groovyman

emmet, if the dvr is recording at D1 resolution, that's 720 × 486 for NTSC systems and 720 × 576 for PAL. I'm sure the resolution on the monitor is much higher (probably 1366 x 768) so when the image is enlarged to full screen it's stretching out quite a bit and will get pixelated.

Normally that would work, but in this case all IP addresses were accidently changed to his local IP address. So pinging "mydvr.whateverdnservice.com" will show his local IP address, not his clients. What service are you using? I use Dyn.com and there's a Host Update Log file that can be accessed.

I've seen DSL modems/routers with an on demand feature. After a period of inactivity the DSL modem will disconnect from the Internet then reconnect when it detects activity from a device on the local network. If you have a DSL modem with this feature it's easy to turn off - it's just a checkbox to uncheck. So, my suggestion is to look at the properties of the modem and see if this feature exists. I've seen it on many Westell DSL modems, but it could be on others.

I heard that last year during a training webinar (which they no longer do) when people were asking for moveable windows. There are some features I love about Aver DVRs & software, and others that are really annoying. But, I can say that about every brand of DVR I've used. I'm thinking the feature you want should have been there from the beginning though. Seems silly to not be able to get the correct aspect ratio out of a surveillance product. I need to ask - if you save video and convert to avi or mpeg is the aspect ratio correct when played back in a video player like WMP, VideoLan, etc?

The Aver software is written for 16:10 screen resolutions. You're most likely using a 16:9 monitor which cannot display the native resolutions the Aver software requires. At some 16:9 (or 4:3) resolutions some Aver software components will work (like Remote Console), but may not look the way you want or expect.

Seems like every other post I see is Dahua, Dahua, Dahua. I don't get it. I personally am not a big fan of Dahua DVRs after using them a few years ago under the Mace and ICRealtime brands. It was these systems that got me involved in video surveillance because the thing worse than the functionality of the DVRs was the service my client received from the reseller (single reseller of both brands). I want to say that I had no problem with Mace or ICRealtime as far as their companies were concerned - it was the DVRs and the reseller. First, I don't like the business model Dahua has in the US. The product is bought by resellers who rebrand the equipment and sell it as their own. I don't have an issue with this by itself, except, in my opinion, it creates confusion in the marketplace and resellers may not be upfront about what they're selling. What kind of reseller quality control does Dahua have? I imagine if I wanted I can purchase a quantity of Dahua product, rebrand it, sell it, then it's goodbye, good luck and god bless. Second, the end user cannot get support directly from Dahua. The end user has to go through the reseller, and if the reseller goes out of business, then what? And who knows what kind of support Dahua provides the reseller? If an issue is reported does the reseller have to rely on Dahua? Does it take days, weeks or months to get an issue resolved? I'm not intending to promote Aver here - just using them as an example. Lately I've been purchasing Aver DVRs from an authorized distributor. When I need support I can go to my distributor or Aver. Both have been great. I know if the distributor goes out of business, I can always go to Aver for support and I can get firmware and software updates direct from the Aver website. Can't say that about Dahua (as has been mentioned many times from frustrated Dahua end users). In fact, Aver once created a specific firmware release for me to fix a specific issue I was having. Again, just using Aver as an example - not trying to promote them. Third, I had the opportunity to test some Dahua DVRs and wasn't thrilled with some of the functionality. The main issue I had was with playback - both remote via the Internet and local playback of saved video. Then it was the conversion from the native video format to avi or mpeg. Lastly, being able to provide and easy way for others to play back saved video is very important to me as I do a lot of work for small retail stores and there's always something that needs to be saved and provided to the authorities. I just wasn't thrilled with Dahua's implementation. I think Dahua started to gain a foothold on this forum just over a year ago. A respected member mentioned the company, then another member and another. Then when new users started asking "what dvr should I buy", Dahua would always be recommended. That doesn't seem to have changed as many new users now post "After researching the forum I've decided on a Dahua dvr from xxxxx company." Now, please keep in mind this is all one guy's opinion. If you purchased a Dahua dvr and are happy with it, great. I hope it gives you great service for many years to come. If you're considering a purchase, fine. I'd only suggest to see if you can try before you buy. Dahua DVRs may be the perfect solution for some, just not for me.

