chesterfield

If I find a stranger in my house at night, they will be going through the log chipper and into the field. No phone calls to the police, no last known movements, they will just dissapear and become fertilizer.

To play devils advocate here, but it may be the only "covert" camera that has been noted. Though isnt that the point of covert cameras? Not to be noted? If this camera is part of a system designed to monitor employees within the building rather than general public, then there may well be many more of these type of cameras planted within other mundane looking boxes/objects around the place. I can honestly say, I have no knowedge of this case, person etc at all. It does look from my point of view (somoene who has no idea about the case you are referring to) that you are looking for a conspiracy theory here, or ways in which this evidence, whatever it shows, can be discredited. How do you know there isnt another camera in that light fitting pointing the other way down the corridor for example?

Its the 16mp pro camera Fiona. http://avigilon.com/products/cameras-video/pro-ip/ You can actually download sample footage of that airport terminal, taken from the 16mp camera (as per the still shot), and play with it in the Avigilon player software. You need the airport check-in footage sample from here: http://avigilon.com/products/samplefootage/ The player software can be found at the bottom of that page too. Hope that helps

Actually in the UK, for CCTV footage to be admissable in court, certain hoops have to be jumped through. Taking the footage off the original system and turning it into a dvd or avi etc will make it inadmissable. The Avigilon player is specifically designed to cope with this particular issue, as when you export the video from the original system is tags each frame with a hash code. That footage can then be checked by the player to verify each frame has not had any pixels changed. Therefore proving it is an exact copy of the original recording. (the video must be an exact replica of the original footage - this is the specific requirement of the courts). This is another reason why I went for the Avigilon system. Reading how and when video evidence can be admissable in courts in the UK was a very interesting subject. I am hopefult that the Avigilon system thanks to this little feature, would offer me a better chance of having any video evidence made admissable than a standard recorder should I ever need to rely upon it.

Even the end customer Would be nice to have autofocus and zoom on the 5mp domes though. Hopefully on the next revision

You can get sample footage from the Avigilon website to use in the player. Thats what I used in conjunction with the "Avigilon University End User Videos" to see how the system worked from an end user point of view. There are other manuals and support docs available that I used to read how to install and setup the system, but to be fair that was just as expected and fairly straight forward.

Once I get them in place, no problem. Currently snowing here, and have had a busy couple of weekends trying to find a car to buy for the wife so other than the server, not a lot else is set up. Currently just have the 2mp internal dome pointing out through a window so I can keep an eye on the snow

No. I went a bit overkill on the server too dual core 2.8Ghz with 4GB storing to a 3x 1GB 7200 rpm array with room for expansion. Seeing how very little pressure this puts on the server I built, I am not surprised to see it runing very happily on an atom at all.

Ive no need to question it now. I have the product, I like it. If I was an installer/retailer I would be interested in where the core product is going, but other than that I think its a gret bit of kit. Just leaves me to decide where I can make use of another few cameras around the house

Thats the power of google yes I really like the product, it may be a bit overkill for a domestic house. Indeed I dont know if I am the first UK domestic residence to use Avigilon or not, but I like the way the software works. Its a piece of cake to install and setup. Any basic understanding of IP technology will get it set up quickly. In years to come I can se me adding cameras to bird boxes and even the green house to see if it needs watering before walking down the garden Given how ridiculously easy and fast it is to search recorded video, I think it may be very usful for watching bids hatch or hedgehogs etc in their boxes. Im just starting to think of all sorts of diferent and educational (for my son) uses for the software above and beyond the basic security of the home. Its that easy to use. Glad I found it. Im also glad I found the prices, becasue that is what enabled me to make the final choice to buy it in the first place.

