tds1

I am considering the Vivotek FD8161 for indoor use (home). I like the built in PIR, IR illumination, 2 MP capability, and adjustible lens. However, if I am reading the specs correctly, the width is 155 mm - which seems very large for a home. Anyone used these in a house - seems like they are bigger than other cameras - how did they look? Any similar spec cameras that are smaller? I was originally thinking of the FD8134 since 1 MP would be fine, but the built in PIR seems like it would be pretty nice.

I have an AverDIgi hybrid DVR and 4 CNB VCM-24VF cameras. The AverDigi is set on Motion record, sensitivity 25 out of 100. 3 of the cameras are outdoor, 1 indoor. My issue is when I review the playback, it seems like the cameras are recording nearly continuously. The outside ones I guess I could understand with trees or branches moving from wind, but the one inside is of a stairwell - with no traffic it still seems to be recording. Would changes in light/shadow be triggering it? I looked at the CNB manual, and it looks like the camera has settings for motion sensitivity. I don't know what each is currently set at, or how you actually access each camera menu (some of the cameras are high up under eves and not easily accessible). Any advice as to how to improve my motion recording? I am assuming I am missing something obvious here since even the default setting seems like it should work better. I contacted the person that installed the cameras, and the response was that I should mask the trees outside. Any advice? Update: OK - I am not very bright - I have been playing with the settings quite a bit and had switched it to Smart recording - which is low frame rate all the time and max frame rate with motion. OOPS! I will try again on Motion record, sensitivity 25 out of 100.

OK - it seems to be working much better in the daytime now - pretty happy with that. But all of the cameras are recording continuously at night - so it looks like you are correct that the camera noise is the main issue. Is there a way to reduce that?

I set up an AverDigi EH1000H hybrid DVR and 4 analong CNB cameras. I was planning on adding IP cameras to the setup, but I am having problems with the AverDigi. I will admit I found the initial setup a bit difficult, and the documentation not very good. The remote viewing seems very slow (from a computer connected to the network). It takes almost a minute to load the remote viewer from internet explorer, which seems pretty slow (I have a i7 desktop and gigabit router/switches). I also was never able to figure out how to review video from the desktop (I could do it attached to the Averdigi with a local monitor). In any case, my question/current issue is that when I enter the IP address from internet explorer, it eventually loads the remote viewer and the login. However, as soon as I enter the login ID/password, IE crashes. So I can't access the remote viewer. I am using the latest version of IE (version 9) - which I upgraded to hoping that would fix the issue. It didn't. Any suggestions? As an aside, would another hybrid DVR have quicker remote viewing capability? I am tempted to purcase a hybrid NVR like QNAP and use encoders for the 4 analogs. Is there any way to the use Aver simply as an encoder for the QNAP? I am sure the Averdigi is a great device, as it seems to be popular, but thus far it has been a frustration!

Awesome - really appreciate the help. One more question if I could (this should be easier). I have it set to Motion recording, Sensitivity at 70. Ideally it would only record cars or people etc. But it seems to be recording most of the time - so even very minor things are triggering it (leaves moving). Any suggestions on what to set the sensitivity to?

Out of curiosity do you have a proxy setup in IE, or auto detect turned on? (Tools, Internet Options, Connections tab, LAN Settings) Both of those could slow the initial load. Otherwise not sure but as you said doesn't really matter if the viewer is working. All this is good info for me too as I'll be getting an Aver hybrid very soon. Turned off auto detect, but no difference in load speed. I also have a few other internet add ons that initially load really slow. Just going to have to chalk that up to a computer mystery I am not going to solve! I least I can view the DVR now with remote viewer - speed is fine on that.

Wow - you guys are awesome! I uninstalled program in IE and re-installed on the desktop. Now it is back working again. I then downloaded remote viewer and it seems to be working properly on the desktop!! The web viewer still loads very slowly on the desktop vs the laptop which is very odd. But, the remote viewer runs quickly so I don't really care. I turned off windows firewall to see if the web viewer would run faster, but I didn't notice any difference. I don't currently have anti-virus running. Thanks everyone for the really fast help!

Ok - I am getting somewhere, much thanks to both of you. I tried one of my older laptaps which is on wireless. It ran the webviewer without problem. So, I then clicked on remote viewer and it installed it. Here is the strange thing. Webviewer loads VERY quickly on this laptop (a huge suprise). It works great! Remote viewer also loads very quickly. So both appear to work as I would have hoped. It's awesome! But there is no reason wireless should be much faster than desktop (it isn't for anything else) - so I need to get the desktop working. So, now I just have to figure out why my superfast desktop has never run Webviewer quickly, and why it is no longer running on explorer. I ran explorer in adminsitrator mode - didn't make a difference. I cleared the temp internet files - still didn't work. I think if I could uninstall the ActiveX control that initially ran the first time and let it re-install I would probably be OK. Any idea how to do that?

