Newbie Questions

[TWM 0]

 

I'm fairly proficient with computer systems, including Linux which seems to be the popular embeded OS, but I am not at all familiar with video monitoring so hoping you all can give me some useful advice and maybe point to some instructive info as well:

We bought a house that has an old cctv system left by the previous owners. It is a nubix 8-channel that has a sticker that says Commercial CCTV Product 24JS  E252776 and a S/N - no other ID info - searching online I found no info. The manual is here which is not the greatest thing but I was able to use it to figure out some basics - connected a vga screen and found that it works - 7 of the 8 cameras display. Found one had the power disconnected due to a short somewhere that I have not located, If I connect it to power, then all cameras go off, no biggie, just left the one power disconnected. The cameras are mounted in darkened domes with good coverage around the house - the screen images were ok, definitely not hi res but fairly clear. issue is location of the head end box in a closet with no easy way to install a dedicated screen. The unit also has no remote so access to it is a pain.

Next I found a long enough ethernet cable and got it connected to my office router - after ip setup and port forwarding, using the network I found it only displays on IE after allowing an active-x plugin to be installed - so for our iphones, there is no option to view remotely. I finally managed to get a call through to an Eclipse company tech and they told me there are no firmware/software updates and no mobile apps for this unit - it is just too old. The unit also has no built-in wifi and running the cable is not very convenient due to the location of my networking gear on the other side of the room, but it is not impossible. The closet location makes the screen location totally useless for any type of monitoring - it is not practical. I can access via my wifi router but only on the old IE which I really hate to use. The screen images were ok - not great but usable. The nubix has a 160 gb hard drive so I suspect the image quality is maybe 480p.

So I am wondering:

1. is the only option for these type of units to view remotely via IE and an active-x plugin?  seems like I saw active-x mentioned for some new systems?

2. is there a third party software or a decent open source package I could load on it to support other browsers for remote access? 

3. are there new units with wifi built-in to avoid the long cable run to the router and that might offer remote access on iPhones?

4. I assume these cameras being roughly 10 yrs old, give or take, are probably low res analog (they connect via coax with BNC and are DC powered via power supply in lockbox in garage)  - so will they connect at a standard def to a new "head unit" that has modern features?  suggestions for decent models that might cost under $100? I saw some 4 in 1 and 5 in 1 units but no idea of they are backward compatible enough to use with these old cameras.

Appreciate any advice...

[larry 2]

You should consider replacing the entire setup with something like this:

https://us.dahuasecurity.com/product/4k-hdcvi-security-system/

This will allow you to reuse the existing coax wiring and upgrade to better resolution and more modern remote access features.

You will have to get internet to the dvr for remote viewing.

[TWM 0]

Will chk out. But planning to move next year so full replacement here is too much work for a short period. I know I can take it down to move but that’s a lot more work. I may just get a single WiFi camera to monitor front area.