Indeed they are. They are very successful in the high end and corporate size installation market that they have so far made good roads into All I am suggesting is that the small business and domestic sector (which the core product seems to be heading toward) is not a sector that readily accepts the model used. Most small businesses and domestic buyers would wish to test any quotes or prices either online or over the phone with another provider before proceeding. As an example, when purchasing something for home have you ever come across a site where all the prices are listed as "call". Most will just try the next site and see what the prices are. Like a car lot with no prices on the screens, and just an invitation to come inside and ask. People would just drive to the next car lot where they can have a look around. Maybe they will be succesful in the smaller sector with the same model, maybe they wont? It will be interesting to see. I hope they do continue to grow and continue to provide the products for a long time. The more they invest in R&D and manufacturing, the cheaper I can buy additional cameras for my system - so I do hope they do well

Isnt this just an example of why the pricing model suits some installers/retailers - if they have an inefficient supply chain, they can hide it from the end consumer. Agreed, but then again this favours those who would be inclined to add unrealistic margins. If the competition cant post prices or make them publicly available, the greedy ones choosing to sell at inflated prices are not easily identified. It is also suggested by the manufacturer for a reason. Thats where they believe their product should sit in the market, where they feel the price will be acceptable to the market they are aiming the product at. If it is sold too far above this price, then it damages the ability for the product to look competitive in that chosen market. Given that Avigilon has shareholders to satisfy, I would not be surprised to see some control over pricing either now or later. If the MSRP is made public and you cant get it below MSRP, then it will be difficult to sell the product, but then that would simply go to prove the theory that installers/retailers like this model as it puts them in control, and not the consumer. It may make little difference to the installer/retailer if the MSRP is set higher so they can discount against a "fake" price, but it will make it a hell of a lot easier to sell the product into a market (domestic and small business) that are used to being able to check prices. While large corporations can sit down and assess the benefits against costs and have security departments review the equipment and come to conclusions etc before spending many thousands on equipment, small businesses and the domestic sector are more commonly just getting a quote, looking prices up online and seeing if they have a good deal. If they do, they buy it, if they dont, they wont. My own purchase of a few k's worth of Avigilon equipment is an example of this. I found the MSRP online (stored on a partners website that they did not hide fron google) - saw that the prices I were getting were either below, or just slightly above it, so I bought the kit. There are very few products that are successful in the domestic and small business sector, where the consumers cannot lookup prices online. Its not a concern for me as the end consumer. I just had the issue of trying to find the prices before buying. If I couldnt find them, I would not have bought Avigilon, simple as that. The move toward servicing the smaller end of the market as well as the upper, should be a concern for partners though. If they do produce a public MSRP list in time, then those who have sold above it may have some interesting chats with their customers.

Depending on how long their supply chain is, they may have no choice. Though I did once suggest that the reason many installers are fond of this pricing model is that they could make much larger margins, and the customer was unable to easily check if they were getting a good deal. If any installers have been selling to large corporates above the MSRP, and the MSRP is later made public then there could be some difficult questions asked of installers that may have been greedy in these more difficult times. Though in no way am I suggesting anyone here has done this. Lets not forget the company now has public shareholders, people who have rasied in excess of $20m for Avigilon by purchasing shares will have an infuence. If there is enough pressure to encourage Avigilon to trade more to domestic and private buyers, then they may well do so. The prices would then have to be public, this could raise those tricky questions of installers that have used the hidden prices to make extra large margins. When the tide goes out, you see who is swimming naked.

Im still mistified by the policy, but respect the fact that people have to abide by it (or at least I thought that was still the case) hence why asking for percentages, as I had already been told the pricing before the recent drop. Though I do think that Avigilon will soon possibly go the way of other manufacturers. With the release of the 'core' system it seems to be no longer aimed at the high end market. The core system is clearly designed for the residential/small business market. This market is one that will not accept prices being "hidden" from end users. It is my guess that the msrp will soon become public, even if it is a "higher" msrp to give the dealers enough wiggle room to sell below it and still make a good margin. There are only a certain number of larger corporate intallations that can be done, opening the products up to a much larger market could result in a much larger volume of sales to a larger number of consumers, while still keeping the partner network in place to offer end user support. As Avigilon now have shareholders to please, and a sector wanting a return on the investment they made on those shares it could be that Avigilon are going to try pushing into the domestic/small business sector to increase their market share. The addition of the gateway option for the core system is slightly annoying from a personal perspective, as that was one of the reasons I went for the standard so that I could set up remote access at a later date if desired. Though the ability to record sound may come in useful for some future projects. Though the core can only have one server connection at a time, while the standard can have 3, which is something that I will probably require.

