KrCCTV

Okay maybe 1000 is excessive - - 500 will probably work. Point is not to leave anything out.

Please provide extensive details in no less than 1000 words. Why, what, for whom and for how long. So far I'm leaning towards a recommendation of a home based DVR/DVD recorder like my DMR-EH50 fed by 4 quality analog CCTV cameras and one microphone through a four-way-split-screen quad with date/time-stamp overlay.

Well thanks joe - - but I hope that wasn't all that I was saying. If so I used way too many words!

Oh... and make sure you have lots of water nearby. Of course it won't help put out the "electrical fireworks" but it certainly could help add to the effect!

Would love to know what these pieces cost - - ptz, hardware controller, software controller (if not free) - not including all time spent (so far) for future reference (if you don't mind sharing). Could be a usefull comparison tool to share with others consideiring an "eBay PTZ" purchase. Thanks.

Joe is right. We have the spring terminals on the new SDNR 540TVL box camera I've been promoting - hated them at first (I was "stupider" than the terminals) as I have been testing a bunch of these before shipping (that's a lot of puching and pulling) but as I've gotten used to them they are actually fairly easy and quite secure. You need to learn to expose just (about) the right amount of wire, you can't just "rip" the wire out after your test (like I could do with loosely secured screws) and I can't use my favorite 6 gauge power wire But anyway, ultimately screws are probably still best as they're most idiot-proof (I should know!!!)

Dear Mr. Monster - - If you're gonna borrow my line (which you're always more than welcomed to do) please get it right: It's "Would you buy your mother a discount pacemaker?" (short and sweet - remember it's all about the delivery ). Dear Mr. Phoenix - - Nothing previously described is necessarily bad (though you do generally do get what you pay for and you're not looking to pay much)... but... there are so many factors to consider - - from resolution to quality to framerate to features and support, your needs and price, etc, etc. For your application, with what little I know about it, I suggest you buy the Clover. You can pick it up easily, probably figure it out pretty easily (or at least get factory direct support easily), and return it easily if necessary. All aspects designed for users like you who are kind of "newer" to this stuff, on a tight budget, and want to "do it yourself." The same source will also have some basic lower cost cameras too. The system will probably give you most of what you need for the price you want - view it kind of like a "starter system." The alternatives... Contact one or more local professionals to come out and meet with you to discuss your needs and get a quote or quotes for the best products recommended by them to meet those needs. In other words start with your needs (not a list of product features) get a few quotes from local folks who'll stand behind their solutions, and then compare those quotes all things considered. You should expect to pay significantly more for it, but as a result also expect to get a quality system that will "do the job" the first time, (whatever that is, at least as it stands today as users needs often change as they gain experience with this stuff, learn what these systems do and don't do for you - they're merely tools you know - anyway another reason to consult personally with paid professionals who'll help to guide you), a system with the potential to provide you with years of service and the local support to back it up. Or... ... ask each of these very knowledgable professionals here in the forum to contribute their hourly wage for all the time they are currently so kindly contributing (in free advise) to your cause (and, in my opinion, we're still in the early stages), plus the cost of your time... and you can go buy a Cadillac of a DVR tomorrow (but be warned... you may not be any happier than if you'd bought the cheapy from the get-go - especially if you weren't at least to buy the "Cadi" from a supporting dealer who would help you first "choose the right one for your needs" and then later "figure it out"). Bottom line in my opinion - this stuff is a bit more complex than first meets the eye and is often quite "application dependant" (and we know little about yours - your problems, why you need it, etc). In addition DVR preferences are very much "in the eye of the beholder" (many think my favorite DVR is junk, I think many of theirs are junk); are very dependant upon the cameras, lensing, lighting and their proper application (which has not been at all covered in any detail - even the best DVR is worthless when coupled with lousy and/or mis-applied cameras, etc). Additionally by-the-way, the motion detection, which has come up so much, may not even apply or properly work in your application which, again, hasn't even been broached. Buy the Clover! Just my opinion...

Please PM for private feedback on D3Data from my personal past experience.

No way… the infamous Joe B. – former “resident security expertâ€

Rory... Just defect and claim political asylum - - fear of return due to likely reprisal by drug-smuggling warlords you turned in (oh… and hurry up and turn some in if you haven’t done that part yet).

Yes... "Build-your-own PC Based" compatibility issues (buying cards and software only and expecting to be able to throw them in to / on any machine) could be a huge problem. I would strongly encourage non-professionals to seek a pre-configured system or a very specific recommendation as to the other "pieces" necessary to better guarantee success (or better yet find a professional security dealer / installer to help you).

