survtech

For features and ease-of-use (but not necessarily for video quality), the NICE/Fast alpha silver (Honeywell Enterprise in the U.S.) DVRs can't be beat although the Dallmeier product is better from a technical viewpoint. Dallmeier's cameras also have some excellent features, though I dislike that they can only run on 12VDC +/- 5% (I blew one up hooking it to a 13.8 volt power supply so voltage is very critical on them - STUPID!). All of Ganz's 3000 and 5000 series fixed domes are excellent values for their price. Arecont's megapixel cameras are superior to Axis in that they can run 30ips at higher resolutions. Ganz's IP cameras are also made by Arecont. Axis cameras are ugly and unweildy and won't fit in many domes. They also are mostly only 640x480 (4CIF) max.

You may laugh, but I have worked on 120VAC cameras. The Panasonic WV14xx series of Newvicon cameras came in 24VAC, 120VAC and (I seem to recall) 220VAC. They used to be fairly popular around here. A grocery chain that I serviced in '95/'96 still had a few of them in some stores. Some of those were 120VAC. Remarkably, at the time they were paying a company many thousands of dollars a year to rebuild the cameras instead of replacing them when the tube died or had burn-in (a common problem with all tube sensors).

http://www.smarthome.com/7828.html Not really inexpensive, but there you are.

There are a number of manufacturers of high-grade and HD video/audio baluns. These may solve your problem: http://sewelldirect.com/Intelix-4RCA-Component-Video-Audio-Wall-Plate-Balun.asp http://www.newtechindustries.com/newtech/celabs/hdtv_cat5_balun.html http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/cat5-audio-video.html

99.9% of the cameras we use are 24VAC.

Semantics. Still, the deinterlacing process itself is lossy. When combined, the 60 alternating fields that make up a frame of video in interlaced analog can contain as much information as an equivalent progressive scan 30fps camera with the same pixel count. The primary difference is that it takes 2 scans to fill in the complete picture when interlaced versus only one scan with non-interlaced video. Still, megapixel technology can not reach its full capability until the signal maintains its full digital attributes through the whole chain from camera, through recorder, to display.

A megapixel camera requires higher resolution and bit rates to record its signal properly. Usually that means recording the digital signal directly to a hard drive, either with or without transcoding (converting from one compression codec, say MJPEG, to another, say MPEG4). Only a few DVRs have the capability to do this. True NVRs, on the other hand, are more often able to record the megapixel camera's data directly, at higher resolutions: 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1600x1200, etc. If the digital signal from a megapixel camera has to be converted to analog to record, as with most DVRs and NVRs, the higher resolution of the megapixel is wasted and the result is no better than an analog camera would deliver - 4CIF (640x480) or D1 (720x480).

The problem is that the deinterlacing process is lossy. Because of the 1/60 second difference between fields, the deinterlacing device tries to extrapolate the position of objects from field to field and reconstruct that into one non-interlaced frame. Even on static images, where there is no movement to correct, this is a hit-or-miss proposition.

"Splitting" a video signal is not recommended. The result would be improperly terminated which would cause ghosting and other problems in the video. The proper way is to feed the signal into a video distribution amplifier.

Nevertheless, it is a fact of life with analog. That's why analog interlaced cameras work best with analog interlaced monitors. The 1/60th second delay between fields is partially compensated for by the 1/60th delay between the scanning fields of a CRT display.

Not at all. 480 lines is 480 lines. It doesn't matter if there is a 1/60th second delay between the even and the odd lines (interlaced) or not. there are still 480 individual lines of information. What you are saying is that the information in successive fields is the same. It is not, even in a static image. By your definition, there is only 240 lines of information in each frame; each repeated once. That is not the case. The sensor chip of an analog delivers 480 (actually 494) independent lines of data. With interlacing, the camera delivers the odd lines on one field and the other even lines in the next field. The two fields combine to form one 480-line frame. A non-interlaced, or progressive scan camera delivers all 480 lines sequentially. The two technologies deliver the same number of lines (480) of distinctly different data; usually at the same number of frames (30) per second.

