IPSecurityPro

Guys - the Sony product is OEM's from - guess who - ONSSI - which is OEM'd from - guess who - Milestone. All the same product/flavor with minor differences. SNC-RZ30Ns are one of the best all around PTZ IP cameras out there, but yoiu are correct - I would recommend and IR illuminator for night.

I'm sure you can reference some articles directly from these agenceies, as well... http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=25675 I can reference specific articles that recommend against other browsers, but it is a mute point - there are such things as patches and updates/fixes and there can be vulnerabilities in anything on the web - especially when it is the most widely utilized.

No financial gain. Wow you are too altruistic. I do not disagree with some of your points of view, but you are far off base with others. Others - I simply do not understand, as I am just a common user and not a programmer or "Engineer". Again - as most consumers - I just know what works and tend to utilize what gives me the least troubles. I'd rather reach 95% of the browsers/users out there than reach 100% and have nothing but headaches, support tickets and troubles. Good luck with your endeavor, hopefully there will be some "...financial gain..." at some point.

Again - opinions of a competitor! ActiveX is not dying!

My point exactly. It is done right in an IE browser and this is not the fastest or easiest way. It is the most efficient and practical way, at this point, as this is the most common browser most of the world uses. There are cetrain "issues" with being cross-browser compatibe that go beyond what has been stated.

Again - let me reiterate - your opinions are skewed, as you are developing a competing product. Nothing is wrong with this - that is the beauty of Capitalism. I truly wish you and your company the best of luck! There are inherrent problems with trying to make the application cross-browser compatible that are beyond "coding to standards". Your application will have its' flaws, as well and will go through the processes to work out the "bugs". By the way - I like your website. Good luck!

WirelessEye - Again - I am just a commoner and not as skilled as you. I just know when something works. Being a layperson and being able to install IP Security software and get multiple IP cameras up and running, recording on motion and recording on a schedule, etc. - tells me that it is good software. Whether - in your professional opinion - it is "...very poorly written..." or not - is of little consequenct if it works and performs well. Anyone starting up a new venture and "...currently writing our own software, (it's about 70% done)..." is apt to have opinions that are skewed. Sigh. The browser is not meant to be cross-browser compatible. They have "light" support for other browsers, but it is intended to work in IE on a Windows platform. That is how it was architected and you will see the issues you encounter trying to support multiple platforms. I can not answer each of your points about what it doesn't do - as, again, I am a simpleton - I just know what WORKS. Each different software vendor out there has certain pluses and minuses to their softare and anyone doing their research will realize this. Sounds like you will make a mint in about 30 more percent with your open source perfect product. Thank you for educating me!

I totally disagree with your comment. You are not very well informed. Check this out: http://www.d3data.net:86 and use a username of demo and a password of demo and tell me this is bloated. This is their "new" browser-based interface that is in development. What is bloated or poorly coded. I am not an Engineer, but would like your feedback on what you think is bad?

XXX - H.264 and MPEG-4 are the same. See the chart and text in the following link: http://www.envivio.com/products/h264.html H.263 is different from MPEG-4.

Yeah, but any decent idea can work with enough money dumped behind it and enough marketing. They do have some participating Central Stations, but when another "open" solution comes out they will lose the market share they have been trying to gain. We shall see.

XXX - OzVision is another example of Proprietary - in my opinion - you have to use their equipment to accomplish the task. It is definitely not the only option out there. Yes I know of a few products that could be OEM or Distributed or re-sold. Look forward to speaking with you. You could re-sell an existing hosted service where an IP camera is put into a location (small, residential or retail) and the images are FTP to a data center or Monitoring Station (off-site - obviously) and stored remotely. The customer access these images via a browser and gets X amount of storage for a monthly fee (recurring revenue model). Simple, easy to administrate and effect. Accomplish the goal for the consumer and is low cost for the individual/small business. You could even package the bandwidth sale and "lease" the cameras or have a year or two "ownership" clause built into the customer agreement. And on and on... It does exist...but is not "effective", yet.

You integrate your DVR with Dedicated Micros DVIP and then speak to me. Only three companies have gotten an SDK for DMs DVRs prior to the DVIP. This is what you call PROPRIETARY. And there is a HUGE difference between a network VIEWER and a network based application. I've managed many examples, but you haven't been open minded enough to truly "listen". As I have said NUMEROUS times - DVRs have their place and application - and always will, in my humble opinion - but, NVRs have their place, as well and are gaining true market share daily. Just wait until the 1st mass marketed approach hits the streets on a National level (in the United States) and you may see the differences between IP devices and your DVRs.

One more point. Bosch - for example - has an auto-track feature on their analog cameras that is built into their firmware that works with their Bosch cameras. DVR modules (like auto PTZ or object tracking or facial recognition) usually work with specific cameras (usually the Manufacturers own) not all cameras on the market. IP Security Video Software is open and non-proprietary, in nature and works with all IP cameras and CCTV cameras. Granted, not all software is non-proprietary - some companies sell their own encoder/decoders, servers and cameras. Others just sell software that suppors all of the Manufacturers products. This is powerful to not be in bed with ONE specific Manufacturer and be a network device that can interface with any IP device on any network. Anyway....you get the point.

