Kawboy12R

Is the light level changing from clouds passing? That'll trip video motion detectors. Also, it helps to view a zoomed in image (thumbnail no good) to see if the cam is doing any picture adjusting of its own. Auto iris, compression (look for blocks of pixels changing a bit), or whatever other reason. Also, look to see if there's any way to show a motion detection video overlay to visually display a flashing block, red square, or whatever on the screen for areas that are moving enough to be triggering a motion event. Also, is there some way to distinguish between video motion and PIR events in your recordings? That'll narrow it down. If it's definitely PIR, then you might be picking up passing cars, pedestrians, or whatever.

No I don't. Never used them. I'm not a cctv pro so I've got limited experience with different coax cable types, connectors, etc for cctv.

Yes. Doubt it very much. Look to me like a cheap cam with low dynamic range and inaccurate white balance in the sunlit area. If the cam has an OSD, you might improve things a bit by matching the exposure to the right side of the screen, although that'll probably darken down the unsunlit areas to the point of uselessness. The cats are actually improving the picture. Try adding more cats.

Don't run them with 220. Bad idea for both safety and video quality reasons.

Don't think you've tweaked anybody's interest or knowledge of that particular DVR to spark a response. I don't think I'd pay $1700 for a no-name NVR. Depends on the cams you want to install, but if you can live with Aver's supported IP camera list, give this one a look-see. 8ch, 4 IP cams (you did say storage for 4 cams), 4 alarm inputs, $500. Probably a bit too low end for what you're looking for though. This one might do if your need maxes out at 8mp total? It runs about $1000. The 6216 will do 16mp for $1300.

Good luck. Gotta love inconsiderate neighbours. Depends on your lot size, but just about any outdoor megapixel cam with 3.6mm lens or longer should let you recognize your neighbour and their dog at, say, 50-60ft during the day. 6 or 8mm would probably be better, but odds are pretty good you know them anyway. If not though, the longer lens will definitely help. You won't need to count their pimples- seeing, say, a short fat guy walking a St. Bernard should narrow down your choice of possible neighbours quite a bit.

I wouldn't mix Dahua NVRs with other brands of cameras. Either go for a bargain basement all Dahua system or pick a different NVR solution that supports motion detection on the cameras you want to use. If you want to use a computer as NVR, that makes mixing and matching camera brands easier because even if the software doesn't support the in-camera motion detection you can make the computer's CPU do the heavy lifting. Not great for tons of cameras (the CPU can only do so much) but it'll work in a home system. The next price point step up your Dahua/ACTi/Axis ladder is ACTi. They've got their own NVR solutions or free NVR software that'll run only ACTi cams on a low-end PC (supports in-cam motion detection). Their cams aren't as great in low light as Axis cams are but they ARE cheaper. I'm not terribly impressed with the night quality of their newer domes (or most of their older cameras for that matter) but buellwinkle says that they have new firmware on the way to help fix that. 8 cheaper cams are better than 4 expensive ones because even Axis hasn't made cams that'll see around corners. I'm waiting for video samples of the ACTi E44 (their newest low-light darling) to come out. The price is pretty good for a 2mp varifocal if it really is good at night. I've got a couple of Axis P3364VE 1.3mp domes with Lightfinder. Excellent in picking up colour information in low-light without long motion-blurring exposure times. They'll even read plates at night with no special tweaking in colour mode against headlights with my two no-so-bright deck lights shining outwards on out to about maybe 40 feet. The only two things I don't recommend about them are the free software and the price. Mix and match them with cheaper cams in other locations using 3rd party NVR software though and they're money well spent if you want plate numbers of folks who pull into your driveway at night.

Use a camera with good WDR. My Axis P3364 doesn't mind headlights at close range so I doubt a flashlight or headlamp is going to bother it. Also, using two cameras would help. The cam placement suggests that it was placed more for monitoring calves than identifying thieves. I'd stick another one at the big door visible in the upper left and have it pointing to catch traffic at the door. Maybe have it inside the door pointing in at first to surprise the thief, but after that put it outside facing the yard? Or perhaps relocate the cam with the web on it and have IT at the big door pointing inwards for now. Somewhere it can do the same job (whole-barn monitoring) and still have a closeup of those coming and going. Two or three cams are much better than one for an area that large though.

I'm out...

It seems to me that buellwinkle had the Axis focused on his vehicles rather than across the street, making it not quite the best possible test for plates at a distance. I doubt the change will make a huge difference but it should be noticeable.

Thx. I'd love to see some samples, especially in tricky light. I'm on their email list for sales pricing.

