Opinion on 16channel system, seasoned members help please

Hey, ive been visiting this website for a long time, been a member over a year, and finally need help.

I have had 2 geovision surveillance systems, and want to stay away from computer controlled systems.

I am upgrading my current system, cameras and all.

I need a

-16 channel dvr.

-16 camera infrared, wide angles prefered but not mandatory, clear enough to make out faces.

-1 MONTH RECORDING

-PTZ option preferred but not mandatory.

Ive been looking at the samsung 16 channel SDE-5002N, the only flaw i see in that is i don't think i can add different cameras to that unit, and if samsung decides to drop the surveillance sector, then I'm screwed. I cant find any stills or live feeds for that specific unit. I'm just Future proofing my investment.

I found a local guy here in Canada and hes pushing a av tech surveillance unit down my throat.

http://avtech.com.ph/home/products/digital-video-recorder-3/h264-dvr/avc798b/

I did research on this brand and i found out that its just rebranded mass production gear.

Mainly what I'm looking for is the seasoned members to give me a path to brands i should look for for dvr's, or specific dvr's that i should look for.

Some camera brands?

I am no expert on the subject, but i prefer Hikvision DVRs over Avtech.

Their DVRs are quite reliable and have a very good CMS software. They also have very good mobile viewing softwares.

Samsung makes great DVRs. BUT - THAT DVR is an all-in-one box. I would not go with that. You will NOT be easily able to use other cameras with it. They make this DVR to go in the big-box stores... It can do 15FPS on each channel at once on D1. That is fine, but a sign of quality is a unit that can do the full 30...

Refer to my project thread in my signature:

You can see the cameras I used, as well as the DVR (a really GOOD Samsung DVR), and view test shots, and a youtube video of the live viewer.

BTW - it has 5 internal HDD slots, so you you could load it up with 3TB drives, and have 15TB of storage!! And thats just internal capabilities. It has I think 3 USB on the back, and one more in the front for the mouse. So you have LOTs of options.

Hey Birdman,

I looked at your links on your build,

seems like a good unit,

I'm looking at the data sheet of the unit that you purchased.

I noticed on the data sheet that your unit is BNC, is that correct?

I would rather stick with BNC, something I'm familiar with and i know i can find unlimited cameras for.

That's why i was hesitant and asked questions regarding SDE-5002N because it was camera over LAN.

can i put any LAN camera on this unit or Samsung LAN cameras only?

I know and love the brand Samsung and just recently found out they have DVR units,

would you would recommend Samsung for reliability with DVR's?

In the end, main thing i want in the system is clairity, i want to see the persons face

i want to be able to connect to it from home,

i want customization,

i want storage space,

i want reliability

Actually, they are not using LAN - or any type of networked solution. The simply use RJ11 (or RJ45 maybe) connections to make their connections proprietary. In other words, two of the pins might carry power, and the other two carry the composite video. More likely, two0 for video, you for audio, and the cameras have a pigtail for power.

So yea, I would never recommend any funky system like that... BNC is simply the way to go for Analog - that way you can choose from absolutely anything you want!

I can 100% recommend Samsung as well as CNB, for more than reliability. My friend's system has been running 24/7 for a few months now, with absolutely zero problems.

The Samsung SRD series DVRs will certainly get you clarity - as long as you use at least decent camera within their bounds.

I prefere Avtech, it's the only one who can offer push notification to your iphone/Android (also have playback and backup from mobile).

Samsung is a great brand, sometimes i combine Avtech products with Samsung without problem of compatibility.

Nobody's mentioned it yet, but you're going to run into a conflict between two of your requirements: you want something standalone, but you want six months' retention with 16 cameras (and probably high framerates).

The problem is, recording 16 cameras for six months is going to require a LOT of space, which means either something with room for numerous internal drives, or the ability to add external (USB or network attached) storage... and there aren't a lot of standalone DVRs that give you that extra space (and sufficient cooling) or will fully support external storage, especially if you need to go to a multi-disk (ie. RAID) solution, most of which are network-attached.

Ulterior, you need to decide how much space you'll need!

I did some calculations with free space calculators, and I got numbers near 16-20TB.

This was with a H.264 DVR, 16 cameras, each at 15FPS, running 24/7, at normal quality, at D1(actually 4CIF) resolution, with a need to record for 180 days (6 months).

So the SRD series (and probably many other big DVRs), will do this for you. You will have to use 3TB internal HDs, plus use at least 1TB of external...

Of course, you can get away with a lot less space by dropping to CIF, 1fps and highly-tweaked motion detection... although you'll still need a fair chunk of space.

Ulterior, you need to decide how much space you'll need!

 

I did some calculations with free space calculators, and I got numbers near 16-20TB.

 

This was with a H.264 DVR, 16 cameras, each at 15FPS, running 24/7, at normal quality, at D1(actually 4CIF) resolution, with a need to record for 180 days (6 months).

