NEVERENDING

The reality is that the only difference right now between standalone and PC based is the pages issue. This will be solved within the next few months at which time there is nothing that a PC can do that an embedded cannot. From the PC side the h.264 is miles ahead of anything else. It is stable and efficient but you have to write your own interface as there is nothing decent out there. The MPEG2 is done. It has its inherent problems such as audio sync and a few others. The MPEG4 hardware codec is a great product but has limitations today beyond 8 ports because of PCI bus issue. This will also be solved shortly. With respect to people not knowing what they are doing is an understatement. If a product has a problem it would be recognizable across a broad section not isolated to a single individual. Well as for GEO pick a problem as there are a bunch, but we have been through that. Comes back to stability and reliability and support. Use the same components over and over. If it ain't broke - don't fix it. We have had great success with Vendoma and their MPEG2 and now with their MPEG4 and h.264part10 hardware codec. But we stick to the same things they use and have no problems. It is when we have tried to make things better or change them that we run into problems. They have more resources and R&D then we do so who are we to think we are smarter. Doesn't matter who you buy from if you find a stable combination don't change. The future is the sophisticated high end embedded solution that interfaces seamlessly with the matrix switchers and can control the DVR functions without having to gut a control room and rewire everything. On the smaller side the multiplex DVR embedded is getting so cheap that it does not make sense anymore to use a PC. Service calls are an integrators enemy. I can now buy a 16 channel standalone for well under $1k so why the heck would I bother with anything else on the smaller systems. When the advanced embedded come out I will use them also for the enterprise customers. Vendoma now has a 16 channel standalone with IR remote that like I said is pretty basic and "customer-proof" for a ridiculous price so I use that.

I posted this in another section but these guys have a decent low end standalone. I just got a sample of their 16-channel which isn't on the website with LAN and its cheap, cheap, cheap and it works. So far, but too soon to tell how long. http://www.amexsecurity.com[/url]

There is a lot to be said on this subject. To start with there is confusion because embedded is a tricky word. Some of the higher end DVR companies use embedded XP on a PC based platform so careful how you phrase it. From what I see is coming from overseas now within 12 - 18 months there is nothing that a standalone machine cannot do that a PC can. The standalone matrix systems are out there now that can emulate the matrix switcher and many are stackable. The cheap stuff such as the Vineyard and Alogic chipsets are not really comparable to the PC but the better sets have quite advanced features so you have to separate the consumer products from the professional. There are the cheapo embedded that run MJPEG and the better ones that run flavors of MPEG4 some with hardware compression and the cheapos with software compression. You can write a book on this stuff.

Rory I was talking about Amex not optex by the way

I was surprised but the stuff works great. I bought a couple and the quality considering the price was more then acceptable. I got the package to see how the cameras were. The pictures don't do them right. They are CMOS cameras but they are built like a brick sh**house and decent picture. Trade pricing is right if you are buying volume. I got one of the integrated with monitors also which works ok and good deal for the price in volume. FYI, bumped into someone from overseas who worked with Geovision and informed me that Geovision buys their cards from a company called UTP in Korea. GV didn't write the software but got an SDK like many of us and did their own thing.

Talk to your sales people and I am sure they can log you into one of the test sites. They usually set up temporary passwords offline so you can play with it and then they reset it back.

I agree with Thomas, Belkins are the best but they are pricey, but they don't lock up like some of the cheaper ones that you have to keep resetting.

I hope your sitting down for the pricing. There MPEG4 prices: 4-channel $500 8-channel $900 16channel $1800 (and that is distributor pricing) Now you can pick yourself up off the floor.

at least with the embedded there is no mystery they all buy the board sets from the same 3 places.

Not to beat a dead horse and I know it will start an argument but Geo really does make nothing - regardless. Just to bring an end to this I will find out where it comes from. There are relatively easy ways to find out from the chip makers we deal with who seem to know everyone. Which was the first way I found out it wasn't there's since no one seem to sell them the components that were on board. Meaning someone makes it for them. Which again is ok and who cares.

I saw some incredible stuff in Europe at IFSEC this past month trying to dig through my bags to find the names of the product. But some good equipment that "appeared" to be the answer to the Enteprise solution. Coming from Taiwan I believe. Embedded solution too, with the Enhanced Wavelet Technology tying into RAID arrays.

Aver goes back to Taiwan. Will get the name of the factory for you. Actually trying to get to the bottom of who makes what only for the purpose of knowing what the heck I am getting. Whoever gets it to work and supports it well that is the most importmant thing. There alot of the software MPEG4 boards coming from all over the place now in China at prices of under $20 - CRAZY!!! Can only imagine what those are like.

It actually could be a couple of things but what you are describing is not something I have ever seen and asked a couple of others that use the product and they said same thing, they have never seen that. There is a good chance it is a problem with the hardware. Give tech support a call that is what they are great at. When I had some problems in the past that i couldn't solve I sent the whole machine back to them and they got it up and running (and best of all no charge). I felt like an idiot because it was something simple and I just didn't read the manual properly and missed something. But then no one else in my department picked it up either so I felt a little better. I just looked at what we have had success with and it has been the ASUS P4G800 boards. Also the Intel PERL boards. That is with the Vendoma products though specifically. They are also very tricky when it comes to audio and there are only some boards that work well with the audio but it does work on all 16-channels fully sync'd which I haven't seen elsewhere - but it did take some work to get there. Give their MPEG4 a shot. Best thing I have seen so far. I am still looking for a good 16-channel embedded that is feature rich. Which leads me to another discussion which I would like to open up a string for. What can a PC do that an embedded device can't do within the next 12 months.

Also what components are you using. Doesn't sound right because I get crisp as can be pictures. I know they are very quirky when it comes to using the right motherboards and video cards. I used to have some issues but went over to their preferred components and haven't had a problem since. My guess is its not the cameras and you can confirm that by obviously plugging them into another system to make sure you don't get the same thing.

are you using a live board or the capture card and what cameras are you using.