyjoy is now in the security business.

[@stephenpena7813]

definitely doing this soon! Hope you're back soon and are able to recover all your data for the recent project! Always backup my friend! As a photographer of 12 years I have 3 copies of everything I do for at least a year after losing EVERYTHING once! lol

[@HACKINGMADEFUN]

Does this happen to SSD too? No right

[@aaroncarson]

@@HACKINGMADEFUN it can do, yeah - SSDs unfortunately do die quite regularly

[@stephenpena7813]

@@HACKINGMADEFUN everything has a lifespan but I will say this.due to recent issues with the hyper x SSD I would definitely avoid RGB enabled ssds for a while especially if you tend to have important data stored on them. Either way backups are ALWAYS important and can save you. Just don't do raid 0 either

[@georgev.georgeson5300]

Sounds cool that you can reuse old parts laying around your house basically for no money, but keep in mind that many old laptop cameras have very poor resolution and were designed to be used at near distance. Using them as a home security cameras, overlooking the whole room won't often give you something very usable.

[@Thomas-Almanza]

I wonder how the feed looks without daylight.

[@0vesl0]

Assuming you picked your webcams with this intent, you could make sure they are all sensitive to ir light and have a couple ir lights placed in strategic areas to give their rooms or areas cloud light. Like corner room lamps. But nobody walking in the room at night would see them if the ir torches were aiming up. Military operatives sometimes have them on their back shining up, I've heard them referred to as an umbrella light. Their nog's see the whole room lit up as the light is reflecting off of the walls and bouncing everywhere.

[@rootbrian4815]

@@0vesl0 Precisely, and it isn't difficult to remove the screwed lens assembly (it's a focus ring!) from the webcam and then take the IR filter out. It'll see invisible light.

[@0vesl0]

@@rootbrian4815 well then, it's even easier now lol you think it's pretty universal for most webcams? Thanks for the tip!

[@rootbrian4815]

@@0vesl0 Yup, universal.

[@ThegamingZerii]

The best thing about it is that it is completely offline, so you can even put those cams in your bedroom if you wanted without having to fear someone to watch you sleep.

[@CaveyMoth]

Just have to make sure the main laptop isn't connected to my local FBI Van wifi.

[@tiagotiagot]

Cavey Möth And don't forget to use shielded cables and Faraday cage cases for the cameras and laptops to avoid TEMPEST leaks.

[@calin1]

Missing your content.

[@dellawrence4323]

Awesome! I will be doing this for my motorcaravan, an added bonus is that it will use very little power compared to consumer CCTV set ups.

[@frankiespencer758]

Please make a video with dead smartphone cameras. Or how differently I can use them. Please

[@Mdudeman13]

Or you could turn the phone itself into a security camera kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2jLaX9or8p_mqc

[@johnnyblackheart1977]

Hey Matt. What about including the microphones from the same old busted laptops? Is there a way you can isolate each one to correlate with each respective camera? Would they even be audible? This seems like a good update to this video.

[@nether_bat]

you can, but you would have to sacrifice some cameras

[@u-lo-l]

If there are six lines, the other two are for the microphone

[@victorfalbo]

Just looking for a DIY project to build a 4 cams surveilance system Your's are quite perfect for me the ContaCam software with Motion detection recording is all i wanted to find, recording videos only when there's movement is just perfect Thanks a lot

[@bus1966]

I cannot express how much I admire you, thank you for your great work!

[@davidalan6701]

How would you recommend making this broadcast over wifi? I’m building a CNC enclosure and was looking at webcams, but I’ve got a super old MacBook Pro that I don’t even have a power cable for. It’d be cool to use a variation on this tutorial to keep an eye on it remotely when it’s running a cutting operation.

[@BernardBrixeauGutierrezbrx]

Hey Matt! this was awesome! How about making a USB webcam from an old phone camera module?

[@akshat8586]

It would require tremendous amount of work, because they're soldered to the PCB and also they don't use USB protocol

[@H3xx99]

A raspberry pi network is really simple to set up, and the Pi 0W is wifi enabled, can be run from any usb charger, and is only $10 USD. So you can set up a new camera for less than 20 bucks, and you don't have to run usb cables all over the place.

[@thetrashmaster1352]

I went on E-bay and found 6 720p cameras, 48 hours of storage, 6 hours of battery storage for a grand total of 20 USD.

[@agoogleuser9025]

Kers1 what a deal! is it second hand? What is the brand?

[@thetrashmaster1352]

@@agoogleuser9025 That was just me doing what the video says. 8USD for an old laptop with 6 USB ports and 6 web cameras all for around 2USD

[@joshuagalasse8846]

Would this work on a raspberry pi as well?

[@asadgun]

freaking awesome....Am gonna search and all my relatives houses for old cameras now!!!! Yippiee, Thx Matt

[@chasehauler1916]

I was looking for a video like this a couple weeks ago. I was trying to attach an old laptop camera to a raspberry pi Zero. I couldnt find any information on the wiring, and i ended up plugging it in and it started getting hot - I didnt use the right wires. This video is EXACTLY what i needed, and I found it accidentally in my feed! Thanks!

