Already off to a bad start.

[New Orleans Computer 0]

WHAT I HAVE:

I had already set aside a huge 32" monitor and a Dell pc that I wanted to use as my dedicated camera server and was researching the best cards/camera setup when I stumbled across a Mac100W display at Lowes. I was easily sold by the motion-detection and picked on up for $99 and paid $100 for an electrician install it, but he nothing on the computer side.

 

MY PROBLEM:

I now have a camera hanging off the side of my house doing nothing because I still have not completed my camera server. I'm worried about how to integrate this camera with the other 6 cameras I plan to install. The Mac100W transmits wirelessly to a little box with RCA outputs and from there I'm not exactly sure how to get that signal to my Dell as it does not have any RCA inputs.

 

WHAT I NEED:

1. I don't know anything about DVR cards and software and I'm not up to doing elite camera networking. I need your basic "out of the box" all-in-one software/hardware solution that will split 6 cameras on one screen and record both video & audio
   
2. I also need the ability to shut of specific monitors when there is no activity.

 

Thank you,

-The Steve

[Soundy 1]

WHAT I HAVE:

I had already set aside a huge 32" monitor and a Dell pc that I wanted to use as my dedicated camera server and was researching the best cards/camera setup when I stumbled across a Mac100W display at Lowes. I was easily sold by the motion-detection and picked on up for $99 and paid $100 for an electrician install it, but he nothing on the computer side.

Pretty fancy. I dunno that I woulda paid $99 for it... looks like a $50 WiFi camera attached to a $25 motion floodlight. Nevertheless...

 

MY PROBLEM:

I now have a camera hanging off the side of my house doing nothing because I still have not completed my camera server. I'm worried about how to integrate this camera with the other 6 cameras I plan to install. The Mac100W transmits wirelessly to a little box with RCA outputs and from there I'm not exactly sure how to get that signal to my Dell as it does not have any RCA inputs.

As you've already discovered, you need a DVR card of some sort. Most of those will have BNC inputs, so you'll need a BNC/RCA adapter to go with whichever cable you use.

 

WHAT I NEED:

[*]I don't know anything about DVR cards and software and I'm not up to doing elite camera networking. I need your basic "out of the box" all-in-one software/hardware solution that will split 6 cameras on one screen and record both video & audio

You'll find GeoVision are popular hearabouts. I'm not a fan of their clunky interface and software/card version complications, but their stuff seems solid for the price. Tip: only purchase from a legitimate vendor; most stuff you'll find on fleaBay claiming to be "GeoVision" tends to be clone cards that don't work reliably.

 

Another tip: don't get too hung up on audio recording... in most cases, there's so much background noise, what you get is largely useless (especially outdoors).

 

[*]I also need the ability to shut of specific monitors when there is no activity.

 

Not sure what you're after here... are you running multiple monitors? Different cameras to different monitors?

[New Orleans Computer 0]

WHAT I HAVE:

I had already set aside a huge 32" monitor and a Dell pc that I wanted to use as my dedicated camera server and was researching the best cards/camera setup when I stumbled across a Mac100W display at Lowes. I was easily sold by the motion-detection and picked on up for $99 and paid $100 for an electrician install it, but he nothing on the computer side.

Pretty fancy. I dunno that I woulda paid $99 for it... looks like a $50 WiFi camera attached to a $25 motion floodlight. Nevertheless...

 

MY PROBLEM:

I now have a camera hanging off the side of my house doing nothing because I still have not completed my camera server. I'm worried about how to integrate this camera with the other 6 cameras I plan to install. The Mac100W transmits wirelessly to a little box with RCA outputs and from there I'm not exactly sure how to get that signal to my Dell as it does not have any RCA inputs.

As you've already discovered, you need a DVR card of some sort. Most of those will have BNC inputs, so you'll need a BNC/RCA adapter to go with whichever cable you use.

 

WHAT I NEED:

[*]I don't know anything about DVR cards and software and I'm not up to doing elite camera networking. I need your basic "out of the box" all-in-one software/hardware solution that will split 6 cameras on one screen and record both video & audio

You'll find GeoVision are popular hearabouts. I'm not a fan of their clunky interface and software/card version complications, but their stuff seems solid for the price. Tip: only purchase from a legitimate vendor; most stuff you'll find on fleaBay claiming to be "GeoVision" tends to be clone cards that don't work reliably.

 

Another tip: don't get too hung up on audio recording... in most cases, there's so much background noise, what you get is largely useless (especially outdoors).

 

[*]I also need the ability to shut of specific monitors when there is no activity.

 

Not sure what you're after here... are you running multiple monitors? Different cameras to different monitors?

 

Yes, multiple monitors. What I mean is that it will stop recording and wasting disk space when there is no activity.

[rory 0]

Yes, multiple monitors. What I mean is that it will stop recording and wasting disk space when there is no activity.

Most DVRs these days include some kind of motion detection recording.

[New Orleans Computer 0]

Do they have a card with RCA (composite?) inputs?

Will this item work?

 

Can you recommend a specific product?

 

Thanks! " title="Applause" />

[Birdman Adam 0]

Like practicly all cards have BNC inputs, that's really the CCTV standard.

 

Yes, the adapter you linked to will work perfectly! If you look around, you might be able to find it cheaper than that though...

[New Orleans Computer 0]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate all your help. Though one question still remains: What card?

I've been looking around and there are so many choices that I don't know what to do.

I plan on running it off a Dell Dimension 9100, can you recommend a card or two?

Will $175 get me a quality card with easy to use software that records 4 cameras and audio?

[rory 0]

Cant promise it will work on the Dell Dimension.

Ive used them in a Dell Optiplex before, not ideal IMO but it worked.

My main issue with them other then being really tight and limited space, is their customized BIOS.

Thats why I typically always build the PC from scratch. I dont even use DVD drives anymore either, just use USB then if needed on DVD burn that elsewhere, courts here actually take the jump drives in most cases as the lawyers just use it on their laptops in court.

 

Another thing is many DVR cards come PCI express x1 now and that can cause issues having to pick the right motherboard where the card wont hit the memory, though the 4 channel basic cards are typically PCI. For example the Geovion GV-600 (30fps), GV-650 (60fps), and GV-800 (120fps) cards are all still PCI, I believe the Avermedia similar models are also. In the case of Geovision their faster cards are PCI-Ex 1 but those are 8 and 16 channel cards. Some retailers/distributors are still selling the older PCI cards though in those cases.

 

Anyway that price should get you the basic entry level card from a decent manufacturer, using the same full software as the other cards have, though just slower speeds.

 

Avermedia I believe are lower in price then say Geovision, so you might want to look at those for a 4 channel card.