Is the CPCam CPD507 any good for a home user? I like the specs (realtime on all 16 channels in CIF, 120ips in D1) and I've been pretty happy with the CPD576W that I've had for a couple years...

My biggest complaints about my current DVR:
- Simplex operation, and no easy backup of video in digital format (I playback to video capture card)
- The 'software' is just relays the key presses to the DVR and appears to simply relay the screen output to the computer - so there is a loss of quality there.
- When I go through the search for motion event list and select and event for playback, I cannot back out to the event list again - have to go back record mode and back into the search again.
- 25ips total. 'nuff said.
- No pre-event recording
- no IR remote control


The things I like about my current DVR:
- I can replace/upgrade the HD myself
- Can record at 1fps per channel when no motion and ramp up to full framerate when there IS motion. I don't like have *nothing* recorded when there is no motion.

What I really want from the next DVR:
- Much higher frame rate
- D1 recording
- Ability to download the video in digital form rather than converting back to analog and aback to digital during playback.
- 9 or 16 channels

It would be nice to have the following features:
- Ability to set D1 / CIF per-channel
- Ability to set the framerate per-channel in D1 (120ips) mode
- 16 channels



With a $1k budget, what is the best DVR for me?

Save a few hundred and buy it under the Avtech name

Avtech Network software is horrible though, thats the biggest Con with their (and CPCam) DVRs.

What is the equivalent AVTech model #?

AVC787?

Yes. It is the 787.

Please fill free to go to my website, and download the manual to make sure this is what you want.

- It appears the only difference between USB backup and DVD backup is available capacity. If the only videos I'm ever gonna backup and short event-based videos like someone coming the house etc, no more than a couple of minutes, then a 2 or 4GB USB key should be just as good?


- If I want the video converted to AVI, how do I do that? Currently I just playback analog into a tv capture card. Can the backup file be exported as an AVI or MPG?


- If a video image was recorded at 30fps, does the remote playback software play back at 30fps or is it limited by the network speed?

Sorry for all the questions. If I'm gonna upgrade then I need to be sure it's truly an UPgrade.

If video over the internet is of the essence, then AVTech may not be the right choice for you. I would recommend a DVR from ICRealtime if this is the case.

If budget minded is of the essence the AVTech is the right choice for you. There are complaints about the application software as it is not that great, but then working under a budget then this works just fine for that case.

The remote software will take your video, and it will convert it to AVI for you. There are other DVRS that are "easier" to use, but you will have to refer to others about choice on those products. The Aver media that Scruit, and CacheCreek use appears to make them very happy.

Should you end up on vacation, and you ended up needing to get the video from your DVR, then you can go to my website, and down load the application software (aps), and then you can download the video to your hotel computer that they have in the "business room", or what ever computer you are using.


The video will play at 30 FPS.

Does the AVTech DVR backup to USB key in the same way as it backs up to DVD? If ig I use a 4gb USB thumb drive then I can still grab a large portion of video data and then use the app to play it back on my computer?

I'm just trying to figure out if the DVD is worth the extra >$100 when some USB thumb drives have almost the same capacity?

I have never used the burner, or the usb.

So I truely do not know.

Most of the installs that I do are budget ones, and they just use a VCR that they have on hand.

has anyone else here used the DVD burner or USB backup on the AVTech DVRs?

The CPCam 507 records at 352 X 240 pixels with 480 IPS NTSC.

Just make sure that you are aware of the 352X240.

I like it a lot. It has a lot of great features for a budget DVR.
If you need more storage space you can use a disk array to hold more video!

You can hook it up to a computer monitor with an adapter.


http://211.75.84.102/kugai/demo/flash/retr.htm

http://211.75.84.102/kugai/demo/flash/cd.htm

I read that is also can record 120fps max a D1, is that correct?

I believe my existing CPD576W records at CIF only, so that's not a problem.

Also, you can set the manual record framerate to something low like 1fps per channel, then set the Alarm framerate to 120 so it records channels with motion at full framerate. I have 9 channels, so even if all see motion that's still >13fps.

And I read that the 120 is allocated among the 16 channels in blcoks of four... ie channels 1-4 share 30fps, 5-8 share 30 etc. So I need to make sure that cameras that overlap (and likely will see motion at the same time) are spread out acorss these 4 groups. ie there are 4 cams on the front of my house and any motion out there may be seen by all 4 cameras. If I have those a channles 1-4 then they will share 30fps and the remaining 90fps capacity is wasted. So instead I will set them as channels 1, 5, 9 and 13 so that they will all get >25fps each.

Well, I read this all from the AVC787 docs - is the CPD507 the same? It is my understanding that AVTech is the manufacturer and CPCam is a retail division that sell rebranded units - and that AVC787 and CPD507 are identical other than branding...

720 X 480 pixels with 120 IPSNTSC FRAME

Yes.

You are right about the front four cameras placed on to channels 1, 5, 9, 13.

The 787 is the exact same as the 507, and various other "branded" names on the market. Some are listed on my website for reference.

hey scruit, i saw your post with the utube links for the 576, are you looking for the 507 to replace it?

Yeah, gonna replace the 576. It's been giving me some trouble recently with being unable to find teh HD on bootup. If I shut it down (to work on a camera etc) then it will give me a HD failure on startup about 50% of the time amd I have to power cycle it a few times to make it run, or just ignore the HD error and set it recording manually and it works. A couple times it had just flat out quit recording during the day with a "HD NOT FOUND" message on screen. I replaced the HD but that didn't help.

Sounds like a dirty contact on the cable, or on the board.

Perhaps removing the cable, and putting it back, or replacing it?

I would imagine that you have already done so.