Need advice on DVR card

[edhando 0]

building a PC based System, 4 channel, non IP Cameras.

 

I was looking to buy Geovision GV 600 4Ch card.

 

Is this a good card to buy ? Are there any better but economically priced DVR cards out there.

 

Main Requirements are:

 

- Sharp picture in color

- Continuous recording

- camaeras

[cctv_down_under 0]

Bang for buck the Geovision is your best bet, it wil give you the resolution you need and a load of features, however when it comes to such a small install of only 4 cameras, you are sometimes better buying a standalone box, the reason is that either 4 or 8 inputs the standalone box's are very comparative in pricing.. If you buld a Geovision you still need a PC and a card, the bulk of the cost being the PC, so at 4ch it is still cheap, but at 16ch the Geo becomes much cheaper than a standalone box.

 

But if going standalone and only 4ch there are plenty out there that are affordable with such small amount of inputs.

 

I would stongly recommend you go for a 8ch card because I bet your customer will want to upgrade.

 

The other reason I suggested standalone is because a lot of wholesalers sell kits when only using 4 inputs IE they sell a 4 camera package with everything you need.

 

Standalones are limited by speed, hence the PC systems are very popular once the cameras are more than 8.

[spyguy 0]

Depending on the application a V600 should be fine.

 

The financial concerns were already addressed and I agree with them. If you have a system or the ability to produce one economically I would still use the GV system based on it's features, serviceability, and ease of use.

 

The V6.0 software is not terribly feature rich but does offer everything you get with a non-PC box as well as a "few" other niceties like the counter application and the multiple remote access applications.

[sajaan458 0]

You might also want to check out Avermedia NV3000 which are very reasonably priced compare to other AUTHENTIC cards and I have found that NV3000 to have all the feature that you would ever wnat/need and is very very easy to use and STABLE.

 

Regards,

Sajaan

[501 0]

The 600 is a great card. I have been installing the 800s and combo cards for customers but have always used the 600 at home for my 4 to 8 cameras. Great picture, loads of features and the Geo is stable too. I personally wouldn't look at entry level no-name stand alones, quality, features and the ability to configure them to you exact needs are just not there compared to Geo, plus with a brand new Geo card you'll get future software updates.

[Lloyd 0]

..... plus with a brand new Geo card you'll get future software updates.

 

.... unless the new software release will not work with your card because it isn't a new enough card version.

[kensplace 0]

or the new software will only work with a new operating system....

[Security Consultant 0]

I do not agree that Geovison's card is the best card.

 

Can you imagine this:

1. There are cards support up to 64 channels real-time preview & recording in one PC, due to hardware DSP processing instead of CPU

2. There is a card support 16-ch real-time recording at D1 resolution.

3. This H.264 hardware compression card is more cost-effective than Geovison'.

 

 

Do not be supprised! I can send some test clips to verify the image quality.

[501 0]

Ya, it stinks that some of the older cards can not use the updated software, but if he buys a new Geo card it will be supported a lot longer then the an old or used version of the card.

 

I haven't heard about the new software only working with a new O/S (I assume your talking about vista?).

 

Security Consultant, post some of these clips please.

[CollinR 0]

I do not agree that Geovison's card is the best card.

 

Can you imagine this:

1. There are cards support up to 64 channels real-time preview & recording in one PC, due to hardware DSP processing instead of CPU

2. There is a card support 16-ch real-time recording at D1 resolution.

3. This H.264 hardware compression card is more cost-effective than Geovison'.

 

 

Do not be supprised! I can send some test clips to verify the image quality.

 

 

BUY AN AD!!!

[501 0]

Good call, CollinR, or even better, give us some free cards to test out!

[kensplace 0]

No idea if geo will work with vista, it probably will, as geo would not be that short sighted. But - will the older cards work with it, will current cards work with the next operating system after vista?

 

O/S support does not last for ever, look how hard it is to get older hardware working on new machines, find drivers for old cards in general etc.

Software that used to work on older versions of windows is not always compatible with the newer versions.

