MasterVal

Great write-up, thank you - might come handy in a hot situation.

is that the 6mm lens? No, 4 mm.

I've used Meinberg NTP server for windows (http://www.meinbergglobal.com/english/sw/ntp.htm) - it works on all versions of Windows. I, particularly, run it on Server 2012 R2. The installation was "dumb" simple - next, next, next with all the default options. The utility installs itself as a windows service - so no maintenance or config require, starts with windows, very very minimal resource use (if any). Once installed, I specified 192.0.0.1 (the server IP) in all cameras "NTP Server" field - done - all cameras stay on time to a fraction of a second.

Since my configuration does not allow access to and from internet to all cameras I ended up installing NTP service on the NVR computer and all cameras pull time from that service - simple and effective.

Here is screenshot of the event config page. There are total 8 areas available for configuration and each zone can be configured with its own area of interest and sensitivity settings

Daytime

I just installed one as well - very nice form factor and picture quality. I really like the "Expert Mode" in camera motion detection setup where you can specify different regions for day and night as well as different sensitivity for each area EDIT: Different zone can have different regions; additionally, the same zone region can have different sensitivity for day and night.

Does anyone know if Xprotect can periodically (once a day) to update all cameras' time setting?

I'm not a pro by any means but did my share of research. I just installed a system at my home with these Hikvision cameras and couldn't be happier! DS-2532F-I - mini dome DS-2CD2132-I - small dome 2 axis DS-2CD2732F-IS - varifocal dome These cameras preform very very well in light, backlight, night, and IR mode.

I think my server should be fine handling NVR and some file sharing - I got a dual CPU (two quadcores Xeon 2.4 Ghz) with 48GB of RAM; I'll just create a RAID dedicated for recording (I got fast SAS 15000RPM 6Gb/s drives), so, I think the hardware is capable of handling NVR and not heavy file sharing for home. Are there any distributors on this forum for Milestone or Avigilon that I can talk to in order to determine which one to pick? I would also need some cam advice.

Budgetwise, I was planning to spend betweek 1-2K on cameras & software. On the front I will install motion activated lights, so it would greatly enhance the illumination in addition to street lights. The back area is pretty dark with the only lighting from a building about 130 feet away on the other side of a water canal. From my continuous self-eduction and reading lots of CCTV Form, I'm narrowing my decision for NVR to Milestone Essential or Avigilon. It seems that Milestone would require more effort to get setup than Avigilon, which is not a big deal for me (I'm an IT/programmer guy), but it (Milestone) support wider range of cameras.

Hi all. I've been reading and searching CCTV Forum for weeks but still would like some help to nudge me in the right direction. Any help and info appreciated. I'm planning to setup security for my home. Two cameras up front and two in the back. CAT6e is already installed. I'm also going to use my home server (Windows Server 2012) as the hardware for NVR. What I need is help nudging me in the right direction for NVR software and cameras. All my cameras will be outside (Florida, no cold weather), three of the cameras exposed to elements, the forth one will be by the entrance door - still outside but no rain will fall on it. It would also be nice if the entrance door camera would be with IR I also need the NVR to be able to output to a secondary monitor that will always be on. I will store 30-60 days of footage. I'm planning to power the cameras with Unmanaged 802.3af PoE Gigabit Ethernet Switch (LPB1205A). I'm an IT professional and know my way around network, firewall, wires, ports, etc. but not so much for NVR and Cameras Initially I wanted to go with Geovision but the more I read the less I'm convinced. There is NUUO, ACTi, Milestone, Avigilon (seems the best, from what I read), plus many more. I want to have a quality reliable system so any recommendation would be greatly appreciated.

This is a starting guide I use for reference on voice recording: http://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/tape-recording-laws-glance