Soundy

Can't really say why there'd be 8 more BNC inputs on the DVR... possibly input and daisy-chained output for four more cameras, or inputs for four cameras plus daisy-chained outs for the four included ones. Or even 8 more inputs. The DVR should have a matching number of channel-select buttons for however many inputs there area. Typically, "pro" cameras with BNC out *DO NOT* carry power over the BNC, but use a separate pair of wires to provide 12VDC or 24VAC power. Most also DO NOT have audio support. Designs like "bullet" and dome cameras will usually have a short wire coming out (maybe 6-12") with BNC and power connectors, but that's pretty much the extent that these cameras are "hardwired". The back-end of a typical "box" camera looks something like this: 24VAC-powered ones will usually have some sort of spring- or screw-terminals for power, rather than a barrel connector.

Hmm, would it be acceptable if you overlapped a bit? Like, have one clip end at 10:00 (ten-minute point) of the interview, then start the next one from the 9:30 point, to prove continuity? Just looking at the overview specs for this, it says it records in M-JPEG (Motion JPEG) format... on those export menu options, does it say JPEG or M-JPEG? If the latter, try using that for export - you'll probably find it goes faster as well, since the system doesn't need to re-encode it to AVI. Even if it just says JPEG, you could try it anyway, to the SD card, to see if it's actually using M-JPEG video. The spec sheet states that it IS networkable and does have Windows- and web-based clients... you should be able to just point a web browser on a networked computer at it to at least view the video. Whether that will also let you export, I don't know... The remote client should be available from American Dynamics: http://www.americandynamics.net/support/downloads.aspx I haven't been able to find a manual for the unit, but I did find some release notes on a firmware update, that includes this:

Hmm, do you have the exact model number of this DVR (so I can look up specs and a manual, unless someone else here comes along who is actually familiar with it)? It might be indicating that a CD will hold up to 30 minutes' worth of video, but it needs to be in separate 10-minute exports. Will it let you save multiple times to the same disc? Another option might be, if the DVR is networkable and has a computer client application, you could access it from a PC, pull the video off to there, and then burn it to a disc.

Does this DVR give you the option to export in different formats? What format is it using by default? What size files is it creating on the SD or CD? Are they getting filled, or is the machine just stopping at that amount of time?

Welcome! I got into CCTV coming out of the IT field as well, so I'm familiar with the transition That could be tricky. Is there any other way to do this over a cable run? 100' isn't too far, can the cable be strung across buildings, or buried in conduit? Is there maybe existing conduit between buildings, for phone/network? If there's existing network or phone connections, it's possible there are some spare pairs of wire that could be used with baluns to get the video signal across. Well, I can't speak for GSS, but "the cheapest" is rarely "the best". Having run your own IT company, you know the importance of having good support and service behind you. Sometimes paying a little more is worth it for a supplier who stands behind their sales. Just something to think about Of course, if you can get cheaper *and* better service, that's a plus. Well, I'm a fan of PC-based vs. standalone, but of course, that comes with a higher cost. Is he set on bullet cams, or would box or dome styles be better suited here? 14 days' storage shouldn't be difficult, as long as he's not set on 30fps or other excessive expectations.

Actually, draping them across the joists is just fine. The only real concern might be damage from someone crawling around in the attic. But if you want to keep them up from there, you can just zap-strap them to the trusses - no fancy clamping needed, and yes, they can all be bundled together. I've done sites where 16 cameras run to a MUX at one end of a store, and then a bundle of 16 RG59s take the signal from there to another MUX and VCR at the back of the store, 100+ feet away. "Proper"? Well, unless local code requires it, there's no need to dress it up - you can just punch a hole through the drywall and pull the wire through... nothing wrong with that, except it's not very pretty. You can cut out a cleaner hole and use an "easy-box" frame in it, then drill a large enough hole in a standard wall plate and pull the cables through that to make it nice and clean. Keep in mind that none of this cable is carrying any voltage, other than about a 1V video signal. If you're running power along with it, that's maybe 12VDC or 24VAC, generally classified as "low voltage" and not usually needing any special handling.

The way you quoted your tech, with "...won't have...ability to stream the data through the wiring", it sounded like he was ascribing some sort of high-level processing to the breakout cable.

I haven't had a chance to test it, but I strongly suspect the GV octopus is identical to the one Vigil and VI uses... in which case, pin 9 isn't used. Probably depends on the quality of the cable. Cheap cables used for actual VGA extension tend to introduce bad ghosting especially at higher resolutions; I would expect a cheap one to also cause problems with this type of signal. I have a 25' extension stashed away in a bin somewhere, if I can find that I'll test it with a Vigil.

BTW, if you give me an email address, I can set this IQ511 to send you some sample motion-triggered clips. I can set the number of pre-trigger and post-trigger images as well as the interval between them... There's also a time-lapse option to send images at a regular set interval. Motion areas are user-definable, with multiple overlapping windows, each with their own sensitivity, as well as "exclude" areas, so it can be fairly fine-tuned.

