rory

I dont think he gets it though, that it is still known world wide as kalatel: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Kalatel&btnG=Google+Search Just like Kalatel calls their premier, value, ultra lines GBC as they bought the GBC name ... before GE bought them. I say GE Kalatel as that identifies that it is their CCTV dept, since the company GE is soo huge. Metal Mickey' was a robot built by young science-boffin Ken Wilberforce

see this thread: http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=8555

Yeah they are a big OEM for US companies, for example - Provideo.

maybe a windows problem. Is the laptop using SP2? Also, could be a compression issue. It should work with SP2 though, more than it would with SP1, if it is fairly new. Maybe it is old software? ROry

which DVR is it?

One of these: http://powertelecomm.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/product_r4000.htm And some of these: I have the ECL-596 at my house - color bullet. http://www.eclipsecctv.com/COLORCAMERAS.html Wont break the bank, and will work great for a standard residential app. If the area is dark at night (low lighting) then they also have an Exview BW Bullet. And if you really want a cheap cheap DVR, using this PC Card, in an existing PC will work, not highly recomenned to do without a dedicated PC but it will work: http://www.stardvr.com/ECL834.htm If interested in pricing, etc, PM/Email me for further info. Rory

Yeah, apparently a lot of cheap products were just installed in a Bank Chain down here, when i say cheap, is the Eclipse CCTV stuff I posted in the dealer section, or for those that arent in there, www.EclipseCCTV.com. Its basically all OEM stuff. The DVR itself isnt bad, we have one here been testing, PC based, has features, but not as good as the Iview or others mentioned on this forum. Its a rebranded DigiFlower Card. Well its the software that matters with PC cards also. Anywho ,, the reason the company got the job, they quoted cheap and the bank went for the the cheap products. Doesnt mean it is going to be great images. THough it appears they may have used GE Box Cameras, while they went cheap on the DVR. Great cameras on a cheap DVR. even if the images are good, doesnt make sense to me. If they are buying $500 cameras, may as well sell them a better DVR for a little bit more. For Residential, I dont see the need for Cutting Edge products, but it depends on the users budget. If they can afford it, then sure sell them the most expensive, or at least the best products (Extreme IR with Cyber Dome Pressure PTZs comes to mind .. in a job we recently aquired, but the home is a 10 million dollar home). Actually client was originally willing to spend $50K on just dummy cameras with blinking lights ..! Anyway, I normally sell cheap cameras with a cheap DVR, and either mid range or higher range cameras, with the more featured higher end DVRs. The biggest problem I find is getting a client to spend the money on the CCTV Monitor, over a basic TV .. though the TV can still be very good quality when using a Embedded DVR. Every application is different as clients have different budgets. If they want the fatures of a good DVR upfront, but then want to feeel out the job forst for the cameras, by buying some cheapo color cameras, maybe a BW cam here and there, then they are the client and its their budget. Its all good as then as we see what the lighting conditions are like, or what the client descides they really want to do with the system, then we can add better cameras. Trust me though, I prefer installing the high end products all at once to start with, but around here, it just hasnt worked out that good and the only way I am now able to compete is to offer lower end products as well ($50 bullets). The DVR ios definetely the most important part of the initial system, as it costs the most generally, and it is the part that the user operates. In other words, changing a camera will not make a difference to how the client uses the system, but changing the DVR out will. The main thing is to always let the client know exactly what is what, problem is most installers just sell them the cheap products and dont give them a choice, or dont let them know what else is out there. Rory

It is a very basic 1 channel video server. That one doesnt say it has LAN. AvTech have versions with and without LAN. Rory

Actually we are not here to serve anyone, we are just here for fun and information. If we help someone in the time we are here then fine, but im not going out of my way to change my language for someone else who is not paying my bills. Everything that everyone posts on this Forum is just Opinions, not facts, and I am sure the visitors understand that.

Why would I care what they patent or dont patent?? And why would i want to sue them because they twist the truths ..???? I couldnt care less, I just dont buy that product again and I buy another model. Anyway, Im not making money off the "majors" like you guys, and never will down here, ill stick to selling what is value for money for my clients and also the best product in the industry for that particular application, doesnt matter what brand it is, if its good and i have tested it, then I sell it.