Earthquake and wild fire issues - much better

I know this is old, but maybe the OP is still around. Did you try running update.bat from a command prompt? If you need instructions on how to do that just ask.

I'm using Model "Avermedia EH1008H". I have the router(s) set to forward 80, 5005 & 5550 to the DVR and usually use port 80 or 5550 to connect via IP Cam Viewer (or the Aver IViewer). In IP Cam Viewer make sure the port is HTTP and not HTTPS. Also, I'd check to see that the user account has permissions for remote connections and that the appropriate cameras can be viewed.

You can find the 16 channel without hard drive for around $600-$700. It does not come with cameras, cables, installation kit, etc., just the DVR + necessary accessories (power supply, cable to connect cameras, remote control w/ batteries, hard drive screws). Figure a decent quality 2TB hard drive will run around $150-$180. If you're concerned about service (and I believe you are), read Aver's sales policy here and avoid purchasing from unauthorized sellers: http://www.averusa.com/surveillance/sales-policy.asp Also, before purchasing anything, look at several DVRs and decide what features are important to you and what fits your budget. There's a lot to choose from.

The same thing I do when the bad guy rips the entire alarm system w/ siren off the wall with a crowbar rendering it completely useless - wait for the phone call from the store owner and hope the bad guy didn't destroy or steal the dvr so there's at least some video evidence. And usually the bad guy is wearing all black, complete with mask & gloves, so an ID is extremely difficult. This reminds me (and I'm guilty of this too) - I hate when all this stuff is called security. It's not security at all, it just provides a deterrent & makes the bad guy think & prepare. Whether it be an alarm, surveillance, locks, bars, dogs, live guard, etc. There's a way around everything. The whole trick, in my opinion, is to make it as hard as possible for someone to commit a burglary. In the real world for the average person on a budget that's all we can do.

Take a look at the Aver Nano Hybrid DVR. I've been using it lately. They have a 16 channel version. Over the course of 2 years I had to contact Aver support 3 times and each time I was more than satisfied with their service. My distributor also. If you're interested, contact Aver via their "where to buy" link on their website and they'll direct you to an authorized reseller in your area.

A neighbors wifi is an appropriate backup & fail over? Sorry yakky, but I have to completely disagree with you on that one. It has happened several times to some of my clients that lines on poles were severed before a burglary took place. All businesses/homes served by those lines lost service. At 2AM the phone or cable companies aren't dispatching service trucks right away. It can take days to get service restored. The only fail over would be cellular on the alarm system (or DVR). I wouldn't skip cellular as the fail over. Cellular is the fail over.

Sort of. You use the cell phone carrier - such as ATT, Verizon, Sprint, etc. They all have wireless USB 3G/4G adapters that can connect to either a PC or the Cradlepoint router. Talk to your cell service provider - there may be an extra service charge for the data plan.

Yupp. That's just what it's for.

What's the big deal for a company to provide legacy software for download on their website? I hate when a company doesn't provide legacy software for older products that still work. Some companies are real good about this, some aren't. Unfortunately, seems like Mace is a company that's not. I have an older Mace DVR that was replaced a few years ago, along with the remote viewing software. I think it may be the same model that you have, or pretty close to it. It's certainly from 2004/2005. The software used for remote viewing was called Mace-Client. I have two versions, Mace-Client_6.5.6.88 and Mace-Client_6.5.8.50. They're each about 1.5MB in size. Maybe with some searching you can find it somewhere on the Internet. The DVR has a built in web viewing, but might not work in IE7 or above. If you have an older XP system with IE6 you can try to access the DVR remotely via the web interface. If not, maybe if you have an old PC that you can install a fresh copy of Windows XP on. That will come with IE6.