 

So the SRD series (and probably many other big DVRs), will do this for you. You will have to use 3TB internal HDs, plus use at least 1TB of external...

Can they cope with 3TB drives yet?

I'd use a NAS.

You know... I'm not sure. At first thought, I would say yes - the HD's are still connected with the same standard. Plus, I think they use some linux file system, like ext3 or ext4 - so no size limitations there.

Plus, 15FPS is probably overkill for your situation. Even if you turned it down to 10FPS, you would need a bit more than 10TB. Then 5x2TB drives would work.

Ulterior, you need to decide how much space you'll need!

 

I did some calculations with free space calculators, and I got numbers near 16-20TB.

 

This was with a H.264 DVR, 16 cameras, each at 15FPS, running 24/7, at normal quality, at D1(actually 4CIF) resolution, with a need to record for 180 days (6 months).

 

So the SRD series (and probably many other big DVRs), will do this for you. You will have to use 3TB internal HDs, plus use at least 1TB of external...

 

Can they cope with 3TB drives yet?

 

I'd use a NAS.

Then the issue becomes finding a standalone that can use network storage. It's easy with PC-based systems (Windows or *nix)... dunno about standalones though. Something USB-attached, like a DROBO, may work if the DVR supports external hard drives...

dependent on the model, Dahua DVRs support up to 8x 2TB internal SATA HDD.

Ive personally installed 6x 2TB WD Black into their 32 channel unit (dvd takes up the other 2 spots but can be removed).

Plus they have record to NAS.

its no samsung or panasonic but still worth mentioning.

If you are in Canada you may want to check out i3International. I have 9 of their servers in three stores. Lots of drive room and surveillance is their only business. I did not purchase cameras from them; just the servers. Also, their software is top notch. They are based in Ontario.

SRX-Pro 24024RA DVMS

• Up to 24 channels of video (16 Analog)

• Up to 8 Channels of IP Video

• 4 Channels of Video Analytics

• Support POS Integration

• Real-time mode display

• Mux or composite display

• Removable storage

If you are in Canada you may want to check out i3International. I have 9 of their servers in three stores. Lots of drive room and surveillance is their only business. I did not purchase cameras from them; just the servers. Also, their software is top notch. They are based in Ontario.

 

SRX-Pro 24024RA DVMS

 

• Up to 24 channels of video (16 Analog)

• Up to 8 Channels of IP Video

• 4 Channels of Video Analytics

• Support POS Integration

• Real-time mode display

• Mux or composite display

• Removable storage

I think he wants stand alone dvr not pc based

I prefere Avtech, it's the only one who can offer push notification to your iphone/Android (also have playback and backup from mobile).

Samsung is a great brand, sometimes i combine Avtech products with Samsung without problem of compatibility.

Thank you for the input, i have been looking into parting different companies items together and i think i have couple ideas, just a little bit more research and Q&A and ill let you guys know which way i go

Nobody's mentioned it yet, but you're going to run into a conflict between two of your requirements: you want something standalone, but you want six months' retention with 16 cameras (and probably high framerates).

 

The problem is, recording 16 cameras for six months is going to require a LOT of space, which means either something with room for numerous internal drives, or the ability to add external (USB or network attached) storage... and there aren't a lot of standalone DVRs that give you that extra space (and sufficient cooling) or will fully support external storage, especially if you need to go to a multi-disk (ie. RAID) solution, most of which are network-attached.

Sorry, i completely forgot about that, i am coming into this with knowledge of a PC surveillance unit with low resolution, 8 channel recording, and two 2tb hard drives. As long as i can save a month, preferably 2 months, I'm happy. But thank you for pointing that out.

Ulterior, you need to decide how much space you'll need!

 

I did some calculations with free space calculators, and I got numbers near 16-20TB.

 

This was with a H.264 DVR, 16 cameras, each at 15FPS, running 24/7, at normal quality, at D1(actually 4CIF) resolution, with a need to record for 180 days (6 months).

 

So the SRD series (and probably many other big DVRs), will do this for you. You will have to use 3TB internal HDs, plus use at least 1TB of external...

Hey Birdman, can you calculate that again with these values?

30fps, 24/7, D1 resolution at 1 month of storage please?

Or let me know the formula that so i can check and not bother you with these silly questions.

If you are in Canada you may want to check out i3International. I have 9 of their servers in three stores. Lots of drive room and surveillance is their only business. I did not purchase cameras from them; just the servers. Also, their software is top notch. They are based in Ontario.

 

SRX-Pro 24024RA DVMS

 

• Up to 24 channels of video (16 Analog)

• Up to 8 Channels of IP Video

• 4 Channels of Video Analytics

• Support POS Integration

• Real-time mode display

• Mux or composite display

• Removable storage

I am in Toronto, and i will definitely look into this company also, thank you for the suggestion.

