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Need more info on the PC... but Aver makes 4 channel cards for around $100 each... Stack 2 of em?

I don't think 1 camera requires a dedicated client and they probably already have computers in use already in the building that will be up for the job... In which case this would save $ on a dedicated display and pulling cable to the monitoring station. Assuming that an existing network could be utilized... I'd like to second the Q24 idea... but havn't put my hands on one to vouch for it. Love the YouTube videos though. If you get the megapixel version... I think the FPS is only 4 at the highest resolution and I garuntee these people won't like that. Especially if their asking for things like "usb headphones" hahaha. Resolution could probably be scaled back to increase FPS, but again I've never touched a Q24... Also, Can anyone vouch for the onboard mic? I can't stress enough how critcal audio will be... I'd still be tempted to buy the Crown mic and just wire it to the Q24 in place of it's onboard mic. I think I'm still sticking with my last post and recomending THAT equipment: Cheap encoder, Crown PZM mic, Eclipse "PIR" cam, and the Fostex speaker monitor. I would bet my paycheck they'll be more than happy with that. Even if they don't know it yet.

Lol... I'm sorry, but USB headphones? hahahah HILARIOUS to me right now... Let's ignore that request. So not much has changed here, other than these guys want to view audio/ video on their PCs. 1st thing: DO NOT depend on ANY camera's on board microphone to pick up good quality audio in ANY size room. I don't care what these donkey's think they want... Cover your arse and bid a good mic. Audio IS the most important aspect of this whole job. If you can't hear the counseling session, video is useless. 2nd: Your not going to find many, if ANY covert IP cams. The Mobotix make it yourself and put into anything kit like the: http://www.mobotix.com/eng_US/content/view/full/37540 WOULD be ideal. BUT let's face it, probably not in their budget. OK... so you want to view live on PCs... no big deal. Just snatch up a VIVOTEK VS7100. Cheapo Depot encoder, but it'll do ya just fine. D1 real time plus audio. Let's review your recommended equipment list: VIVOTEK VS7100, Fostex 6301 (really insist even if you and they don't know better pre-listen), Crown PZM-10LL, and an Eclipse ECL-CPIRH. Easy breezy mac and cheezy. That's all you need to know. They'll love it. Just bid it and buy it.

hmm... I've got a dual monitor setup and their rated at 75 Hz but for some reason work best when set to 72 Hz in control panel. If set to anything else, things get a bit fuzzy and hairy or a bit blurry and headachie.

You try playing with the refresh rate in control panel? Make a difference? I've used a few premade VGA cables this seemed to fix wierdo issues with...

holy moly batman. LOL Also about the cat5 VGA extender, I saw one at a location and it was okay ... the client said he had nothing but issues with it. I didnt install it and I didnt change it. He was not my client. OMG. hahahah I did it again and you managed to catch it and quote me before I edited it. Not even a 10 second window there... how many times are you hitting refresh man? I give up on the whole component/ composite thing. haha I'm DONE with this thread. Guess I type faster than I think...

GUYS!!! lol holy $&*#! I meant to say COMPONENT. I corrected myself later. Learn from my mistakes and read the whole thread before you throw in ur 2 cents!!

Soundy- read my last post. I confused myself and mixed up component/ composite in my previous posts. lol Now that you say that about video cards... I remember now. Most do come with that S-video to component dongle I usually throw away. lol But that dongle isn't really a true component signal, is it? Isn't that really just an upscaled S-video?

lol my bad... I reread the thread. I thought you guys were talking about distributing COMPONENT video, not composite. I think I even goofed up the wording in my posts. I know the difference but in my head I was hearing component everytime I read or typed composite. lol big difference... But, still I'd prefer a higher quality image from a VGA or component source over composite anyday. Especially when displaying a matrix style display, IP cams, or any kind of text information. Composite just looks terrible on LCDs IMO.

I'm REALLY interested in trying this out: http://www.amazon.com/ZeeVee-ZV100-NA-ZvBox/dp/B0018L7NUA/ref=sr_1_1?tag=gpse-20&ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264916737&sr=8-1 Amazing idea in theory... Use existing CATV to modulate and broadcast a VGA source throughout a small building or home. Works with built in digital tuners on almost every consumer TV out there. No additional set top boxes or coverters at every TV, no new wiring, no additional power source needed at each TV. So simple it's sexy. Won't know for sure though until I or someone on the forum is willing to buy and test it...

I've never seen a DVR of any sort with composite video out... Are you guys talking about converting VGA to composite and then distributing that? Or maybe using a PCI(e) video card for a PC based DVR that has component out? Never seen one but never looked either...

It's not the dumb I have a problem with. It's the lazy. I understand the common public doesn't know techie nerd stuff like me, but that's ok because that's how and why I'm in business. However with Google around, its nice to be able to weed out the frequent "duh!" calls.

Did I ask for "service" ? I can hold my own Lol not what I meant. I meant I was probing to find out this company's end user support b/c my time is valuable. While I won't hesitate to help a customer, most of my customers respect my time and will try to figure out the answer themselves before calling me.

