Don Stephens

Refer to the bullet points on the page you linked to.

I have never, not once, seen a camera's electrical components become damaged because it was too cold. Having said that, I also don't know anyone who has willingly taken a camera rated for -20 and thrown it into a -60 environment. What I have seen on occasion is that when some models of camera exceed that cold weather rating, their bodies will begin to contract and eventually crack the glass on the front. Obviously if the glass cracks, you don't really have much of an outdoor camera anymore.

IPVM did a test for exactly this purpose and compared it against an Android device: http://ipvm.com/report/testing_minipc_and_raspberry_pi

Have you confirmed this with motion detection by any chance? Absolutely. Worked on a review and only had 2 Dahua cameras, so supplemented with 2 Hikvision cameras and works the same way with camera motion detection. I've been having some problems with this lately; not sure what the deal is. I could very easily be doing something wrong though during setup.

This is why I'd say it's just a PIR sensor. When you look at all of the rest of them that are cameras, they all look like this: http://goo.gl/TpNy7v Whoa! Did you see the pic in the add for the tomtophone from DHgate dot com in that link? I wonder who their target clientele are? Alright, I should have looked around the page more thoroughly before I posted that

This is why I'd say it's just a PIR sensor. When you look at all of the rest of them that are cameras, they all look like this: http://goo.gl/TpNy7v

I feel like this is a quickly becoming the normal response to standard definition systems now

Milestone: http://www.milestonesys.com/ Blue Iris: http://blueirissoftware.com/

Does anyone know if AMD still has the overheating problem that plagued them for years?

The learning curve is a beast, but you're on the right track. Just take a step back whenever you get too frustrated; you're eventually going to end up right where you want with good system. You picked the right place to end up when you're lost with a Hikvision product. There are A LOT of people on here who have been running Hikvision for years and have an intimate knowledge of it.

I've been steered clear of that 5MP camera a couple times, but I didn't want to say anything since I've never tested it for myself. The overall opinion doesn't seem to be to good with that camera. At the distances and lighting conditions I've run the 4300S in, I've been pretty happy just leaving it alone as far as the settings are concerned. I'm sure you'll find that some settings can be toggled to optimize it to your own environment (it's going to vary).

I know you mentioned you cleaned the lens, but does that include both ends of it or just the front? On a number of occasions, I've found smudges and/or defects on the back end of the lens pressed up against the image sensor.

I think what you're looking for is a "Pan Tilt Motor." My experience with them has been that if you're using it constantly, like a set pattern or tour, they burn out pretty quick. I'm sure someone has found one somewhere along the way though that's more reliable than that.

Your cameras shutter speed, which they all have but is only disclosed with LPR/LPC cameras, is what's ultimately going to determine what you can capture in detail at various speeds. If it hasn't clicked yet, that statement isn't going to help anyone with their own personal setup as it's going to be camera dependent. For the most part, you're just going to have to try it and see what happens. I've been easily able to achieve facial recognition as low as 3fps with IP cameras for anyone moving at a casual pace. It's also hugely going to depend on how long they're within the cameras FOV.

Don't worry about the manual. Yes it probably sucks, but that's pretty normal. You still ended up with a good manufacturer. 1. You absolutely can but you complicated your life a bit in that aspect with the model of NVR you have. The built in network switches on NVRs (any model, any brand) are going to modify the cameras IP address to match what the switch thinks it should be; this usually varies from the rest of your network (i.e. - [192.168.2.1] instead of [192.168.0.1]). You'll need to go in and manually change the IP address that switch is set to and match it to your the rest of the network. Reconnect your cameras after that. The IP addresses that they're then assigned will match your network and you'll be able to access them individually however you want. Pay attention to the ports they're using; that can make it tricky too. I've had that phantom channel issue on Dahua models, and the only fix I could find for getting rid of them was to disconnect any and all cameras and then restart the NVR. Once it's back on, hook the cameras back up. 2. I believe you're correct in your assumptions here but I'm not positive with the Hikvision models.

THANK YOU!!! This makes me happy to hear! I wonder why they don't list that these are made from aluminum, seems like a good selling point to me Do you have anywhere that you recommend purchasing a HDBW4300E? I have just been looking on eBay, but always taking a chance there. Thanks for your help! Message sent. It's just one suggestion, but I don't have many to give. I don't have a personal relationship with a whole lot of retailers.

Our comparison between the 4300E and 4300S revealed them to be indistinguishable in every aspect to include dynamic range. I'll say this again though: Our results are based on the products we have in hand at the current time of the test and are subject to change sometimes very rapidly. I emphasize very rapidly because the models we get in are often improved upon within the first year of receiving them almost as if they were released to the market as prototypes. Ideally what this means is that whatever we determine will only get better over time assuming they change at all. I've already watched the 4300E go through some minor alterations.

P.S. - When I saw the title to this thread, I almost fell off my chair laughing (nothing personal). I can't tell you how many times I've heard something like this from people. Two and half years ago, I would have been the jerk telling you to run Siamese (RG59). It's amazing how much can change in as little as six months; there's really nothing you can do about it. You can buy top of the line today, and within 12 months it can become an antique.

Have you confirmed this with motion detection by any chance?

Before I start blurting anything out... 1. How old is the camera? 2. Have you ever opened the camera? 3. Can you please take a look at these and see which one might line up right with what you have? Admittedly, I don't speak the language on the site for the link you provided to the product. -http://www.surveillance-download.com/user/datasheets/analog_cam/KPC/KPC139EA-H_Spec.pdf -http://www.surveillance-download.com/user/datasheets/analog_cam/KPC/KPC139E-H_Spec.pdf -http://www.surveillance-download.com/user/datasheets/analog_cam/KPC/KPC139E-E_Spec.pdf

Whoa, I was way off . This is much better, thank you.

Hand to God, I can't even tell what I'm looking at. Is the image rotated 90 degrees? Are you referring to the splotch on the left of the image to the right? Is there any possibility of a clearer image? I don't expect you to magically make your cameras a better resolution, but even the time-stamp is hard to make out.

First and foremost, take and then post a screenshot of exactly what is on your screen as you see it. 1. Are you viewing it locally or remotely? 2. What is your download speed? 3. What is your upload speed? 4. Are you viewing the main stream or sub/extra stream? 5. What are you attempting to view it through (PC, tablet, smartphone...)? Additionally, listing the hardware your working with can help; to include model numbers, pictures, screenshots, brands, etc...(anything you can provide really)

I'm not trying to hurt any feelings, and it's kind of coincidental, but I've been receiving emails about these guys since the middle of last week. What I'm specifically being sent is articles written by them. They are CRAZY misleading, misinformed, and/or just plain lying about certain things. Feel free to read them for yourself and do your homework but some of the things they claim are absolutely insane and, in some cases, just completely inaccurate (http://www.security-camera-warehouse.com/knowledge-base). More specifically, it's just about anything they have to say about any HD system, whether it's analog or IP. I can't speak to the quality of the products they have to offer because, honestly, I haven't bothered to scour their site. Also, an enormous portion of their site traffic is being brought in by ads (presumably pay-per-click) which is a huge flag for me (http://www.semrush.com/info/security-camera-warehouse.com?db=us). This almost always coincides with a company practicing "black hat" SEO which is a pretty filthy sales tactic. I can tell you right now that you're looking for Hikvison (maybe Dahua) products. Swann has some but be careful and have someone familiar with their models make recommendations. Lorex is stepping up their game lately, but as far as I'm concerned, they can still take a long walk over a short cliff.

I was about three seconds away from posting the exact same thing...right down to the link