If you are in Canada you may want to check out i3International. I have 9 of their servers in three stores. Lots of drive room and surveillance is their only business. I did not purchase cameras from them; just the servers. Also, their software is top notch. They are based in Ontario.

 

SRX-Pro 24024RA DVMS

 

• Up to 24 channels of video (16 Analog)

• Up to 8 Channels of IP Video

• 4 Channels of Video Analytics

• Support POS Integration

• Real-time mode display

• Mux or composite display

• Removable storage

 

I think he wants stand alone dvr not pc based

At this moment, i'm open to suggestions. I've had 2 PC based systems for 3 years, and i think its time for a standalone, but if i find a PC based system is going to meet my needs then i will go PC. Researching stage, but a decision has to be made in a month and a half. I just posted a topic over at the Geovision thread of this site, a company I'm very familiar with, and i have been getting very positive responses on both threads.

Ulterior, you need to decide how much space you'll need!

 

I did some calculations with free space calculators, and I got numbers near 16-20TB.

 

This was with a H.264 DVR, 16 cameras, each at 15FPS, running 24/7, at normal quality, at D1(actually 4CIF) resolution, with a need to record for 180 days (6 months).

 

So the SRD series (and probably many other big DVRs), will do this for you. You will have to use 3TB internal HDs, plus use at least 1TB of external...

 

Hey Birdman, can you calculate that again with these values?

30fps, 24/7, D1 resolution at 1 month of storage please?

 

Or let me know the formula that so i can check and not bother you with these silly questions.

Divide by 6 months, then double the results (15->30fps)... or about 1/3 the results he got there. Estimating an average of his 16-20TB result, which would be 18TB, you'd be looking at around 6TB.

Do keep in mind that there's almost no visible difference between 15fps and 30fps unless you're dealing with fast-moving objects - see here for examples: http://www.panasonic.com/business/security/demos/PSS-recording-rates.html

At this moment, i'm open to suggestions. I've had 2 PC based systems for 3 years, and i think its time for a standalone, but if i find a PC based system is going to meet my needs then i will go PC. Researching stage, but a decision has to be made in a month and a half. I just posted a topic over at the Geovision thread of this site, a company I'm very familiar with, and i have been getting very positive responses on both threads.

We've been setting up one major client with 3xLogic Vigil PC-based systems for a few years now, using four- and eight-bay QNAP or Enhance Tech external RAID arrays (capacity depending on the site requirements) for additional storage. Sites typically have anywhere from 16 to 30 cameras, some including anywhere from two to six megapixel IP cams (those ranging from 1.3 to 5MP models). With 2TB drives, we can set up an 8-bay unit as RAID6 for ~12TB available, most cameras recording on motion at 4-6fps, and easily achieve or surpass their 90-day retention requirement.

Recently, as the arrays have more than enough storage on their own, we've started using the array as THE primary storage destination, relegating the DVR's internal drive(s) as "backup" destinations, used only if the array is offline. This has two benefits: if the RAID goes down, the system can record internally until we get it back online; and if the DVR fails, we can swap in a loaner or a replacement, and all the footage stays on-site to be accessed by the new system.

If you are in Canada you may want to check out i3International. I have 9 of their servers in three stores. Lots of drive room and surveillance is their only business. I did not purchase cameras from them; just the servers. Also, their software is top notch. They are based in Ontario.

 

SRX-Pro 24024RA DVMS

 

• Up to 24 channels of video (16 Analog)

• Up to 8 Channels of IP Video

• 4 Channels of Video Analytics

• Support POS Integration

• Real-time mode display

• Mux or composite display

• Removable storage

Just looked them up and they are a stones throw away from my house. Im going to make time when i get back to Canada to visit them. Without getting into details, can you tell me model numbers or model series of what you have?

At this moment, i'm open to suggestions. I've had 2 PC based systems for 3 years, and i think its time for a standalone, but if i find a PC based system is going to meet my needs then i will go PC. Researching stage, but a decision has to be made in a month and a half. I just posted a topic over at the Geovision thread of this site, a company I'm very familiar with, and i have been getting very positive responses on both threads.

I recently put 12TB in a Dahua 32 channel stand alone unit

At this moment, i'm open to suggestions. I've had 2 PC based systems for 3 years, and i think its time for a standalone, but if i find a PC based system is going to meet my needs then i will go PC. Researching stage, but a decision has to be made in a month and a half. I just posted a topic over at the Geovision thread of this site, a company I'm very familiar with, and i have been getting very positive responses on both threads.

 

I recently put 12TB in a Dahua 32 channel stand alone unit

Dahua is a brand that has come up on several occasions. Is it a re-branded item like competitors? Are they user friendly?

do they have atleast any of these features in a unit?

- 16 channel

- 30fps

- hi-res (d1 or similar)

- offsite monitoring

- cellphone login access

- ptz

- HD is def. not an issue because you mentioned you fit 12tb in a standalone.