[@notmasterdelectronics]

Mine went up in smoke... It worked for 2 minutes until i decided to solder the wires up and i messed up one data with a plus because it was the same colour

[@electronicsNmore]

You did a great job making this video. :-)

[@peterwilson5528]

Yes you did a great video. Well done and thanks so much I will try this.

[@EmanS117]

6:10 with all those laptops having been sacrificed for their webcams, it has awakened a virtual beast to make us answer for our sins

[@alanwattman9775]

This is such a clever solution, i'm thinking how I can use this in my home now.

[@patrickcallihan]

Worked 1st Try! As you said absolutely use a multimeter to find the wires. Old Lenovo camera RED was GND! Thanks for the info.

[@K-Kil]

Great, I was looking for info on something completely different and you come along and make the pile of old laptops into a whole new distraction lol! I am definitely going to do something like this.

[@Journal_Of_A_Troutbum]

This is great! I think I’ll try it. Did you ever consider using an raspberry pi instead of a laptop?

[@AnthonyQuinnJr]

Love this idea. It would be great to have something like this that worked over cat5 or 6 with POE. Thanks for another great video.

[@VostockR]

usb to cat 5/6 adapter

[@tubbunny]

@C a I mean, not really. Unless you want to lose your connection, then stick with pre-built USB to Ethernet adapters.

[@dyllansimpson4909]

More videos (on whatever topic) should follow this outline. Amazingly straight forward yet detailed.

[@crazzzik]

I wonder if the cost of wiring and usb repeaters will in some cases exceed a wireless setup with raspberry pi's (zero or regular).

[@angrycreeper100]

Well you would still need to run power to them so that would cost and they would be bulkier

[@davey2k12]

Constant use of laptop to if old probably crash all the time ......try it with win xp wud be fun lol

[@pingwingugu5]

I was thinking the same. You could use a Raspberry Pi Zero W for each camera and set up a stream via WiFi to the recording laptop. Maybe even set up a separate WiFi rooter with a local network to avoid overloading your main internet WiFi with constant video traffic. This should allow usage of quite a few cameras. The only thing I do not like in this project is keeping old laptop in remote hidden place under constant charging. LiPo and LiIon batteries do not like being stored at 100% charge. It is a bit of a fire hazard. At work we are using laptops almost like desktops, they are constantly on their charging stands, right now we have an epidemic of cracked cases because the batteries started to puff out. USB extenders need 5V power either way so you will loose feed when the mains are out, there is no need to keep the battery in. I would probably use old desktop instead, they don't overheat as easily as laptops, and you can put extra PCI cards for more USB inputs. A Mini-Tower size will not be that hard to hide either.

[@mamupelu565]

GODsaveTHEcat laptops work when plugged in without the battery

[@davey2k12]

@@mamupelu565 FFS duh we know ...it's not ment to be powered like that really

[@idefox123]

Nice video! Would it be possible to let the cameras livestream to your phone? That would also come in handy

[@wasilewskiemil]

idefox123 maybe OBS with the stream to the private YT channel?

[@ThegamingZerii]

Something like VNC could be used for remote access to the laptop

[@ojtyler9626]

@@ThegamingZerii what's VNC and where can i find it I'd like to wirelessly transmit it to my phone

[@riccardobassini9452]

@@ojtyler9626 why don't you google VNC first?

[@ThegamingZerii]

oj tyler googleling should work fine, website is realvnc

[@mirajaded]

“Root them to a central location, using usb *repeaters* if required.” Minecraft players:

[@thatmand4542]

To be honest man i thinked straight to minecraft XD

[@Roomsaver]

Route

[@Roomsaver]

@@thatmand4542 Thought

[@pilotboy]

Minecraft repeaters do the same as power repeaters in reality! Funny, eh?

[@lightmambauk8915]

@@Roomsaver Why do you have correct everyone's spelling mistakes?

[@ericmilnesoto2727]

I just used this video to rescue an old laptop camera, which I really needed. Thank you!

[@jawr1215]

Saving video continuously to most standard laptop/consumer drives will make them fail fairly quickly, esp if its an old used laptop drive. If you have the budget, there are drives designed for long term continuous writes (eg WD purple) that work well, but obviously will push the budget up for a diy system, so horses for courses. SSDs would probably run into wear levelling/lifecycle issues too.

[@sens988]

we have 1tb blue and it goes over 2 years in security cam recorder so with purple you will be fine for over 5years garanted :)

[@kenoalbatros]

GetTheCheeseToSickbay if you take the cameras from old laptops you may also find a few old but still working hard drives in them so you could just swap them if they fail

[@canadianfloormasters]

Love the money saving idea for sure but is there a money saving way to make those USB extension cables you need? Because what you save in the camera you get killed big $$$ in cables.

[@Ulfie_]

You can make up to a 5M USB cable as long as you have the USB connectors at each end as they're basically just 4 cables to go from A to B which you can find the pinout of on google but it's honestly just as easy to buy a cheap $5 one off of Ebay and they cheapo ones also tend to be more reliable. The repeaters are also much better to get off of Ebay as well but making one is a little bit more of a pain :)