The GE Ultraview is the worse camera I have used to date! And a total waste of money. Trust me they all twist the truth, ALL manufacturers, and even alot of their REPS. In fact most reps and distributors dont even know half of their products as they sell soo many. The GE Ultraview specs say it works in difficult lighting conditions ..well guess what, it only works properly with alot of light. In dim lighting its darker than a normal 1 lux camera, and if you mess with the settings you get a horrible artificial image. Ive put in 3 of them and gave up after the third one. As for Pano, cant say as I havent tried it yet. Sanyo just looks Old and Cheap as far as their DVRs go, I personally would never buy one of them. Their cameras are fine.

yah know ..

Kalatel Baby... Ahhhh. I can call them whatever I want, thanks. Clients dont know who GE or Kalatel is anyway. LEts call them GE for your sake though. But i Dont see what you are saying. Are you saying if I had the chance to use a GE DVR in a job I wouldnt use it?? Ofcourse I would and I do, and i HAVE, but there are not enough jobs using the big boys stuff, GE, Bosch, etc, whatever, to pay bills, definately not in My country, and I imagine not in most poor areas of the USA. As for the GE cameras, some of the GBC stuff are the worst I have seen, especially for the price, ive used a bunch of them and would never again. I use the best product for the application, not just because it is branded by GE or whoever. If Bosch has the best Low Light Color Id use that, while if say AcmeCCTV came out with the best PTZ id use that. Experience HAS shown me a brand name means very little when it comes to support and quality. Dont believe anything a manufacturer says in a Datasheet, try it yourself first. Rory

Hi, Ill get you some info on the PowerTelecomm DVRs in your Area, as to where you can buy them from. I sell them but dont yet have a US shopping cart so I cant sell to you guys. If you look at my web site, you can get an idea of the ranges I sell. Low, to mid, to high end, stand alones, and PC cards, as well as the Iview Stand alone PC System. Some Stand Alone Embedded DVRs you cant go wrong with: Low End: PowerTelecomm, AVTech, ActiveTek / Uriel Mid Range: Kodicom, Nuvico / Vitek, Hunt / WebGate, Powertelecomm (?some new products may be in this range). Higher End "Brands": The Big Boys .. GE Kalatel, Bosch Divar, March Networks, Panasonic, Sanyo Some PC DVRs: I-view, StarDVR (only PC DVRs I used and liked) If you want a bunch of features, then you would want PC based. If you choose a very cheap PC Card such as what you listed, you wont get much features with them. You would want to step up to one of the ones I listed or others on this forum. If you want a machine that is Plug Play and Forget, then you would need a stand alone Embedded DVR. The low end DVRs have very little features, but work fine. The average home user wont need anything more than these. The Mid - High Ranges have mostly equal features, some more or less, normally much better Network Software. Non PC Windows so no Virus or Hacks. Rory

None of the brands will pay the bills for most of us installers. Distributors may do okay due to quantity of sales, but most people we deal with just cant afford the brands. I wish they could so that would be all i would need to sell. I dont like the GE Kalatel DVRs, but I sell them for those that can afford them, as they are one of the best stand alone RTOS DVR right now for plug Play and Forget, IMO .. costly, but darn good and strong. I call them Kalatel because thats what they were before GE ruined the game. Rory

I dont think they will go that low though. normally 50% is the norm .. but it would be up to them..

yep, its a US$4500 DVR, time as you add 45% Customs Duty on top of that, plus warranty and shipping .... thats CHEAP ..

Could be .. ill hit the snooze alarm .. None of these price ranged DVRs liek Kalatel, Sanyo, Bosch, etc, is going to pay the bills anyway, its not often enough that one gets a sale for these to make it worth talking about .... the $500 DVRs, and some nice unstable windows XPs, thats whats going to pay the bills dreds .. ...though i havent been able to crash i-view yet ..

I dont restrict myself with just GE (see my home page), just dont know anyone that uses Sanyo DVRs, and why they would use it over the Kalatel .. it doesnt look that impressive. From the rate they discontinue their cameras, makes yah wonder. Now if they could make it look like it is made in the 90's at least .. then it would be worth checking out ....

but not licence plate capture ..?

licences for windows XP ?? Whats that

Not unless the camera specs say otherwise. Generally, no it wont.

Oh okay, well, Baywatch, CCTVInstaller, Cooperman, antdickens, they are all in the Uk, so may be able to help on that side. Rory

No prob .. just took a few buds and a night on ASMAG.com ...

no prob dude, we sell the cheap stuff too, just we let the client know ahead of time what is possible to conspire. anyway, where are you located, UK or US ..?