setup for simply viewing 4 cameras advice please

[silsaus 0]

hi guys

i have had a bit of a read of the forums and based on this have thought of a system that will do hopefully what i want but i just thought i would check to see if you guys have any better ideas or ways to make it cheaper etc. if anyone can have a read and tell me what they think i would really appreciate it.

 

all i want to do is be able to view 4 cameras live, recording is i suppose a handy extra that could be useful later but is not necessary right now. i already have the four cameras with the rca outputs so what i am proposing doing is buying a cheap no name dvr i found on ebay with this title i cannot post a link:

 

4CH Digital Video Recorder DVR CCTV Network USB Backup

 

 

as well as some rca cables to go to the cameras and a

CCTV Composite Video AV to VGA Converter/ BNC to VGA .

 

then i will just hook this up to a cheap computer monitor. i know i will lose some quality converting to vga but hopefully i will still be able to make out fairly well the picture in all four cameras at once.

 

 

so i am just after some feedback does this setup seem like a good idea? are there any tips or pieces of advice you guys are able to share with me or any cheaper ways you know of to achieve what i want? that is being able to watch the four cameras i have live for as cheap a price as possible?

[scorpion 0]

If it were any cheaper, then it would be for free!

 

We as techs do not look for the cheap way as we get sued if there is a crime, and the video does not identify the criminal.

 

Perhaps you have what you need?

[silsaus 0]

hi scorpion

yeah thanks for the quick reply. i did think that due to most of you guys on here being professionals a system like this would not be what you would normally recommend or deal with but wasn't sure where else to ask.

 

i just really wanted to check that it would actually function and that i wasn't missing something which would cause it not to work. You are right about it being cheap, i want to spend as little as possible and this is the cheapest way that i could think of from reading on here.

 

thanks

[Soundy 1]

hi scorpion

yeah thanks for the quick reply. i did think that due to most of you guys on here being professionals a system like this would not be what you would normally recommend or deal with but wasn't sure where else to ask.

 

i just really wanted to check that it would actually function and that i wasn't missing something which would cause it not to work. You are right about it being cheap, i want to spend as little as possible and this is the cheapest way that i could think of from reading on here.

 

thanks

 

Actually, simple viewing of multiple cameras is something I deal with regularly. Our biggest business segment is fuel services (ie. gas stations), and they almost without fail want some cameras displayed stand-alone on a remote monitor... this is almost always done independent of the DVR or recording system.

 

You don't specify that you need to actually view these cameras on the computer, so: for cheap and simple, you can use a quad (if you want to view all the cameras in split-screen), or even just a switcher (to automatically toggle between cameras). Or you may be able to find a used multiplexor for cheap, as they're finding less and less use in this DVR-based business.

[rory 0]

just buy a 13" TV and forget about the PC LCD, you save some money and the live quality will be much better. On cheap Composite to VGA converters the quality is Horrible.

[silsaus 0]

ok thanks guys for the help. By the sounds of things i will be best to go for a tv, space is an issue though so it will probably be a small flat screen.

 

thanks again

[blackhole37 0]

It's always easier to go to a TV

[suky 0]

I guess this simply system is for home use, so I think a basic one will be fine:

 

MPEG4 is good for local storage;

4ch DVR will be fine;

Display/ record resolution: 120 fps is enough;

Operation system: Linux

 

Hope my suggestions are useful for you!

[thewireguys 3]

I guess this simply system is for home use, so I think a basic one will be fine:

 

MPEG4 is good for local storage;

4ch DVR will be fine;

Display/ record resolution: 120 fps is enough;

Operation system: Linux

 

Hope my suggestions are useful for you!

 

let me guess they should click on your link to tech support (which is a link to your store) and order one...... you guys just don't give up do you

[Soundy 1]

4ch DVR will be fine;

Display/ record resolution: 120 fps is enough;

 

"Enough"?? You can't GET more than 120 combined fps out of a four-channel system. NTSC = 30fps; 30x4 = 120.

 

/facepalm

[rory 0]

"Enough"?? You can't GET more than 120 combined fps out of a four-channel system. NTSC = 30fps; 30x4 = 120.

 

/facepalm

 

I saw a 4 channel DVR advertised on Alibaba with 480fps before .. i was like WHAT?! LOL

[ak357 0]

4ch DVR will be fine;

Display/ record resolution: 120 fps is enough;

 

"Enough"?? You can't GET more than 120 combined fps out of a four-channel system. NTSC = 30fps; 30x4 = 120.

 

/facepalm

 

Soundy I can easily prove to you that 2 X 2 = 5

I am not joking

[hardwired 0]

4ch DVR will be fine;

Display/ record resolution: 120 fps is enough;

 

"Enough"?? You can't GET more than 120 combined fps out of a four-channel system. NTSC = 30fps; 30x4 = 120.

 

/facepalm

 

Soundy I can easily prove to you that 2 X 2 = 5

I am not joking

 

That's an easy one.. They are selling a unit that records 480 fields per second.

 

You guys are the ones making unwarranted assumptions about what they meant by FPS. They were being perfectly honest

I'm waiting for the dvr with the OSD for camera resolution

[Soundy 1]

4ch DVR will be fine;

Display/ record resolution: 120 fps is enough;

 

"Enough"?? You can't GET more than 120 combined fps out of a four-channel system. NTSC = 30fps; 30x4 = 120.

 

/facepalm

 

Soundy I can easily prove to you that 2 X 2 = 5

I am not joking

 

That's an easy one.. They are selling a unit that records 480 fields per second.

 

You guys are the ones making unwarranted assumptions about what they meant by FPS. They were being perfectly honest

 

Ah yes, our bad!

 

I'm waiting for the dvr with the OSD for camera resolution

 

I don't need that, I have VLC!