Thanks tomcctv and benf for the really quick replies! I upgraded to IE 9 because I was hoping it would fix the problem. It was working fine previously on IE 8, and then stopped working. I tried compatibility mode, but I am getting a C++ debug compatibility error, and then it crashes. It won't let me install the remote viewer as tomcctv suggested because I have to login first. As soon as I login, it crashes. I tried to load in google chrome as well as safari, but it says it is loading software and then never does. I will try this on another computer and see what happens.

sounds like you are using the webviewer and not the remote viewer also which ports are you using ?? Correct - I was trying to use the webviewer. The desktop software installed is Remote iSetup, Remote iBackup, and Qplayer. Is there another program I am missing? I can view the cameras in remote iSetup, and that that is definitely faster. Is that what you mean? Can I review the recorded video through iSetup as well? I don't recall ever setting the ports during setup. When I go into Remote iSetup, it says the port setting is 80.

Has anyone tried this camera on an Avermedia EH Hybrid DVR? It's not listed on the compatibility list - wonder if it would work...

I am trying to design my hybrid camera network and need some basic networking advice. I have the analog cameras installed and connected to an Aver EH1008H hybrid DVR. I am now trying to figure out the IP portion of the system. My plan is to have my cable modem connected to a Linksys E4200 Gigabit 4 port router. One wired connection on the Linksys will go to a Trendnet 16 port Gigabit wired switch. All my computers, printers, etc will be connected to that Trendnet switch. A second wired connection on the Linksys will go to a Gigabit POE Switch (still trying to pick that out). That switch will be used for connecting the IP cameras and the AverEH1008. I am trying to set this up so that the IP/DVR switch does not slow down everything else on the network. Is this the correct way to design it with 2 separate switches? Is this all I need to do? How do I ensure that the cameras/DVR are "separate" from everything else but still accessible? Sorry, I realize this is a pretty basic question, but any general networking advice would be appreciated!

Hi. just so as you are not pulling your hair out when setting up. this hybrid only takes 4 ip cameras max Yep. Good point. I will be starting out with 4, eventually moving to a dedicated NVR.

Thanks NotoriousBRK and ak357. I will only have 5 cameras - 2 will be 1 megapixel, 1 will be 2 megapixel and 2 will be 3 megapixel. Sounds like it shouldn't be a problem. NotoriousBRK - One question on the setup you mentioned. That's what I was planning - 2 dedicated switches. One for the cameras and NVR (Switch 1), one for everything else (Switch 2). I was planning on connecting each separately to the internet wireless router. In your example, I think you suggested connecting the camera switch (Switch 1) to the computer/printer switch (Switch 2) which is then connected to the router. Is there some advantage to linking them like that or is it better to connect them separately to the internet router? Thanks!

Has anyone tried the View-DR technology at night? How does it do dealing with car headlights?

I am trying to plan a security camera system and was initially set on analog due to cost. Now I am thinking that a hybrid system may be a better way to go in terms of flexibility. The choices for CCTV seem overwhelming, so it seems smartest to begin with the recorder and then decide on cameras. A standalone hybrid NVR seems to be the simplest for me over a PC based system. One option from reading the threads is the Exacqvision EL-S. I would probably pick the 8 channel with 500 GB. One thing I don't like about this option that if the HD failed, I assume I would need to send back to Exacq for replacement, rather than simply replace it myself. Also, the $150 IP camera license fee seems high given the already high cost of the IP cameras. My plan would be to have CNB Mona Lisa cameras on the analog side, and several IP Megapixal cameras to start (adding more as prices decline). Are their other hybrid NVR options that I should be looking at? My budget for the NVR is about $2K - a little higher if needed . Bonus if I can replace the drives myself and the lower the IP camera fee, the better. Also, I wouldn't mind haven't my system professionally installed. But it seems like most security companies I have spoken with only deal with 1 brand (GE, or Panasonic, etc) and don't seem to like the hybrid idea. So I may reluctantly need to install myself if this is the route I choose.

I was looking at a Panasonic WV-NW502S in particular due to it's ability to operate down to -22F. I was also looking at some of the QNAP NVRs, which seem quite reasonable for the money. When I reviewed the QNAP camera compatibility list, virtually all of the Panasonic I-Pro line line is listed as compatible (including the Panasonic NP502). However, the Panasonic WV-NW502S is not listed. Is there something unique about this particular camera that would make it incompatible or would it probably work with the QNAP NVRs?