Tom, 1.) Very good points and definitely something to consider and stay abreast of and keep educated on. 2.) Yes, very true and this is a problem. It will improve in the future and, currently no software ISV or ADP pushes out the firmware, but this will transpire in the future. 3.) Most high-end IP cameras have both a network connection and a BNC to go out to a DVR or time-lapse, etc. - also. (Sony SNC-CS3N, for example, but there are many others) - so this is the same point that you made. 4.) IP Camera Manufacturers will support IPv6 when it becomes prevalent - this is still early. 5.) Everything is a work in progress. IT are early adopters of the technology. It is difficult to train "security guys" (LIKE MYSELF), but they are coming along. I am from the "old school" security industry - and I am NOT a tech guy - but, I see the advancing technology and opportunities. Hybrid installations are the most prevalent and will be for some time to come, but I can name about 30 installation that are entirely IP.....that I've dealt with in just the past month - from banks to Hospitals to School Districts to the Army. It's is a wave that is building! DVR_Expert_Australia, Is a cost of $1200-1500.00 (US) per (10) cameras that expensive. Most packages are in this range. (or $120-150.00 per channel as you DVR guys say ) "More functionality and inherrent intelligence" - how you ask... ...by putting a lot more of the computing at the camera level you are freeing up your server to do different more intensive processing. IP Cameras will improve and will offer facial recognition features (in the future), auto-PTZ and object tracking, etc. - freeing up the server to perform pre and post processing like querying a database of the faces, etc. The more that is done at the camera level - the more power the NVR (or DVR) will have. The IP Cameras and NVR system becom true IP devices on a network and are remotely configurable, manageable, etc. No need to clip and paste and say DVRs do this too. We know, but can they do it through IE in one common interface/browser - NO - it is usually a remote dial-in module...not an integrated solution. Software thrown on a PC/server and sold as a "black box" is now a DVR. We are on the same page, yet have different opinions.

A DVR, by nature is a closed-down - proprietary system. An NVR - by nature gets past all of this. You can not buy a Honeywell DVR and support an IQinVision Megapixel camera. This is simply ONE of my points. Yeah - you can support any CCTV Camera great...but, that is not the intent of my point. If your network crashes the cameras have buffers and the software has multiple buffers, as well. You get pre-crashing events. If your DVR crashes the same thing happens. They are running an OS, as well and are computers that are prone to potential difficulties. The IP Camera sellers you are speaking of are not fair to the end-user and this is a shame. Yes they do state the power of IP cameras, but need to speak directly of bandwidth. Coax is, by no means, perfect either - I know that you realize this. I didn't say there was no difference between an analogue system and a web server - I was saying that if you take any CCTV camera and connect it to a video server that there is no difference between THAT and an IP/Network camera. You take software and put it onto a computer and it IS A DVR. Software on a server, resident on the NETWORK IS A NVR. There are many powers, tools and abilities that a DVR can NOT accomplish - if it can - it is NOW AN NVR! Thank you for the debate and feedback/input.

We communicate on two different pages and you misinterpret my responses and perspective. I am simply a proponent of the feature rich options such as Palm and Pocket PC viewing of live and recorded data - integration with building controls, HVAC, lighting, security systems and any other IP device or appliance - directional motion and object tracking - integration with biometric devices - object analysis (pre and post alarm) - etc., etc., etc. - all through one COMMON browser based interface. DVRs are the right fit for certain applications. IP/Network Cameras and video servers for others. Like I said it is not hype, but is always improving and will continue to do so. It's good you are keeping a watchful eye. Answers to your questions: 1.) I am not with an IP camera company. I work for a software company. We have relationships with IP camera Manufacturers and video server manufacturers and everyone in the IP/Network space, but are non-proprietary. Open source and environment is where it is at! 2.) Networks do not "just" go down - if this is a concern design and implement the system properly to have contingencies for this (parallel network, etc.). 3.) There is no differnce - I never said there was. 4.) Don't flood the network. You are posing question that are ludicrous. You don't just SLAM up a CCTV camera and SLAM in a DVR do you? You don't do this when designing and installing a IP-based system either. Let's agree to disagree, as you are misunderstanding the vast majority of my points.

I have been working with a few high profile United States Central Stations to have certain Remote Verification products deployed for alarm verification and have yet to sign and agreement. Educating companies and individuals is the difficulty in this section of the industry. DSL can work, but is obviously not ideal. Dependent upon what you are trying to accomplish. You may just want to install a single camera or two and FTP images to a service at a remote location or you could do software onsite. Ideally it would be configured to send imgages on some external event, such as motion, etc. It would and could work and I could speak with you about all of the specifics and details.

