Software, Software, SOFTWARE!

[LC475 0]

Hello, everyone! Please enjoy me telling you a long story of my life and then asking a question.

 

Once upon a time, I fixed a problem for a motel owner's PC-based DVR system. Then he decided I should advise him on what DVR system to buy for the next motel he wanted to DVR-ify. And install it. So I did. This second system has had various problems and just not been real stable and reliable, nor easy to use. All in all it has been a disappointment. Now, a couple years later, we're moving on to the third motel. I want it to turn out splendidly.

 

My criteria for the DVR software are:

 

1) Not be lousy -- good interface

2) Good internet remote access. Ideally, I'd like to be able to adjust recording quality/resolution and over-the-internet-sending quality/reslution independently. I know at least one software can do this, as I remember seeing it mentioned some web page a few weeks ago. Also, a good transmitting codec -- I'm thinking here of H.264 because I've had good experience with it.

2a) Audio that is actually usable while listening over the internet, as op pos ed t o ... ch...o...p...p...y ...be...y...o...nd... ...a..ll... ...ho...pe... of... ...us...a...b..i...l..it...y. It seems like this should be easy. Just send the video with some buffering mechanism, like Youtube or every other video watching service around. Wait for the buffer to get ahead of you (the bar to fill up), then you can watch whatever you want even over dialup, with perfect smoothness and quality, no choppiness. Can DVR software makers not figure this out? Perhaps some have and you guys could let me know which ones have.

2b) Very easy and intuitive to download and save video onto the remote computer. Everything for the customer intuitive and easy.

2c) I like the idea of LuxRiot that "all functions, without exceptions may be accessed both locally and remotely". Do other programs have that?

 

Anyway, I could go on and on. To cut myself short, the main way the customer uses these things (or wants to use them, if I could get it working beautifully for him) is to check in on what's going on (spy on the employees, figure out "where'd the missing money from the safe go", etc.) remotely over the internet. So nice internet access is a big priority.

 

Currently, the two existing systems are:

* a BlackBox.Net system from Netrome ( http://www.netromesystems.com/ -- out of business?). Card described as "Netrome SBB Device (AM7116 & PCI Bridge)" in Device Manager,

* a Korean system. The software is pretty private about its identity, but I found a clue to suggest it's "S2", whatever that means, and it saves things as VDB. I think it is one of these Conexent 878 generic cards.

 

Now I would love to replace the junky BlackBox and S2 software with whatever software is on the DVR we decide to use on motel #3, so all three motels can join hands in one Grand Unified Theory of motel surveillance.

 

So, my question: I am wondering, (like so many others), what is the most awesomely great software for my application? I have read through all the FAQ pages and some other threads, and it looks like maybe this LuxRiot is good, or maybe go1984, or... who knows! Plug your software! Be opinionated! The motel owner went to India and his cousin had a Geovision system and he was very impressed by it (how much better it was than his), so that's a prime candidate in my mind.

 

My second question: can I install some different software, like Geovision, on the two existing systems? I mean, can I buy the software and install it instead of the cludge softwares, or does a particular card only work with a particular software, meaning we need to buy whole new cards? Mostly, is anyone's software capable of working with the Netrome card? I think the generic one it sounds like I'll be able to find something for. Does Geovision work for generic cards?

[Soundy 1]

You left out one important criteria: price. How much are they willing to spend?

 

And an important piece of information if you want to reuse the existing PCs is, what are their specs? Processor, RAM and operating system will affect what software they'll support.

 

Personally, I'd suggest looking at Vigil: the software can be installed as an unrestricted 30-day demo, supports a number of IP cameras, will work with their own cards or several other chipsets (such as Hikvision and ComArt; doesn't support Conexant, and I don't think it does generic BT878), and has an excellent Windows-based remote client that's easy and painless for noobs to use once you set it up.

 

However, it's not among the cheaper end, so it's important to know what the budget is. In this business, you really do get what you pay for.

[LC475 0]

Price: $10,000 (not incl. installation) for a 16 camera system

 

PC 1, Netrome: 2.66Ghz Celeron, 512 MB RAM, 32-bit Vista

PC 2, Korea: 2.0Ghz Celeron, 512 MB, XP.

 

So yes, the PCs are low-end, I know. For a few grand, I could get some sweet i7 machines and stick a geovision card in each. But is Geovision a high-quality, top-end software? If not, what is? Also, understand that though I am not a DVR guy, I am a computer guy. I can change those OSes, upgrade those RAMs, no problem. So that is no barrier.

 

Note there are no IP cameras in any of this. Just non-IP, hooked to capture cards.

 

Talking to PalmVid, Mace (formerly Exxis), and others, I've found boxes for 2,000, 1,000, and even 700. But I want this system to be awesome, and ideally to switch the other two to the same awesome software. We're willing to spend money, the thing is you don't always get what you pay for if you don't know the field. Last time, by spending some extra money, all I ended up doing was... spending some extra money, more than I should have. I could've got a (probably) better system with a better warrantee for cheaper had I just gone for low price alone. That's why I need some advice from some men with experience in this area. Otherwise, I know nothing but my own limited research and what the salesmen tell me. Not a good position to be in.

[hardwired 0]

My thought is to use Exacq NVR software, with an IP encoder (Acti has worked well) to convert the analog cameras into it.

 

The processor load of Exacq is REALLY low, I've run it on some really substandard hardware.

 

You only need one channel license per encoder, no matter how many channels on the encoder, so that cost is low. You can get one channel free, as a demo.

 

You have the ability to add IP cameras later, as needed, on a per-camera basis, instead of having to buy a certain number of channels up front. It runs as a service, so stability is good. All management is through the remote client, and you can access the unit through a web interface with no plug-ins, for both live and playback.

 

And, you can view and manage multiple sites seamlessly in one window in the client software, and embed site maps with links to the cameras.

[LC475 0]

Looked up ACTi. Aha, they're hardware boxes, not a software. So, am I to understand that converting the RG59 cameras into IP cameras via some sort of hardware device like ACTi is the best bet for allowing me to pick and choose from a variety of software independent of hardware and find something great? The "analog" cards (the kind with BNC connectors) are only compatible with their specific software? Is that right?

 

Thanks,

LC475

[hardwired 0]

Exactly. A few DVR software packages support different cards (Vigil, Luxriot, and a few others), but the hardware requirements will probably require a complete hardware rebuild, whereas Exacq, especially, has a very low processor load because you are offloading the encoding work into the Acti (or other) encoder box.