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Simple, but I found this wall plate a while back and it has really helped to clean up my installs around DVRs. http://www.amazon.com/Vanco-Hinged-Single-Cable-Plate/dp/B002AQ3YVY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1255703899&sr=8-7-spell Ingenious: The hinged plate from Vanco allows installation and connection of all your cables and components before attaching the wall plates. With this hinged design you will never have to look back on a completed installation and cringe knowing you have to disconnect all the cables to install the wall plate. Now, the top of the plate installs after the installation is done, and the hinged bottom portion simply swings into place and is then screwed down

http://www.aboundi.com/Product/PLC/APL4100-200.html This product works very well. I have tried them in every outlet in my house and it always works. Also I have use it to stream 4 1.3 megapixel cameras over powerline and it worked great. Sweet! What's the MSRP on that baby?

LOL!

Cat6 will work, but its more expensive and not necessay. Cat5 would work just fine but if you already have bulk cat6 laying around, why not. Keep in mind if you do go to IP cameras, some use POE for power and you'll need to buy POE injectors or upgrade your switch to POE, which ever is more cost effective. If you plan on having more than 3 POE IP cameras, I'd recomend upgrading your switch. It's a lot cleaner of a setup, less stuff to go wrong.

I'm afraid I don't have any all in one wireless IP camera experience. I think Axis makes some good ones but I'm sure others could shed more light on what's out there and what to avoid. Another possibility is adding wireless "gaming adapters" to talk to your existing wireless router. Make sure you get one with adequate bandwidth and have a good solid signal strength to your router as signal strength is everything when it comes to speed. As far as ethernet over power adapters... I did look into them one time for a client but to attain the necessary bandwidth requirments we needed, it wasn't going to be cost effective. The cheaper ones less than $100 were really slow... maybe they've improved since then? I believe they are also limited to comunicating on the same phase. Most residential homes have at least 2 and it can be difficult figuring out if the camera will be on the same phase as where your router is. Difficult without the proper tools anyway... Your not the first to try and fight this battle. Lol It seems every other thread on this site is about people trying to avoid pulling new wire... I hear ya it is a PITA but its usually the cheapest and best solution.

For example, you may be able to use the old wire to fish the new... First, cut off any connectors on the old cable. Next, get some pull string from home depot. Its made specifically for pulling wire. Its thin, lightweight, and has a high tensile strength. The pull string should not create any resistance pulling the old cable so the old crap cable shouldn't break. Then use high strength pull string to pull the new wire in place. For situations with lots of bends, use some wire lube to greese up the new wire real good. I've used this method before in fishing wires through impossible vaulted ceilings using old CATV coax. It obviously won't work if the old wire was fished through small diameter holes and the new wire won't fit or were it was stapled to studs in the wall.

Soundy's right. Ethernet over coax is an option but I would make if your absolute last resort in this application. I doubt there's been much testing done on the cheap premade "coax" cables your referring to. Split those open and their more like 22awg/4 stranded wire. I think it would probably be more headaches than its worth. I know you say pulling new wire isn't an option... but I pull wire for a living and believe me, I can put it almost anywhere. Maybe with a little more info and some good faith direction from some pros we can open a few doors that maybe you hadn't thought about..

Sweet. Can't wait to see how she performs...

Maybe I got confused with the difference of multipoint and mesh... I was thinking a "mesh" would be handy for multiple camera points to capture several areas all over the road. But your right, there probably is a common LOS for each theoritical camera back to the server and that would make better since.

Yes, IP megapixel cameras are network cameras. Like HD for CCTV. Best part is, AFTER an event is recorded, you can digitally zoom in on areas of interest and see quite a bit of deail. Unlike analog where if you digitally zoom in the picture pixelates and is worthless. Check this out www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=17732&highlight=

Oh, what type of processor is in your PC? The PC may be usable for an upgraded system... Also, are you using the PC for anything else or is this a dedicated DVR?

I'm not familiar with GeoVision systems... BUT just judging by the specs, it appears that the card should be capable of decent analog recording. As I've mentioned before, I don't like going by specs but sometimes that's all you get for troubleshooting and initial purchase... It sounds like your cameras are the weakest link here. What is the lighting like at night? Are there any street lights, driveway lights that stay on, motion lights on the house? What is your budget? Can you afford to go megapixel IP? A couple of these in the front of your house would certain get the detail your looking for... Post some pics of all 4 cams both at day and night. This should help us get an idea of the area to be covered. This site makes it kind of difficult to post pics so if you can't figure it out, PM your link.

I'd like to take a look, but probably not a good idea posting it on a public site. PM me instead. Let us know if you have any more questions setting it up...

Since no one else has any ideas... I'm not aware of any off the shelf items... Perhaps something like this http://www.embedds.com/the-fun-way-to-diy-avr-based-usb-joystick/ with a little a PTZ protocol and a few arcade style buttons and joysticks... http://www.xgaming.com/arcade_bundle.shtml]

We'd love to... but wth are you talking about? Can you be more specific?

Swann doesn't turn those kinds of numbers? Maybe there is still hope left for pro CCTV...

sweet, but still ugly! why don't they do something to make that chassis a little sexier? it looks like a futuristic weapon in an 80s movie

Before my day! I'm only 24! Your showing your age old timer!

probably meant "biwave" it's a manufacturer of video communications products.

your going to make me dig through the attic??? i'm on my 9th beer! lol I don't remember. I never did bother to look on FCC's site to see who had the monopoly. wouldn't have changed my predicament.

I'm impressed, I didn't expect you to reply. OK, I know this is a different thread... but do you modify the software/ GUI at all? Or is it straight OEM?

I've got a couple VideoComm units laying around... Be careful not to get a frequency that is already used in your area. In my area, "something" started using the same freq a couple years after we installed the tx/rx and all $&^%! broke loose. Pretty much made the pre-tuned tx and rx worthless for a 75 sq mile radius. The units were still good, I was able to use them out of state on a different job...

Complacency is your biggest threat. I've installed many systems for police officers. They themselves are targets. I bid a job for a Sargent a few weeks ago that said his cruiser has had the tires slashed, gas tank peed in, even the windows busted out IN HIS OWN DRIVEWAY! Policemen sleep just like the rest of us... I don't mean to make you paranoid, but but crime happens anytime, anywhere. It's good that your planning to incorporate CCTV into your home.

I have this: http://www.cctvco.com/specsheets/SPECDVR_PLEX4_100908.pdf Decent little unit. Internal VGA out,. USB, and even supports the Iphone!

Exactly. Frame, in this context, is abbreviated from 'Full Frame' and is the higher resolution setting, equivalent to 4CIF. It will offer you a higher picture quality from each camera, but at the sacrifice of hard drive space and/or recording frame rate (also referred to as IPS/Images Per Second by some developers in China). So, basically FRAME = 4CIF. QCIF = 176 × 144 (Quarter-CIF) CIF = 352 × 288 4CIF = 704 × 576 (4x CIF) 16CIF = 1408 × 1152 (16x CIF) Hope this helps guys (a bit late, i know!) Doesn't Swann re-brand AvTech and the same DVR that GadSpot re-brands?