Single channel DVR

[Jim Barrett 0]

Good Day,

I'm new to the forum so I ask your forebearance.

I've reviewed past postings and not seen my question so here goes.

For a variety of reasons I sometimes find myself in need of a basic single channel DVR. I've been using an IDView and while the device works OK when I can finally cajole it into working there always seems to be some glitch that I have to fight. More importantly for the most part their tech support is inadequate.

Can anyone recommend a moderately priced single channle DVR?

Why is this such a difficult item to find?

Thanks for your help

[scorpion 0]

I find that a one channel DVR will cost the same as a 4 channel DVR.

 

The majority will pick the 4 channel so that they may upgrade, or get more value for the money.

 

One channels tend to be left on the shelf. If you were doing an inventory inspection on your business what would you sell?

 

One channels were popular back in the day as an easy way to convert a business away from a VCR. Later as you sold more cameras, then you could sell a multichannel DVR.

 

For the price of a DVR, and a multiplexor you may as well sell a multi channel DVR.

 

You will be surprised to find the multiplexors that I install are actually DVRs!! (AVC 760).

 

I hear your pain, and it is going to be harder to find those one channels!!

[Jim Barrett 0]

Thanks for your input. I understand the reasoning and do agree that the cost of a 4 channel can be the same as a single, however....there are folks out there that have , say, 3 or 4 cameras on a quad w/ the old non-functioning VCR & simply want a drop in replacement. Or, those customers who, when we started, swore up and down they would never need to record and rejected anything that implied a recorder and now need a recorder. And of course there are those who buy &/or have installed cheap all in-one-units and when the built in recorder dies they want to replace that device only.

Absolutely, they don't have the time or money to do it right but they do have the time & money to do it over.

In my present application/need I have a residence w/ 4 cameras & a quad. The quad is located in the basement w/ monitor output run upstairs to the family TV. Now they want to record & it would be handy to have the recorder upstairs by the TV. The concept of extending those four camera lines upstairs doesn't bear thinking about and the alternative is replacing the basement equipment & installing an IR/remote control link from upstairs to downstairs. Workable but not an elegant solution.

And...some folks, if you put one camera on a quad & they somehow get it into some mode other than "chan 1 full screen" they call and complain that the thing is busted or they can't figure out how to get it back the way it was or "this stuff is a piece of s**t, it don't work right".

I don't generally plan systems w/ upsells in mind. I explain the options to the customer and if they aren't reasonable about doing it my way(or some reasonable variation thereof I bid them adieu & let them put their cheap, weird stuff in. Then when it's time to unscrew the inscrutable they find themselves rotating in the wind. That's when I come back & sell them what they should have had in the first place. When they comment that it was an expensive lesson I simply agree with them and turn back to my work. At least my assistant (who is also my son), has gotten me out of the practice of telling the customer that they know so little about the process that they aren't qualified to have an opinion. Now I mostly just shake my head and say "hmmmmm".

If the customer was always right they wouldn't need us but I guess it's not really polite to tell them that all the opinions in the world won't get the stuff hooked up properly.

[scorpion 0]

You are going to get mad at me!! LOL!

 

I agree 100% with you. I use a 4 channel hooked up from a multiplexor, and then I loop out 1 to channel 2,and loop channel 2 to 3, and so forth.

 

I new you would laugh at me!! Funny the "tricks" we have to come up with in a budget world!!

[Jim Barrett 0]

What does that do to your retention time? When you leave empty ports on a DVR/Multiplexer don't most of them record the blank channel? If you provide four inputs of the same video don't you record the same image 4 times?

I had one a while back (16 chan Mux/DVR, 12 cams) that had an EZ record function (essentially DVR for Dummies) that sensed empty ports and recorded only those w/ a signal. If you manually set the device up there appeared to be no way to turn off the unused ports.

I no longer ask why they do silly things, I just accept it and try to figure out how to make it work for me.

I stopped at the local clearance store & bought a cheap $29.99 300 line camera & I've got a 400 line camera & I'll find a couple of higher resolution cams & make a recording, all the same scene, w/ people in it & everything and then record it to DVD in quad. Then when people ask how come they have to pay more money for a decent camera I can let them see for themselves that they will get what they pay for.

I like to do the work but I don't like doing it multiple times. On the other hand...when they pay enough for it I can put up with a certain amount of foolishness.