dipshwich 0 Posted April 21, 2005 I'm just looking for a way to combine my outdoor camera with my computer and have motion sensor capability. The 4 channel 25 FPS cards that are swarming all over Ebay seem to be pretty cheap in price (and probably in quality as well), but, I'm thinking that since a television works at about 30 FPS, it should be fast enough. Just a simple thumbs up or down would be much appreciated...or is my thumb in my a** from lack of knowledge?? Thank You, and thank goodness for this great forum you have! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
G22 0 Posted April 21, 2005 I would never buy anything CCTV related off ebay IMO. I am sure some dealers will reply giving some advice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaysadeya 0 Posted April 21, 2005 I've had good luck buying used cameras on ebay. Never tried to buy any DVR-type hardware there though. However, if you can get something for a throw-away price, it's worth a shot. You'd also be able to report your experience on this forum and save others either some money or grief. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted April 22, 2005 only buy from Ebay if the user has an actual security store/online store, not just an ebay listing, otherwise, they may be pulling your leg on what the DVR/Gear can actually do. Research the product, if it has no name, forget it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fdan4817 0 Posted April 22, 2005 We recently researched a number companies selling DVR cards on eBay. Our findings were that most of them were selling either knock-off cards or cards that did not come with the genuine, original manufacturer's software. In such cases, if you have any problems you are likely on your own and may end up having to spend the money to buy something else. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ad123 0 Posted April 22, 2005 only buy from Ebay if the user has an actual security store/online store, not just an ebay listing, otherwise, they may be pulling your leg on what the DVR/Gear can actually do. Research the product, if it has no name, forget it. Sometimes, you can find these knock off cards from those who has a physical store and on-line store. Recently I have been offered a list of these cards at dirt cheap prices from a so-called "distributor". On the price list, there is a physical address and a web site. I recognized some of these cards and contacted the original manufacturer whom I know very well. I were told: this "distributor" is already taken to court and waiting for trial! Always buyer beware! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fdan4817 0 Posted April 22, 2005 Good point. We also discovered similar issues. One of the best things we found to do was ask if the product came in the original manufacturer's box and where would we get support/updates for the software. If they said we had to go through them and could not contact the original manafacturer of the board/software, it was a red flag. Having said that, I know there are some manufacturers who sell OEM boards and the individual companies have to write the software and support the hardware. I also know rory has written some custom software for I-view cameras. It is just another question to ask and be aware of when making a decision. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted April 22, 2005 Comart Cards, Avermedia, Digiflower: All have SDKs, and anyone can write surveillance server software for them. Not sure which ones are showing up on Ebay, could be a bit of both or all of them. As far as I know GEO doesnt make their cards, just the software. Once you get an activeX for the board basically you can write network software for it easily - its really not you writing the code, just changing the GUI, as you have to use what commands are in the activeX. On the other hand, server software (the DVR end) requires an SDK/API as you need to have total control over the DVR. Not knowing what cards GEO uses, perhaps they use the same cards as others, and other people are writing their own software and calling it GEO, or maybe cracking GEOs Dongles? The Dongles is their way to protect their software, as they dont make any money off the hardware. Whereas with Iview, they make the cards so they make money of the hardware, hence the software is free. Just to make it clear, I only designed a custom GUI for the Network software using the browser based ActiveX, so the client still requires the Iview surveillance server software on the actual DVR end Rory Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thomas 0 Posted April 23, 2005 UDP is the OEM for Geovision's cards. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
