survtech

I assume from this article that .mov files have some way of showing time/date that is not recorded as part of the video: http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/879445

A number of DVR's embed the time/date as a metadata overlay, not actually part of the video. In that way, the player can "turn off" the display so that what is under it can be seen. It's possible that is what is happening here. If so, I don't believe there is any way to fix it other than playing it back through an analog output and re-capturing it with your current recorder. Of course, you would lose any watermarking/authentication.

You can get a used 8-port managed Cisco switch pretty cheap (less than $200) if you know where to look. 2950's seem to be readily available in a number of configurations. That would be a good start to play with programming. Of course, there would be a premium for a Layer 3 or Gigabit switch.

Kind of reminds me of a sci-fi robot from the 50's. "Gort, Klaatu Barada Nikto!" Of course, the FLIR one looks like the pod in 2001: "Open the pod bay doors, HAL!"

I know of CCNA and CCDA but what's a CCET? Or do you mean CCENT? I would aim for the CCNA. That should give you the core skills to program and manage pretty much any Cisco switch. There are many ways to get the required knowledge: local classes, online courses, books, cram courses; name your poison! (whatever works best for you). Once you are ready, you just have to take the required tests for your certification. Here is Cisco's list of certifications and their requirements: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/learning_career_certifications_and_learning_paths_home.html Here is Wikipedia's entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_Career_Certifications

The monitor choice for best picture quality depends on the source. Analog cameras usually look best on CRT analog monitors. IP cameras usually look best on digital or LCD monitors. The reason? The formats have to be "converted" for one to play on the other. The conversion process is not really accurate until you get up to high-end processors, which would cost more than the monitor.

What resolution would you need at 5 miles? Check out the FLIR products. You wouldn't be able to identify faces at long range but could see approaching craft to the horizon. SeaFLIR Link Here "SeaFLIR is a long-range, gyro-stabilized, thermal imager that provides high resolution infrared images in daylight as well as in total darkness. Unlike low-light cameras that require some light to create an image, SeaFLIR senses heat and is able to detect small targets even out on the horizon." Features * Mid- or large format mid-wave IR with up to 450 mm of continuous zoom * Daylight/lowlight TV with 40x zoom * Gyro-stabilization * Rugged marinization – exceeds Mil-standards * Digital and analog video outputs Applications * Navigation * Iceberg Detection * Collision Avoidance * Man Overboard Recovery * Fire Detection * Vessel in Distress Detection * Anti-Terrorism * Vessel, Crew & Passenger Protection * Long-range Detection of Inbound Vessels, Day and Night

This may not apply to your situation but in a casino environment we have found it uneconomical to repair most fixed cameras; especially if they are over five years old. The reasons for this are primarily: the cost to repair fixed cameras can be a substantial percentage of their replacement cost, once a fixed camera is over five years old it has been fully depreciated and at that age the likelihood of other failures occuring climbs rapidly. Expensive PTZ cameras are another matter. It is worthwhile to pay $500 to repair a $1,700 PTZ dome drive. The primary failures other than mechanical in any camera, fixed or PTZ are: power supply, electrolytic capacitors, cpu/memory (for DSP cameras). [edit] disregard the phrase: "PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) capabilites.">". The board keeps inserting that.

That is not possible with one camera. In order to read a license plate at 2km you would need to utilize at least a 3000mm lens for a 1/3" camera or a 2400mm lens for a 1/4" camera. That would give you a horizontal field of view of around 10 ft. or around 3 meters at 2km, which is approximately .09 degrees. That won't see very much in close. Another major problem would be jitter of the image. Since 1/10 of a degree of movement of the camera would translate into 3 meters of jitter in the images, the camera and its mount would have to be super-stable. That would require very specialized equipment which would probably cost a fortune!

RAID 5 is a bit slower but the throughput would still be fine for most applications, especially if the RAID system has its own controller. It still has a few other limitations, though. The primary one is that it is not uncommon for RAID systems to lose more than one drive at a time. It's not that two drives fail simultaneously, but that a second drive can have unreadable data which prevents the RAID from rebuilding after one drive fails. Since video recording is primarily write only (very little reading), a drive can become partly or completely unreadable and the RAID subsystem doesn't have any way to know. It's not like computer data that is typically verified after a write. Storage that is recording streaming video doesn't have the time to verify.

Highly unlikely in the forseeable future!

The Professional's Guide to CCTV Manual by Charlie Pierce at Leapfrog Training and Consulting covers lens selection and more. http://leapfrog.iomnis.com/

You might try SpinRite (http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm).

You could also try West Penn CC2418 and CC2416. Each has two pairs of CAT 5e siamesed with one pair of either 18 gauge (CC2418) or 16 gauge (CC2416) cable. http://www.westpenn-cdt.com/index.php?option=com_cable_finder&func=BrowseCat&section=ResidentialSpecialized_Cables&cat=4

We've done that test, with 1,000', 1,500' and 2,000' of CAT5e. The results were basically the same as with the cables run the equivalent lengths through conduit.

In-vehicle cameras are subject to wide variations in light; not only from day to night but sunlight coming from varying directions as the vehicle travels. That can create havoc with both board and bullet cameras. You might want to look at WDR day/night dome cameras as an option.

Someone who writes articles on Surveillance systems. "A magazine editor". Good pic. Whewwww! For a minute there, I thought you were talking about someone who edits Surveillance video footage.

Is the back box in-ceiling, pendant or surface mount? The bubble itself is around $40. I can get you a Pelco part number on Monday.

What is a "Surveillance editor"?

I met with Todd Rockoff, Jean-Michelle Florent and Gloria Reiss of the hdCCTV Alliance at ASIS 2009. Although I can't attest to the extent of progress toward the group's goals, I will say that they expressed a lot of interest in our needs for High Definition cameras and equipment. They do seem to be taking my reservations toward the technology to heart: Their latest FAQ claims that they are working on extending the maximum distance on RG-59 to 300 meters without requiring repeaters. Now if only they accomodated signal transport via single twisted-pair; had some major camera, DVR/NVR and signal switching manufacturers producing products and were demonstrably cost-effective, I would totally jump on board. Since neither appears to be forthcoming, I remain skeptically optimistic .

4CIF analog video is two interlaced fields so a full 640x480 frame is made up of two 640x240 fields. Essentially, 640x240 means the encoding skips every other field. It has the same horizontal resolution as 4CIF but only 1/2 of the vertical resolution. Being only odd (or even) fields, the resulting picture is free from "jaggies" on motion, though.

Why would he? The camera appears to stick up higher than the speed bump since he didn't hang up on that. No offense but if I were his insurance company's claims adjuster, I would deny any liability.

There are basically two: ASIS - going on now in Anaheim, CA. ISC-West - March 23-25, 2010 in Las Vegas. I go to ISC-West every year. It, and its east coast counterpart, ISC-East, are the primary industry trade shows. I went to ASIS-2009 yesterday. It was a ghost town. I believe there were more exhibitors walking the floor than attendees.

You might try Pelco's recommendation: "Exterior Surface - Clean the dome’s exterior surface with a nonabrasive cleaning cloth and cleaning agent that is safe for acrylic plastic. Either liquid or spray cleaner/wax suitable for fine furniture is acceptable. Interior Surface (Except Chrome or Gold) - Clean the same as the exterior surface." ftp://ftp.pelco.com/ServiceBulletinsTechTips/TechTips/5973020.PDF

What ground loop issue is that?