So does Exacq have 2 versions of the software? A server version and client one? How difficult is it to setup the server version of their software? Finally, do they charge for their software or just the IP camera license? Thanks!

Thanks all. Lots of great comments and suggestions. After thinking through the possibilities, it seems that the Avermedia EH5216 or the Exacqvision EL-S are the 2 simplest options for me. Don't like the 1.3 MP limitation on the EH5216. But on the flipside, the proprietary HD, higher cost and IP license fees of the Exacq isn't ideal either. So, I just need to decide which downside I can live with and go with it. I am sure either will ultimately work out OK.

Thanks, that's an excellent explanation. This is for my primary residence. I am not really too worried about needing a computer to view the video feed. Probably use the computer more than I use the TV. As for that i7, it's designed as a gaming computer, so the electricity is well worth it! Besides, it isn't operating 24/7/365.

Could you elaborate a bit more on this? Is a Zotac PC as an Atom based Exacq NVR a good choice? It looks like they have Dual Core Atom with ION graphics. Would a system like that support the same IP cameras that the Exacqvision EL-S supports? How would its ability to handle multiple MP cameras compare to the EL-S? It seems like it could be a more reasonable way to use Exacq, but I would lose the hybrid ability. Would you setup the Zotac with Linux? Haven't used Linux before, so hopefully I could setup OS and install Exacq. This would be for server only. I have an iCore7 as client.

Thanks. All the advice is much appreciated! Hopefully this thread may help others as well. Bpzle, Well, I will admit that power consumption factors in a bit for me. A PC with LCD will use about $175 in electricity a year, compared to about $35 for some of the standalone units. It's not a huge deal, but does add up. Been reading some other threads, and doing more research. So far the options are 1) Exacqvision EL-S 2) Averdigi EH5216H 3) PC based hybrid card So, I have come up with one other option, which may allow me to accomplish everything in my price range. That would be to get a QNAP VS-2012 Viostar NVR, and attach an encoder for the analog cameras. The QNAP calculator looks like it can handle 8 1.3 MP cameras with its ATOM based processor, and seems to have most of the options that I would use. Plus, it's well in budget, allowing more money to spend on the cameras. Also, I can put in my own drives, has low power consumption, and will be less costly to upgrade in the future. I don't know how good the software interface is compared to the other options, but I just read through the manual and it seems pretty simple to configure. My Hypothetical system would look like this: 1) QNAP VS-2012 Viostar NVR 2) Inexpensive 4 channel encoder for analog cameras 3) 8 cameras total, composed of: 2 Arecont Day/Night cameras (either 1355 or 3155) 2 less expensive 1.3 MP IP cameras (? Acti) 4 CNB Mona Lisa Day/Night dome cameras What does everyone think?

With the EL-S box it is limited to one internal HD but you can expand with iSCSI to what ever you need. The Linux OS runs on a SSD. Keep in mind the Exacq solution is Enterprize class where the Avermedia is not. It is not really fair to compare the Aver to the EL-S When you expand the EL-S with iSCSI is it for backup only or primary recording?

Not sure, just seems simpler having a dedicated device. I have been through the build your own computer phase, and my lesson was that it wasn't worth the extra time and hassle to research each part separately. I didn't end up saving much money either. So, I believe you are right that a PC based system with card is more versatile than a propriety system, but it sounds like there are some dedicated options that will work and are below or just above budget. It's all about how to best allocate the budget. My goal for initial installation was to keep total budget under $5,000. My idea was to spend around $2,000 on the hybrid DVR, about $1,000 for 6 analog Day/Night cameras, about $1,000 on 2 hybrid cameras, and then about $1,000 for some professional assistance as I would need help with some wiring/camera mounting. I haven't found anyone yet to help with the wiring if I supply the cameras and DVR, but there has got to be someone local that can do it. Seems like the Aver 5216 and Exacqvision ELS are the best hybrid options to choose from, the 5216 being cheaper if I can live with the IP camera limitation. Too bad, I do wish there was someone local that could design/install a hybrid system for $5K! It seems very unrealistic based on the quotes I have received. So, I will need to stick with my partial DIY plan.

Thanks everyone for their replys. 1) Tomcctv, any idea when the AVerDiGi IWH3216 will be available in the US and how it is priced compared to the EH series? 2) I was interested in a hybrid system because the analog cameras are less expensive (e.g. CNB Mona Lisa) and it seems from reading other threads they they tend to offer better night ability. So I was going to mix analog for night ability with IP camera for their higher resolution. Is that true a valid statement or are their IP cameras that match the night ability of the better day/night analog cameras?