Rookie dvr system questions about av761 and more....

[mrreddog 0]

hi,my name is Rodger, im great with electronics and wiring etc. but a rookie at dvrs. i have a lot of questions,

sorry, but Ive been researching the forums and cant find specific

answers. i would like a cheap dvr with halfway decent cams to make the best combo i can.

i have a living room at the rear of the house so we never hear cars coming up the driveway

so i would like to be able to view on main tv with a flick of the tv remote(input select) also

from the internet as im always at computer, it would also be used for surveillance while were

at work or gone from my blackberry. i have been looking at the avtech 761 because its cheap(friend

has one for $150) will it do all my needs? the cams i was thinking would be G4-HPV540 High Definition

IR Camera that is color by day,b/w at night. or is this cam overkill for the 761? i also have

other specific questions too,i know im asking a lot but im just learning about this security stuff.

 

1. is Web Transmitting / Compression Format =Motion JPEG ,bad? or is H.264 much better?

is there a delay with the Motion JPEG?

 

2. 761 uses ide hard drive, is that a big deal vs sata?

 

3. is Video Server E crappy? can 761 use Video Viewer or better? whats the difference?

 

4. what would i use MJPEG or MPEG4? i need internet,tv,blackberry viewing.

 

5. whats better frame or cif ? why?

 

im sure i will have more ? but these answers will get me off on the right foot,thanks to all that reply, Rodger..

[scorpion 0]

1. is Web Transmitting / Compression Format =Motion JPEG ,bad? or is H.264 much better?

is there a delay with the Motion JPEG?

JPEG is going to be a bit grainy. Mpeg is going to be better. H.264 is not available on the 761.

H.264 is better over the internet, but entry level DVRs will struggle with H.264 if they have cheaper chipset. H.264 is video intensive, and you will want quality chipsets.

 

2. 761 uses ide hard drive, is that a big deal vs sata?

It will not matter if you use IDE. IDE may be more expensive. You can also try a SATA to IDE converter. Check the supply of IDE in your area with computer shops to see if they stock them.

 

3. is Video Server E crappy? can 761 use Video Viewer or better? whats the difference?

Video Server S was made for JPEG, Video Server E was made for MPEG, and Video viewer was made for H.264, and made backwards compatable for Video Server E machines. You can use either. Which do you prefer? I like Video Viewer better.

[scorpion 0]

4. what would i use MJPEG or MPEG4? i need internet,tv,blackberry viewing.

 

This would be determined by your hard drive size. If you have a large hard drive then use MPEG. If you have a small size hard drive such as 80GB then you will only get 4 days of recording. If you want more days then use smaller FPS to stretch out your recording time.

 

5. whats better frame or cif ? why?

 

The answer is both are better. Think of it like two tools. Each tool solves a problem. Frame will give you a better recorded picture. If you have a small hard drive then you will soon be recording over your oldest video if you have it set for overwrite. If you have a large hard drive then it does not matter.

Cif is to save space on your $400.00 hard drive (prices have come down, and this is no longer an issue).

I would say use frame.

[scorpion 0]

i would like to be able to view on main tv with a flick of the tv remote(input select)

 

The question is how are you going to get the video back to the TV? Do you have a single storly house with an attic where you can run another video cable to the TVs? If yes then use a dist amp on the monitor out of the DVR to your TVs.

 

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103065&cp=&sr=1&origkw=composite+distribution&kw=composite+distribution&parentPage=search

 

IR Camera that is color by day,b/w at night. or is this cam overkill for the 761?

 

http://scorpiontheater.com/irlab.aspx

 

http://scorpiontheater.com/troubleshooting.aspx

[mrreddog 0]

thanks for the reply, so what do you think about the actech761 ?? with those 520 day/night cams??

[scorpion 0]

I cannot answer this question. I would say great!

 

DVRs are selected by level of threat (security) and budget. I would not want to put an entry level DVR in to a bank. By the same token I would not want to spend $12,000 on a DVR for my house. If you selected this DVR based on your budget, and the machine is an excellant condition then you have made a fine choice. If you have more to spend then you have more options to play with.

 

I like the AVTech DVRs as they have video loop outs, and the menu is easy to teach others how to use.

 

The server that is built in to the IDE version machines leave a lot to be desired. The SATA version is much improved.

 

What kind of hard drive does your DVR have?

 

Did you buy it used?

[mrreddog 0]

it has 500 g hd thinking about buying it from friend new for $150 im thinking i will use as a learning unit than upgrade later if needed..

[scorpion 0]

Sounds good for the price. I would say that you will be very happy with it!

[mrreddog 0]

yes i have single story house,and i was thinking just as u described for signal to tv....

also does this 761 do D-1? i dont think it does? isnt D-1 like 704x480 or something?? i think the 761 is 352 × 240 in cif mode?? thanks for the help,im learning.

[mrreddog 0]

so is this correct- Frame: 720 × 480 pixels with 30 IPS = clearest,but not fluid movement(like stop motion) and then-CIF: 352 × 240 pixels with 120 IPS= more fluid video,but less clarity.?? or do i have this all wrong? this is 4 channel, so frame would be 7.5 ips per ch. and cif would be 30 ips per ch.is that correct??

[mrreddog 0]

well the good news is i think i have most of this figured out....the bad news,i realize i am wrong on my thoughts posted above and still struggling with ips,fps,d-1,cif,4cif etc. i understand everything else about these dvr's but speeds and frame rates,i have logged more research time in the last 14 days than i have for the last 2 or 3 months...ok back to more reading...