Why is that? If looking at a static, unmoving object, there should be no difference between an interlaced and a noninterlaced picture of the same resolution. When motion is introduced, that is where you would see a difference since there would be different data on successive fields.

It shouldn't. 4CIF is 640x480 (307k pixels), while analog color is 768x494 (380k pixels). Megapixel resolution should be at least 1024x768 (3/4 megapixel) or 1280x1024 (1-1/4 megapixel). Anything less wouldn't really take advantage of all of the pixels.

Pelco makes the Exsite explosion-proof camera and positioning systems. See here: http://www.pelco.com/products/default.aspx?id=470 They also make the EHX*E explosion-proof enclosures for fixed cameras. See here: http://www.pelco.com/products/default.aspx?id=158

Are you sure the matrix is terminated? To check this, connect a cable to a matrix input that is having the problem (with nothing else in the loop) and check across the cable with an ohmmeter. You should measure 75 ohms. If it measures much higher, the matrix input isn't terminated. I've seen this on Pelco 97xx matrices because Pelco usually ships them all set as looping from the factory. You have to pull out the VCC card and remove the I/O card from the rear of the bay and change jumpers on the last bay in a downframe to terminate position. I'm not sure about the 6800 but you should still check the inputs with an ohmmeter.

Flambeau makes an excellent assortment of products for carrying small parts, etc. I have used one for years and wouldn't "part" with it for the world. Find them at http://www.flambeaucases.com/toolboxes/tool_boxes.html#drcab

That's exactly my point. The Intellex is between the active receiver and matrix, yet it has to be left terminated... If not, the images would look white washed... I think you have it backwards. The rule of thumb is if you have no termination anywhere in the chain, the images will look washed out. But if you have two or more devices in the chain terminated, the images will look dark. The more terminations in the chain, the darker the images will be.

The Dallmeier Cam_inPIX line are among the best analog WDR cameras that I have seen. Look at http://www.dallmeier-electronic.com/en/products-electronic/cameras.html, but even they leave something to be desired. I've seen screenshots of some IP cameras that seem to be far superior, but have yet to audition any. I plan to try Arecont's in the near future.

Not weird, normal. The last device in the chain should always be terminated. Everything else should not. If the last device is unterminated and you terminate something in between, the picture will improve but it won't be proper.

They look ecactly the same as the Samsung / GVI VB59: versus videobaluns.com BL3265: We have used them and they work very well.

Pelco recommends a good furniture wax that is safe for acrylics to clean their domes. That might also help prevent water spotting.

I seriously doubt static electricity would affect a passive balun. It's just basically a coil of wire - no active components.

It's pretty tough to burn a balun unless you apply relatively high power to it.

We are 100% WD. That's well over 700 "RE" (raid edition) drives. Unfortunately, you can't use the RE's in stand-alone DVR's. We are 100% WD in part because we have found them to be quite reliable (we have less than 1% failure after the first 30 days), but primarily because their customer support is far better than anyone else in the industry. They have even sent engineers to our site when we had compatibility issues with our RAIDs.

According to Blue Jeans cable (http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/inwallrating.htm),: "Running Signal and Power Together There are two good reasons not to run signal-carrying cables and power lines in a conduit or other enclosure together. The first is, simply, that it's a great way to get a lot of EMI into your signal chain. The second is, as you've probably guessed by now, that it's against NEC requirements. Video and audio cables may be run in raceways with one another, but NEC prohibits running video in the same "raceway, compartment, outlet box, junction box, or other enclosure[]" with power circuits, NEC 820.52(A)(1)(b), with minor exceptions, and prohibits running audio in the same "cable, cable tray, compartment, enclosure, manhole, outlet box, device box, raceway, or similar fitting" with power circuits, NEC 725.55(A), unless separated by a barrier. Coaxial cable is required to be separated by two inches from power cable, unless either it or the power cable is enclosed in a raceway or they are separated by a "continuous and firmly fixed nonconductor," NEC 820.52(A)(2)."