shockwave199

This should work for you because my 408 uses H264 as well. http://qsee.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/909/kw/qs%20avi%20converter Download either the avi generator if all you need is file conversion, or both. The avi generator is great but I'm not a big fan of that playback program. It's ok and works. and you can even convert to avi with it, but it's kind of a confusing app for something that should be simple. The avi generator though- A+. Fast and always works to just do the conversion. Then you can work with the avi files in whatever software or WMP. Dan

Where are the people in the store in the afternoon? Your tweaks look good. How do people and faces look in those spaces now?

Well, consider a Dahua ESDV-FULLD1-16, or from q-see a QT526. Good luck!

Don't wait, don't fix. Send it back for a replacement. Although you may have voided the warranty already by trying to fix the camera yourself. Good luck.

Can u plz share "avi" files ? Thx For what, so you can say how bad it is compared to MP?! The seqment with the auto tracking is actual backup footage- H264 compression converted to avi. It's recorded in the dvr set at D1 24fps highest bit rate. Within the seqment the footage is zoomed in to fill the screen, and then the movie is rendered down to mpg4 @ 6000 bps. So with all that, what you see there still looks ok. I can't work magic and make backed up footage look better- only worse. So figure that the avi files before being blown up for screen and compressed down more for video look better. This is an analog ptz that gives nowhere near the definition of a mp camera- I know. This is a demo of features in a ptz, not a demonstration of picture quality. Don't worry bout me though- I'm seeing just fine with it over here.

Thanks for watching guys. I just want to say thanks to the members here. It's the collective information that sticks in your head to help you with these kinds of things. Soundy helped me narrow down the wiring with cat5 and so did Tom with some things, so thanks again for that- everyone really. I like the zooming a lot of course. This is a 27x optical zoom camera. It has digital zoom but I have that off. What I really like best so far is the control over the IR's. It's like having them on a dimmer switch and I can turn them up or down a little at a time, or turn them off. As seen in the vid, with them off and with the camera being very sensitive in low light, it can be an LPR which is great. There's even a dual bright setting so when the camera senses no motion, they drop down to a user defined brightness and when they detect something, they come on to a user defined brightness. And they zoom match brightness too. So as much as anything, the IR's being fully controlled and excellent low light sensitivity make for a hell of a combo in giving great night vision. And with all that and because it's so sensitive in low light, I keep the IR off a lot. Great picture, less LED usage, less power draw. Cool beans.

That looks ok but there's nothing like getting your hands on the thing directly. I can imagine a so-so outcome with that gadget. I could be wrong though. That camera got up there somehow- you must be able to get back up there somehow, no?

Thanks for the reply. I ended up getting cat5e with four pairs- got some for free. I think three twisted pairs will handle the run- hopefully. I'll know soon enough!

Ok, so I'm finally gonna tackle this thing- try and bare with me cause I need help with this one. Power supply for this camera- 12v 4a. I already have bcn in place from another camera I will be pulling out. I have 50' of cat 3 doing nothing. I thought I would use this for the comm to the ptz and the remaining two pairs twisted together and put on a male barrel connector for the camera side. The barrel connector is being cut off the power supply that came with the camera, since it's the only barrel that fits the female barrel on the camera for some reason. So the power supply will have no barrel. Here's my questions- - Will the remaining two pairs be enough for the power? - Can I leave off the barrel connector on the power supply side and just wire it right up the the two pairs? - If I wire a barrel connector back onto power supply, can the gauge of the lead be one gauge thinner than the power supply wire? My barrel lead is a little thinner than the power supply wire. I'd really like to wire in the power supply right to the cat 3 twisted pair, as I will be cutting the cat 3 back to around 30' and it'll be easier to wire it in up in a hot attic if I didn't have to dick around wiring in a barrel connector. Thanks a bunch for you help!

Not sure the boarder is really a big deal. As a whole it's a lot of boxes, but you're talking the boarders. Not having them pick up motion won't affect the overall ability to catch motion, seriously. Anything bigger than a fly will be caught by every other box anyway. Outside boarders won't make the difference, imo. But- upgrade away, no harm in that. It wouldn't be enough for me to upgrade though.

Well consider your budget and buy the best you can afford. You can take a look at a Dahua ESDV-PROLINE-8, which looks to be a good dvr as well. The one I have, the q-see 408 really falls right into what you're looking for, doing everything you need. But if you want an expensive superior grade dvr, consider your budget and spend big bucks. A Dahua ESDV-FULLD1-8, dropping in a hard drive could be the ticket for you as well.