Nope. Just curious cuz the less service calls I get the better. Before I do business with a company as a dealer, I like how they treat end users. But I am casually interested in their products to resell... Always looking to broaden my product lineup and open up other doors to budgets/ requirements/ requests, etc....

Thank you very much for the info... very valuable. I didn't know devices like that existed. Can't wait to implement them into a project.

Of course? Not really. there's all sorts of notifications that can be had from DVRs. sound clips, video clips, plain text, still images... I needed to clarify your goal. Also, the phone tip was not a solution for your problem. I was simply informing you can have the DVR text message your phone for event notification... most people do not know that it possible. Try what I recommended in my last post in this thread:

wheeew... for a second there I thought you were saying Netvision wouldn't stand behind and support their products. got me all flustered! that problem is actually pretty common these days in offshore manufacturers. glad your doing the right thing for your customers. still though, my opinion is that logins shouldn't be necessary to download patches/ revision upgrades. end users shouldn't have to call ANYONE especially to a foreign country just to get a username/ password for the simplest of product support. from the end user's standpoint, very frustrating.

This DVR is not junk. It is a solid performer. I have 2004 models that are still kicking. (AVC 773, AVC 774) The make it, or break it will depend on you having a battery back up. It is the line filtration that is important. The power line will put nails in the DVR coffin. Condition the power and it should run forever! I've been in and around this industry in one way shape or form as an installer and service technician for about the past 8 years. Only in the past year or 2 have I taken an interest in breaking free from the (secular) ladder climbing and wanted to do this professionally on my own. Totally different ball game when corporate buyers and big name manufacturer reps aren't picking out the crap that us technicians have to make work... A different story when it's up to me to pick the best equipment at the lowest possible price to be competitive... That's why in the earliest stages of my decision to change career paths I went down to my local big box retailer and purchased every single CCTV item they had on the shelves. I'm talking Swann, SecurityMan, Lorex, Clover, Q-See, Elyssa... all that crap. Wired cameras, wireless cameras, DVRs, LCDs, PTZs, everything. I bought literally everything they had on the shelf related to CCTV. Not all at once though. I bought about 5-6 items at a time and tested them for 28 days. On the 29th day, I returned the crap I didn't like. Just before their 30 day return policy expired. Over the course of about 6 months I tested literally everything they had on the shelves related to CCTV. Unethical? Maybe to some. But I kept the stuff I did like. About $600 worth. Some of it still in use today around family's houses or my own. So they made their profit. Man oh man if I had only knew the distributors I do today... The stuff I get today is only a fraction of the price and yet those cameras I paid $100-$200 for at the big box store are a fraction of the quality. But I learned a lot. Found out what sucks and what doesn't. Found which brands sucked more than others. But most of all, I figured out why I could look up at the ceiling of that same big box retailer and not see any of those cheap cameras in use by their loss prevention department. I realized most of that crap had been marked up 4-5 times by 4-5 different companies before it got on the shelf and it often wasn't worth the marketing material that advertised it. I realized what my biggest competition was and still is for (residential) end users. While I can't speak for their reliability as you can Scorpion, I can speak for their functionality and quality. Swann was on of the top 2 poorest performers of the 6 household cheap CCTV brands I tested. Granted this was 2 years ago, maybe things have changed. But then their lineup of wired cameras was horrendous. Wireless cameras were an absolute joke. DVRs were clunky at best. I honestly can't remember the models of each, but I know I must NOT have gotten the same units that you guys are talking about. I've come to value (most) of your opinions and really respect your years in the business and all the insight and creativeness you bring to the forum, Scorpion. I'm quite sure your NOT talking up the same trash I put my hands on a couple years back... lol

think she'll do?

You mean an end user can't access critical updates or patches from the manufacturer directly? They have to go through their local dealer? What if the dealer went out of business? What if the dealer wants to charge them for the free update? What support does Netvision offer to the end user, AKA paying customer?

I'll give the setting a tweak and let you know. My camera does the purple thing your talking about to when I reboot it. I also use the profile packs on all of them. I am using the ACM-1231, two ACM-5601's, a ACM-5611 and the TCM-5311. So I have almost all of their megapixel box cams set up around my house to play with. All have the latest firmware. Have time to play with it yet? Interested to see the difference...

I'd do a Fostex 6301 as the monitor speaker. We used these in broadcast (TV and radio) and they are superb. Amp is built in. Will be just as accurate and clean as headphones, and multiple people can listen. As well as no discomfort associated with having headphones on for an extended period of time. A Crown PZM-10LL. Low profile, doesn't look like a mic at all. The preamp is built in, so a mixer won't be necessary unless you really want the headphones option. In which case, a cheap headphone amp like the Behringer HA400. For the camera, an Eclipse ECL-CPIRH. Looks like a motion detector. As for the monitor, any LCD with RCA input will do. I use Dell.com/outlet coupled with a cheap BNC-VGA adapter. Just make sure the output resolution of the adapter is compatible with the LCD. With this setup, I can usually get an LCD drop monitor for about $150.

Thanks. Do you guys buy direct or through a distributor? I already setup an account...

You have a model number for this?

What are you talking about?