GeoVision Hydrid DVR Cards

[rgbyhkr 0]

Is there any additional information on this new series of cards from GV? The info listed on GV's site (see here) is pretty scant. Based on this sentence:

 

"The new generation GV-DVR combines hardware and software compression into a single DVR."

 

It would appear that the "hybrid" functionality allows for processing normally done by the PC's CPU within the GV software to be offloaded onto the card itself. Any idea if this is accurate? Or is hybrid being used to describe a card that can handle both analog and IP based camera inputs? Any other major improvements with the new cards? Expected availability? Price?

 

Thanks in advance for any and all info.

 

Jeff

[rgbyhkr 0]

Well, I've asked around a few places and gotten some additional information about the upcoming Hybrid DVR cards from GV. Here's a reply from a GV distributor:

 

"1. Hardware compression card

 

It's expected to be ready with next version V7.0 together. Schedule is on March, 2005.

 

2. We now call version 6.2 as "V7.0" (still same software and only the name is different). Its new features list is mainly on supporting new hardware (USB keypro, Hybrid DVR, Keyboard) and few debugs on software. "

 

So, it looks like the main purpose of the Hybrid DVR card is to perform onboard compression that normally has to be done within the software. The card, along with version 7.0 of the GV software, should be available in March.

 

I also got a reply from a sales manager at GV when I inquired to them about the Hybrid cards. He sent me a pdf of the installation intructions for demo versions of the Hybrid DVR card (they have been demoing samples of the card at various industry events). Here's a few other things I gathered about the card from that pdf:

 

- The Hybrid card has 4 audio inputs

 

- Each Hybrid card supports up to 4 cameras (I'm guessing that's the per card limit for it's compression capabilities) at a maximum 720x480 30fps (NTSC) per camera

 

- You can add up to 4 Hybrid cards per system

 

- The Hybrid cards daisy chain from a main card (the pdf showed the GV 800 and mentioned that additional compatibility with other cards - assumingly the 900 and 1000 - would follow) via ribbon cables.

 

- Each Hybrid card requires it's own PCI slot

 

I am still a little confused about the card's main purpose, though. What's the real world benefit of having the card do the compression? Is there some problem doing the compression within the software now as long your system specs are up to par or is the process just slow within the software realm? What am I missing?

 

Jeff

[rgbyhkr 0]

Well, I think I finally got down to the important details. After asking the GV sales manager for further clarification about the new Hybrid cards, here was his reply:

 

"As for your questions about our coming Hybrid card, it does not work on the LIVE view of the system, it only improves the RECORDING side, the advantages are as below:

 

Recording video image size increase: 720 x 480 in 30 fps, (usually only support 30 fps in 320 x 240 size)

 

CPU usage reduced: 15 % to 25 % less

 

Video quality improvement: DVD quality

 

Audio function included

 

These are the four major benefits for our clients, we are still doing the final testing. But from the testing results so far, our hybrid card will be compatible with both GV 800 and GV 1000 systems with no problem. As you have noticed, a hybrid card supports up to 4 channels. The idea is, usually only certain camera channels would require high quality and large image size in a system. So if you would like to use it for a 16 camera system, 4 hybrid cards will be needed as you mentioned then we would suggest you to use the industrial PC."

 

So, it looks like I was overlooking the limitations that existed within software on the recording end. I guess the question now is how much more HDD space one would need to accommodate a system with a Hybrid card. I guess I also need to be looking into building a system that can accomodate Hybrid cards (free PCI slots) should I decide to add them later. Depending on price, I may start with one and perhaps add a second or third later. All in all, pretty interesting stuff.

 

Jeff

[squale 0]

what I don't understand is aren't the regular GV cards like the GV800 already doing compression on the board itself? I figured this is why the cards are so expensive because they are doing the video compression right on the card thus freeing up your cpu usage?

[Thomas 0]

Um no. Compression on the card is much more expensive. Generally most cards are using the CPU to compress video.

[squale 0]

than why are these geovision cards so expensive, what are they doing hardware wise that justifies their price?

 

I thought standalone DRV's compress video... so for instance take a look at this: DVMR/4 Economy from Intellicam here: http://www.intellicamusa.com/dvr-series.htm

 

You can get a 80gb model for $400 which is less than a Geovision card, and this DVR does do compression. So I just dont' get why the Geovision cards are so much, maybe I am missing something..

[CCTVINSTALLER 0]

Squale, we learnt its the software and features you're actually paying for, the free monthly updates and so on, the card probably costs $100 or so.

[squale 0]

yeah figured it was the software, but there are still chips on the card, what are these chips for? I thought these chips are the ones that actually retrieve the video and compress them?

[Thomas 0]

The chips do an analouge to digital conversion. There is some degree of compression that occurs at that level but it's not what you're looking at when you see the recorded files.

 

Mostly you're paying for the software. And tech support. And R and D. And generally at least one layer of markup.

[squale 0]

Okay, because you can pretty much get a 4 channel standalone DVR for not much more than the card, so I didn't understand why the card alone was that much money. I guess the card and software has many more features than the standalone systems do?

[squale 0]

When you are watching just live video through your cameras hooked into you Geovision card, this is NOT being recorded, so is this live video coming through UNcompressed AND in the full 30fps?

 

So when they are talking about the card having 120fps, is that ONLY for the recording end of things? or is that for the live viewing end as well?

 

yeah figured it was the software, but there are still chips on the card, what are these chips for? I thought these chips are the ones that actually retrieve the video and compress them?

[cctv_down_under 0]

Each chip represents the abilty to present or record 25FPS, you arent paying for the chips, they really are not that expensive, you are paying for the design of the software and the card, hardware onboard compression chips increase the prices considerably as these take the load from the cpu, you see the problem also is that you can only throw so much down the PCI bus, hence the 4 chips per pci bus.

 

if you are going to use hardware onboard compression, then you will need server stabdard boards, like true intel branded server boards, with fast bus speeds, the advantage of having the card do the compression is that it is compressed before hitting the bus, allowing for more room for data and therefore the ability to handle larger resolutions, in fact it would be almost accurate to say that to get full pal images at realtime over 16 cameras you would need hardware compression.

 

watch the price rise when geo brings these boards out!!, i would also be very surprised if it allows for more then one compression type

[Thomas 0]

PCI-E should clear that bottleneck, but the boards with it are pretty pricey. And as far as I can tell, no capture cards are being designed for it.