CollinR

Yup sticking to 1 brand will probably get you screwed. Pelco or Bosch damn sure wouldn't be the one I would pick either. Might consider another contractor, or better yet specify what you want. You can still be standardized though, it's just cam>function rather then cam>brand standard.

I don't know that I could possibly care less about how it looks. I want hardware compression, lots of channels, MP IP support, on the fly transcoding, oh yeah and for free!

Panasonic VW-CP484 Fujinon lens

My vote, get more then a 4 channel whatever you choose. This is the part of the system (especially for dedicated units) that you only want to buy once. The size of your property, 4 would be a good start but I can see in 1-2 years as you learn it's value you'll want more. EDIT: Even if that means you need to save some more $ before purchase, or you only get 3 cams.

Quad core might allow for SageTV integration as well. Thats 2 cores to Geo, 1 to homeseer and 1 to SageTV.

I would use an IP based system, then any PC can monitor it. I dunno about using normal water/flood sensors as fuel detectors, that concerns me. However there may already be a sensor for this.

The easiest way is to use the SMTP server from your ISP.

Search for "BNC keystone jack" they are readily available but not usually stocked at consumer hardware stores.

You mean to tell me if I buy one and look over it they did not use a single piece of open software but they are using Linux not Unix? Charging $ is really irrelevent, they are providing hardware and service. Really you can sell Ubuntu diskd for $20 each if you like. If they used any GPL software they have to provide the chnages to the source. Just like Linksys was forced to. Really though I see no DVRs on their site, no tech data... Almost appears as though video is 100% off-site. OMG!

Not always, audio is not sensitive to impedence, and composite video MUST have 75ohm. Either way your example is the most common method, just buy 4 yellow RCA "keystone"s. 99% of the time the Red and White audio keystones will work just fine too, by far most are pass through.

Not too much anymore, basically just private parts vs. cheap off the shelf parts. RTOS exists for x86 hardware so it's not like you can't build one on a PC chassis.

Not to my knowledge, that would really help if they did.

Yup GV800 looks stellar with 8 and good with 16.

I believe it does.

There is a seperate application that controls the control center server. You can find it in the start menu group. The control center server is basically another RDP/VNC server, it probably is some form of VNC. Anyway it allows Control Center equipped companies to remotely control the DVR. Remote DVR gives you only the Geovision GUI Remote Desktop give you full remote control Yes, it works on XP Home Oddly it seems Geovision doesn't need to be installed to run. I use the crap outta this.

Aside from thw cameras bringing on the suck, you would have to compete with Wal-Mart/Target/Radio Shack/Sam's Club I know a few of them sell Swann crap on the cheap.

Find the multiview install directory and look for a file named something like DMPos.exe Otherwise rely asking for the file and I'll send it to you, it says DMMultiView and appears to support dual display.

Basically it comes down to transmission and encoding. The goal is to have stored digital video. The cameras already are digital. You can have a digital camera send an analog signal that conforms to the NTSC 3 standards set in the 80s. This standard is why all analog cameras work equally well with all analog recorders. In this case the DVR is doing the encoding to whatever formats it supports, MPEG4, H.264... These formats are pretty darn effiecient storage wise and the "You get what you paid for." comes in the quality of the compression techniques and settings utilized. DVRs use either a hardware encoder chip, the CPU of the host computer or a combination of, to compress the video. You can now have a digital camera send a combination of digital and analog feeds. There really is no set standards for IP based cameras. IP based cameras do not by themselves adhere to the NTSC standard, as such they do not all play nicely together. IP based cameras are not limited by NTSC standards is more like it. In most IP based "NVR"s the compression is done in the camera, utilizing an encoder chip. The NVR basically serves as storage for the video and an integrated user interface, usually any features live here too. Analog>Upsides Total compatiblity Readily available Cheap Well established technology Storage friendly Analog>Downsides 480i MAX resolution 29.97fps MAX IP>Upsides Frame size limited by modern networking, almost limitless Frame rate also limited by modern networking Many have multiple formats and multi streaming Distance is not nearly the issue anymore, 1 NVR can monitor several cameras states apart They can be cost effective IP>Downsides Camera encoding kinda sucks right now, compared to quality DVRs anyway Most NVRs I have seen do not transcode the video for storage, as such the highly compatible MJPEG is used. This is a storage beast!!! Cost Alot of toy like IP cameras that have sub analog performace Few quality cameras available, most seem based on cheap analog systems Wireless comes into play as IP cameras give you some privacy. IP cameras use existing networking gear, so it's wifi now. I have little to no wireless experience so hopefully WirelessEye will chime in.

Where do we get the source code?

For Geovision you would need 3 DVRS, with Avermedia you only need 2. You can stack their 6480Express for 32 channels in one DVR.

I assume he will want it over the net so he can expand his customer base and regulars need not leave home. This is where all the problems would come from, as he will probably want to charge for this service. He would have to once he starts getting that $500/mo T1 line installed. So you need the whole secured CC charging, viewing authorization so the ID doesn't get posted on a BBS. There may exist an adult web temple that does alot of that for you however then you need to integrate live video into it. Heck maybe that exists too.

They are CIF only, go multiple with multiple DVRs. Sucks you have 36 cam, with say 50 it's would be an obvious choice. Actually I would add / remove cams to make this as cost effective as possible. If you have 4 you can loose, they can have spares / dummies. Oh IIRC you can take an Aver 32 channel and an Aver embedded 4 and combine them in the CM3000 (free CS software).

I think you should probably pass on this, that or subcontract out the interface. If you don't know much about computers / networking/ programming this is going to get way over your head really really fast. Nothing wrong with not knowing, excellent trait that you own up to it.

Fdisk then XP Really W98 sucks, I wouldn't run anything on them much less some kind of demo. Doing so would surely make you look amature at best as they seem to BSOD daily.

Does the ICR pro support megapixel? If not do you already own one?