DVR_Expert_Australia - Yes - if you saturate a network it can/will go down. It come down to the company designing the infrastructure - professional or fly by night? A Network Solution is hard-wired, as well and just as reliable. No - it is NOT the right solution in every applicaiton, but it does need to be considered and taken into account, as viable. Yes - I do agree with the fact that software can be more difficult to configure and administrate then a closed-down proprietary DVR. By webserver - I assume you are speaking of video servers and that we are on the same page. There IS too much mark-up in IP products, but that will drop and is dropping and will continue to fall. One question - can you sit down at a PC (with no software installed) and pull up a camera or multiview or sequencer of a system (via username and password in Internet Explorer) in an https environment and view these cameras. Can you PTZ these same cameras in that https environment from 20 separate Manufacturers and model numbers. I would say the answer is no. We disagree on points, yet agree on most other points. Vendors aside, both systems have inherrent power.

Software has come a long way and continues to improve daily. I have seen Wizards intuitive enough for novice users to interact with. Price is comparable to a DVR with more functionality and inherrent intelligence. Remote Verification of alarm signals and video monitoring is the power also. Software can easily integrate video servers and every current ISV or ADP of the major players (like Axis, Sony, Panasonic, IPIX, IQinVision, Acti, Vivotek, Toshiba, etc.) supports all of their video server models, as well as IP cameras so that you can cross pollinate systems and installations with multiple Manufacturer's products. Video Monitoring can easily be pushed in any country - no Central Station is doing it properly, however, they are using proprietary equipment and it is ridiculous with some of the technologies out there. A mint is there to be made from just a recurring revenue standpoint - just like the mass marketing progrmas in the alarm industry that spurred-up in the late 80s early 90s - yet, with the power to reduce false alarms to almost nil.

Rory - let me clarify further, I don't know of one DVR that can accomplish this utilizing many different Manufacturers products. Thank you for the information on the GE Kalatel. It just stinks that it is a proprietary solution though.

hehehe - Milestone is expensive - I agree.

D3Data's NETVM is the best I have seen. My details to your list of downfalls: 1.) Watchdogs can help "inform" you if/when this happens. Networks don't usually just go down though. If this system is designed professionally, then it will not just randomly go down. There are ways to design back-up contingency plans, as well. 2.) Most, if not almost all, Network/IP cameras compress - either MJPEG or MPEG-2/4, etc. The power is to "push" images upon motion (at the camera level" to limit your bandwidth useage. I agree with your bandwidth comment, but as codecs get better and cameras get smarter...this will onlyl get better. 3.) Very good point - so only keep the camera sending the high resolution images (like an IQEye, for example) only upon events (intelligent motion, hard-wired motion, door strikes, etc.). Or utilize a hybrid system of analog and digital to take advantage of each systems benefits and downfalls. Also - take into account - most "highly compressed video" is satisfactory for most applications. 4.) Great input/feedback and very true. Sony has impressive cameras and firmware keeps getting better and better. 5.) Yes - a video server is powerful and most IP camera manufacturers make video servers, as well. Sony does, Vivotek, Axis, etc. 6.) You get what you pay for is the old adage. Most professional DVR systems cost on a per channel basis - just like NVR software and high-end systems like NICE - can be upwards of $80,000.00 or more - easily for casino applications. I disagree with the "hype comment" - I feel the hype is justified and the technology, innovation and intelligence will only get better. It is practical and it is now. I agree - most jobs can not be done entirely IP - but some can and are appropriate for it. Great input - thanks!

Just HostedVideo.com - Service for a IP Camera-only installation in a residence or small business. Pretty cool service and web-based interface.

IP Cameras have come a long way and to truely utilize the power of their intelligence you need a true NVR solution - one that lives and resides on the network can be pulled up via any common web browser. For small installation - I know of a service: http://www.hostedvideo.com where you can install one or a few IP cameras and FTP images up to their data center for archiving. You view and access recorded data via a browser for a low monthly fee and all of your storage is off-site. Great for an individual, homeowner or small business w/one or two IP cameras. No software necessary - just a camera and router. You can even download the recorded data to a local PC via the internet. Definitely less that a DVR. Just a low monthly fee. DVRs are great in certain applications, but what if you want (or have the need) to pull together, in a multiview the front door of 9 franchise locatioins located across the United States. I don't know of a DVR that can accomplish this. D3Data can - in addition to being able to pull DVRs into the entire IP System as well. It just takes writing a new device driver. Wave of the future - any system can be designed properly and architected appropriately to function as well - if not better - than most DVRs without eating up too much bandwidth.

D3Data's software can easily accomplish this.... ...non-proprietary and entirely browser-based. Supports http, https and SSL Certificates. No client-side software for viewing live or archived data. Supports tons of IP Camera Manufacturers models and video servers, also. Built around the term "open" standards... ..check it out: http://www.d3data.com