rory

if the site server is the server software, that will have to be running on the DVR PC first, for the center software to connect.

Hi, not sure on GEO except they have alot of setup/upgrade issues, as you will also see on this forum. I like simple myself. Being in texas, you may want to check out Video Insight, they use Comart cards and write their own software, great product. Works in FireFox and IE on the Browser side. Also. check out the demo on my site for MPEG-4-S compression as far as remote viewing goes. Im still using Wavelet for local recording as it is higher quality than Mpeg4, but im using Mpeg4 for remote video as it is real time, really sweet. Im using the I-view card - its plug and play, requires no dongles or anything, and just works out of the box. Either way you go the most imortant thing is to use a dedicated PC. As for alarms, I installed Ademco alarms for 6 years before I got into CCTV, still do for certain clients. You can use a relay card to tie into most PC DVRs. What do you want to do as far as tieing in the DVR and alarm? Ademco also has a Video Switcher that also works as a keypad, it allows 4 cameras in quad view or switching. GE has a full PC software application that ties into everything, their alarms , DVRs, Access, etc. Short of that is using something like Crestron or some of the cheaper products. Rory

bob do you have a manual for it? if so email me it to take a looksee I dont know Kodicom but I can take a look. Rory

Cool, i added it to my cat. Im buying the URIEL version though, same company/product. They say August though for the 16 channel version .. Can you email me a demo so I can see the soft? Or post a Screen Shot or Email me one? IM glad you like it ..not many out there so its good to know. The specs are amazing though, i mean really great specs. Rory

Hmmm, the cards are not embedded XP, they are just cards like everything else. Their Stand Alones use Embedded XP, which I havent tried. I know how other embedded DVRs work, perhaps the same, which is the OS is stored in the EPROM. This can either be on the card itself or a chip on the mother board. Im not sure which way it is done in this case, but ill be ordering one soon so I will be able to tell you then. Or maybe Herm will voice in here on that soon.. If you just buy the card, it is a different product from what they use in the stand alones. The stand alones have hardware compression, while the cards still have software compression. I think they just came out with a 16 channel 480pps 4CIF card though, i think its hardware compression, not sure when it will be available though. All of their products use the same Network Software though, which is cool. That means my custom GUI will work on their stand alone as well as any of their cards. Rory

Will old beer kill yah!?? I just was drinking a couple Buds, one tasted funny, Id taken a couple swigs from the bottle, when I looked at the date, it was from August 2004!!!!!!!!!!!!! Waz up with that!! Darn Ghetto Liquor Stores here!! I used to look at the date on each one, but it started to get more current so I guess I stopped ... this is actually the only time i didnt check it in the past couple months .. and look what I get ! Also, im talking about Bud if it makes a difference ..

If you want a Day Night (color switch to BW) it has to have an IR Cut Filter if you want to get good color production in the day, otherwise you will get those washed out colors. Normal color cameras (color only) will have this already, even the very cheap ones. BW doesnt need it. Also, though common sense tells us otherswise, a high resolution camera will not always give you the best quality image, there are other factors. Ill use the Provideo CVC-646HR for an example of a self provclaimed High res camera: http://www.specotech.com/cart/products/productDetails.asp?prodID=655 They claim 550TVL but it is a worse image than some 350TVL cameras I have used. Their other more expensive cameras do what they say, but some of these cheaper ones, just dont cut it. Same goes with alot of companies, including GE and others. Not every camera a company makes/sells is good, and not all are bad. Alot is a matter of trial and error, or reading through all the reviews you can find on them. As for the DVR, if you can build your own, then look at the Iview card, the software is made by the manufacturer, not by a third party lile most of the others. No Dongles and it sets up quick and easy, I even got it to run in an AMD machine, but better in an Intel. As its the manufacturer, you dont have to pay for updates to the software, and can download it anytime right from the internet - or write your own. Otherwise, for a high quality stand alone ... Hmmm, there are a few. From lower end to higher end - check my catalog on my site. Ignore prices, they are bahamian - its just to give you an idea. Rory

maybe its different in TW .. anyway, back to the 8 ch DVR with audio ...

No, if they dont mention it on their web site, they dont have to show a logo or copyright information. Imagine if the Linux DVR companies actually put a linux logo on their sites .. LOL Hey, but I dont know, I dont works for dem ..

Yes, licenced, its not cheap.

