Squiffy

lol - no-one is pushing any buttons... I think it's a bug which is invoked by changing another unrelated setting but I've yet to ascertain what it is. As for the other question, it seems *all* cameras are recorded even if motion is only detected on *one* of those cameras, during the detection period.

Ah I see, rather than any functionality improvements or bug fixes. I'm still gettting used to this DVR, there does seem to be a bug whereby manual record is mysteriously enabled without me doing so. I normally just use event record only. BTW, am I right in thinking that it records *all* record-enabled cameras upon motion detected on (for example) just *one* camera?

Many eBay items have the camera performance somewhat exaggerated, it's important to be able to see the full specification of them. From the viewpoint of cost, I'd personally opt for 12V cameras, I converted a number of Lilin box cameras for this purpose (I simply removed the PSU board inside and made a 5V regulator board as they required 12V and 5V internally). I haven't bothered with housings, I simply use self-amalgamating tape around all the seals and connections which works extremely well in preventing any water ingress. I'd avoid any cameras with integrated IR illuminators for external use, simply because it attracts spiders! See here for my example video I uploaded recently If you need IR illumination you can buy separate devices which won't break the bank: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15235 As for ascertaining whether a camera is any good, there are some basic specs to look for, line resolution (the higher the better), s/n ratio (the higher the better) and low lux performance (the lower the better, but be wary of false claims).

If on a very small budget then I'd opt for just a simple 4-channel standalone DVR. Models with networking are available for a reasonable price, some with camera packages. But you can get good bargains on eBay, although personally I'd avoid China. In the UK for example, Lilin sell off old stock and are often worth a look: http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/LILIN-CCTV__W0QQ_armrsZ1 To avoid wasting money, ask on here for advice on particular models and camera requirements.

Thanks scorpion. And thanks for all the useful information on your site

Glad you got it sorted - I was about to post that it was most likely a firewall problem. With most firewalls you have to grant access to specific applications to connect to the internet. Obviously IE using port 80 would be understood to be fine by McAfee without granting permission but other applications, especially uncommon ones, will be blocked.

I know this is also available with a CPCAM branding in the USA, but am wondering if there's any firm selling these in the UK under another name? Swann perhaps? The reason for asking is that I need to locate a remote (AVC910TD) for this AVTech DVR, but these don't appear to be available in the UK. TIA.

Thanks. I would have no problem sourcing one (or making one from scratch) but I was hoping someone would know if it contains the active electronics within the remote receiver or simply just the IR sensor itself.

What is the quoted peak current consumption per camera, i.e. at night with IR illumination on? It does sound like the voltage drop induced by the cable length is a factor here. Check the voltage at the camera end. A higher current PSU will help if it's because of the current consumption but go for something that can supply more, i.e. 8A (continuous load).

It sounds like you have a simple switcher rather than a multiplexer. The problem is indeed the vertical sync. Either the sources need to be in synch (genlocked) or the switcher needs circuitry to overcome this. Some monitors are better than others in relocking to new synch, so it may be an annoying problem on one and tolerable on another.

Then hopefully they'll come back to you for some more

>Do you have to choose PAL on most dvr systems that support both or is it automatic? and can you mix PAL and NTSC on these? AFAIK all DVRs will not permit mixing PAL/NTSC sources. You could market them highlighting the superiority of PAL over NTSC: higher resolution and no hue errors

If it's only very slow via the internet connection it may simply be a lack of bandwidth, what is your net connection speed? Is there any other program also using the connection at the same time? You might want to check your stream upload settings, perhaps you've set it to a quality level which is just too high for your internet connection to handle.

Have you tried converting to another format for editing purposes? Obviously if it's in a 'custom' MP4 format (most likely a special header rather than the video itself) then that might not be possible. As a last resort you could use a screen recording program: http://camstudio.org/ As for remote connectivity are you sure it's not being blocked by a firewall? Are you able to 'ping' it? Perhaps try another browser?

I'm actually a spider phobic but they are amazing and their webs are extraordinary. The strength of the webs is quite amazing, I've expected some to be blown away by very strong winds but they usually survive it

It looks like there are three possible entry points with the playing field area being very wide. Obviously wide angle lenses will cover the area you require but make recognition of suspects more difficult. So the use of four cameras would probably be for the best with perhaps two wide-angle lenses for a gerneal overview and two narrower angle lenses at strategic points to aid recognition. If that's a slight overkill for the area then you could always redeploy unnecessary cameras to somewhere else.

I would avoid wireless cameras, unless they're working on frequencies other than the usual 2.4GHz region, as they're prone to interference from WLAN and microwave ovens. As distance isn't a problem just normal cabling (coaxial cable and power) is fine with vandal-proof conduits in place where needed. Usually when FPS is mentioned it's usually for all channels combined (to make it sound better...) so it's likely to be 6.25FPs per channel for PAL in the example you mention. While this may be adequate, the more the better, as it aids recognition of suspects. The lower the frame rate, the less likely it is that you'll have a suitable frame. I can't really recommend any particular system but I'm sure many here will be glad to do so.

D1 resolution is 720x576 pixels for PAL and 720x480 for NTSC. Think of it as normal TV resolution. Lower resolutions encountered tend to look more like the standard video you'll find on YouTube. Actual quality of the image is down to the encoded bit-rate, the more the better and compression is used to squeeze more of these bits in without too much degradation. For good results with efficient use of memory (i.e. more storage possible on the hard drive) opt for for a DVR which uses H264 compression.

A four channel DVR with networking and simple fixed cameras should be adequate for your existing requirements. If you have a large budget then obviously you can go more up-market. Look for something that gives around 12.5FPS per channel for recording and ideally D1 resolution. If these are just local youths 'messing around' then the mere appearance of a camera may be a sufficient deterrent but it should be vandal proof (or out of easy reach), as should the cabling. Put two cameras (or more) in the location of interest to ensure you cover blind spots and of course lighting is a factor. A photo of the location may enable others to make a better assessment of siting the cameras and other requirements.

Some obvious suggestions, make sure there's adequate ventilation, do not place it on any other equipment or have anything on top of it. Open it up and remove any excess dust, particularly on any fans. Be careful not to touch any devices to avoid static damage (do not use a vacuum cleaner and poke in a plastic nozzle!). Leave the lid off and leave it working for a while to ascertain if heat is actually the problem or not. You might want to verfiy any connectors are seated correctly, as an intermittent connector may cause a sudden shutdown.

After following the previous advice to open it up and let it dry fully I suggest adding a silica gel sachet inside, or another if there's one in there already. After putting it all back together I would use self-amalgamating tape along/around all seals. If you're not familiar with this tape then see here: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=668883

I assume you're testing it locally rather than running it through 100m of cable at the moment. I would double check the barrel connector - are you absolutely certain it's identical? Some of those have fractional differences in dimensions that are hard to see with the naked eye. I try to harmonise my connectors on all my 12V equipment to 2.1mm to avoid these problems.

I would think your local council will be able to assist with details of recommended installers and offer guidelines for the way it's used.

I love the disco ball solution! Although preperable to have them mounted in separate locations, I've already mounted the illuminator on top of the box camera, which reduces my options. I considered diffusion but don't have anything suitable to experiment with that at the moment. The one I have is even cheaper than the ones mentioned on eBay, it has a glass cover which could be replaced with some kind of lens, assuming I could find something suitable. It also gets very warm during operation and could probably benefit with a couple of diodes in series with the 12V to drop the voltage slightly.