This dvr would be in serious contention for me- http://www.dahuasecurity.com/English/product_info.aspx?type=349&&css=1&&id=34 And 16 of these cameras would do you well- CNB VCM-24VF With the shipping, cabling, power box and maybe a new monitor, figure your max of 4k with gear such as that- perhaps even a bit over. Those cameras would allow you to set your field of view for the perfect zoom and focus. Set it and forget it- all quality gear such as you want. Not sure that can be done with a schedule. You can schedule times of day for recording, but you'll have to confirm if the dvr of choice allows for scheduling the type of recording to change via a schedule. My guess is you'll have trouble finding that option. You're probably looking at either motion recording full time or just full time recording 24/7. I'd keep it on motion 24/7, in which you'll still benefit from motion recording even during a busy day at times and absolutley benefit from less activity throughout the night. If I understand you correctly, a consideration when choosing your dvr is it's remote viewing software and if it's a central management program, where you can conveniently view multiple systems of the same type dvr from different locations all within that software. That's typically a proprietary software for the dvr system itself. It's not completely necessary- you can still remotely view any number of systems via web based application. But if you're serious about installing the same system in multiple locations such as a chain of stores, having the dvr support it's own central management software [CMS] is a real plus and something to at least consider. Whether that's a deal breaker in a choice of dvr's is up to you and how many total systems you'd be installing for your businesses. Good luck.

^^^ Can't argue with that logic!

What dvr have you been using? All newer dvr's will handle your mix of cameras, not even an issue to consider. And all I've seen have alarm inputs as well. They all have most basic functions you'd expect from any dvr but they will differ mostly when it comes to resolution capability per channel, as well as how many hard drives/size it can handle. Compression schemes will differ too. Also backup media will differ, such as writing to a cd/dvd drive in the unit verses a usb drive or a combination of the two. Common wisdom is the better quality full featured dvs cost bucks and many don't come with a hard drive- an added expense as well. These dvr's are recommended often: http://www.dahuasecurity.com/English/product.aspx?type=61&&css=1 I use a q-see 408 which has D1 on the first two channels and offers HD1 or CIF throughout. http://q-see.com/products/product_description.php?cId=34&pId=58&id=34&pid=27 It can generally be found with an included 500gb hard drive in it already. It has no fan so it's completely silent- something often overlooked when considering and which I really appreciate. I've found it to be flexible and overall a super performer over the past year. For product support, q-see is more online documentation/support chat help. It's tough to reach an actual person, so consider that if you're not tech savvy for setting up remote viewing. But q-see offers a range of 8 channel dvr's as well. I can only speak to the 408- a nice dvr for residential without costing a ton. Good luck with your choices!

I think you have it backwards. The boarder on all our sides makes it impossible to mask out all those blocks within the boarders. That can make it difficult to fully block out motion if something extends into any one of those blocks. I have the same thing, but somehow nothing falls within a boarder block. But I know of no solution for it.

I think I've read it's the AWB setting that can help and since it's auto in that camera with no control to tweak it, there you have it. One of mine does that on certain things in the frame if the light is just right. I know you cropped the photo for a closer look, but those cameras seem to suffer the problem more than normal, to me.

You're hitting via an active-x web application? Youcould also contact gadpsot and they could suggest the best solution.

Yeah after looking, cat 3 could have any number of pairs. So my question- mine has three pairs and I wasn't sure if two pairs twisted would equal a thick enough amount to supply 12v4a over 30' to the camera. In the manual it says about the camera 12v+/-10% 50w. I've only ever read about four pairs and it being recommended to use three pairs twisted for power. I'm dealing with only two pairs left [one pair for comm/two for power] if I use the stuff I have at the moment- left over from telephone installation. Thanks for your help guys. Much appreciated.

I have cat 3 telephone installation cable, to be exact. It has three pairs. One pair I'd use for comm, the other two pairs I would use for power. Run to be approx 30'.

The gadpsot I linked to is a smart IR camera, which means it will adjust the IR so people don't get whited out such as the case without smart IR. That's a very good price for a great featured camera. Their cheaper cameras will be ok, but the picture won't be quite as good. Also keep in mind it's not only the camera that makes a good picture. A good quality dvr matters too. For cheaper, consider these- http://www.gadspot.com/p-253-gs907cm.aspx http://www.gadspot.com/p-214-gs741e.aspx I have the GS741E. Not a bad camera at all for a mere 40 bucks. A couple pictures from it in my system-

In your price range, consider this much better camera than the one you're linking to. And they all come with a power supply included. http://www.gadspot.com/p-328-gs4031sm.aspx

Make a short story a little longer- I'm curious. How did it get damaged?

The flying insects will calm down too. It's just the hatching season at the moment. Before long a ton will die or be eaten. I've been surprised to see that motion hasn't been triggered as much as I thought it would be, considering. Try and lower the sensitivity for the moment too.

It's unrealistic to expect total noiseless perfection from any camera at night. My opinion is always- will the camera help you ID a person walking in the fov. Setting aside some noise in that shot for the moment, how does anyone look walking past the camera lurking about your front property at 3am? The best shot for that is what you're really after, imo.

As far as the light itself, be sure to install a dual bright motion light with creepzone. 'CreepZone is a patented technology that eliminates dead zones in motion detection areas. Standard motion security lights operate with detection zones away from the light but cannot detect motion directly beneath the light. This security light detects motion directly beneath the light in addition to the left, right, and front zones. Pulse-Count technology reads heat and movement in pulses as opposed to single occurrences to prevent false triggering'. If it wasn't such a total PIA, I'd have swapped mine out for these by now. Maybe THIS year I will. http://www.smarthome.com/36727WH/Heath-Zenith-SL-5105-WH-Dual-Brite-Motion-Activated-Security-Light-White/p.aspx