Embedded XP. Support remote audio listening, up to 8 channel audio with optional “Audio boardâ€

Its more of a PC than say a Kalatel, but the one I am talking about is the Stand Alone DVR, embedded XP OS with Buttons on the front. Now, if he had said RTOS, then i wouldnt have mentioned it But thats hard to find with 8 channels of audio. Rory

just be careful where you get that morgage from to buy the fiber

Not really, embedded XP is the way its going to go anyway eventually, due to the speedsand features you can get out of it. Its still a stand alone with an embedded system and front buttons

you could use a 1-channel UTP/CAT5 Active RX and a 1-channel UTP/CAT5 Active/Passive TX. It has the BNC to UTP/CAT5 adaptor built in. You send video on that using 1 pair, then send the Data Signal on another pair. Or you can buy the TX and RX with data signal transmission built in. Check out NVT.com, there are a couple others that make good products for this also, may want to check your local area to see what brands they carry. I would definately use active on one side though to keep the video quality good, cheap baluns have proven to lessen the quality by alot, Ive used 3 brands and they are all the same at 150', they are passive with no inteference rejection etc, where the Active devices are amplified, and even the passive and active devices normally have interference rejection and ground fault protection also, but they do cost alot more than a cheap balun. Rory

Looks like it, but this is their economical DVR, still, id never use a DVR in CIF mode. -------------------------------- Video Recording: Total of 60 fps for NTSC inputs, 50 fps for PAL inputs; QCIF, CIF, 4CIF resolution supported; the following rates at CIF setting: NTSC Inputs PAL Inputs: 60 fps across 4 inputs 50 fps across 4inputs (15 fps per input, (12.5 fps per input, 30 fps on 2 inputs) 25 fps on 2 inputs) H.263 or ISO-compliant MPEG-4 video compression; 5 quality settings; average image size ~2 KB/frame; video signal loss detection; all configurable per camera --------------------------------- "CIF - Common Intermediate Format. A video format often used in video conferencing systems that easily supports both NTSC and PAL signals. CIF is part of the ITU H.261videoconferencing standard. It specifies a data rate of up to 30 frames per second (fps), with each frame being a size of 352 pixels wide by 288 pixels high."

never believe the grape vine 4000x$4000 = ...?? Would they really spend that much on a rather small company, i mean in comparison to say GE, Honeywell, or Bosch. ? Thats like buying 4000 Chung-Fu Stand Alones from Hung Kong ... its a gamble .. a huge one ..Regardless of features, if Im going to buy 4000 DVRs its going to be from a company that has been doing it from day 1, like GE (well Kalatel actually), they were one of the very few of the first CCTV manufacturers making stand alone Embedded DVRs.

No i didnt say that. It uses Embedded WIndows XP Operating System, dont think it is on the DVR card itself, but the motherboard instead. It comes prebuilt.

Sunnell is okay if you like to buy 100 units Yes its embedded XP, and the remote software is good, MPEG4 real time streaming.

Check out the WizKid Domes, cant break them, not that expensive, neat looking, and the WZ30 is small, they come in high res Color or BW. Im going to be using them for a nightclub here to replace the existing BW Bullets. We originally tried every low light color camera known to man, but none would give a clear image ..so stuck with BW in the bar and night club areas, and Color at the entrance and car park. Dont know if you can get them in the UK though? Otherwise .. pretty much any high res dome. But I would stick to BW .. i mean when will they ever use color .. the light is dim all the time, or is it bright in the day, and are they open in the day time? The Night club i did is closed in the day so only night time was important. Exview color gets pixelised in low lighting. You may want to look at the Samsung Techwin SSNR cameras also. Rory

Iview 8 Channel stand alone, comes with 1 channel audio, but can add an audio board, but not sure on the price or availability. MPEG4, MJPEG or Wavelet. http://www.i-viewusa.com/dg-800ase.htm OR, use 2 of the ActiveTek 4-ch DVRs, 4 channel audio each, MPEG4, etc.

I told yah, was some high school kid in china

old news Been around a couple years .. http://www.aventuratechnologies.com/

Yeah, Im thinking more of just a feature list, not personal opinions, then if that DVR has that feature or doesnt, that could make the difference from someone buying it or not . .. things like, does it have MPEG4, USB, Movie or Image only to USB/CDRW, etc etc etc ...

what we need to do is set up a list of common features, 2 seperate ones, 1 for PC DVRs and another for stand alones ... maybe should start a new thread on this ..? once we get a list then we can use it to rate the DVRs ..