Thanks for that. I shall be purchasing a license for that now then

Without asking anyone to reveal pricing, as I know thats not possible, can anyone advise by how much the gateway license has changed in terms of percntages? I did not take this option up from my supplier at the time as I didnt really know whether I would use it or not and would probably have the novelty of accessing the system on my phone wear off after a while. If its not dropped a little then I may treat myself to a new gadget.

You may be able to route through a proxy based in the UK possibly? I havent tried accessing it from outside the UK to see if there is a way round it - Im sure there would be somewhere, but its probably not legal. Its actually a bit of a paradox, because if I want to watch the Iplayer while Im out of the country, I can't, yet Im paying for it as a UK resident. Im surprised in the age of taking legal action over just about anything that somebody hasn't tried to sue the BBC for denying them access to Easteneders while they are on holiday.

"Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only" They might as well just shut their public website down .. since they suck that much. Agreed. That's really weak. The bbc also do it because it is not funded by advertising revenue. There are no adverts/commercials at all on BBC. It is funded by the TV license we pay in the UK, which is why the i-player programs are restricted to UK residents only. They do however sell programs outside the UK to other networks. Wildlife documentaries, Top Gear etc etc. As for the smart water laptop, couldnt they just replace the water with concentrated sulphuric acid and just stop them permanently. Much cheaper.

Yes thats true , however the -9 is air temp, snow or ice forming on the metal casing or surrounding area could lower the temp below ambient air temperature.

I live in the South Yorkshire area, so we dont get extremely cold weather. However last winter I did see -9C or 14F. The house is also exposed to the elements and wind, so I suppose wind chill could lower it further. While the camera without the blower would probably have been ok, as it will be in an area that could get cold and then be subject to direct sunlight in a relatively short period of time, I went for the blower to help against fogging. The camera is only rated to -10C according to Avigilon themselves, so having the blower/heater gives me a little peace of mind I guess.

Got a message back from Avigilon Support, it is standard behaviour for the fan to be always on. Thought I would post just in case anyone else needs this info and searches for it at a later date

Having just set up an Avigilon HD Dome with heater, can anyone advise if the fan inside the dome should be on continually? I have set the camera up indoors to test, and noted that the fan seems to be running almost continually. It will stop for maybe 5 seconds or so once every ten minutes maybe. Is this normal? I would have thought the fan would come on when required for heating or cooling. can anyone any experience with these advise if this is normal behavior? Indoor temperature while testing is approx 18 C. Operating temperature specified as -10 to +50 C. Thanks for any input

There is a big difference between invading somoenes privacy by listening to private conversations or intercepting private written mail and videoing them when they are in a public place If somebody is in a public place, then they cant claim "privacy" as they have removed themselves from a private home environment. If the cameras were sited in public places but looking onto private property, then certainly there would be a claim to privacy. I would expect anyone who has direct line of sight of a camera from their private property can expect to have their home/window/driveway blanked from view on the camera. Just as my CCTV will require privacy zones configured so that I can not view a neighbours property or windows, I would expect the local authorities to ensure their cameras only capture images from public property/areas. There is no right to nor can you claim invasion of privacy if you are in a public place. Unless of course we all wear burka's and then it wont matter a jot anyway

Then they shouldn't be doing what they are doing which makes them unhappy at being seen doing whatever it is they are doing

Please tell me you are working on a remote control rifle and will be selling the plans. Ill be first in line! Would it not be better to mount the camera at the distance you would normally sight your eye in front of the scope - say 6-8 inches? I would also think that you will need some form of semi macro lens to focus at that distance possibly? Just looking at this from a photography point of view. The cctv lens experts here should be able to offer specifics probably.