VST_Man

check connections and cable layout..............skeep cables away from power lines.1 ft. parrell and 90 degrees if passing over. need more info.......cable type, connector type, camera

agree with all...............codecs are getting better but the final product is in the equipment used to transmit that quality. software development has been ahead of the hardware and some manufactures are running that nifty codec ontop of older hardware which is like putting a race engine inside a junker...it's still a junker.

stay away from Mace.....................and yesy there are other camera's out there under 100 that work fine for your app. I can hook ya up with the IR bullets I use; super, IR, 12vdc. no bells or whistles but they work. Mace? I put them on the same level as eclipse equipment. one step above Sams in quality. Everything I ever tried from them ended up dead or less than able to handle. I've tried the same camera's mentioned and they both had problems out of the box. i have a PTZ from them that is in Idaho and freezes quickly even though the heater fan is supposed to keep it cozy. Tech support or RMA support? nothing but bad on that also as I always got my credit card info passed no problems but seemed to had to call them 10000 times to get a RMA extablished. my experiences were back when Mace was acquiring......so things may have changed but I am not willing to live that situation again as I would have to hire someone to remain on thier butt.......just my opinion!!! PM me for the WEB site/supplier I use for the cams. I don't make anything over this just incase that is questioned here. I usually push expensive cams on clients that require that level of camera. Home owners are fine with cheaper bullets/specs based on financial restraints...not everyone can afford a 500 dollar camera.

what kind of video baluns are you using? I'd put money on the Balun's first and then camera second. Most people purchase cheap Balun's and get what they pay for.

hype...... - facial and license plate recongnition.....cpu advances have blown the doors down on how much n fast. computers that think, compare, and decide will become affordable & common. - computer based DVR's will be handling multiple camera's at higher resolutions with ease.....the Company that can spin up the software to do more will do well. - oh, and Rory being cast in Donald Trumps "Apprentice". - later this year..... a line up of standalone DVR's will flood the market backed by the new C2D's and new video codec that abuses that power

Just build my first this weekend and it screams compared to a P4 3.6Ghz. I'm running VJ120 with 21 camera's at 640x480, VI IP Server with 3 camera's, Logmein, APC software, SQL Server, ect and it ran at approx. 70% with no live view..live view pushed it higher, and when viewers were on the Server it worked even harder. C2D ran no higher than 45% no matter what the Server was doing...and that was at stock settings. I OC'd it to 2.8 via asus P5BDeluxe and it dropped to 30% and at 3.6 it was at 25%. I'm not into OC'n but since it was easy to do I just tried it and it worked no problems. Temps? 3.6 always was hot............55 on up. C2D has not gone over 45 yet.........room temp is 70ish. Very nice build. Even recommend OC'n based on C2D's overall stability/reviews, but, since the Server is already happy at stock I won't OC it. Gamers most likely OC it and then some. Cons: pricey but worth every penny. Intel blew away AMD with this one and the future of software is once again wide open for bigger and better programs. I hope to see a CPU per camera on a single chip one day............quads are already here. I've seen some reviews on Vista and how it is CPU hungry........it will be fun to see how C2D handles the OS.

take a look at the new mini 10x PTZ's. they are both flat dome type mount and also on a wall mount. nice thing is that they are smaller than a normal PTZ housing and also look better on the house. and, do you really need a 22x or higher PTZ? 10x fits almost all my needs..and installs to date..........and the price is affordable

I sub my cable pulling labor out and provide the cable. Usually I pay 85-100 per run pulled. Best part is I don't have to do it. oh, the issue on the cleaning up of cables at the DVR? If I install I clean-up, makes sense and your client chould not have to ask. Maybe I missed something but if you install and then expect more to clean-up your going to go out of biz. If it is someone else's mess, then basically tell them T&M at $75 an hour.................and 9 times out of 10 you won't have to do it. I won't touch someone else's mess unless I get paid as it always ends up being more workie, parts, and no fun. I'm not in biz to kiss butt, I install and maintain. I actually used to provide more upfront for free but over time I got burned by clients that took advantage of me and never gave me biz. Now I act too busy until they write a check. My challenge now is to get my neighbor's off my back for free or "at cost" services. I actually had several neighbor's tell me that I could use them to test my equipment? huh?

you should water proof..............the below is great stuff. http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/item/COS-1/search/COAX_SEAL_.html

right click on desktop, properties, advanced settings, troubleshoot, and set the accellerator back until it clears up................

use ptc on a client and a regular for testing............testing allows you to manually change fuse and toggle on/off when you want without turning the whole ps off. ptc's are no prob so far

buy a NEW 10x mini PTZ.they are pretty nice and NOT overly expensive why all the work?

adjust the gain lower wich will reduce the grainyness of it but it will also reduce the britness of it.

check your fan....is this a new or used? if used, take off the case cover and blow it clean with a air compressor. if that don't work it's sound like electrical and the only way to find that is to leave cover off and use a long handled wooden, WOODEN, chop stick type device to touch different devices inside the unit as you listen to the end of the wood stick. I know, sounds funny but it works.old mechanics trick that I used often to find noisy electronic "parts" the buzz will get louder as you get closer to the source. make sure you don't wear rings and necklaces as they can make your day exciting. if your not comfortable with the electronis side of this you'll need to have it looked at.

