want to set up a pc based home surveillance unit

[drcaesar]

Hi everybody, i want set up a home surveillance system (for monitoring outdoor, like porch, gate etc) using my pc and webcam. i have a creative WebCam vista, i tried setting up using webcamXP, yawcam & webcam monitor 5.21(trial). all of them gave grainy pictures at night and the motion detection is not accurate. what i want to know is whether i need to get a new webcam (which mite provide better pictures at nite) also want advice on which software should i use to monitor the webcam. i require good motion detection capability and ability to record video on triggering an alarm. also is it possible to connect multiple webcam to one pc? if yes then how?

or should i forget abt using this sort of setup and opt for cctv like cameras and connect using DVR add on PCI card? i would be very happy if i can set up this system < Rs 5000.