groovyman

i. made BY TVT. something with a $300 discount has a problem. yes it will be fine connected to a monitor but if you want remote viewing then your not going to get it from that model and there is no firmware update I think remote viewing is pretty much covered. From the Product Details section: - Compatible Operating Systems: Mac OS X 10.6 & 10.7, Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/ 7 - Compatible Internet Browsers: Internet Explorer (7-9), Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and MAC Safari 5.0/5.1 - CMS software is available - Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone 7, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile Pro 6, and Symbian Firmware version 3.1.9 for QT426 was released on 03/30/2012 http://qsee.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1275/kw/QT426 Here's the product information page at Q-See.com http://www.q-see.com/products/product_description.php?cId=38&pId=73&id=38&pid=28

I wouldn't assume anything when it comes to placement. In fact, if it were me I'd get the cameras up in a temporary fashion just to confirm that each one will give you the best view- before I ran any permanent wires. The fact that you're running all this permanently before siding is good. But you want to be sure that your placement is correct, taking into account any obsticles or exterior lighting that may make a chosen spot less than good. Beyond the cameras suggested here, put a LOT of time into where they will be installed because once the wires are all run and installed and siding is put in place, it's over. Before running permanent wires and all, get your cctv gear and gaffer tape up the cameras with temp wires run- anything to make sure those placements are correct before you lock yourself in. Good luck. Dan I second the motion. Couple of months ago I installed a surveillance system in a new restaurant that was almost complete. The owner decided to put in some ceiling fans which blocked one camera, then some additional light fixtures which hang down from the ceiling which blocked another camera, then some additional shelving in the back which blocked yet one more camera. Additionally, the storefront faces directly west. I thought the windows would be tinted and a rug put by the entrance (as I was told), but that never got done. At a certain time of day the sun hits the tile floor and the glare is picked up by the camera pointed on the entrance. You can't really see the glare when sitting or walking around the restaurant, but get on a ladder where the camera is mounted and look down - the reflection is really bad for about 2 hours. So, I had to go back each time and move cameras around. Not much of a big deal as the cameras are mounted to drop ceiling tile (just moved tiles around), but I would have liked to install the cameras after everything else was done and not have to make a couple more trips. I know most of your cameras will be exterior, so be mindful of where the sun is and what it will be reflecting off of. And keep in mind it will change throughout the year. I thought I did a great job in a location over the winter, but now the sun enters differently and a couple of camera placements aren't so good.

Maybe try disabling the built in audio and uninstalling those drivers. Could be a conflict.

Hmmm, I need to try the RainX idea on some domes. For some restaurants I service, cameras were mounted above oven equipment (not by me - I can tell you that). When the oven doors open steam comes out and rises to the ceiling. About every 1-2 months the domes need to be wiped off because they develop a film from the steam. In fairness, the camera locations provide a great view of the area they cover, just as long as they remember to clean them.

I've never heard of Qvis until I saw the company start to be mentioned on the forum. There are hundreds of DVR companies out there - some manufacture their equipment, some don't & brand equipment under their own name. Take Qvis for example - from what I've read here they brand equipment manufactured by Dahua. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Dahua makes decent equipment and Qvis sells & supports it under their own name.

Whenever I look to buy a product I always like to contact the manufacturer and ask for a list of authorized distributors/resellers. I never had a problem buying from a company the manufacturer recommends. In the case of CNB, I sent them an email one day and received a call within the hour from an authorized distributor. I've been buying from that distributor for the last 2 years. So, send CNB an email asking where their product can be purchased in Canada - they'll get back to you.