You mean ?

I'd use it as-is for something that it'll do. If it needs anything other than maybe a stick of RAM or a bigger storage HD I wouldn't waste time on it. Sell it and put the money into a new one. PC upgrades can be time consuming and not worth the effort, especially if you have to rip out the motherboard, PSU, HDs, reload the OS, (with occasional stumbling blocks), etc. You can find a cheap new one with all the work done for you for about the price of the parts to redo that one. Also think about the OS- do you want to keep what's on it or upgrade? Add $100 to the parts price if you're thinking of upgrading Windows and that'll make a new box that comes with the OS very attractive. That being said, personally I'd look for something without Win8 installed. That'll narrow your choices a bit.

Nope, but then I don't have any managed switches. Did you roll your own cable? Sometimes the homegrown ones have connection problems which can manifest as intermittent self-healing disconnects (BTDT). I don't have your cams or your switch but if everything on that switch is having troubles I'd replace the cable going from the switch to NVR with a known good store-bought cable just to be sure. Then I'd try swapping out the switch. Doesn't look like you're overusing the power budget for that switch.

Soundy must've changed his nick to Silenty or Sneaky. ...

I guess the two didn't drop off the radar quite as closely together as I thought.

My unofficial topic search puts Soundy's last post around last August and Rory's at over a year ago. Here's one of Rory's last posts at the end of Feb 2012- "if you want free tech support you came to the wrong forum, this forum is run and owned by communists now."

I'd probably just drill it at a seam, spread the seam out a bit to hook the cat5 with a bent coathanger and pull it through, leaving the cat5 hanging through the small hole you drilled. This is with the vinyl soffit that I'm familiar with where it just slides together and overlaps a bit. There's usually some play where you can bend and move it a bit. Your mileage may vary, but if you can get the cat5 outside and draped right over where you want the cam to go then that should be the hard part already done. No worries about getting the cable through maybe a couple of thicknesses of plywood spaced apart and fishing it through holes at weird angles where you can't see. Bigger holes can make life easier but they're more permanent and harder to hide if you ever decide to remove the cam or change mounting positions.

Got a new-ish computer monitor around anywhere? It'll probably display that resolution so you can change the settings back the way they were.

Interesting feature set. I wonder if any of the remote control features are available through CNB DVRs or just that special tool? I'm using a CNB DVR for part of my household system ATM.

From what I've heard it was from shilling his own product in an excessive way which is against forum policy. Touchy subject on here with so many newbies replying to questions with "buy my stuff, here's my website". I've got no issue with him being banned (not his website, not his rules), but the shifty way in which words are automatically substituted for others. Picture, say, one of the Avigilon guys stepping over the line and getting banned and afterwards having all references to Avigilon getting changed to Axis. That's an extreme example but without a stated public notice or obvious substitution warning how will people (especially new posters/readers) know what to trust? I *THINK* that the only substitution going on is for a rebranded Dahua name getting changed to Dahua, but how does anybody know for sure? IMHO, to regain some credibility, name-changing has to stop. At worst, changing a brand to asterisks would make the forum's vengeance obvious. To set things back to normal, people who abide by forum rules should be able to discuss whatever brands/rebrands they want to. If Sean crossed a line and got banned, well, he has to live with it and stay banned. Keeping other people from being able to discuss the problems with him allegedly shilling his own stuff? Not right. Why can't he suffer through the court of public opinion like everybody else?

I agree with you more on the Samsung analog cams. Not terribly expensive and I like the video I've seen from them. Good value.

I hear you on buying quality but where do you get Samsung cameras for even twice what a Dahua costs? Samsung SNO-5080R 1.3mp bullets are about $550 where Dahuas are $150? Jump to 3mp varifocals and the price difference is less, but $30? I don't point this out to cut you down, I'd just really love to know where you're getting your Samsungs. Pricegrabber, Amazon, and BHPhotovideo obviously aren't the places.

True, if you're going with built-in video AMD is very slightly less of a bargain but considering you can get a motherboard on Newegg right now that INCLUDES built-in video for $40 so the point is moot. I'm just saying that it's possible to upgrade an existing PC with motherboard, CPU that'll play with i7s and not be ashamed, and some RAM for under $250, certainly well under $300, which is well under the cost of just an i7 processor. That assumes that the existing PSU can provide the juice needed for one of the power-hungry AMDs. Again, I'm not an AMD fan (never bought one) but why not if the up-front upgrade cost of an i7 box is scaring them off?

Year ago maybe? It was before my time when the hammer was swung but I've figured out bits and pieces by watching posts since I've been here.