ICRealtime Pro DVR?

[robca 0]

I'm currently using a GeoVision GV-600-4 system, and need to add 2 cameras, so it's time to upgrade. The GV-600 was a great learning experience, and over time I upgraded the cameras and started relying more and more on that system when I travel.

 

I'm a PC guy, so my first thought is to go with a better DVR card (Aver or Geo), given that I can assemble a PC rather easily, and mostly from components I already have, so the cost of the PC itself is almost negligible.

 

Reading hundreds of messages on this forum, I saw a spike of interest for the ICRealtime DVR roughly a year ago, not much lately. Is the consensus that the ICRealtime stood the test of time? Is there a new "king of the hill" contender? (in the low-to-mid-end, I'm sure a GE system would be a good choice, just not easy to justify)

 

Or should I stick with PC-based?

[rory 0]

if you can fix a PC, stick with the PC .. if you cant, get a non PC system ..

As to the DVR in question .. no comment, as never used it, but others here have.

 

Tons of DVRs have come out since then though, Im testing a stand alone right now that has amazing software .. and at an amazing price tag .. once again though its non PC based so when it breaks down (they still do) then it means extra time and money in shipping ... but im just testing it for someone else to sell.

 

GE had a nice run, well they were Kalatel for many years before GE.

Just stick them in and they work .. even was working on one last night for someone .. but course once you worked on a Geo, the GE is a bit more difficult, or more so limited for evidence sharing. One main point about them though, which does mean alot down here, they can take a beating, compared to the Windows File system ... well GE DVRs at least, most of them, as they use RTOS Nucleus; not just an embedded OS, but RTOS embedded. In other words you can turn it on and off as much as you want and it never gets corrupt (though I do that with Windows XP now on my own PC and only a couple occasions had any serious issues there). Also good for less PC literate users.

 

Rory

[securitymonster 0]

The ICRealtime is a good unit, tried and true so far. I'll fill you in a bit too, Panasonic just adopted it with their new RT series DVR's, althought ICRealtime won't tell you nor will Panasonic. I've ran both side by side and they are the same, while using the same remote access software. So I guess that says some good things right off the bat for ICRealtime.

 

I give them two thumbs up. As for PC versus Standalone, I would go standalone. I'm tired of servicing PC based systems, while standalones just keep on kicking!

 

Aski Isacc, he spends 80% of his service calls on PC based units....

[rory 0]

he spends 80% of his service calls on PC based units....

 

Why is that?

[jisaac 0]

bBecause PC based dvr’s are more prone to system problems than standalone.

And just to clarify those 80% of the service calls for pc based dvr’s are ALL PC based dvr’s that we did not install. Just someone needing help with a pc dvr that they got from some other company or manufacturer and it does not work.

We install embedded dvr’s. Panasonic and ICRealtime. The Panasonics dvr’s are excellent dvr’s with so many ways you can hook up the dvr’s to their ptz/cameras/controllers/ that it will make your head spin. But if you dont need all the bells and whistles of the Panasonic then I would go with the ICRealtime.

 

Over the last year (2006) of all the standalone dvr's that we installed we serviced one (1). And that was a hard drive that went out so technically not even a dvr's issue.

 

Now in 2006 we serviced or replaced 42 pc based dvr's that were installed by 3rd party companies. (17 replaced and 25 serviced)

 

Now with the way things work out now I dont mind the constant servicing and replacing pc based dvr’s. Reason being that the pc based dvr's we are not the warrantee. So we make a decent amount just off the unreliability of them.

 

Now because we do have to warrantee the new dvr’s we install we put in the standalones. They are the best to not have to send your time and money out on servicing accounts that are still under warranty.

 

Does that answer the question why?

[rory 0]

Umm .. yeah, a simple we didnt install them would have sufficed ..

 

My point is they require so much servicing/maintaining because they are not setup properly from the get go. Most people just install XP Default and the DVR software, and call it a day; thats asking for problems.

 

BTW, what happened to all the Mace DVRs in the field?

havent heard much on the forum about them these days ..

 

Ill have to try a pano one of these days ...

Wonder if they have any demo units?

[jisaac 0]

Ya know mace dvr's USED to be pretty reliable.

Want to know the main reason why i quit using MACE?

Their support. It sucked. plain and simple.

 

I can tell you that i would still say that a mace embedded dvr was more reliable than a pc dvr.

[jisaac 0]

Umm .. yeah, a simple we didnt install them would have sufficed ..

 

 

obviously you did not catch the the point in what I was saying.

What i was trying to get across was not the fact that we did not install them.

But the facts as you compare the service and maintainence in pc based vs. embedded.

 

honestly rory lets say you had a crew of four installers. And every time you have to send your guys out to service a piece of equipment that your company installed, on average you lost $2,700.

(half a days install for 2 techs is worth on average 2,700 between the two of them).

So you have the opportunity to have 1 incedent a year in which you only eat the cost of 2,700.

Or you could eat the cost of 42 different $2,700 dollar losses each incident.

 

which one would you feel more comfortable in going with? the 2,700 annual loss in revenue?

or the 113,000 annually in lost revenue?

 

 

well I can tell you which one I chose.

[jisaac 0]

by the way here is a demo site.

 

http://www.tpireps.com/

 

this is my panasonic reps website

[rory 0]

I can tell you that i would still say that a mace embedded dvr was more reliable than a pc dvr.

 

That is your opinion.

[rory 0]

Umm .. yeah, a simple we didnt install them would have sufficed ..

 

 

obviously you did not catch the the point in what I was saying.

What i was trying to get across was not the fact that we did not install them.

But the facts as you compare the service and maintainence in pc based vs. embedded.

 

honestly rory lets say you had a crew of four installers. And every time you have to send your guys out to service a piece of equipment that your company installed, on average you lost $2,700.

(half a days install for 2 techs is worth on average 2,700 between the two of them).

So you have the opportunity to have 1 incedent a year in which you only eat the cost of 2,700.

Or you could eat the cost of 42 different $2,700 dollar losses each incident.

 

which one would you feel more comfortable in going with? the 2,700 annual loss in revenue?

or the 113,000 annually in lost revenue?

 

 

well I can tell you which one I chose.

 

Was there a point? What i gathered was you dont install PC based DVRs. You can claim one is more this and that, but until you actually set them up and not just go and replace, you wont know the difference. Ive installed and maintained both by the way, PC based by far is the least expensive overall for both sales and maintenance (perhaps more work though). As for ICrealtime, I wont mention the number of PMs i got regarding complaints on those units, and no I wont go into detail, and yes, there are plenty of complaints on other DVRs also. Non PC based are typically easier in the way of plug and play, but that doesnt always make them better, depends on the situation.

 

Lastly, unless the PC based is built and setup properly (which unfortunately too many are not), it will ofcourse have issues, and that also depends on the card and software used as well; but the same can be said for any electronic device, including the non PC based DVR.

[jisaac 0]

if you dont see the point then no amount of explanation will help you out on this one.

by the way yes we have set up and installed pc based dvr's in the past.

 

by the way what happeaned to your security business?

[rory 0]

by the way what happeaned to your security business?

 

Going strong.

Mostly consulting for other security companies.