16-Camera System Ideas...

[Rock Austin 0]

Hello... great forum! I spent alot of time trying to search on DVR information, but could only find places to buy equipment, no reviews or anything.

 

I am putting together a CCTV system for a golf shop and driving range. We will have a total of 16 cameras, 10 indoors and 6 outdoors, all color. My main question is concerning our choice of recording device. I'm trying to balance the advantages and disadvantages of a PC-Based system versus a standalone unit. I haven't had much luck finding info or reviews on DVR cards for the PC's... which brands are worth looking at?

 

This system will be running 24/7... we already have a PC (that we bought for something else, but now is available to be a dedicated DVR system). P-4 2.4, 1GB Ram, 320MB 7200 RPM HD, Intel MB, etc.

 

My primary requirements are quality, stability, and reliability. LAN and web-based access to the system is also a must. We can spend as much as $2000 for a DVR card, or $4000 for a standalone unit.

 

Any ideas? (Many Thanks!)

[rory 0]

if you want stability, and reliability, you should use a standalone with an embedded os.

 

How long do you want to record for?

[cctv_down_under 0]

Two choices... Standalone.. the Store Safe is quite good, but it may be more expensive than 2k or the Geovision.

 

In honesty I would go for the Geo card because it has amazing networking ability, it is easilly the best networked DVR around, but if you want a pretty well functioned standalone device then you can not go past the Kalatel Store Safe .. but it only records at 25Fps which is poor unless you are only using like 8 cameras.

 

For stabilty go the Kalatel, for features go the Geo card.

 

Thats my opinion

[Rock Austin 0]

We will be recording 16 cameras 24/7... probably want storage capacity of at least a week.

 

How big a gap would you say there is in stability between the standalone devices and a PC-based system? We would plan on only using the PC for the purpose of recording, nothing else. Since we're budgeting $5-7000 for the whole system (including cameras), I want to make sure we end up with something solid and high-quality.

[rory 0]

price budget depends where you are buying from.

 

what type of cameras and where are you buying from?

Also, how fast a recrding are you looking for, like 5pps being the most common for retail stores on a multiplexe/DVR. That being spread out among all 16 cameras, but it is still good recording.

 

The stand alone is simple to install and requires no maintenance, and is almost as stable as a coffee machine

 

If you are buying a standalone like a Kalatel StoreSafe, with 16 cameras you will need a 160Gb to do 7 days on 5pps in a 24/7 retail store with motion detection programmed, but you can get away with 2.5pps as it is all in one, then you would only need the 80GB. Price is much higher though than a PC based system.

[AVCONSULTING 0]

Dedicated Micros and Kalatel are the two best embedded systems around and are very stable. The main drawback is they take up more hard drive space than a PC based system. I personally prefer the Kalatel system, now under the GE Security label. I've represented many PC based systems and truthfully they all have had some problem or other. If you have the budget then get the Kalatel.

[paprotec 0]

Nuvico is also very good, and a much better price.

[AVCONSULTING 0]

Yes I agree, Nuvico is one of the better secondary brands that have come out. It also has dynamic IP if needed.

 

http://www.nuvico.com/product_images/NVDV-4000N_8000N_16000N.Revised.pdf

[cctv_down_under 0]

I'd like to get one, will they be at the Korean show?

[paprotec 0]

yes, will you be there? We OEM them.

[AVCONSULTING 0]

Here is the OEM site for the Nuvico. http://www.pinetron.com/

 

Don't overload on kimchi.

[paprotec 0]

Hi A,

 

Don't you know I hate kimchi

[paprotec 0]

We OEM the unit from Nuvico. Don't they have the exclusive on it in the US market?

[AVCONSULTING 0]

I think they might, but who knows. I don't trust any Korean suppliers to give anyone an exclusive for very long.

[Rock Austin 0]

I've checked out some of the standalone units now, and I have a couple questions. I notice most of them are 50-60 pps, whereas many of the PC-based units are 120 fps or higher. First of all, are PPS (I assume Pictures-Per-Second) and FPS the same thing? I know you divide the FPS by your total cameras to get the FPS per camera. Does this mean the recording quality will be better on a PC-based system with 7.5 FPS per camera or higher?

 

Also, It is a huge upcharge on most of these units to go with a larger hard drive (+$1100 for 320 MB?). What type of HD's do they use and can they be upgraded by the user?

[rory 0]

quality is generally better on a stand alone, but you will get longer recordings and faster on a PC, but stand alones will normally be alot more stable, as its a machine, not a PC.

 

Most stand alones use SCSI hard drives, and do not allow you to switch drives yourself.

[Rock Austin 0]

quality is generally better on a stand alone, but you will get longer recordings and faster on a PC, but stand alones will normally be alot more stable, as its a machine, not a PC.

 

Most stand alones use SCSI hard drives, and do not allow you to switch drives yourself.

 

When you say quality is better on standalone, are you referring to image quality or just the stability? It looks like the PC systems can have higher FPS, so wouldn't they have better image quality?

 

And just how unstable is the PC system? If I have 16 cameras on a GV 900 or 1000 card in a fast, solid PC with no other applications, how often will I have problems?

[rory 0]

a PC is never stable, no matter what you do to it. Linux may be different, never used it.

 

Anything electronic can freeze up, its up to you.

[paprotec 0]

Roy what does SATA stand for?

[Rock Austin 0]

Roy what does SATA stand for?

 

If it's pertaining to a PC, SATA is Serial-ATA, which is how many hard drive are coming these days (as opposed to IDE, SCSI, etc.). I think most of the new SATA drives are 150 MB/s.

[paprotec 0]

Ok, you have some PC knowledge. So why are you so against PC DVRs? I have hundreads in the field with no problems. 99% of the time user error. What PC DVR's have you used?

[cctv_down_under 0]

1/ There is very little gap with stabilty if a PC based machine is BUILT correctly and you use a good card like Geovision, but yes they are more stabe.

 

2/ Can someone please PM the price of a Nuvico for testing

 

3/ Normal HDD is all they use, they just charge for their time, also it takes some time for person doing pricing to make adjustments to the PC Markets prices.

[AVCONSULTING 0]

http://www.directlvs.com/Nuvico/Specs/nvdv400n.htm

[Rock Austin 0]

Well, based on the price/features comparisons, I think I'm going to go with the Geovision system... 16 cameras on the 900 model (240 fps). Stability is important to me, but I am very comfortable with computers so that along with price, swayed me.

 

The computer will be P4 2.8, Abit or Asus mainboard, 1GB Ram, RAID, 2 250GB S-ATA hard drives, DVD-RW, Win XP or 2K. We've already setup our internet service with static IP, so everything's falling into place. Once I get everything up and running, I'll let you know and put up a link to check it out.

 

Thanks!

[cctv_down_under 0]

a PC is never stable, no matter what you do to it. Linux may be different, never used it.

 

Anything electronic can freeze up, its up to you.

 

Thats Bull****!!!!

Tell that to Nasa or your Doctor.. thats pure garbage!

Yes standalones are more stable but by what, I sell both and they are very similar...I crashed the Kalatel just the other day.. so go figure.. yes windows is not as reliable as linux but to say that a PC is not stable is pure Bull****, log into my machine and check its uptime, builders of machines are the people who are unstable!