CCTVINSTALLER

Yea DVR_Expert definitely, main thing ive learnt from you and others on this forum is component quality. Previously we would buy of the shelf computers from a retail suppliers, just a standard 1.8Ghz celeron, 512mb ram, and every system we installed crashed within two or three months, the computer was ok, PSU use to go, stopped recording etc. Only recently, we've started using higher quality components, and our systems although £60-£100 more expensive, a lot more reliable, less tech support etc. Like to thank all the guys on this forum, we've received incredible tech support, better than some of our own dvr suppliers could offer!

Hi guys, Is it OK to use ordinary telephone wire to set up a network. My customer has just had his house done, and i don't want to use grey CAT5 cable on white skirting. Would there be any wrong with using twisted pair telephone wire (White) to set up a network? Cheers

Thanks Thomas, I know what you mean, im really trying to avoid it, but the job is on monday, and i don't want to order any more cable. Basically, im only connecting 2 computers, (straight crossover in a way), but im gonna have a RJ45 socket on both ends, so crimping is not an issue. Also the 2 rooms are only around 10m apart, it shouldn't be too much of an issue should it?

Rory, found this link in one of my mags, check out the spec, ive seen lot of companies advertising this dvr for "real-time casino monitoring" http://www.ultracker.com/products.htm hope this helps

AV, thats a argus DVR: www.sys-tek.co.kr, we've only started using it recently, so i haven't got much feedback, except to say ive found the remote feature very easy to set up, and for the price, its one of the best. i can tell you though if you're buying it for $849, thats extremely expensive, round here that dvr is around $349 (£200) without a HDD.

Not sure if you can have 2 main systems running at the same time. What we do if an additional user wants to view is use the webcam multiview on a LAN, or just a straight crossover if they aint connected to a network. Dont think you can remotely control Geo functions though

Don't know if this would help, but if you've connected the watchdog function, disconnect it and try again. I use to have a similar problem, but that was because i never used to uncheck the cameras, and had was only using 5 cameras on a 8 camera port.

I've built a GV650( system using 160GB maxtor SATA HDD. I've partitioned 10GB for OS, and the rest for video. Im using Geo V6, and you have the option for recording a database log of general events. Should this be recorded on the same partition as the OS, or with the video partition, will there be any problems. Or should i just create a seperate parition altogether of about 1GB, what do you guys do? This is for a GV650(8 way) system, i've built to the following spec, what do you think, a bit of an overkill? Thanks in advance for the feedback, much appreciated Motherboard:- MSI 865PE Neo-2 PFS Memory:- Kingston 512MB DDR Memory CPU:- Prescott 3.0GHZ PSU:- Silversone 400W HDD:- Maxtor 160GB SATA Floppy:- 3.5 standard floppy CDRW:- MSI CDRW Monitor:- 17" Hansol TFT Graphics:- ATI 9600 128mb DDR

Won't that cause any problems, when the video files are recycling?

Exactly rory, but its an even bigger problem in the PC based sector, because its not just a DVR, its buying individual components such as motherboards, CPU, PSU, ram, HDD etc you hear so many reviews about all the components, that it takes time building a 'perfect' system. Any comments about the log database/POS database partitioning?

I've heard Antec are reliable, but they're too expensive. Are there any other brands out there which are known for reliability but offer cheaper options. What about Q-tec? Thanks

We used Win2K for a couple of years, but we've now switched to xp PRO, mainly because of the driver compatibility, we use to use 200GB HDDs, and everytime you use WIn2k it would underestimate the size, so you'd have to go in the registry after every installation and adjust the settings. Is the NEW SP2 version of WINXPPRO ok to use with geo?

Is it OK To use the new Prescott PSUs which have 1mb cache to build Geovision systems?

Cheers for the feedback Guys, Thomas im beginning to appreciate the idea of using High quality computer components. My Geo systems are gonna cost prob $100 more, but even i've started to note the difference in performance. As for the prescott CPUs, i think you're right in saying upgrading the Heat Sink compound, but even without the upgrade, the prescott shouldn't give any major problems, if anything i thought they would outperform the northwood ones. I've only ordered 5, gonna test them out and ill try provide some feedback or any problems i have.

Just testing the edit function

What about Silverstone PSUs? One of my suppliers claimed they were better than Antec which i knew was a load of crap. But anyone heard of them, they were $20 cheaper than the Antec ones.

How would you go about adding additional monitors to a Geovision system. I have sold the customer a GV650-8 way system with an ATI 9600 video card. He wants to add an existing CCTV monitor so he can view the cameras at the front of the store. I have connected the monitor direct to the video card, but i seem to get a pink screen when ever i connect a camera, would i need to purchase the REAL DSP card?. any suggestions? Thanks

Rory, we've had possibly the worst summer ever!, floods and rain almost every day, days like this i could move to the bahamas!

Could someone please explain the difference between IDE and Serial ATA drives, and why it is better to use SATA drives when building Geovision systems. Thanks

Peter, I remember i had a similar situation, i just made a little box, pull out the toolbox!. I made it out of MDF. Depending on the DVR, make it to size, leaving a few inches at the top and bottom. Put a couple hinges at the front, and if you can't be bothered to install a lock, just screw it straight in, infact you don't even need to put hinges there; you probably won't need frequent access to it, just 24/7 recording. Obviously you'll have weatherproofing problems. Buy Black Jack's sealent, which is used for guttering etc, should do the trick, cover the box, and drill a couple holes at the bottom, its only temporary and won't cost more than $20 to build. Damn, i should become a carpenter

I reckon rory's idea of the moving trailer is your best option. With safes, even if you do find a cheap one, you're gonna require ventilation, or your DVR'll screw up. However building a little box wouldn't be a bad idea, and you could drill a few holes at the bottom to allow air flow.

http://www.webcctv.com/start.asp?main=productsoutdoor

Just browsing a few sites, this may be of interest, i can't see any picture of the outdoor systems, but it is IP55 rated: http://www.webcctv.com/start.asp?main=productsoutdoor

Sorry to upset you james, but that dvr has the exact same spec as the avtech one, except, its different colour and more expensive! If you're gonna buy this one you'd be better of purchasing the one you already had in mind.

Most of the problems i've mentioned are associated with the 16 channel versions of this model, most 4 channels on the market aren't bad but don't let the price fool you! Once you're going 4+ cameras, you'll have to be careful what yo buy. You'd do an installation one day, next day the dvr is not working (PSU problem). Sometimes you'd switch on a dvr brand new out of the box, and it would bleep but won't turn on (never figured out what was wrong with that dvr!) . For home use however its quite good, especially for the price. But like rory said "dont expect bells and whistels, and definately do not expect stability or longativity". I haven't sold many of these models, and all of my installations with this model are fairly recent, so still waiting for something to happen. By the way, what cameras are you going to use?