C'mon - you're not enjoying this? I am. But, you're right. Neither side is going to budge, cases have been made, let the chips fall where they may. On to other topics.

To answer this question you'll need to understand how a router works, how NAT (Network Address Translation) works and how data packets are routed on local & wide area networks. Here are a couple of articles to get you started. They are somewhat simplified, but get the point across very well. How Does a Router Work? http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/technology-explained-how-does-a-router-work/ How does NAT work? http://ask-leo.com/how_does_nat_work.html Very basically (and this is really very basic) - you send a request via the Internet to the IP address assigned by your Internet provider to your home router. Your home router will then broadcast the packets on your local home network and listen for a response. When your home router receives a response it will forward that response to the IP address from where the request came - let's say it's an office router where you work. This exchange of data happens until the connection is ended. Your home router doesn't know that there's a "DVR" on your home network. It knows to route data with a specific port number to a specific IP address on your home network. The router knows this because you told it. When you configured port forwarding in your home router you told the router that (as an example) "any data received over port 80 should be routed to 192.168.1.201" - which is the internal IP address of the DVR (in this example). The data packets are then received by the DVR which responds and sends data to your home router, which then sends it back to the IP address from where the request originally came - the IP address assigned to your office router. Then the office router sends it to the internal IP address from where the request originally came - which is the IP address assigned to your office computer. Hope this answers your question. Read the two articles referenced above for a better explanation. Like I said, it's still very basic, but will get the point across.

Are you sure it's the camera and not the cable? I recently had a situation where a building had some new tenants move in - mice - and a few cables were chewed through.

What? You don't have gigabit upload without bandwidth caps yet???? I'd actually like to see the frame rate the nvr will record at along with how the Internet connection is affected at the subject location. All this marketing nonsense drives me nuts.

I think I'll go pour some sugar in my gas tank then sue GM for not protecting their product against my stupidity.

QSee places the following warning in their firmware update readme files: The following is also stated concerning warranties: Oy vey That statement is a keeper though.

I agree. However the discussion focuses on upgrading with firmware obtained elsewhere, not from the company who's name is on the product. In situations like this there's a reasonable expectation that the firmware might not work and damage the product. So, in my opinion, if the upgrade results in damaged equipment the responsibility lies with the end user. The manufacturer, reseller & retailer should not be made party to that mistake.

Different firmware for different distributors? Apparently. Different hardware for different distributors? Doubt it. Manufacturers have been doing this for years. The casing may look the same, but the guts could have slight or major differences. Additionally, a manufacturer can have different revisions of the same model. Firmware intended for Rev A may not be suitable for Rev B. I work with alot of networking equipment and whenever I download firmware for a specific piece of equipment the manufacturer could have different firmware for different revisions. It can certainly be the case for cameras and DVRs as well, especially if the equipment is re-branded.

You're not comparing apples to apples here. Using this Microsoft/HP, Dahua/QSee analogy: Microsoft licenses (they don't sell, they license) Windows to HP, but does not provide the hardware to HP. HP provides support for Windows as well as the hardware. Yes, Microsoft comes out with updates every month and there's a chance one could disable Windows. When this happens, HP is still required to provide support for Windows (during the warranty period) and you're well within your right to return the product back to the place from where it was purchased (according to their return policy, of course). Dahua sells the hardware, software and firmware to their resellers who brand it with their own name. Dahua does not provide direct updates to the end user like Microsoft does. If there are any updates, Dahua provides it to the reseller who, at their discretion, may provide it to the end user. The reseller is responsible for providing support to the end user, not Dahua who deals with the reseller only. So, if you buy QSee product then try and update it with firmware obtained from a source other than QSee and you brick it, then it's solely your responsibility. It would be dishonest to return the product from where it was purchased. It's not fair to the retailer, the branding company, the manufacturer or the honest purchasers of the product who ultimately have to pay more because of dishonest people who can't see the error of their ways - or just don't care. Make all the excuses or justifications you want - it's wrong, plain & simple.