Connecting cameras
Make sure the unit is not powered. Connect the cameras to the VIDEO4 and power up the unit. Number of cameras that are connected successfully will be indicated from STATUS_LED. See LED indicators of the VIDEO4.
Suitable cameras
The VIDEO4 is designed to work with either PAL or NTSC cameras with a composite output. The connectors for the cameras also include a 12v output feed to simplify cabling, so it is strongly recommended that the cameras choosen run off 12v with a maximum current draw of about 150mA per camera. The cameras can be bought from Race Technology, or adapter cables are also available so you can use cameras from other vendors.
Note that the cameras are available in a number of different qualities and it is the performance of the cameras that dominate the overall video quality. The process of video digitisation, compression and storage of the video causes very little quality derogation.
The quality of cameras are typically described by the number of television lines “TVL” they are able to capture. In practice this method of measuring camera quality has more to do with sales and marketing than engineering, however it can be used to differentiate camera quality from a single vendor. In practice cameras that use the Sony 1/3 HQ sensor are currently the best choice for quality.
Note that it is normal to use one high quality camera for the main feed into the VIDEO4 and lower quality cameras for the PIPs. Since the PIPs are reduced in size, there is almost no benefit of using an expensive camera for them.
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