rory

6mm should be clear at 10' (from the camera). Recheck the lens and make sure it is focused properly. Are you sure it's not just a crappy camera? What is the model number? When it is not clear, any specific time of the day/night?

Overview cameras and then cameras on the entrance/exits and the office. Lots and lots of light! Dont forget to add a Burglar Alarm system with Beams around the inside of the perimeter if not already installed.

Port forward does not affect local connect. As mentioned check the IE security. If using IE8 etc then try Compatibility mode for that site. Also it could be a codec issue, though that would mean the activeX installer did not install the codecs. Try the compatibility mode as mentioned, also make sure you are running as an Admin user. you could also try right clicking on IE and run as .. Lastly you could view the page's source and locate the CAB path if it exists, then download and install it all manually (with IE closed).

Digital Slow Shutter is next to useless for night time Video Security Applications, Dont believe all the hype, just get a standard True Day Night, or even a Black and White!

thats an AvTech DVR

ok bad idea ...

why not just use the USB capture device, and AmCap (or VidCap, or any one like that) .. then instead of saving a video, save a snapshot?

Here is demo code for Server push .. no more blank images. http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/php/serverpushdemo.php

axis gives alot of options from jpeg to mjpeg to activeX to quicktime ... etc here is sample link for their mjpeg stream: (change youraxisip to your axis IP ) http://youraxisip/axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi?camera=&resolution=320x240&compression=80 and a sample of their server push: http://youraxisip/cgi-bin/push.html

Another thing you could look at .. http://code.google.com/p/red5/ then can use a player like the jwplayer embedded into your webpage to connect to it see my signature for example embed of the player (not live stream) or use a paid streaming server: http://www.highwinds.com/cdn/live-streaming.php

Yeah thats going to hammer it a bit. Other option is to move away from streaming and go for more of a refresh, like using basic META refresh instead, and not ever 500ms or 1 sec even, more like every few seconds. Lets see .. another route. You said you didnt want ads right, like on Justin.tv? But you could always embed that into another webpage like on your own site. Actually easy to do with livestream.com eg. shows a static image for demo purposes but the real thing would look identical http://dabigw.com/realting You could get rid of the chat and the video library also as they are each individual embeds.

he wants jpeg refresh like with Axis and Video Insight. Not as easy as one thinks as its more like refresh every 500 milliseconds. Every 10 or so image you can get a blank image as the image is being updated on the server. Slow down the refresh then will be less, but will still get blank images. Basically you will need to do the processing on the server side as you need direct access to the files. You use javascript on the client side to refresh the server side script.

Thanks Rory, you always make me laugh. Best, Christopher um .. LOL What I basically meant .. ok there is alot we can do for ourselves (and if we dont know how to do it thats what youtube is for).. that we could never do for the client .. its just not possible .. eg. I worked the whole last summer 12am to 5am almost every night on my cameras and HAD to be at night for my app .. customer could never pay for that kind of service, and there are some things I would do for my own app I would never attempt with a clients

Yep thats a Dahua ...

I'll take that bet. I just finished soldering the wiring harness for an Inovonics RS232 Receiver to mate it with a PC and now I'm installing the SDK in Visual Studio 2010 so I can develop a custom interface. But it's good to know that if I have any questions on how to debug C# I can always come here and get help. Why would you come here to ask questions about C#? Thats what they have Programming forums for SDK tells you what to do, soldering is not rocket science, its not that people CANT do it, they dont get PAID to do it.

I doubt its so much these days that they cant do it, well okay some perhaps, but most clients just cant afford to pay for them to do it for them.

You need the script to check the image to see if it exists before refreshing the old one. Video Insight might be able to help also as their server has this all built in - so does axis - both work without getting the dreaded blank image on the refresh.

Did you port forward to the DVR's IP in the router?

When the fans in cameras start making alot of noise, unless I can find one to replace it with or can fix it as you did, I just cut their wires, the cameras still worked the same.

Ok I have no card installed so maybe this is why but I get the error: The Geovision service failed to start due to the following error: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion. Anyway, maybe someone else with a card can test it, or test another DVR card.

$40? Maybe. I got the EasyCap 4-ch USB capture thing for $7 off Amazon - right now its sitting on the ground under all the other junk, needless to say the software sucks - but hey it does capture video .. only records one channel though Seriously those really cheap DVR cards arent worth it, you are better off with one of the Avermedia or Geovision type cheaper cards, at least the software would be worthy.

Probably wont say Iris and if anything would be the electronic iris level, just look for a small level that can be adjusted with a little Phillips screw driver . watch though as one of them might be for the power. Yes the camera will still switch to BW, basically kill the Chroma, its called Digital Day Night, and with no IR cut filter mechanism. Basically its rare to find a CCTV camera with a mechanical IR Cut filter and a fixed lens. Although I have seen at least one with the mechanism placed right above the chip even though it still used a Varifocal AI Lens, but most will have it built into the lens and part of the Auto Iris mechanism which makes it interchangeable between cameras. Calling it a Day Night camera is a good marketing tool for sales, although it really IS a Day Night camera as it works in day and night, we typically call it a Color IR Camera (or Digital Day Night without IR) whether it switches to BW or not (some do not), and we call the one with the removable IR cut filter a True Day Night Camera, also can have "ICR" in its specs (Infrared Cut Removable). A True Day Night camera is normally a much better camera, more features in addition to the IR Cut Filter mechanism (coupled with the AI), and also typically longer range Infrared. Having the Infrared Cut filter go over the chip in the day time produces more realistic colors and an overall better image as it blocks out the IR from the Sun. Check my signature for examples.

Good tip

How are you powering them? Maybe get 1x 10 pair UTP?

Not sure about the new versions but Geo claimed you could run their software as a service. I never tried as never needed that. What are your security concerns for autologin? It will still record without a Geovision user logged in. Or you can create a basic user and lock down the OS using the Geo Keylock utility, so until they login or out they cant access the Explorer shell. Anyway it would be the usual sc create command. So for example if using the GV-1120 Card: Install Geo software start, cmd, sc create Geovision binpath= "C:\GV-1120\GV1120.exe" start, services.msc double click on Geovision service change startup type to Automatic select login tab and check the box "Allow service to interact with desktop" apply, ok, x out of services restart computer