As opposed to the cost of a "dedicated video server" with the requisite hardware and software? None that REQUIRE it, so none that are using it currently. I have played with the function in the IQEye cameras, but don't have any sites that are interested in making use of it. Well, what I'd recommend, you probably don't want to pay for. I have one owner with three stores, all of which we've equipped with Vigil DVRs. He views them all remotely on the single client application. These will do email alarm notification as well, but it's not something that he makes use of either. In that case, you're probably looking at $4000-$5000 retail for a 16-channel hybrid DVR. No worse than having the motion detection happening in the DVR - it's only as accurate as you configure it to be. Unless, of course, you start getting into Video Analytics, which the latest Vigil systems include. Several IQeye models DO have realtime composite output. But then you still have to wire network to them. Of what? DVR or camera? Again, most of IQEye's model line will do it. What resolution do you want? What form factor? "Box"? Dome? Your original post is somewhat unclear: do you already have cameras? A DVR? Is this something you're looking to add to an existing system? If you're already running a PC-based DVR, it may simply be a matter of changing the software it's using. It certainly doesn't require a dedicated $30,000 machine.

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=16962&highlight=lorex

I can't say for sure, but my suspicion is that these are like most cheap systems and will only work with their own cameras.... at least, without a lot of hacking on your part. The problem with self-contained package systems like this has always been that, for simplicity's sake, they put video, power and audio all into one connector (usually a mini-DIN) and run them all to each camera through a single long cable. In order to attach a "third party" camera to them, you'd have to have the connectors (not hard to find), and know the pinouts (probably much harder to find). Most "real" CCTV cameras you find will use BNC connectors with RG59 or RG6 cable (RG58 will work for shorter runs, but it's not recommended). Assuming this DVR does have BNC inputs available, your crimpers will PROBABLY work with most commercially-available crimp-on BNCs. I'd be surprised if anything Costco sells uses BNC or RCA camera inputs, though.

Those are functions built-in to a number of IP cameras... no separate hardware or software required.

Ahhh, got it... okay, so they're using a slightly non-standard (as far as "DB9 serial" goes) pin configuration - pin 1 would normally be Carrier Detect and pin 9 would be Ring Indicator, but those wouldn't be needed here as there's no modem support. Good to know!

Well, then, he's got a spare VGA extension cable, handy for moving your computer farther away from your monitor. Or he's out $6 or so. Yes, but it's not a "data stream". It's an analog video signal, there's nothing proprietary to GeoVision about that. There's nothing "special" about the cable - it's a way to take 8 BNC connectors and channel them into one small space on the back of the card. It doesn't do any processing of the signal, it's just wires. The cable is nothing more than a male connector at one end, a female at the other, and straight-through wires between them; it isn't doing anything special either. As someone else noted, the only FORESEEABLE problem would be with cheaper cables that don't connect all the pins. You'll note I didn't say it WOULD work, only that it SHOULD, as there's no logical reason for it not to. "Proprietary" design and "data streams" don't even come into play.

Horsehockey. It's a standard D-sub high-density 15-pin connector. The extension cable is a straight-through, pin-for-pin connection. "STREAM DATA"???? IT'S A FREAKIN' COMPOSITE VIDEO SIGNAL! Um, no... doesn't really MATTER to me, but this "technician" sounds like he either doesn't have a clue, or is spewing some corporate shtick.

Did your tech say WHY that wouldn't work? I've toned out the octopus for the older HiCap cards that Vigil and VideoInsight use, they're the same style as the Geo breakout, and those only use pins 1-7 and 10 for video, and 11 & 15 for ground.

Well, he did say they're a SMALL company, so I'm assuming there aren't a lot of big enterprise-level IT restrictions...

VideoInsight's software will work on pretty much any browser I've thrown at it, including a number of different mobile browsers on Windows Mobile, PalmOS, and MotoQ. They have four-, eight-, and 16-input cards available. As far as IP cams, if you don't need to record the video but just want to view it remotely, you don't even need a PC - just plug the cameras into the network and point your browser them, each in its own tab or window. I can't speak for any others, but I know IQEye's cameras should work with a Mac browser - if there's no ActiveX support, they use a Java applet for viewing instead. If you do need the recording capability, there are a number of options out there - the two I'm familiar with are VideoInsight's (their analog and IP servers are two separate products, although both can be run on the same system), and Vigil (which, unfortunately, does not have a web client, but if you're using IP cameras, again, you can just view those directly).

If they did, they'd probably just take a $5 VGA extension, slap a GeoVision logo on it, and charge $50 for it (shipping and handling extra). Nothing against GV, of course... most other manufacturers probably would as well. But they probably also know they'd have a hard time selling them, as most "pros" would simply extend the BNCs.

That's an interesting tip, I've never thought to try that. I'm gonna go play!

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe instead of worrying about blocking information coming IN on the internet, the Chinese gov't should be concentrating on not letting this crap get OUT. Maybe some return-spam is in order? Anyone in for a DDoS spree?

Be a lot easier if we knew the make/model of the DVR. It's probably more efficient to just give the police the flash drive, or just copy the files to a CD for them to play on their computer; burning to a DVD that will play in a regular DVD player is a rather time-consuming process and requires specific DVD-authoring software.

There's no such thing as a "hybrid card". IP cameras connect via LAN interface, no additional capture hardware is required.

If you only need to record one video feed at a time for editing purposes, you're probably better off with something intended more for that purpose - any of the Hauppauge WinTV products, ATI's TV Wonder products, ASUS's MyCinema line, etc. Any of those include basic WDM driver support and will work with pretty much any video-editing suite out there, including Windows Movie Maker.