ptzguy 0 Posted February 27, 2011 Hi all, as my desktop is littered with file players for numerous different DVR's I'm looking for a free 'one4all' that will play all the common file types(mpeg4, avi etc etc)??? Also, I believe H.264 compression utilizes HDD space better than mpeg4, if that's the case why are DVR's still being manufactured that use the mpeg4 format? what are the pro's and con's?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted February 27, 2011 Hi all,as my desktop is littered with file players for numerous different DVR's I'm looking for a free 'one4all' that will play all the common file types(mpeg4, avi etc etc)??? The closest thing you'll find is probably VLC along with a codec pack like K-Lite... but many DVRs, especially cheaper standalones, use proprietary codecs/compression schemes, and even proprietary file formats that can only be loaded by their own player/VMS. A better idea may just be to create a folder to toss all those player icons into. Also, I believe H.264 compression utilizes HDD space better than mpeg4, if that's the case why are DVR's still being manufactured that use the mpeg4 format? what are the pro's and con's?? This is a subject of much ongoing debate, but in general, MPEG4 and MJPEG still have better quality than H.264, so it's a trade-off. H.264 was (at least partially) designed for consumer and HD compression and thus performs best at 25/30fps, but as the framerate drops, so does the benefit. Some manufacturers use proprietary compression that's designed specifically for surveillance use, that claim better compression that H.264 without the loss of quality, such as this one: http://www.3xlogic.com/aztech Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thewireguys 3 Posted February 27, 2011 Also add MxPEG and Jpeg2000 to the list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ptzguy 0 Posted February 28, 2011 3xlogic - that's the way forward!! most of the analogue DVR's on the market bring the frame rate down to 6fps @D1, so, according to Aztech's statement you wouldn't be saving any HDD space by switching from CIF @25fps.. yet we all know the visual benefits of D1... what is the price bracket of these 3xlogic DVR's?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted February 28, 2011 3xlogic - that's the way forward!!most of the analogue DVR's on the market bring the frame rate down to 6fps @D1, so, according to Aztech's statement you wouldn't be saving any HDD space by switching from CIF @25fps.. yet we all know the visual benefits of D1... Vigil systems are available up to D1@960fps - 30fps for each of 32 channels. However, 25/30fps ain't all it's cracked up to be. Check this link: http://www.panasonic.com/business/security/demos/PSS-recording-rates.html 15fps will be indistinguishable from 30 in most cases; most people won't even see the difference at 10fps; even at 6-7.5fps, the video may look a little "jittery", but many people won't notice anything specifically "wrong" with it. Meanwhile, at 15fps, you're generally saving half the disk space over 30; at 7.5, you down to 1/4 the space. (Not exactly, of course; as noted, some codecs handle things differently... but on average, this is the case). Higher resolution at lower framerate is almost always preferable to lower res and higher fps. what is the price bracket of these 3xlogic DVR's?? I don't have a pricelist right handy, but you're generally looking in the $3000-and-up range. As with cameras, though, these aren't comparable to $300 standalone "budget" systems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
