Help with basic home system

[TCBJR23 0]

Hello, I found this forum while trying to determine a solution to my problem. I purchased an outdoor camera to place near my front porch to see what animal has been destroying my patio furniture. I'm pretty sure it's a bear but I want to be sure before I call fish and wildlife and ask them to set up a trap. Plus video of it tearing up my new weber grill would make it easier to get them to come out and respond.

 

I purchased - VideoSecu Day Night Vision CCTV Infrared Home Security Camera Color CCD Outdoor Vandal Proof 420TVL 3.6mm Wide View Angle Lens from Amazon for about $40

 

I was looking to simply plug the video output of this unit into an old (~2003) Pioneer DVR-420h TV DVR so that I could record a few nights of footage and determine what was destroying my new grill and patio chairs. I don't need a permanent CCTV setup because I live in the middle of nowhere and it's not a concern. When I plug the video out into my TV I get the camera to display on the screen. When I plug the video out into the video in of the DVR nothing displays. I have no experience with CCTV and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on why it won't display on the DVR.

 

Thanks for the help

[norcaldad 0]

I am a newb and am replying so that others more experienced might see your post. But am going to shoot a guess. Your DVR does not support plugging in a camera? If I have the correct manual - link attached, that feature "may" be supported on the 520H? Let us know what you find out.

 

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pio/pe/images/portal/cit_11221/109033015OPERATING%20INSTRUCTIONS%20DVR-520H.pdf

[TCBJR23 0]

I think that is for Digital Video only. The camera output is NTSC which is I think is analog and the composite inputs for the DVR are also analog. Not sure if there are different types of analog that would be causing this. I know very little about this...

 

I appreciate the help

[Soundy 1]

Is this the camera you have? http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-Vision-Infrared-Security-Outdoor/dp/B001U8VL9K

 

How are you connecting it to the DVR - what input are you using?

[TCBJR23 0]

Thats the one, it came with a BNC to composite adapter that I was plugging into the video in of the DVR.

[Soundy 1]

Silly question, but is the DVR NTSC as well? All I could find on it was from UK and European sites, which would make it PAL and thus incompatible.

 

Assuming it's NTSC though... have you tried plugging the camera directly into the TV to make you're getting signal out of it? Have you tried plugging another source into the DVR's input to make sure the input is working?

[TCBJR23 0]

The 420-H was also sold at Costco in the states. It is NTSC format according to the manual that norcaldad was nice enough to dig up.

 

If I plug the camera directly into my TV the picture works and I can confirm the camera is sending a signal. If I plug my cable box into the DVR through the same video in using RCA's (composite) it plays fine through the DVR. So I know that the video in of the DVR is working and I know the camera is sending a signal but when I plug the camera into the DVR I get a black screen, it's the strangest thing.....

[Soundy 1]

That is strange indeed... offhand I don't know what else to suggest, all I can think of is that the camera is putting out a low signal level that the TV is accepting but not the DVR. That manual isn't downloading for me, so I can't check, but... I assume this DVR only has the one composite input, or if there are more, you've tried them all...

[TCBJR23 0]

Thanks for all the help. I just boxed the unit back up and it's going back. I was going nuts trying to come up with another solution. When I plugged the unit into a different TV the picture came up black and white. So out of 3 inputs one was color and an OK picture, the other was black and white with a fuzzy unclear image and the last input (the DVR) didn't even work. This camera is too inconsistant to keep wasting my time.

 

Anyone recommend a sub $50 camera with night vision thats worth buying?

 

Thanks again

-Tom

[shockwave199 0]

This is confusing. The camera may have been working correctly even if it showed b&w. It won't be a color picture in the dark- it'll turn b&w. In any case, get the camera showing on the tv and then just set the dvr to record what's showing on the tv- the camera. Like you're recording a tv show, only it's the camera. I'd forget trying to hook up the camera directly to the dvr. It's probably not necessary anyway. For lots of choices in your price range, try gadspot .com. Good luck.