rory

I wouldnt use them ... altronix or Pthree, is all i use.

remember, start by taking the cameras off the DVR one at a time, or take them all off and add them and see if you get a good image or what, my guess too is it may be something to do with that cheap camera .. maybe take that off first

I did just get a faulty GE Day Night Exview actually, would only focus 2/3 of the image, though otherwise it was great, seemed to be a bad or fauly flange back, the back focus part. When you buy it, make sure they test it with a lens first and focus it to make sure it stays clear throughout the image, generally you wont need to back focus it anyway, i was just messing around with the one i had. As for the Lens, GE has the same lens, F:0.95, that will give you very low lux sensitivity. Rory

#1 - Make sure there is no other software installed on it ... besides the DVR software and XP updates/Fixes, drivers for the codecs for the DVR, etc. #2 - Make the DVR software reboot occasionally - if you want - i set them to every 24 hours just for kicks, though im sure it can get away with it being alot longer as well the way XP works is different from the older 9X OS's. #3 - Install these 2 programs, put them somewhere like a new folder called Services - CCleaner and Windows Cleanup. Normally you dont need these, but in your case you should run the 2 of these to the default settings: http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/ http://www.ccleaner.com/ #4 - The Following: this is a list of XP services I turn off by default on all PC DVRs, and my own PC. Speeds things up tremendously. I also use Port Filtering on DVRs to block all ports except the DVR server ports (eg. 80, 81, 82, whichever are used). -------------------------------------------------- Computer Browser (unless network for browsing other computers) Error Reporting Service Fast User Switching Help & Support Indexing Service Messenger Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing Remote Access Auto Connection Manager Remote Access Connection Manager Remote Desktop Help Session Manager Remote Registry Routing and Remote Access Security Accounts Manager (unless you use IIS) Security Center System Restore Service Themes Universal Plug and Play Host Wireless Zero Configuration (unless you use wireless) ------------------------------------------ Additional Settings to Speed things up: -Classic Windows Folders -Classic Start Menu -Personalized Menu off -Group Similar Buttons off -Hide Inactive Buttons off -Remote Assistance off -Windows Classic Theme -No Screen Saver -Turn off all Graphic Effects (use Tweakui) -Performance on high setting -Automatic Updates off -MSN Messenger Uninstall & Disable -Interner Explorer Uninstall & Disable & High Secu Setting, Cookies Disabled, & Content Advisor Enabled (then cant browse the web) -TCP & UDP Port Filtering Also for DVRs -No games -No Outlook Express -No Antivirus -No Office -No All-in-one Printers (just the basic drivers) -No .Net (unless DVR requires it - eg. ATI card) -No Java Runtime (unless DVR requires it) -No Adobe Software #5 - if it still seems slow, after rebooting and doing all the above, you may have trojans, malware, or viruses. Download Trojan Hunter. Now here is the thing, it will load the Trojan Guard by default, you need to turn that off by clicking on the icon in the System Tray, All you want it for is the Scan, it is free to evaluate, and you can uninstall after if you like. Unload and Turn off Guard. http://www.misec.net/trojanhunter/ Spybot S&D - great free software for general Spyware: You can leave this on, it doesnt do anything unless you are scanning. http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html If all Else fails, and you think you still have issues, install Ewido, but you will need to disable it from start up, and also make sure the Guard is not loaded, it takes up alot of CPU and memory. Do the full scan, also, check the start up processes. It is also trialware so the scan will still work but the guard and updates wont after a certain period. http://www.ewido.net/en/ if you see anything suspicious after the Ewido scan and it is still slow, you may need to do an antivirus scan, check out AVG Free: http://free.grisoft.com/ After all of these in #5, id suggest uninstalling them all and run the 2 Cleaner Cleanup programs above. If you want to keep them thats fine, just make sure they are not in start up by going to RUN and MSCONFIG STARTUP. Nothing but the DVR software should be there. #6 - Something else i always install is TweakUi - download from DOWNLOAD.com, its free (its the 2nd one that comes up). I speed up the mouse, turn off all graphics, turn off Active Desktop changes, Hide Documents and Favourites on the Start menu. #7 - I always install Real VNC so i can admin them remotely. If you do this than I could always log on with a password and check it out for you incase you have problems with doing any of the above. #8 - Lastly, run the common windows Admin tools, Scan Disk, Clean up (select everything on the list - though wont be much left), and finally sit back and defrag. Make sure nothing is on start up once again, except the DVR server software - if you installed Tweak, that will be there also and thats okay. Now installing windows is another topic, i always do 10GB FAT32 and the rest NTSC, and load the DVR software on Partition D: but thats all personal preference. ----- There are some other cosmetic things i do like: only having the DVR server Software on the desktop, no recycle bin, no my computer, no nothing but the DVR software such as the Main program Shortcut, Back up, and Search. In the Start Menu and Programs I only have the DVR software programs, you can edit that via TaskBar advanced settings. Just select all the others like Accessories and right click and check hidden, and drag the DVR software menu items into the main menu, and you can also hide run from the taskbar settings. So basically its just a DVR and thats it. In Tweak Dont Show Documents or Favourites in the My Documents on the Start Menu, and in the Tweak desktop section i hide the Recycle bin, My network, and My computer (2 of those you can just right click delete on the desktop actually). So basically just some user settings to make it look less like a PC. Hope this helps, and if you have any questions, let me know. Rory PS. Use at your own risk, i wont be held responsible for anyting .. but i never had a problem yet ..

