Need Urgent Help: Problems with Microphones\Audio

[GulfCoastCCTV 0]

I have a problem with a cctv system I've installed in a house. I cannot get the audio to record, or playback. Not sure which. To make matters worse this system is covert and is being used to catch an alleged child molester. I can only get access for an hour or two at a time and the person who I've installed it for is becoming frustrated with me although the video is recording perfectly.

 

It's really becoming a very stressful PIA due to the fact that the target could come home at any time with me troubleshooting the system that was installed to catch him. I need help figuring out why the audio isn't working, or why I can't hear it if it is. I have the same DVR at my house but never installed audio. I've tried to record audio with mine and a computer microphone but can't get it working here either although I don't have audio cameras.

 

Equipment:

 

1. DVR = "PRESTIGE 4CH H.264 Real-time DVR system" as found here: http://bit.ly/Mmrb13

2. "Smoke detector camera with audio" as found here: http://bit.ly/KtF5KS

3. "PIR camera with audio" as found here: http://bit.ly/LeaQdG

 

I had to take the cameras and mics out of their housings because they didn't match what the homeowner has in now. Video records well and looks good considering their mounted inside two air conditioning ducts.

 

I had four sets of pre-made Siamese cable 80' long that I used. With one set of cables I connected the power and bnc connecter to the camera's video and power lead. Video to back of DVR, power to power distribution panel. With another set of pre-made cables I put a BNC to RCA adapter on each end of the cable and connected one end to the microphone lead of the camera and the other to audio input on the back of the DVR. I have four audio channel inputs (Ch. 1-4). I have audio channel 1 and channel 2 in use on this DVR.

 

Because of limited space on the shelf of a bedroom closet and the fact that it has to be covert, I connected a small generic Ipod like speaker to the RCA audio output on the back of the DVR. When I played back the feed recorded and stored on the hard drive I could not hear any audio from the speaker when selecting either channel. I thought I might need an amplified set of speakers but running a cable from the back of my own DVR to my home audio resulted in the same silence. No sound at all when I attached a computer microphone to channel 1 audio input, spoke into it, played back the feed from the time in question, and listened through my home audio system.

 

Can someone tell me what I'm missing? Tech support for the supplier told me that everything was setup properly. Clearly there's something amiss here. Do I need to add some other piece of equipment? What type of speaker should I use for the output on the back of the DVR?

 

Many grateful thanks in advance for any and all assistance in this matter. Hope I have explained the situation well enough and wasn't too tangential.

[shockwave199 0]

I would first try an amplified set of speakers- even a small set of pc speakers that must be plugged into a wall outlet should work. If you use only one of the pair of the speaker set, be sure it's the one that plugs into a wall outlet- the power one of the pair, not the other passive one. Beyond doing that, have you tried viewing the footage on the dvr remotely? You can look at recorded footage and back it up too. But first try the speaker if you need to confirm audio is recorded.

[shockwave199 0]

Oh I see you may have tried amplified speakers. Have you turned on audio in the dvr? Is the volume up in the dvr? Is the proper channel active when viewing back- the one audio is recording on? Check any and all audio settings in the dvr. If ok, try a different cable and mic.

 

Also- these mics need power too. The mic cable should be rca/power. On the mic end hook up rca/power and on the dvr side hook up rca into the dvr and power into a power strip, etc,

[shockwave199 0]

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[tomcctv 190]

hi. not all DVRs will playback audio some just allow you to listen in realtime.

 

 

for a standalone you will need powered speakers as they dont have amps fitted. something like this.

 

 

[Securame 0]

Check out the encoding config on each channel, you might have to change the stream type from video to video+audio. Also, make sure there isn't a setting specifically for recording audio on each channel. I am used to Hikvision DVRs, where I have to change the three stream types (main, sub, event) from video to video+audio, and I also have to check a setting for audio recording (otherwise I will have live audio when viewing the cameras, but it will not be recorded).

 

Also, I would try to live view the cameras/recordings from a computer, not from the DVR (just to make sure you have a working audio speakers/headphones on the computer).