Right on in regards to Aventura Rory... though I understand that their ties to Hikvision aren't what they once were (they were calling themselves HikvisionUSA for some time, though they weren't officially, but that relationship fizzled to some extent as I understand that they never delivered on what they had promissed). As an alternate source, if interested, contact my buddy Michael in San Diego (an extremely straight shooter, very knowledgable and with the utmost integrity). Dealers only... contact Michael at www.thevideospecialists.com On the other hand (shameless plug coming) dealers (only) can contact me on the Samsung Techwin product. We proudly distribute that. Rick / KrCCTV

Other questions in addition to above and they were good ones… following not necessarily in order (most all can be answered with application details)… Serious application or as a toy (would you buy your mother a discount pacemaker)? How critical? Redundancy? Single location or multiple? Future Expansion? Cable runs vs. multiple units vs. analog/IP combo vs. NVR? Number of users? From where? Always? PDA? Storage required (really… are you sure… do you know how long it takes to review a year’s worth of video?). Audio (trade-offs / legality)? Interface to other devices necessary or beneficial? POS / text overlay or searchable? Back-up or export required (no, total daily back-up to cd is not a viable option)? Browser interface required and why (even if at expense of other features?) Remote back-up? Automatic? Customization of unit / interface appealing or required (no, not available in pink)? And on… and on… with questions about the application, their problems, what they expect the system to do for them (it's just a tool, not the end all)...given answers to certain questions along the way causing sharp turns in the direction of one’s recommendations.

Thank God not a single one Kandcorp – been there before (what a headache)! When we started we were the only direct US source for one Korean Manufacturer (in essence their US office - - our business cards had their name on it, our email through their domain) but we have since expanded and are now the domestic "direct sales channel" for a group of (what we consider to be) Premier South Korean (KR) CCTV Product Manufacturers… and yes… even some Chinese accessories where the stuff is pretty much all the same, margins are at “dirt levels,â€

To the original question I’d like to know more about your specific application, or to what “marketâ€

I'm thinking he means Nitek Rory: http://www.nitek.net/ Rick / KrCCTV.com

Only problem with football is that I hate to watch any contest decided by the "referees." Is it true that they are all former Olympic ice skating judges?

... and I didn't even know he was dead...

Ask for Gary O. He is a great guy! Tell him Rick in So Cal sent you to ruin his day

I believe that only an IP camera with a "CMOS" imager (vs. CCD) would be "truly digital." With CMOS's lower power consumption, less heat generation, higher potential resolution at lower cost... I found only one problem - - the cameras' images totally sucked - - real problems with even mild lighting changes in testing, further degraded by compression. Rick / KrCCTV

Regarding your initial list... at least one - "Sentry Guard" is just now advertising that they offer this (part of a blitz their doing right now suggesting they can offer you everything under the sun). Reading their page one finds: "In a joint effort between F. E. Moran Alarm and American Sentry Guard we now offer state-of-the-art UL listed burglary/fire monitoring with fully interactive video and audio verification and back up. F. E. Moran has long been associated with private client, custom-monitoring services, " In fact, F.E. Moran is the parent of a company called "Fire Protection Industries" who in turn owns "Custom Security and Fire." They do the monitoring (I think that makes "American Sentry Guard" at least four times removed). So... anyway, here is the company that actually does that if you want to dig deeper: http://www.customsecurityandfire.com/ Oh... and call me a cynic... but I would bet my left ventricle that this http://www.central-station.com/images/Outside.jpg is not (all) CSS's building - in other words the "antennas" are not "theirs." Looks like an old phone company tower (okay, maybe they leased a building near the tower so they could get it in the picture of their building). Oh.. just confirmed it... "Our 900 pair telephone cable runs underground 624 feet directly into the SBC Central Office" - so they do have a lot of phone lines. Anyway, the street address on their site does match that of the building - they're across town from me... I'll try to find out what they charge - must not be enough though... their site needs some serious redesign - kinda like mine.

Just make sure to set aside a big old chunk of money up front for a very competant lawyer to write an extremely thorough and rock-solid limitation of your liabilities - must completely disavow yourself of responsibility for anything I think (otherwise it could cost you much more later).

Well... I was just about to place an order for my first 5... hundred units when your DVR admin took away my "control rights" (Darned "control freak": ) Anyway, the colors were nice - flashed me back to my days of youth... when I used to run around with L25 and his relative "window pane."

Besides putting a filter in front that could hide the IR but also make it useless... you need to spend more money on a camera (or more likely a separate illuminator) with "more invisible" IR - like something above 950nm. I am guessing yours is in the 850nm range.

Looks like another source for you Geovision folks (maybe already known): http://www.ezcctv.com/knowledgebase.htm - - and their forum: http://www.ezcctv.com/techforum/index.php (hopefully some of their users will wander over here too).