RedSq

Soundy: thanks a lot for the clip. Unfortunately, it is produced by (Vigil) VMS. We're going to use another VMS for this site eventually... Jeromephone: seems like I'm going correct route in this case... ugh... I'm not really into video editing but will have to do it this time. We agreed on a weekly and monthly videos so it shouldn't be too bad (vs. daily)

Hello everyone! One of our customers requested a time lapse camera system so that their corporate office can look at ongoing expansion. So here I am looking for some input from you guys. I've done some research and looks like a lot of TL videos used Mobotix cameras so I'm going to stick with that. From what I understand there's really no automated way to do it so I will need to: 1) Get images from camera at certain interval (1min-3min) 2) Import images to video editing software 3) Export a video in some format (AVI or MPEG) 4) Present video to a customer (upload to Tube, or shared folder) So if anyone with experience on this matter would share some ideas I'd really appreciate it!

Check on Milestone website to see if the camera has the firmware version that is tested by Milestone. I had Axis camera that wouldn't connect because I upgraded it to the latest firmware so I ended up downgrading it and it started working fine.

Well. I've heard good things about Fluidmesh but recently we had installed a few Ubiquity units and I'm pretty happy with the setup. I've been getting stable 160-180Mbit throughput (according to built-in speed test, these are 5Ghz models). Distance is about 1000', no obstructions. Second Eth port on AP is PoE enabled so it is great for pole mounting the whole set (AP, camera). Cost is more than affordable (less than $100).

Yes. That was a trick... Thrusters are firing now. Thank you 'hardwired'.

Well.... there's no such setting as 'camera resolution' in Milestone client. They have a setting called 'processing threads' but changing that doesn't seem to make much difference. I'm still dealing with no support from Milestone - their L1 techs just keep blaming L2 support for 'being busy and having backlog of tickets'. I even talked to a sales rep that blamed someone else in turn, promised to call me back in an hour and never did. So my question is: am I the only one having all this trouble or so called "industry leader" Milestone Systems isn't worth of my clients money?

That's odd... I will try to switch to MJPEG. But now it's going to eat storage like crazy. I have 2TB array and these two 3MP cameras are one of the most active shot so I get a lot of motion in them. I'll see if I can have Milestone L2 support to explain what is going on. Thanks for the input everyone.

Hi guys. I've used other VMS systems but for this project client requested Milestone XProtect. We chose Essential since they didn't need any advanced features. Now... when client opens viewer on a desktop PC CPU usage goes to the max and they can't really do anything else on that machine. Setup is as following: Client machine - new Dell desktop with 3GB RAM and dual core Intel E7500 (3Ghz). Viewer - Milestone SmartClient 5.0 Cameras - 12 Acti and Axis megapixel cameras, 2 Axis 3MP cameras. All cameras are set to H264. Milestone support keeps insisting that it is normal and I should just view 3-4 cameras at once but I think they just don't want to help. So my question is what are you seeing as CPU usage on your viewing stations for this camera count? (especially if you use Milestone) Thanks!

Well... i guess you guys telling the same thing I used CNB vandal-proof domes and they were all under $100. 620TVL and IR LEDs. I liked the "intelligent IR" feature - it turns down IR power depending on proximity of the subject.

+1 for extenders. StartTech or Patton makes good one.

Option 1: Use encoder (something like Axis 24* series) with analog cameras. You may find a good deal on them on eBay occasionally. Pros - you can use any analog cameras to suit your needs. We've used CNB MonaLisa domes for one project and it worked out OK. Per channel cost in this case is slightly less if not the same vs. all IP cameras. Cons - single point of failure (encoder). You are limited to D1 resolution. Option 2: All IP cameras + PoE switch. For budget install I can recommend ACTi. Just make sure you get corresponding brackets for your installation (gang box, wall mount or suspended ceiling) We used ACTi outdoor bullets for last project and it worked out pretty good - wide angle lens gives good coverage. Their indoor domes are also not bad and decently priced. You can also look a Vivotek and Brickcom cameras.

Cheap switch for testing: TrendNet TPE-S44 (4 non-PoE ports + 4 PoE ports). Might as well get it for testing than buying injectors. We're using NetGear smart switches for mid-size installs (8-20 cameras) and Dell gear for larger installs (20 and up) There are decent TrendNet 8/16 port smart switches that work great for smaller installations... just had one TrendNet TPE-80WS setup today.