cglaeser

I've been comparing the specifications of Samsung cameras in the catalog at http://www.samsungcctv.com/product/file_data/CTV/CCTV_Total.E1.pdf. Is it possible for an ExView HAD sensor to have better color low light sensitivity than a Super HAD sensor, but the Super HAD sensor to have better B/W low light sensitivity than the ExView HAD sensor? The difference between color and b/W sensitivity of an ExView HAD is typically 10X (e.g. SHC-745 color 0.05 vs b/w 0.006) while the difference between color and b/w sensitivity of a Super HAD is 20x to 30x (e.g. SHC-735 color 0.3 vs b/w 0.01). I've been considering the Ultra-low light SHC-745 with 1/2" ExView HAD, but the b/w sensitivity is listed at 0.006Lux (50 IRE@F1.2) while the SHC-737 b/w sensitivity is listed at 0.0025Lux (50 IRE@F1.2), more than one stop better. Although the 745 has better color low light performance, if I really want the best b/w low light performance, the specs suggest the 737 is the better choice. Can that be right? Best, Christopher

I don't see a date on this report and don't know when this was published, but here is an article on Super HAD CCD vs Super HAD CCD II. http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/cx_news/vol52/pdf/featuring52.pdf What is your favorite low light ExView bullet? Best, Christopher

Normally I would think this is DSS, and that may be the case here, but the reason for my question is that Samsung Techwin is usually pretty good about including both IRE and DSS values with minimum illumination specifications. Here are a couple examples: SHC-745 1/2" ExView HAD Color : 0.05Lux (50 IRE@F1.2), 0.00019Lux (Sens-up, 256X) B/W : 0.006Lux (50 IRE@F1.2) SHC-737 1/3" Super HAD Color : 0.05Lux (50 IRE@F1.2), 0.0002Lux (Sens-up, 512X) B/W : 0.0025Lux (50 IRE@F1.2) SOC-4160 1/3" Super HAD Color : 0.15Lux (50 IRE@F1.2), 0.0003Lux (Sens-up, 512X) B/W : 0.001Lux (50 IRE@F1.2) The SHC-745 1/2" sensor has about twice the area of the SHC-737 1/3" sensor, so that should add one stop alone, not to mention the ExView HAD vs Super HAD difference. Perhaps they are using considerably more gain in the SHC-737 and SOC-4160 and produce a noisier image. On a related topic, digital cameras have been adding about one stop of sensitivity every year or two. It seems reasonable to assume that Super HAD will continue to improve as well. Both the 737 and 4160 are new cameras and likely use the latest generation of Super HAD and support chips. Is there any information or specifications for the various generations of Super HAD chips over the last decade or so? Best, Christopher

Hairball? Which component in the system does video motion detection? It's the cameras, not ExacqVision. ExacqVision simply records the stream when a camera detects motion. Now then, suppose I want different video motion detection parameters based on the day of the week and time of day. For example, suppose I want to set video motion parameters for mon-fri 8-5. How do you schedule video motion detection in the camera if the camera doesn't even know what freakin' time it is? Exacq tech support says to schedule the video motion as though the camera is located in Iceland and then add/subtract the corresponding number of hours needed to correct the wrong time zone. Hairball? Now that's what I call hairball. That's just one example of the screwiness that occurs when system developers do not understand the implications of time zone. I could expand on other examples as well, such as ONVIF interoperability, ftp backup on system failure, and others. I like ExacqVision, which is why I want them to own up and just fix the damn software. If I had no intentions of using Exacq, I wouldn't really care about their time zone defect. Best, Christopher

Yes, a good DVR will have trigger inputs for PIRs and other triggering devices. No, the RS485 is typically for PTZ control. Best, Christopher

Video motion detection? No. Add outdoor PIR motion detectors to trigger the cameras and alarm. Both Optex and Crow Daredevil are excellent choices. Best, Christopher

Rory, you know we love you, but when you're in a hole, you need to stop digging. Consider just one application install, Quickbooks. Quickbooks requires the correct major and minor release number to access the company files. This means after the install from the CD, you have to find the minor release on the Intuit website, download it, and install it. You also have to activate the product. All of this takes time. It is absolutely impossible for you to install an OS and all these other apps I listed and configure email and find and download and install printer drivers and get everything working the way it was before the new OS install in 20 minutes max. It is impossible. Uncle? Best, Christopher

Oh good grief. It's a two year old Dell with OEM installed Office Pro. I know because I ordered the system for them. They could not locate the CD key that came with the system. Anyone who has installed an operating system, Office Pro, Quickbooks, Adobe Reader, several browsers, configured email, downloaded and installed printer drivers, knows that the boast, "that would only take me 10-20 minutes max." is blowin' smoke. Best, Christopher

Yeah right. They didn't even have the Office Pro CD Key. I had to first install a key finder. How many print drivers did I have to install? Oh that's right, I didn't say. It all sounds so easy, but when someone says, there's my computer over there, here's all the software I use, please configure everything back the way it was with a new OS, ... oh sure, I can do that in 10 - 20 minutes max. When pigs fly. But given that you are so fast, please go find the Windows 7 x64 print driver for the Canon D880 and post the link here. Do it in the next five minutes and include your address. I'll send you a $20 bill. I'll go get a stamp and an envelope and be right back. Best, Christopher