So anyone else know what this is ..? http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx

For most applications yes, there are others for high end apps also, such as IR ...

http://www.norbain.co.uk/products//ref:0094690/ its a DN Exview Camera, GE has them in 1/3" Exview, Extreme has them in 1/2" LXR .. similar to Exview .. Bosch has a version, so does Pano ... that camera works on PAL so wont work on this side of the globe .. Once again though, Day Night ... will it stay in color ... will it switch to BW and stay there ..

is it still in beta, is it free, is it a full version, does it have drivers et all ??

I dont think you need more than a basic BW CCD, which is 0.1 lux. Only want Exview if you want to see when the lights are off, without IR, but heres the thing, if its that dark you only get pixelisation anyway, and that takes up recording. You can get away with cheap BW alot more than Color. Check out the Ganz 0.1 Lux 1/3" Domes ... dont get the really cheapo OEM indoor ones though ... If you really want one of the best and wont kill your pocket, get a lens cleaner kit, and order one of the GE 540E Exview BW Box cameras with a 2.9-8mm f:0.95 varifocal AI lenses. Your ceilings are very high. Use some GE indoor housings if you want to protect them and wall mount them. They come in beige but you can paint them high gloss auto black like i just did, i took them to an Auto shop, they came out great. No black housings available to fit full box cameras. http://www.ge-consultantlink.com/Docs/ktc_540E_prd.pdf http://www.ge-consultantlink.com/Docs/kte_100_200_300_prd.pdf http://www.ge-consultantlink.com/Docs/cctv_lenses_prd.pdf http://www.fujinoncctv.com/pdfs/cctv0904/YV27x29LA-2.pdf Rory

nah, we still have to warranty it, needless to say im not supplying hardware anymore .. not worth it .. i let them get it from others that can carry stock or order through the US direct ...

Well the WizKid is the lower end line of the Extreme Cameras, their EX domes have a lower lux level and other additional settings, probably most more expensive housing, etc, but for a bar I dont think you need more than the WizKid. In fact, you could probably get away with a non Vandal Proof dome with those high ceilings. Im still waiting on the owner to install them here at the club, he has been busy, so if you want to wait until i put them up, let me know and then you can see them online.

the 840CE will probably be the lowest lux you will find in color, well i mean it uses a EXview Chip, its like 0.2 lux ..it switches to BW when it gets very dim though ... its as low as you will get in general in color mode .. if that doesnt work, then hes SOL as far as color goes. If it does work, it will more than likely be pixelised to compensate for the low light.

I was fighting with all kinds of color low light cameras at the club for years and in the end just comes down to where there is always low light, use BW .. if its a DN cam it just wont go into color anyway and the BW mode on DN domes are not as good as a pure BW camera, plus costs more. These arent amazing and not the best there is out there, but its BW high res and good for the price. http://www.wizkidoptotech.com/products/index.cfm?img=2

Time as its sent back to the US, and a new unit sent back here, its triple the original price with Customs and Shipping, and 3 months down the road, so we dont bother with warranty.

We playin catch up, i was talking about DVRs ... he he, and yes Rainbow uses Extreme's IRs, and So do i, and yes Ive taken them apart also many many times ..

Cameras is a whole different ball game, just because it has a Sony Chip doesnt make it a decent camera ...

I take apart everything, since there is no warranty to the Bahamas, it doesnt matter anyway.

Take the Day Night cam and place it in the bar on a TV / Monitor and see what it gets .. Looks like you'd want to wall mount in there as the Ceilings are too high.

Well they are nice, but you can get away with some cheaper Domes like the WizKid, im installing the WZ30's BW 600TVL for the club here, the WZ46 is only needed if you musy have Varifocal AI and a 360 degree gimble (wall mount), the WZ30's are all you need, think of them as a bullet camera, but in a vandal proof dome, and high res BW.

no everfocus doesnt make the viteks, Speco buys various maufacturers but the ones i used werent everfocus. I used the Everfocus EDSR1600 and we used at least 3 of them, they all crashed on a daily basis, they were thrown out in the end, a waste of a few thousand dollars.

looks pretty dim, if you dont want to spend a fortune, use regular BW, if you can afford it, True Day Night, though from your images the lighting looks to low for it not to go into BW or be pixelesed in color.

PC or Stand alone?

Multiple Power Supply box is much better, dont buy cheap though, get a good brand like Altronix or PThree.

Straight off, when you say Samsung, depends if you mean Samsung GVI or Samsung Techwin, Techwin are much better than the Samsung GVI. Vitek never tried, Speco have, Everfocus used their DVR .. id say from Specs, Vitek has some really good gear, and Nuvico same as Vitek basically. These are all mid range products, OEM anyway - Except for Everfocus, which i can say with confidence i didnt like their DVR when it crashed all the time. Its all a personall Preference but i wouldnt buy DVRs myself from Samsung GVI, Neverfocus, Speco, HiSharp, among others ... theres a long list as there is a long list of what others have tested and worked well, even some of the products from the onesi just mentioned have ones that work well, they are OEM so you never know what you are going to get.

Sounds like the DVR software has an issue, even with Nortons Systemworks 2005 running i only get 0-4% usage on my 2.0Ghz AMD 3 year old PC ....