rory

Hi Sharp is similar, you can only back up to VCR, or using the LAN, you can save as Jpeg, no movie files at all. Rory

for only a couple hundred dollars, its okay if it doesnt last years, if you spend a couple thousand then you should expect it to last a few years or so.

only thing i can think of is they build something? Or they can rent one of those small moving trailers?

I forgot another thing, dont expect much if any tech support from the manufacturer, or at least from the distributor, besides sending it back to change it out if it fails. Rory

quite honestly, the cheap linux DVRs dont seem to be much more reliable than a PC based DVR. I buy them as they are stand alone, all in one, dont need a PC, just stick it in the closet. I use Kalatel Stand alones for inustrial installs, they are very stable, never had one crash on me, very strong units, great remote software and advanced search features. But you get what you pay for. Expensive PC systems will be stable as well, and give you many features, you buy a cheap one or use a cheap slow PC, its unlikely it wil be that great, same as for a stand alone. The Hisharp locked up once, and it was while I was connected over the LAN, same thing with the Everfocus. Im a little fast for them I think, as my colleauge has not locked them up yet, he goes around slower and has more patience, im just so used to the Kalatel units. You should be able to buy them in the UK. Or get one that is similar, I mean I only chose it as a low end unit, as my distributor in Miami sells them and they are cheap. They are the cheapest multiplexed 4 channel with LAN that they carry All in all its a simple unit, not much search capabililty remotely, but local is ok, live remote Video is clear, has removable HD, etc. You can search this same forum (Digital Video Recorders) and you shold see a post I made on it. Rory

One i have tested and am selling for home users, or low end retail, is the HiSharp 4 channel DVR, hasnt crashed on us yet. Multiplexed. Remote video is simple. Around $569 US dealer cost, depends how you are buying it, and it may be more or less in the UK. Rory

From using several cheap DVRs, the specs normally are better than the unit themselves. Meaning for example, they dont tell you that 100pps is actually in VCR quality, not DVD (high) quality. If you go high quality it normally drops down to 30 or 15pps. Multiplexer normally means it will record each image seperately as opposed to quad only recording what you see on the screen. According to the specs, it sounds like it is not a true multiplexer DVR, as it claims to record faster in Full Screen. With a multiplexer, it does not matter what you are looking at on the screen, it will always record all of the images the same speed, unless you program them differently. In other words live mode has nothing to do with record mode. With a quad however, it does matter what you are looking at on the screen, so I imagine this is simply a quad. There fore the quality is not as high, a if you are recording in quad, then later play back, you can only play back in quad, therefore if you try to blow up image 1, it is not clear, only in quad mode would it be good. Still its digital so it cant be that bad. Ive never used the quad DVRs yet so I may be mistaken. But I have seen the quad DVRs for around this price, the multiplexed ones are normally more expensive. Now, on the audio note, it does say it has 4 audio inputs, so that would tell me it will record 4 audio devices seperately, or maybe they just give you the ports so you dont have the splice the microphone wires into it or use an audio base station. Got me, cause if it records each audio seperately, then it would normally mean the video is multiplexed also?? Rory

For those prices, you cannot expect to get a good DVR, but for a home user, very basic unit, it will work ok, dont expect bells and whistels, and definately do not expect stability or longativity. Rory

Yep, this is an LCD we use, well Ive used the $1300 27" one, but yes it is much cheaper than a Plasma, Better quality than a Plasma, and has al lthe inputs you need. It is made ( I imagine) on your side of the pond, so you should be able to find it over there. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=711309&Sku=S452-3000 It is a great quality picture by the way. Ive tried several of the convertors, but you always loose some image quality, especially with CCTV conversion from a stand alone DVR, may be different using VGA, though we were using S-Video. Rory

No problem By the way, Pach&Co has some good unusual mount and compact housings, check this link out. http://www.vsscctv.com/ManufacturerProducts.asp?ManufacturerID=172 But id probably just use a Brute Camera B/W if it is low light required. If they dont mind spending the cash, there is always Extreme CCTV's Color/BW Day Night Corner and Wall Mount Cameras, they are vandal proof and switch to IR B/W in dark. But they cost quite a bit. Street Lights can get away with 1 lux, but certain areas can get dark, such as if someone walks up to the camera and the Street Light is behind them, there face will be very dark.

On these, to start with, the Ultra Line are not 'really' weatherproof domes. You could use a wall mount but alot of rain will still damage them, Ive experienced this already a while back. The DR Dome is 1/4 inch but 3-6 is equivelant to 4-8mm approx. Yes it is not wide angle. The Brute is a sweet camera, I havent tried the 2.5mm on it yet, used 4mm, and it works good. Not low light though unless you use the B/W. Verygood looking on a wall though, even surface mount, you can drill a hole in the back, close the bottom hole that has the wire going through it, with the included conduit screw cap, and it looks neat. As it is a micro lens though it may have the same blur issue using a 2.5mm. It is 1/3". Question: Where is it going to be mounted? Eg. Wall/Ceiling Day or Night or Both? Infrared? You could use a Compact Camera, (from Kalatel or Panasonic) then using a Compact Housing (Eg. EMI,VideoLarm,Batco,Patch&CO, etc) and an aspherical lens you can acheive this. Kalatel has Exview B/W, Exview Color in Compact mini size. Panasonic has a couple compact small wide Dynamic Day/Night cameras, approx $295 (Compact Day/Night) and $499 (Compact Day/Night Wide Dynamic) dealer cost. http://www.cbcamerica.com/cctvprod/computar/vari/01836.html Note that f:1.6 lenses are not designed for ultra low light. You could check my catalogue for some ideas, dont pay any attention to pricing, that is local in Nassau, Bahamas for my clients after shipping and customs duties. Most cameras are kalatel, Provideo, and Sanyo. http://www.bahamassecurity.com/cctvCat_local.zip