 

With any pc based solution, the long term future of the system is always in the hands of the software manufacturer - and their decisions on how long they keep writing drivers for older cards for the newer o/s's.

 

I hope geo will write drivers for years to come, so my card will still be running in 20 years time - but even if they did, I doubt the new motherboards would have a slot suitable for the card!

[CollinR 0]

With any pc based solution, the long term future of the system is always in the hands of the software manufacturer - and their decisions on how long they keep writing drivers for older cards for the newer o/s's.

 

I think Llyod was specifically talking about Geovisions v6,v7,v8 PITA.

 

Basically alot of people have gotten screwed by them binding hardware to their software. It is hopefully done with in v8 but only time will tell. The motivation has been to prevent piracy. Here recently some crappy dealers have been offloading v7 stock to customers, if that happens you will never be able to update your brand new card's software.

 

Geo has in the past had a buyback program but it's not like they buy it back for what your reciept says you paid.

 

The GV250 cards have not been effected by this for some reason.

[501 0]

Ya, some of my customers were effected by this as well. For most users, once the system is running stable and problem free, there is little reason to upgrade (most of the new features they come out with are used by few users I'd imagine, features like privacy mask or counter application). I like most on this board always like to have the latest software on my own system, so I went ahead and purchased a new 650 when V8 came out and its been perfect, hopefully it will be supported for a long time.

 

As for using the card in 20 years, I can only hope the technology improves at the rate it has been over the past 10 years, I can only imagine what the systems will be like then. And at that time, a 20 year old Geo card will be about as valuable as a 5 1/4 floppy drive is now. Think of all the MP'3 you could fit on one of those.

[rory 0]

But then look at what a new card costs .. not really much .. when you compare it to buying a new standalone from GE or Bosch, etc .. like 501 said .. most clients are happy once it is running good .. I made some tweaks for the pre 8.0's if you want to at least change the GUI to "look" like better .. and a couple other things ..

 

As for the OS .. just make sure you keep your XP CD in a good secure place ..

 

Id also like to see the Card that's doing 64 cameras in real time High Resolution Live and Playback (640x480 or greater), or better yet I'd really like to see the PC that is doing that .... its gotta take up a whole room or something ... Honestly IMO H.264 quality is not great .. but I would like to be proven wrong .. maybe the DVR's I have seen with it just werent using the perfect H.264 ..

 

As to 16 cameras in Real Time ... Geo has the hardware compression out now .. 2x 8 channel cards .. 16 channels real time in high res .. Live and playback .. according to them at least ..

[rory 0]

Also .. i think we should (distributors, etc) at least be able to get firmware updates from Geo to flash the cards ourselves ..

[501 0]

I definitley agree. I imagine this plan of theirs actually lost a lot of business for them.

[Security Consultant 0]

O/S support does not last for ever, look how hard it is to get older hardware working on new machines, find drivers for old cards in general etc.

Software that used to work on older versions of windows is not always compatible with the newer versions.

 

With any pc based solution, the long term future of the system is always in the hands of the software manufacturer - and their decisions on how long they keep writing drivers for older cards for the newer o/s's.

 

I hope geo will write drivers for years to come, so my card will still be running in 20 years time - but even if they did, I doubt the new motherboards would have a slot suitable for the card!

 

Do not worry about OS problem. Why not use Linux Version PC based DVR system. Linux version is much stable and copyright free. There are some software companies develop Linux Version PC based DVR on some high quality DVR cards.

 

I'd really like to see the PC that is doing that .... its gotta take up a whole room or something

 

Yes, we have installed them successfully and showed on Intel Solution Summit 2006. It works but we do not suggest to do it.

 

64-ch system is not a "big" machine, it is just a normal PC, here is the config:

Motherboard: Intel D945 GNT

Video Card: ATI Radeon X550 128MB

Processor: Intel Pentium D 2.8GHz

Memory: 512MB - 1GB

[Thomas 0]

copyright free

 

The GPL does not public domain code put under it. The writer of the code continues to keep any and all copyrights to the code. They simply allow for free distrubtion of the code.