Yes. I've seen QSee and Night Owl DVRs with the same firmware. I always thought of them as marketing companies that buy equipment from the same manufacturer and package it differently. I can't prove it, just a feeling when I see the same firmware in different wrappings. I haven't seen Swann or Lorex though, so I can't comment on those. Now, I'd just like to give a couple examples on my experiences with these cheap DVRs..... A couple years ago a client had some time lapse VCRs in a couple locations. There was very little budget for DVR and camera equipment, but the VCRs had to be replaced. I figured anything was better than the VCRs. I went ahead and picked up a couple of $100 4 channel QSee DVRs, installed a hard drive and connected CNB DFL-20S cameras. The DVR itself is sorely lacking in features, but the recorded video quality is actually very good. Recently I was fixing a point of sale computer in a small restaurant and happened to look at the DVR. It was some sort of no name DVR with inexpensive cameras - they looked the same as the QSee and Night Owl bullet cameras bundled with their cheap packages, but without any markings and the DVR had the same firmware as the QSee systems I purchased. The colors on live and recorded video were way off. I was wearing a blue shirt which appeared purple on video and was washed out, like the brightness was too high. I tried fixing it with brightness & contrast settings, but no luck. I reviewed day and night video - both were terrible. I had a CNB DFL-20S camera in my car and as a test I replaced one of the bullet cams. Wow, what a difference. I ended up swapping out all the cameras and now he can actually get a good description of someone if an incident happens. I placed one camera above the register and the denominations of the bills can be seen. The client is thrilled. The point I'm getting at is that you can get one of the inexpensive DVRs, but forget about the cheap bundled cameras. Use better quality cameras and the resulting video may surprise you.

A few months ago I ran into this same situation with a router from AT&T Uverse and it was driving me nuts. What I did to make it work was to configure the DVR to receive an IP address via DHCP, then set it statically in the DVR and used it with the port forwarding configuration. Been working fine ever since.

After working 9 years providing IT support services for restaurants I've seen many theft scenarios involving Employers, Employees and Customers. These people have taught me so much over the years and many times I feel you can't trust anyone. It's terrible. Some of the more memorable things I've seen on video are: - employees stealing from other employees - physically going into their bags and stealing cash, credit cards and jewelry - customers stealing from customers (cell phones, wallets, purses, credit cards) - employees stealing from customers (also cell phones, wallets, purses, credit cards) - customers stealing from employees (taking money from tip jar when nobody is looking) I also have memorable footage of employees getting arrested for crimes committed inside (and outside) of work, customers losing control of body functions, fist fighting and the bogus slip & fall. Always something going on, although it can be quiet for several months, then all of a sudden it comes in waves.

Thanks guys. That feature was one of the tipping points that had me choose the Aver Nano. Depending on the environment sometimes I like to have certain channels record all the time. The ability to record at a reduced framerate during periods of no motion is a great feature in my opinion. There are other features about the Nano that I dislike, but that's a discussion for another thread.

I've been using the Aver Nano DVRs lately which have a feature called Smart Recording. It's a combination of Always and Motion recording that allows you to set different frame rates during periods of motion and no motion. For example, in a business from 7AM to 9PM I might set a channel to record 3fps, but 7fps when motion is detected. Then between 9PM to 7AM I might set it on motion only. Are there other DVRs have this "Smart Recording" feature?

xellbuy - I have a dozen of the Aver Nano units out in the field. I have the EH1004, EH1008 and one EH1116 that I installed just a couple weeks ago. I've been meaning to write a personal review of this product line in an effort to give something back to the forum. Your question provided me with some motivation and hopefully I'll have something later today or tomorrow. For screenshots and videos, you can find them on Youtube. Do a search for Aver Nano. Most of the videos are produced and uploaded by Aver themselves and they do a good job of showing the hardware and software aspects of the unit. I happen to like this product line, although there is one major con (in my opinion) - the inability to control some features and settings remotely, such as user accounts, masking (for motion detection) and others which I'll get to later. It hasn't stopped me from purchasing these units though (obviously).

I'm thinking there must be plenty of people out there who do not have a buget for quality surveillance equipment and would love to have something (anything) instead of nothing. I think Soundy's idea is spot on, smartphone access or not. For people looking for the equipment you've got, they can score a great deal and you can deplete your old inventory. As an example, I do alot of work on old POS systems, many of which are 10+ years old and the store owners do not have the budget to replace. The equipment is not produced anymore and new replacement parts are very expensive. Finding quality used parts can be a hassle, but I routinely look on Ebay and Craigslist for these old systems that I can use for parts. It's worked out great for me over the past few years. Bottom line - there are buyers out there, but you need to advertise what you've got in order to find them.

You can try and explain it away all you want. I still say there is a poltergeist in those shots. Plain as day. Or it could be a succubus trying to come & visit. Try tying some garlic around the camera. Gremlins I tell ya, gremlins.