How did I miss this reply?? Anyway ... Nope, so far I have only used Phillips, GE (Kalatel), Provideo (they claim 420TVL and it looks like 480TVL, in BW, rouch stuff!), Samsung, COP USA, ExtremeCCTV, and a couple others. Phillips & GE (Kalatel), what they claim on different cameras match what I have seen, great pictures. Samsung, I have only used a Zoom camera, 3 different models, same thing, if you use manual zoom, then you can geta a high res from it, if auto focus, looks more like 350TVL. Provideo, found so far, whatever they claim, you get, they are impressive for cheaper cameras, bullet cameras. They havent lied to me yet! Their 420TVL BW cameras are almost comparable to 480TVL cameras from kalatel & Phillips, obviously not color. COP usa, one or 2 of their cameras are ok, others have such bad color production I cant get into clarity, as it makes no sense. I dont use them anymore, though installed a few for a client recently who bought them himself. Extreme CCTV, never been lied to, they are impressive, though pay for them hefty. So basically no, havent come across any yet that claim it but dont do it Even with bad color production COP USA cameras I used never claimed to have a high res on the ones we used, or they were used in low light when we did. I dont know of any manufcaturers I use, that still have CMOS cameras.. Rory

anyone heard of this card called Remote Eye? One of my competitors is sticking it in desktop PCs here in Nassau. Thanks Rory

Another thing we have started using is USB flash instead of CD, just copy paste to the drive, just depends on the size of the video you are saving. This will generally run on every computer with USB as an extra drive, even ME 2000 im not sure about. They go up to around 4GB now. ( I think thats the highest), but 512 is normally more than enough for most instances, and even lower. Rory

Interesting produts none the less, ive seen the Sunstar camera before, but I chose to go with Extreme's products, not as expensive as thermal, more consumer orientated. If you want a real expensive solution, these are used on Police helicopters, Military, DEA Planes, etc. Worth checking out either way, some interesting products. http://www.flirthermography.com/

That sensitivity level is when using Thermal or Infared. There are many cameras now adays that do that, particularly ExtremeCCTV LRX cameras, even Exview with high range Spectral Response. From reading the specs, it is using Sony ExaveHAD CCD, which is used on alot of other low light IR response cameras. Main thing to look for is the normal lux level with no FP, and using for example a F:1.2 lens. I cant see that anywhere there, but will take a look. Some companies just dont post that info. most like Panasonic, Kalatel, Sanyo, Extreme, etc, do however so not to fool anyone.

nope, i think that is the only way, a 2 step process.

to all web designers/developers, this is a new site im working on, any pointers, comments, this is just design phase right now, no css yet..yep, nothing to do with CCTV thats why i posted it here thanks rory http://www.bethelgallery.com/test.htm

finished .. has thumbnails, and a newly added custom slideshow script. Bethel Gallery: Bahamian Artist from Nassau, Bahamas. Canvas Paintings of Bahamian Scenery: BethelGallery.com Rory

a stand alone DVR with built in CDR by Kalatel is so simple, but that is a different story. I do it all the time for the police here, and showed a police how to do it in just a few minutes without a built in CDR. He made 8 CDS of video, now thanks to the new models with DVD it is even easier USB Flash is even more simple. As for win 2000, once it has nero and a CDRW should be the same as using XP, 98, or ME. Rory

i do, on some bullet cameras, but honestly it would cost more to ship it from here than to buy the camera new in the US :-0

Cool, is that a motor bike lamp fixture? Looks like it will fit well. I may have to look into doing some of this myself, looks interesting

when i say burn out, i mean if their normal life is 10 years, then if left on 24/7, they will last you maybe 5 years if that. Individual LEDs can also burn out quciker than the others on the board. I have used IR LEDs and have had some burn out after 3 years, others lasting longer, and these are on photo cells. Basically, yes, LEDs do burn out after a while, especially if left on 24/7. They are like any other bulb, but last much longer. Rory

Yes that camera will work with 940nm About the LEDs, you are building it yourself? Are you going to use a Photocell to control them turning on and off? If not they will burn out pretty quick, well, at least not as long as with a control. Most IR cameras turn them on and off depending on the amount of light in the image, or IR bulbs can use photo cells or their power supplies have them. I guess this is a much less expensive way to go, let us know if it works. It seems this is more of a spot light, then a wide degree of light. EG, when you buy IR Bulbs/LEDs from Extreme CCTV, they have 60, 30, 10 degree, and Spot. Spot being the thinner furthest IR, to 60 degree being a 60 degree angle of wide IR. I see they have a NIGHTFLOOD version also though, which would be wide. Let us know and show us some pictures when your done Rory