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Problem with CCTV camera and Intensity Shuttle

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 4:54 pm
by nanisia
Hi everyone,

I have a problem getting an image from a CCTV pinhole camera connected to my Intensity Shuttle.
I hope I am not repeating this topic and some of you can help me with this.

I got my IS for a multimedia piece I was working on 2 years ago and mainly used it with digital cameras and camcorders – it worked very well. For this new project I am working on now I've been looking for analog mini spy cameras (wireless connections during performance are very risky and complicated to set up, so I try to avoid that). It needs to be small to fit between strings inside a harpsichord.

I got this cheap CCTV camera on amazon: Vanxse Cctv Hd Mini Spy Pinhole Security Camera 1000tvl Hidden Mini Cctv Surveillance Camera(VS-TN007)
It says the output of the camera is 1.0Vp-p.75. BNC Connector – I don't really understand if the numbers refer to the resolution?

I connected it to my Intensity Shuttle for Thunderbolt and I get this image in Media Express.
Screen Shot 2019-11-27 at 11.25.24.png
Screen Shot 2019-11-27 at 11.25.24.png (253.77 KiB) Viewed 3190 times


The blue screen appears only with the 3 NTSC Output settings in Desktop Video Setup, otherwise it's black. I made sure the output settings match the project settings in Media Express.
I shut down and restarted my computer just in case, reconnected all the cables. As you can see the microphone gets a signal. The camera has an external power adapter – when it's disconnected, the blue screen remains.

So my question is, do you think the camera is broken? Or is my Intensity Shuttle unable to output the camera signal? What other type of issue could it be?
Unfortunately I do not have another analog camera, nor do I have a TV to check the camera itself.

If you have any suggestions as to what other, similar type of mini camera would work, please let me know.

Thanks in advance :)

Re: Problem with CCTV camera and Intensity Shuttle

PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 7:21 pm
by Xtreemtec
Well looking at the specs of the camera. It is a NTSC cam. So yes blue image when ntsc setting would be signal coming from the camera.

Does it go black when you disconnect the camera?? If so. I guess your cam is defective. But you might test it on your tv.

Re: Problem with CCTV camera and Intensity Shuttle

PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:21 am
by nanisia
Xtreemtec wrote:Well looking at the specs of the camera. It is a NTSC cam. So yes blue image when ntsc setting would be signal coming from the camera.

Does it go black when you disconnect the camera?? If so. I guess your cam is defective. But you might test it on your tv.


Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your reply! The blue screen is still there when I disconnect the camera.
I tried another analog camera with my intensity shuttle and it does not connect either, this time the screen is just black...
I'm wondering if there is anybody on the forum who has previously connected this kind of a camera to intensity shuttle? :?:

Re: Problem with CCTV camera and Intensity Shuttle

PostPosted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 3:06 am
by nanisia
Hi everyone, it's a bit late follow up but I managed to plug in one camera to a TV and it works just fine. Intensity shuttle does not manage to show me anything on my computer, though. I would appreciate any kind of help with this :)

Re: Problem with CCTV camera and Intensity Shuttle

PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 7:45 am
by Howard Roll
You have incorrect settings in media express, analog ntsc is 640X480 or 720X480 always at 59.94i.

You have 720X486 which is SDI at 23.98 which was never a thing for standard def. analog.

Good Luck

Re: Problem with CCTV camera and Intensity Shuttle

PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 2:13 pm
by Eric-Jan
That CCTV camera is an analog camera on the composite input of the Intesity Shuttle ?
so it's NTSC, 525 lines xx frame rate interlaced set in the Desktop video setup and Media Express ?
You set these settings while this camera is connected ?
the specs of this camera are known ? (The aspect ratio might also be wrong, if you had any picture)
My guess is the output standard does not meet exactly what the Intensity Shuttle needs (NTSC tv system)
due to the cheap electronics.... it does mention the effective pixels of the sensorchip, whch is not much of use,
but you should maybe get into the software menu connected on an other tv input to set things the correct way,
(if possible with this camera), otherwise you should buy one that can, there are better ones than this one,
Google for "FPV camera", that's where these cameras are mostly used nowadays, (hobby drones) they also have a feature > WDR, which stands for Wide Dynamic Range, which means it will give you better picture quality, in any light situation, there are also ones that alow you to change the lens, for different viewing angles.

btw in your search you can specify mini micro or nano depending how small you want the camera to be.
also, you can use a PAL format camera, which has a higher resolution, and does not matter since you convert to digital in the end, and some of these cameras you can switch NTSC/PAL