Is it just the connection to the DVR that keeps dropping or does the entire Internet connection drop out? When you reset the router, is it the WRT54GL, DSL Modem or both that's reset? If you just reset the router, is the connection to the DVr reestablished? Do you need to reboot the DVR also? Are you able to determine if it happens when multiple camera streams are being viewed remotely &/or if it happens when there are multiple remote connections? Even at CIF, remotely viewing 16 cameras w/ 768kbps upload speed will most likely max out the upload bandwidth. Combine that with possible multiple simultaneous remote connections and that the DVR itself is very cheaply made it doesn't surprise me that there are issues.

Possibly. I would contact Dedicated Micros support and ask if the firmware update to convert the DVR to a NetVu connected product is compatible with the exact model you have. A quick call or email can save alot of greif

Oh - that's an older model. I have a few of those out in the field, but they are the D4 models, not DS2. Unfortunately NetVu Observer won't work with it (I didn't realize from the model number, sorry). I can't find a smartphone app that can connect to it either. The options are what's on the page - Network Viewer or Web Viewer (and the PC Playback software). A note about the software - it doesn't seem to work on 64-bit Windows. 32-bit works fine though. Best bet is to run it on an XP system. Anyway, you can stop pulling your hair out.

Type the DVR's IP into a web browser. Click on Configuration Options and login with the admin username & password. Then click on System > User Accounts. From there you can add, change or delete user accounts. I'm thinking maybe the user account being used to logon to the DVR with NetVu Observer doesn't have the rights to view cameras.

Yes, I believe it's compatible. Try going into the DVR settings and add a new user account. When choosing the channels, select all, then try logging in with the new username & password.

What is the actual model number of the DVR? Typically there's a label on the bottom of the unit with all the information.

As you already know, it appears the manufacturer doesn't have much support for their current product, let alone old product. The only available downloads seem to be user manuals for current product. I wouldn't expect to get any updated firmware or viewing software for the system. It is what it is and all it's going to be.

http://www.dedicatedmicros.com/software_release/index_firmware.php On the left side, scroll down and click on NetVu Observer. There are several versions available. Pay attention to the Key (Pink = Beta, Green = Current non-beta, Grey = Previous releases). I'd go for Version 1.18.24 - the current non-beta release. If that's what you've been using, try an older version. Remember to uninstall NetVu Observer before installing a different version. NOTE: It could be that the DVR is not compatible with NetVu Observer, although you indicated that the website says it is. I have some older D4RS units that aren't compatible, so the Network Viewer software is used. I haven't found a smartphone app for these older units either.

I have a client with DS2 systems in a dozen locations. The issue you're experiencing happens once in a while when using NetVu Observer. Usually, rebooting the DS2 solves the issue. Have you tried running NetVu Observer on another computer? Does the same error appear? If it works on another computer maybe uninstall & reinstall NetVu Observer on the computer with the problem. Dedicated Micros has several NetVu Observer versions available for download. Maybe try different versions. Maybe try creating a new user account on the DS2 and try loggin on. That's worked for me on a couple occasions - along with deleting/recreating the user account. You can also look at the log file to see if any errors are reported. Hope this helps.

I use powerline network adapters very often. In fact, I installed a pair today in an environment where it is very difficult to run a network cable from the router to the DVR. Just a few cons to using powerline network adapters: 1 - Distance. The further the power sources are from each other the slower the data transfer rate between the adapters. However, I usually see that it's the Internet connection itself that's the bottleneck and not the data transfer rate between adapters. 2 - Power sources need to be on the same phase. If they're not they may not be able to communicate with each other. And don't plug into surge protectors. Connect directly to wall outlets. 3 - Security. If the adapters are not configured properly it's possible that a neighbor using the same adapters can tap into your network (and vice versa). Always change default settings. 4 - Life expectancy. I typically see these devices last from 2-4 years before they need replacement. The ones I installed today were a replacement for a pair I installed around 3 years ago. One went bad & the model isn't made anymore, so a new pair needed to be purchased. Otherwise I find powerline network adapters to be a great way to connect devices to a network that can't be connected by other means.

First, I strongly suggest you remove your static IP address from previous posts. That being said, I used the IP Address you provided in a web browser. Is this the logon screen for your DVR? If yes, then it appears your DVR is accessible via the Internet. Now, if I just had the username & password (I hope you changed the defaults).