robzee67 0 Posted January 12, 2006 Ok..PC based manufactured e.i. pelco,american dynamics etc.. and Geovision video cards and a pc tower? pros and cons? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VST_Man 1 Posted January 12, 2006 Con; upfront cash out to buy it as one unit vice a card; better than basic knowledge of Server's and networks required; hardware/software build burn-in time; ability to performance tune system as a whole is not a basic function and there is no "CCTV for Dummies" yet; Pro; warranty/support covers the whole box (as long as that warranty/support is worth anything); more time to drink beer because it works the first time; more time for the gfriend/wife because it works more than 3 days; lastly, you can blame someone else. bottom line: if you paid yourself minium wage you'd have saved money by purchasing a Server/PC. It all comes down to how much time you enjoy playing with the Server. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RVRBOY420007 0 Posted January 13, 2006 I have never put in a card before but from all the technical stuff I have seen on the forum don't think I would want to unless maybe for personal use and the knowledge I could gain from it. I sell alot of PC DVR's, mostly Toshiba and they are usually plug and play. I never thought of the warranty issue or some of the other things VST pointed out, although I have some customers who are very successful with GeoVision and other PC Cards, they did state that it took some getting used to but so does anything else different you try for the first time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VST_Man 1 Posted January 13, 2006 just to clear up terms......PC based is a computer/server built from the ground up with common PC parts that does video recording and is easily upgraded. a "standalone DVR" is manufactured from unique/prioritory pc parts specifically for video recording and is not easy to upgrade. and by the sounds of it if you cannot install a card I'd stick to Disney land for fun...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites