stanzap

Installing surveillance systems is not my primary goal. But my clients have various DVR setups installed and as their IT consultant, it is my task to integrate them with their existing LAN's and my success has been limited (at best). I've dealt with embedded Pelco DVR's that require strange ActiveX controls and poorly written Java clients that lock up and crash the Windows machines that try to run them. Move from Windows 98 to to Windows XP and everything stops working until firmware updates are installed on the DVR. Upgrade again to Vista and everything quits working once again. I've run into AverMedia PC-Based DVR's that work great on the local machine, but refuse to transmit video to remote clients for no discernible reason. I've supported Samsung embedded DVR's that work great on the local machine, but again the IP client provides 1-2 FPS on the local subnet with no hint or reason why performance is so poor. I've encountered a few 'no-name' Chinese embedded DVR's that have zero support, no identifiable manufacturer and bundled software that simply won't even install, let alone provide any sort of remote viewing capability at all. I've fought with various flavours of 're-branded' RASPlus that blue-screen the machines they're installed on, and have zero documentation also. I ordered the above Hikvision card directly from the manufacturer and apparently I've received the Chinese version of the card. It's marketed as offering full Linux support but it doesn't really. Hikvision supplies pre-compiled binary (restricted) drivers, but of course won't release any source code to offer true Video4Linux support. Netvision DVR software is pretty good, but again, it's a proprietary windows only solution with no clear upgrade path to Vista. How can I implement remote viewing on a Linux client running Firefox? How can I view camera feeds on a PocketPC through a GSM connection if I can't install ActiveX controls? How about a PalmOS device? A Sony PSP? All of these devices offer web-browsing in their own way and proprietary solutions do not offer a true 'integrated and comprehensive' solution. What I'm really looking for is either an embedded DVR or a PCI DVR card that offers a plain-old port 80 HTTP interface with no proprietary oddities about it. Why can I get a $49 Linksys router with a web interface that supports any possible operating system for administration, but DVR's that run into the thousands of dollars STILL require dozens or hundreds of megabytes of software installed that 'sort-of' works, under limited conditions? I can download an open-source (free) ISO image of ZoneMinder, boot-up any old PC, plug in a handful of $15 USB webcams into it, and I have a fully functional, PC-based DVR with all the bells and whistles, no proprietary software, a fully functional web-based interface that runs in any environment, and a bunch of MPEG or OGG format videos recorded when motion is detected. But try to replace the $15 webcams with a quality hardware-based capture card and everything grinds to a halt. Sorry for the rant, but the last few weeks have been rather frustrating for me. If anyone can recommend a hardware/software solution that meets my needs I'm actively seeking your input! Stan Zapaticky

Well, my experience with HikVision has been mixed. They are quick to supply pre-compiled binary (proprietary) drivers but not too helpful in making their card work within Video4Linux specs. So when testing the XP software that shipped with the card (an old version of Unisight) it wouldn't even start and crashes upon opening. Interestingly the NetVision DVR software DOES seem to work, although there is translation issues as there is still lots of Chinese in it even though it's installed on a US English system. Will continue to explore other software solutions. Anyone have any recommendations? Stan Zapaticky

Total turn-around time has been under a week and Hikvision has helpfully compiled some binary drivers which load prooperly with Fedora 7. Card is not yet doing exactly what I want it to do (Video4Linux support) but sample code was also provided. My goal is to get this card working correctly with ZoneMinder and I shall continue to pursue 'proper' driver support from Hikvision! Stan Zapaticky

Client had a low-cost four channel DVR at their cottage and wanted to view it from the office. T1 or DSL with static IP was not an option nor in their budget - only high-speed service available was residential cable broadband. The Linksys RV042 VPN router as the remote (cottage)endpoint, a DynDNS account hard coded into the router, and the router listening for an incoming PPTP connection did the trick. RASplus works as expected at the office (bandwidth constraints of course), the DVR still thinks it's being accessed from the local subnet, and the client is now satisfied! Stan Zapaticky

Hikvision does offer Linux support on certain card models AND they have responded to emails in under 24 hours. So far so good! They DO support Fedora or Gentoo, but not Debian which is what I am more familiar with. More details to follow as I am currently installing Fedora 7! Stan

The sample card I have is a Hikvision DS-4008HC® Linux drivers available from their site are written for older kernels (cd shipped with only Win XP drivers) and I need one for 2.6.22-14 under Ubuntu Gutsy/Debian. I am curious how responsive Hikvision will be. Any one ever dealt directly with them? Stan

Google brought me to your forum archive. I purchased a Hikvision card which was bundled with some absolutely awful XP DVR software. So I'm exploring options on getting it working under Linux and meeting limited success at this point. Stan