dalepres 0 Posted January 21, 2012 I am putting together a security system for my house and yard. I am planning a 16 camera PC based system. I'm undecided between a GeoVision 1480A, an AverMedia 8416, and a cheaper Sharx Security SCXSC300. What I can't determine from any of the websites is what software comes with these cards and what the licensing is. I got a clue, on here, I think, that GeoVision requires a USB key for their software. Is that true? After paying a thousand dollars for a board, do I have to pay even more for the software to use it? I'd appreciate any reviews on the out-of-the-box software for any of these cards. Thanks, Dale Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted January 22, 2012 Geo and Aver both come with their own software, no additional licensing required - the USB key you're thinking of for GV is probably for IP camera licenses. Never heard of the Sharx system... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dalepres 0 Posted January 22, 2012 Thanks, Soundy. That's good to know. I think I'm going to skip the Sharxy. It appears it doesn't come with software; I found on their site that the board works with a few popular software packages but nothing about any software coming with the card. Their card + software would be as expensive as the GV or AverMedia. Has anyone used the GV or AverMedia software? I really would like to find some details about it such as whether the cameras can be viewed on two PCs (wife's and mine), online access, mobile phone access, etc., as well as just some details and screenshots of the apps to help me decide what to buy. I'd like to also see installation/user manuals in pdf to read ahead of time. Regards, Dale Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted January 22, 2012 Take a browse through this thread, should be examples of both Aver and Geo: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9891 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 190 Posted January 22, 2012 if you are using IP cameras on the geo then when using geo ip cameras you have no licence. but if you want to add axis or anything else then you need a licence. and for each camera. or you can buy in block. but i have just has the new trade price for licence sent. i thought they would have brought there prices down (if fact gone up) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted January 22, 2012 I'm using the Aver software on an NV5000 card right now, and it's been pretty good. It's stable on the 2 boxes I've tried it on, has lots of options and flexibility, and is updated regularly. They use the same software for all their PC cards, as far as I can tell, so the supported base is quite good. I haven't upgrade to their recent SP4, so all this is for the SP3 version. There's probably a lot I haven't figured out about the software yet. Pros: Solid and stable Lots of options and flexibility Lots of IP cams supported No per-cam IP licensing fee Good documentation overall Exports .mpg video that's easy to open in generic PCs Remote console PC software is good, allows you to view recordings but not do major setup changes. Cons: Wants to run full screen or minimized, doesn't have a "Restore Down" button to run in a mid-size window Always wants a password to exit/minimize, go into setup, etc. Maybe good for a system run by flunkies, but a pain for a home system where there's only one user Remote viewer for iPhone is unstable and crashes fairly often, and is not a great interface compared to IP Cam Viewer. Options can be confusing and are not always well documented Runs other software in the background (POS and such); probably can disable this, but I haven't figured it out yet Uses a lot of CPU cycles on software compression cards, especially when viewing multiple h.264 cams at once (not a problem if the PC is modern and powerful) Video export can be slow, depending on CPU power My Arecont 3MP and 5MP cams are getting slow frame rates, but I'm not sure if that's due to the NV5000 or the antiquated Arecont firmware So far, I'm pretty happy with it as DVR software for a hybrid card. I'm looking at pure NVR software as well, and Blue Iris has been my favorite. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 190 Posted January 22, 2012 Remote viewer for iPhone is unstable and crashes fairly often, and is not a great interface compared to IP Cam Viewer. can i ask which remote port you are using. plus which app. (can you record to your iphone ?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dalepres 0 Posted January 23, 2012 I'm planning on using analog box cameras throughout so I can fit the right lens to the right task without spending a fortune on megapixel cameras or IP cameras. I might later add some of the cheaper IR cameras you see on various online sites around the fence line where I just want to know someone is there but I want better cameras, the closer someone gets to the house. I am planning wide view around the house but some zoomed in around the key places like gates, doors, ground accessible windows, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dalepres 0 Posted January 23, 2012 Soundy, I looked at the thread you suggested. Lots of good screenshots there. I see a couple common thread among them all. Seems they waste a lot of screen real estate with stuff other than showing video. Hopefully they have a way to hide all the control and setting stuff when not needed (that's the software and usability guy in me). They also seem to have spent a lot of time on what I call "gummy" features - from the common term for the gummy look of Windows XP. Things like fading colors on background, gummy buttons, Hopefully building gummy features doesn't take away from time that should have been spent on reliability and quality of the basic functionality. But there's nothing there on AverMedia or GeoVision software. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted January 25, 2012 Remote viewer for iPhone is unstable and crashes fairly often, and is not a great interface compared to IP Cam Viewer. can i ask which remote port you are using. plus which app. (can you record to your iphone ?) I'm using port 5550, forwarded to another port on my router. I think that's the standard port for their software; I'm keeping it simple for starters. I've got both the AverViewer and DSS iViewer installed; they are very similar to each other, and neither one records. I think AverViewer is newer, but it's hard to tell. Both crash pretty regularly - I'll touch a window to open full-screen and the whole app closes down. I've had much better luck with IP Cam Viewer, but it won't talk to the NV5000. I haven't seen any other apps that do talk to it, but I also haven't looked that hard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