Agreed. I did a Windows 7 install yesterday. I did not time the Windows 7 part of the install, but was certainly less than 30 minutes. I installed Office Pro, Quickbooks, Adobe Reader, several browsers, configured email, downloaded and installed printer drivers, all within a couple hours. Something is way wrong if Windows 7 took three hours. Best, Christopher

I have this camera. It's a good solid performer in a nice small package. Be aware that some of the features are either/or, and can not be used together, but that should not be a problem for a parking lot. I also complain often on this forum about their implementation of ftp, which can only upload to a single folder and can not upload to folders based on date/time. The auto back focus settings for day and night is a welcome feature. Overall, I'm pleased with this camera. Best, Christopher

Got some great images from a Pany 502 of someone stealing mail from a mailbox. ExacqVision software captured the video while the camera also uploaded high res images to a NAS via ftp. Unfortunately, the power company had installed a new power meter several hours earlier and the two second power outage restarted the equipment. The ExacqVision app has a defect regarding timezone, and it reset the camera to GMT 0. So, the time stamps in all the high res images and video are off by eight hours. What a hassle to explain the time line in the police report and have to include comments as to why the times in the images are way off. Argh!!!! What a hassle. I really do like ExacqVision but this defect is really starting to annoy me. I think this indecent has convinced me I need to look elsewhere for a NVR application. Best, Christopher

Yes, I know the camera does video compression. Let's make sure we are on the same page. Are you saying that a jpeg image pulled from an h.264 video stream has the identical detail as a jpeg image generated by the camera? They certainly are not the same for the Panasonic 502. Best, Christopher

The jpeg images generated by the camera have somewhat better detail than the jpeg images extracted from the video stream due to video compression artifacts. Best, Christopher

Can it do simultaneous h.264 on motion and jpeg on motion? Best, Christopher

Yep, I left it off to minimize the confusion of conflicting time stamps, but the camera time stamp that remained was wrong, so I had to explain why it was wrong by eight hours. Yes, they told me the same thing, but this is an excuse, not a reason. This is not a new problem. Applications like Adobe Lightroom and Aperture can manage a ba-zillion camera models just fine. When sorting images by date and time, developers have to put a little thought into it, but it's that difficult. How do you get high res jpeg images without ftp? Best, Christopher

Correct, because the time stamp overlay is generated by the camera. I do it this way so the ftp images will have a time stamp. Of course, I can add another time stamp overlay on top of that in the ExacqVision video, but then things get real confusing for those who don't know the details. One time stamp says 10 am and the other says 6 pm. Best, Christopher

Although ExacqVision server maintains the correct time and timezone, it resets cameras to GMT 0. If you do anything in the camera that is based on time, it will not work correctly. For example, I set my cameras to overlay the date and time on the video and images. Although ExacqVision can also overlay the date and time, I prefer the camera do it so that the high res images uploaded via ftp have a time stamp in each image. If ExacqVision resets the camera time zone, all these times are wrong. In addition, many of these cameras can do other functions based on time. Examples include date/time-based file naming and schedule-based motion detection. You could set motion detection one way 8 - 5 mon - fri, and something else at other times. Exacq tech support suggests adjusting these schedules base on the wrong time zone of GMT 0. WHAT A SILLY HACK!!! Why not just fix ExacqVision and be done with it. It's so frustrating trying to explain to them why their implementation is so wrong. They just don't get it. Best, Christopher

I'm writing a script now for the Panasonic ftp kludge. Any security camera that uploads images via ftp to a single folder is defective, IMO. A couple weeks of images in one folder will bring any NAS to its knees. I've written Panasonic about this problem but have not received a reply. I guess I'll have to write a script for the Exacq timezone defect as well. I've contacted them numerous times about this defect, and although they finally acknowledge they need to look at the issue, they have been upfront enough to admit that they probably won't fix it, at least not any time soon. It's so annoying when these relatively minor problems cause so many problems. Best, Christopher

I know, I know. I have a dozen APC units, but I've been moving equipment around and of course, Murphy will always get you. Best, Christopher

I called Exacq technical support to check on the status of the timezone defect. The timezone defect is finally on the Exqcq issues list. Exacq has not yet made any decision as to whether they will actually fix the defect, and if they do make the decision to fix the defect, there is no time table for a release date, but at least the issue is finally on a list. Of course, they could still decide not to fix the defect. Anyway, I thought I would report this teeny tiny bit of progress. The wheels grind slowly. Best, Christopher

Oh, the Axis camera web interface, ok, understood. I own the 502. Don't know about other models, but the 502 can not upload images via ftp to date/time folders. This means all images must be written to one folder. After a week or two, there are so many images in one folder the OS slows down to a crawl when attempting to view, copy, or move images. Last year Axis released new firmware that can upload images via ftp to folders with date/time names. This is a major improvement. Regarding the SD backup, I can't get this feature to work on the 502. When the NAS is down, the 502 does not write any images to the SD card. At least, I can't get it to work. Best, Christopher

Axis does this well. Panasonic can not upload to folders. Oh, OK. What about the Axis GUI interface? Best, Christopher

In addition to the potential voltage drop mentioned above, many alarm installers refuse to use 24AWG for power because it is so fragile. A nick while stripping or a tight terminal screw can easily break 24AWG. PoE avoids these problems because the higher voltage reduces the current and the RJ45 connectors avoid the need to strip or use terminals screws. Best, Christopher

Panasonic is a near miss (can't create folders via ftp), but what about Axis? Best, Christopher