cglaeser

Can they be removed without damage?

I expect you don't have this model, but as a rule, do these CCTV minidome lenses snap in or screw in? How can I tell the difference? Could it be a little loose in the mount and not properly aligned with the sensor? Best, Christopher

+1 Clicking is likely a failing HDD. Best, Christopher

Do you recall the installation issues? I've installed Exacq servers and clients on WinXP, Vista x64, and Windows 7 x64 and never had an installation problem. The Exacq server is licensed to an Ethernet MAC address, so I purchased an inexpensive USB Ethernet device and purchase camera licenses for that MAC address so I can move the server each time I want build a new system, and I've yet to have any problems. In addition, I run the client on multiple systems, and the iPhone/iPad mobile app has been solid too. I am expecting delivery of an HP Z200 today and plan to install Ubuntu and will test that platform as well. There are many good DVR/NVR/VMS solutions from which to choose, and no one solution is best for everything. However, I'm surprised that you would encounter install issues with Exacq. Best, Christopher

I built my own 4 channel DVR using a PC, video encoder, and Exacq Vision software. But you are right, Exacq is not the cheapest solution. That said, it is feature rich, and most everything it does, it does really well. Really depends on your requirements. Best, Christopher PS: When I show my cameras on an iPhone or iPad using Exacq Mobile, the response is always the same. Wow!

Exacq Vision does not use ActiveX. You can monitor remotely on PCs, Macs, Linux, iPhones, iPads, and other smart phones with browsers. Best, Christopher

Depending on the requirement, an alternative is to put the money towards high res fixed cameras. Rather than trying to follow the motion, high res fixed cameras can blanket an area with lots of pixels, and you can use digital PTZ to review the recorded images. Best, Christopher

When fully zoomed, it won't pull a focus at all. Very blurry through the entire focus range when fully zoomed. Had to back off on the zoom a bit so that I could pull a decent focus. Not that I am aware. OK, I'll make a close inspection the next time I have it down. Best, Christopher

Right. The functionality is slightly better than Exacq Mobile, but the web interface needs improvement as well. The search features of both Exacq Mobile and the web server need to be enhanced so we can see if and when any events occurred. I talked to Exacq technical support about this yesterday. Fingers crossed, this will make the it into release 4.5. Best, Christopher

Use a sturdy mount that can support at least two cameras. A sturdy piece of wood should work fine. If you can compare two cameras at a time, that will provide a great deal of objective and subjective information. You can C-clamp the mount to a sturdy A-frame ladder for height perspective. Use cables with sufficient length so you can move the ladder to relevant locations. You should be able to assemble all of this in an hour or so with readily available hardware. Best, Christopher

Yes, considerably cleaner image. Thanks for posting. Best, Christopher

I installed Wireshark and watched the online tutorials. You're right, it's a great tool. I noticed a large number of checksum errors between the Exacq server and IP cameras, and between the Exacq server on one computer and the Exacq client on another computer. Given that everything seems to be working fine, I'm guessing these are not really errors. Is it possible Wireshark is not parsing the packets correctly? Or, is it common to have large numbers of checksum errors? Best, Christopher

I hope their implementation is better than the Panasonic 502. I've never been able to get the SD storage feature to work on the 502. Best, Christopher

RAID5 read performance is almost as good as RAID0, but you're right, RAID5 write performance sucks eggs. Best, Christopher

Right. Very easy. Not only that, but you can set up schedule for these events. For example, you could create a schedule to send email if there are any indoor PIR triggers in a store after hours and on weekends, or something like that. Any full-featured NVR like Exacq should have these features. Best, Christopher

Many IP cameras can upload images via ftp. Axis and Panasonic both make cameras with this feature. The Axis implementation (in recent firmware releases) is far more useful because it can create folders on the fly based on date and time stamp. The Panasonic 502 can upload via ftp, but only to one folder, and performance will suffer if one folder has thousands of image files. I have used ftp with the Axis 223M and 207M. I expect most Axis camera models (and video encoders) have similar implementations. Best, Christopher

Last I heard was possibly late October. Is anyone here testing an advanced copy? Best, Christopher

I called Exacq technical support today. They said the next release will be available this month. As in ... the next few days. This release will include ONVIF support. Of course, each vendor will have their own interpretation of the ONVIF specification, and it will no doubt take time for any differences to settle out, but this should be a step in the right direction. Best, Christopher

Understood. If the NVR sends a message to your phone, then yes, you would know the time to search. Best, Christopher

Understood, but if the over-engineering adds unneeded complexity, it can increase the chances something will go wrong. Sixty CCTV images per second is a very modest bandwidth for one disk drive. You will be able to record and search and playback all at the same time just fine. Best, Christopher

On the subject of browsers, there's one more attribute that is extremely useful. That is, the ability to use any browser with no ActiveX, or plugins, etc. It's nice to be able to use any mobile phone or ipad or borrow any laptop or computer and review your cameras without having to install or activate anything. The Exacq web server is one such example. Perhaps someone can list the other NVRs that provide the same easy-of-use. Best, Christopher

In the current implementation of Exacq Mobile, you can play back any recorded segment up to 10 minutes in duration, but you have to specify the time you want to play back. For example, you can play back 3:15 am for 10 minutes. But what if nothing happened or recorded all night until 6 am when the paperboy delivered the paper. Currently, there is no way to know when any video was recorded. Exacq plans to implement a feature so that you can review a timeline of events, and then review those events. Well, Exacq Mobile works with the Exacq server. Other NVRs have their own mobile solutions. Some use web browsers, some use apps, and some use both. I was essentially making the observation that there are benefits to having both. Exacq Mobile not only supports multiple cameras, but multiple cameras on multiple servers. All the domain names and passwords are stored in the app, and starting the app and switching among cameras is extremely fast. You can watch one camera, multiple cameras, zoom, rotate, switch cameras, etc, very quickly. You can also use it for installs. With the exception of event searches, this app is done really well. Best, Christopher

Why do you want to install cameras? Specifically, do you want to catch someone in the act of a crime, or do you want to identify a criminal hours after the crime has occurred? Best, Christopher

Can't speak to other NVR remote solutions, but Exacq Vision supports both regular browsers (no ActiveX required) and the Exacq Mobile iPhone application (soon to be ported to other platforms), and there is no comparison between using a browser and application. Some have complained on iTunes about the $49 cost for Exacq Mobile and said they would continue to use the Safari browser, but for me, the speed, utility, and ease of use justify the cost. Exacq is aware they need to improve event searches, and once that is developed and released, this app with rock. So, while it's certainly nice to be able to walk into any hotel lobby or internet cafe and use a vanilla browser without any ActiveX, etc, there are also advantages to a well-designed mobile app that is specifically designed for a task. IMO, a quality NVR should have both. Best, Christopher

I don't know how they implement Digital WDR in CCTV cameras, but it digital photography, HDR (high dynamic range) images are made by combining two or more images of the same scene that are taken at different exposure settings. So, some of the pixels in one image may be overexposed, and some other pixels in another image may be underexposed. The HDR application discards the under and over exposed pixels and selects pixels that are properly exposed. Using this technique, it's possible to create images that would otherwise span far more stops than can be recorded by the sensor in one shot. It would be possible, for example, for a CCTV camera to take two consecutive images, one at 1/60 sec and another at 1/120 sec, and combine them. Don't know if that's how it is actually done, but something like that is possible, and would significantly increase detail for scenes with wide dynamic range. Best, Christopher