Don Stephens

That model does support Smart Search so as long as you're sure you're using it correctly, the only other possibility is faulty firmware. Are you in single channel view when trying to use it?

What model DVR/NVR is it? The Smart Search feature isn't available on all models. Before you question that, Dahua has a pretty stupid habit of leaving things on their firmware sometimes that aren't always compatible with the device it's installed on. I run into this a lot with their more "economically priced" models.

Why don't you start by opening it and finding out what exactly is making the noise first.

Your camera's dying. Spend more, get more.

My only guess is that there isn't enough bandwidth to support it but I'm assuming you took all that into account. I can't think of any reason that it'd be as a result of a small amount of coiled up cable. What kind of equipment is it?

Yes to all of it, but you don't need to take my word for it. Just download the free version of the app (iDMSS Lite) and see for yourself.

Dahua and Hikvision are big names because of their affordability and still good quality. They're certainly not the best, and they're certainly not the only acceptable options. I've got nothing but nice things to say about Avigilon and Axis. Vivotek is a throwback for me; I haven't messed with their IP cameras in several years.

That sounds more like someone who'd rather have you by something else than actually help you troubleshoot. You not being able to use that mic doesn't seem right to me...

Assuming it's paired with the channel you're viewing (channel 1), I can only think of a view possibilities: 1. Poor quality HDMI cable (maybe...) 2. Audio not toggled on when live viewing 3. Audio not toggled on for the channel in the settings (generally under "Encode") 4. Faulty microphone (doubt it) This is going to seem like a stupid question but I only ask it because I've seen people do it: Do you have the mic connected to power?

With pricing the way it is right now, I would be looking at 2 or 3 megapixel cameras, and I tend to lean more towards 3. You really have a good range of options with either manufacturer, but to keep things as stress free as possible, just fully commit to one or the other for all products. Depending on where you land with camera choice will help you select the right NVR as far as specs are concerned. You're going to have to find an NVR with an "incoming bandwidth" that will support all of your cameras and what you're trying to do with them. Honestly, you may find that choosing cameras first will make life easier on selecting the NVR.

I don't think you can go wrong with Hikvision or Dahua. Whichever you decide on is a good choice and they're in the same ballpark for cost and quality. Personally, I've found that Dahua seems to have a larger presence with e-commerce stores while Hikvision seems to be predominantly sold by sites like Amazon, eBay, and Alibaba. You can usually make the argument that, as a result, Hikvision products can be found for cheaper, but at a higher risk based on who you're getting it from. I've heard the argument made that people will then have a hard time getting support for their Hikvision products, but with all the third party and free help available (such as this forum), I don't find any truth to that. Whether or not to go with a standalone or PC based NVR is a matter of opinion; even more so with a system of this size. Just like choosing between brands, I don't think you can go wrong either way. It will probably just come down to how much leg work you're actually willing to put in. Do you already have, or do you know which cameras you'll be working with? If we had that information, it might be easier for people to make specific recommendations.

As far as standard definition cameras are concerned, the only experience I have with auto tracking is with PTZ cameras. I can't speak for the cameras you're looking at, but with those PTZ cameras, the auto tracking feature could be toggled off using the OSD. I'm honestly not sure how the auto tracking feature would work on those cameras. I'm skeptical as to whether or not those cameras are capable of having that feature.

Now You and Don Stephens have to read about Avigilon HDSM just for fun http://avigilon.com/products/video-surveillance/overview/hdsm/ Haha. I actually just watched Avigilon's webinar about HDSM earlier this week.

HDSDI might have something like this available, but I'm almost positive AHD/HDCVI/HDTVI do not as they're all still pretty new to the market.

I can't confirm whether or not it's case by case, but every recorder I've ever seen has been the same: The amount of bandwidth your taking up is directly related to what you're currently viewing. To use your example, if your cameras need 500Kb/s, and you're only viewing one camera, then that 500Kb/s it all you're taking up (other than the bandwidth need to connect to the UI).

I've had this discussion with Dropcam, and the simple answer is that it's not possible. Due to it's proprietary nature, it isn't able to be incorporated with other devices and only supports recording to it's own cloud drive. If you wanted a Dropcam product in your system, it'd have to be exclusively Dropcam.

The number of TV Lines here isn't nearly as important to me as the quality of the image sensor. It's pretty common that CMOS sensors will need to be anywhere from 100-300 TVL higher than a Sony sensor in order to compare. A lot of CMOS sensors are actually programmed in a way to hide how atrocious the image quality may actually be; this is what can cause that fog or hazy image. My vote is always going to be for the Sony over any CMOS. The quality is just superior and it doesn't surprise me that it'd be more expensive. I've also found that Sony sensors have better longevity in comparison to CMOS.

I got a reply from someone that thinks it has to do with something called DirectShow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectShow). I have a supposed solution for it, but I am admittedly not familiar with DirectShow, so it'd be nice if someone else who is could either confirm or deny whether that may be the issue. I don't like to get into the habit of fixing something when I haven't figured out the problem first.

If I have my information right, the amount of detail you're able to obtain in the image is going to be just about the same. Because of the programming on the CMOS, it might appear to be slightly hazy next to the Sony. I also find that the Sony CCDs are more true to color than most CMOS sensors.

You're going to need to provide item numbers, links, or a full list of specs for anyone to be certain. If I had to throw out a guess based on what you've provided thus far, I would quickly assume the Sony. My own personal experience would send me in that direction regardless if these were my choices.

I would start hunting for sellers and/or installers with websites that have YouTube channels and blogs. Someone else recently asked the same question and I don't believe anyone was able to come up with anything productive. One of the only additional recommendations I recall was IPVM.com, but that probably isn't going to get you enough of what you're after and it costs money. I know there's a lot of people on here with there own sites, YouTube channels, blogs, and sources of information that would probably benefit you. You just need to ask for it, or look around the forum a bit.

I doubt that will work. IE tab just shows IE on a Firefox tab; so if it is not working on IE, it should also not work with IE tab. I've actually had a lot of success with this even when IE is at fault. I can't give you a definitive reason as to why, but I actually can't recall a time where this didn't work.

For now, try this: http://goo.gl/vJQzHr (YouTube video) As long as nothing catastrophic is wrong with that computer, you shouldn't have a problem getting it to work. This should, at the very least, give you a short term solution. In the meantime, I'll ask around about that image distortion. I have to assume that it's got something to do with that computer seeming as how it works perfectly fine on the other.

I've never experienced anything like that with the Tribrid/Hybrid models, and that's with a whole range of cameras from various manufacturers. I'm also curious to know what kind of equipment is giving you the issue.

Do you have a screen shot you can provide of what you're seeing? Have you looked into it being an issue with ActiveX, Compatibility View Settings, or malware? Why did you forward the ports if you don't want to remotely access the device? I may have follow up questions based on your answer... How are you currently accessing the DVR through IE on computer #1? Is it via the DVRs IP address? Is computer #2 on the same network?