BEFORE you buy.........look for the simple things as Griff stated above. Video "noise" ca be caused from many sources.

...........just as a note. I have yet to find a DVR that is not fan noisy. a room, like a bedroom, is very quite.........and the fan is heard. I've found the newer PC's with fan control are best for bedrooms, ect. as you can barely hear them..what?

why not use emt electrical conduit and a armor dome? I rarely hide camera's because I want to intruders to see the camera's. I feel that a "picture" is worth a thousand words. Crooks don't like camera's! Covert is designed, in my opinion, to observe problem areas. Covert can also be used to make a home look not so prison like.

??? all DVR's and PC based can be set/configured to power on to the camera's live view & recording. Noiw if your looking for software to monitor your DVR's for camera outages or Server outages then check into videoinsight's Health Monitor. http://www.video-insight.com

Has anyone dealt with this "new" Insurance requirement yet? I just got a contract for a 32 camera ssytem in a new Holiday Inn under construction and one of the requirements was to provide off-site video recording. Now I know your asking yourself, "how did I get the contract if I'm asking about this"......the requirement is not in the contract, it is a offer by the Insurance Company to reduce the Insurance payments by x% if off-site video recording is used. My client wants me to do this. Yes I can do this and yes I've done it before..only not via a Insurance requirement. I'm meeting with the insurance provider to get the facts as the client is only telling me what he heard......the discount part. A 32 camera system will need a huge path inorder to complete. I'm pretty sure that the cost for bandwidth is going to make the % saved look small, but the bandwidth is a write off aanyway so the decision is the clients. Any insite from those who have done this is appreciated.

One of the main reason's why I decided on Video Insight and the Windows platform it runs with is because VI's WEB viewer isolates the viewer to only viewing. The client software allows much more control, and using remote admin software like logmein does the final trick. Most of my clients want to view and review only and therefore only need that capability. When I have a client that needs to go further it's ok by me as they normally are technically minded and can handle it. There are 3rd party software add on's that you can use to lock down Windows.....good luck.

first thing that comes to my mind is called a diplexor (purchased at HomeDepot or Lowes)..................used to combine satellite and regular cable signals...........I used them once to combine both to tv & satellite......BUT, make sure you research the DC voltage side of satellite signalling BEFORE you connect/test your theories. Satellite cabling has a DC voltage induced on the cable that is used for controlling the LNB on the satellite dish. If you attempt to combine both withoput using a DC block you will blow something up in the process. There is most likely better tech stuff available now so research and post your results after you win. I'd like to know how it turns out.

take a look at the 10x mini PTZ. They are smaller and provide the same functions as a 18x or higher. I resell & install them and they hold up as good as the more expensive. I've also started playing with 900Mhz radio's that do the data control inplace of the wire...............neat thing is that it works and after you put in the system all you do is add onto it without the wires......just connect the transciever to the PTZ output and the other transciever to the PTZ input...........works great! Range? Piece of cake indoors, and if your looking for 20 - 30 miles it's done via directional antenna.

it's the seal and the condensation is moisture getting in somewhere......send it back. I seen it before, when I set up several camera's outdoors and 1or 2 condensate/fog. Why only 1 or 2? Hum.............maybe the camera's seal is not working as designed. the weatherproffing requirement for these camera's is a design requirement and not test very well. ie. has to have rubber seals but do they really test them? Nope! Like I stated, I see alot of bad seals in camera's. What I normally do is install the outdoor camera's FIRST and if any fog up I swap them out with the indoor if possible. My last 32 camera job I went thru 4 swappings before I finally got the right camera outdoors. It's not worth my money to send it back unless necessary.........If I can use it indoors anyway with no issues. To confirm my theory I can also toss in that the fog/condensation gets worse with rainy weather............ just my opinion

I have no info yet but I will do what is required if paid to. My guess is that the insurance company might have that answer since they are offering it up? My recommendation to my client right now is to wait til all the cards on on the table.........and then if we can get away with it I will recommend having only a few camera's do the off-site vice all. ie. have the Server room, doors, ect. routed off-site. I'm not to sure abput what my client stated and what I know.......seems a bit out there for an insurance company to require a off-site video system without actually costing out that cost against any savings for the owners....................the ratio has to be way to far out there for the insurance company to cut the price and save the client money. I think they are concerned that anyone from the inside can comit the crime and kill the video to cover up? But if they know off site is being used all they have to do is pull the plug................

replies are posted as the person visits the forum.........messenger is a no go for this jar head and I always use remove messenger tool to wipe it from my pc's as it is a security hole..................just my opinion.