I'm in a bit of a pickle and am looking for some advice.
I manage the IT for a school district and am somewhat involved in the security systems. One school has analog cameras and a PC based Eye Max software DVR that I don't care for. The principal has some money and I suggested installing a dedicated DVR. I'm a computer guy so around our schools, anything with electrons usually ends up under my umbrella. Especially with a PC based DVR, guess who works on that. I don't mind doing configuration or exporting video but I refuse to open the case. When it fails, we call in the security company that installed it and they take it to the shop or some PC shop, we don't know but it comes back totally wiped, no previous video, all settings gone, a fresh install that I have to reconfigure. And this happens far too often. Perhaps once a year but that is too much.
I had the pleasure in my past job as the computer guy for some banks of configuring some dedicated DVRs back in about '06 and what they had back then was far more advanced than what the Eye Max unit can do and much more reliable as well.
When I ask our security company about upgrading the DVR, they don't seem to see what the problem is with our current setup, they say of course you can view the remote webpage on an iPhone, technically true but just viewing the PC webpage, not a mobile page or an app and no control at all from a mobile. Also they like being able to replace PC parts if it fails. I contend this is denial of the fact that this unit has weaknesses, IS NOT controllable from remote devices and fails far too often. If I had something more reliable I would not be concerned if the local computer shop could work on it or not.
I'll use some analogies, say you want to trade in an older car for a newer one and the salesman says I don't understand and I don't think you want the newer car, the old one still starts right? Keep driving it and be happy, have a nice day. That's what I feel like I'm getting from this person.
Also, you know when the copier guys first started installing networkable copy machines and having the copier repair dude sit down at a PC or server to install print drivers or a shared printer on the network was jus a bit out of their league and very scary for them and the IT guy. This is the impression I get when our security person is in front of the DVR. Now granted, yes they got it setup but when I ask questions about what is going wrong with this or how do we do that or let's increase the frame rate or image quality, anything that involves adjusting settings or being in front of the DVR, the persons just seems a bit out of their element, has to call the shop, the one computer guy there is busy or whatever, it is not good.
We have a security company, the person in charge of the company is the person who I'm speaking about above and is a parent so there is a complicated relationship where we don't want to switch companies or give an impression that we want to switch. I just want to install a good DVR but keep our current security company.
I can handle installing and configuring a DVR, I'm looking for recommendations on how to proceed.
We have just under 30 analog cameras and basically all I'm looking for is:
Capability to plug in about 32 analog cameras
Mobile device control
Control from PCs on the local network (or WAN / other schools on our network)
Maybe be able to FTP some video off site upon certain triggers
I am looking for something better than the kits at Costco
It would be nice if we add more DVRs in other schools if they could all talk to each other or at least have common control software and mobile app so they can all be controlled together.
Thanks so much for any advice and if this belongs in another forum about system planning or something else, sorry about that, I'm new here.
