Soundy

Okay, in this case, you definitely want a router. Most cable ISPs only provide you one IP, so assuming this is JUST a modem (not a gateway device of some kind) plugging everything (including the modem) into a switch would not work. Also, plugging your computer directly into the modem leaves it open to direct access from the internet... adding even the most basic wired router is something I recommend everyone do, to add a strong layer of "physical" security. As for my comment, "necessary if you want internet access to them", I meant, as opposed to just having the cameras and PC plugged into a switch that's not connected to anything else (like the modem or a router).

Of course, recording HDcctv isn't the same as recording an IP stream - you can't just throw together a bottom-of-the-barrel machine and expect it to handle any number of HDcctv cameras, since all the compression has to be done by the DVR. Probably accounts for most of the price difference between the standalones and the cards.

Honestly, my only hands-on experience with GV has been maintaining a few existing systems for a client, and eventually removing those and upgrading them to Vigil machines, so I really couldn't tell you the specifics of how the IP cameras integrate... I just know GV can do it. The Vigil systems we use seamlessly integrate IP and analog cameras; in fact, the Vigil NVR is the same server software as the DVR/hDVR, just without the capture hardware. However, they're only sold as a complete turnkey system (you can't just buy the software), and they're not cheap.

GV is a decent choice - not the best out there, but no slouch. According to this handy-dandy lens calculator, you'll need about a 4mm lens to get the full width of the 30' area, and 6mm for the 20' area, at a 25' distance and assuming a 1/3" sensor. Personally, I'm a fan of CNB's Mona Lisa line of cameras - the VBM- or VCM-24VF are great units and either should fit your needs nicely. Both are vandal-resistant outdoor true-day/night domes with 2.8-10.5mm lenses, only difference is the mounting options, and price (the VCM has a separate back-box and can be flush- or surface-mounted; the VBM is surface-mount only). Good call on the PSU. Make sure you use one with individually fused outputs, for added safety (and protection of the equipment). That really depends on the setup... you do need something that can display the computer desktop in order to operate the system. If your TV has a spare VGA, DVI or HDMI input that you can feed the DVR into, you can use that as your computer monitor.

Newer versions of GeoVision can operate in a hybrid capacity - just add the IP cameras licenses (and upgrade version if necessary).

A router can be a little more convenient if you want to use DHCP for your cameras, and of course, is necessary if you want internet access to them (assuming you don't already have a router for that)... but as Angus says, a switch is normally all that's required. A router is essentially just a switch, network bridge, and firewall all in one box, anyway.

The EyeSpy247 guy frequents avforums.com, constantly hawking his toy cameras and offsite storage as a be-all, end-all solution... you'd probably be better asking him directly. http://www.avforums.com/forums/members/473325.html

Well, if the site layout supports it, you'd really only need a couple/few high-mounted overview cameras to keep track of what's going on... that could make a wireless solution more reliable, if you can arrange things line-of-sight. Keep in mind though, you still need to get power to the cameras... and wireless itself will suck a lot of extra power. How hard would it be to get permission to hardwire? Even if there's some existing structure (beams, pipes, etc.) that you can strap wiring to without making it "permanent", that would allow some stationary overview cameras....

An injector is intended to be just a single device to be plugged in-line to add PoE. You might be able to find a multi-port model, but I suspect the price point would make a PoE switch more efficient, as injectors take up extra space as well.

I don't see wireless being particularly feasible here. Basic analog wireless systems are toys at best; the only way to do it right for any kind of reasonable budget is with IP cameras and specialized WiFi systems such as Ubiquiti... and even then, any workable wireless system, analog or WiFi, will depend on line-of-sight connections to work properly, something that could tricky if you're inside a concrete car park. You could MAYBE pull it off with a combination of wired/wireless - access point near each wash station, wired back to the NVR - but I still think it would be tricky to get everything to work properly. A better option might be cameras with onboard storage to record internally, so all you need to do is power them locally. BTW, two of your criteria are contradictory - item G says it's "for monitoring purposes only", but item B calls for a big chunk of network storage. Which is it? The suitable options will depend largely on this.

Not sure exactly what you're asking... as long as camera and MUX/DVR are working properly, and the cable and terminations are in good condition, there should be no appreciable signal loss. When you add a passive splitter (like a T-splitter), then yes, you will get some loss, because you're cutting the signal to each side in half. And no, you can't compensate for this with simple passive components - to get around the problem, you need an active video splitter that can boost the signal back up properly.

Welcome!

Congrats on your finished job! Looks like someone misspelled "STOP" though

Vigil DOES support at least some Mobotix cams: http://www.3xlogic.com/ipcameras?page=2 It's not a "software" solution as such, though, as they don't sell the software and capture cards separately; only complete turnkey systems.

A TVS box plugs in-line with an analog camera feed and overlays the POS text on the video; the DVR simply records that like any other video feed... so yes, as long as he's running at least one analog camera, it's guaranteed to work with his DVR.

What's wrong with the one you linked? There are a number of ways to do this, potentially... it all depends on what output your POS is capable of. If it can output plain text via a serial port, you could route that into a TVS device, such as this one, and just set the DVR to record that channel when there's motion - the text popping up on screen should trigger the motion detection. Some DVRs are also capable of capturing this information and logging it, time-synced to the video... I know the Vigil systems I work with can also be set to see incoming POS data as an "alarm" state and either start recording, or kick to a higher-quality recording mode... Hard to say much else without more info about the equipment involved, both POS and DVR.

Not sure if it supports Mobotix (I'll have to ask), but Vigil systems should handle your other listed requirements. Individual NVRs/hybrid DVRs support up to 32 cameras; it would be fairly straightforward to integrate a mix of NVRs and hDVRs through a single client/VMS/VCM interface. You could feed all the analog cameras into one or two DVRs, and the IP cams into additional NVRs, or mix-and-match analog and IP on each system depending on the site layout or other restrictions.

If you're happy with the Vivotek in the past, might as well stick with what works for you. Personally, I prefer a dome enclosure for being more tamper-resistant. As for a recording system... well, these have onboard SDHC, so you've got some edge recording there... what sort of budget are you looking at for other local recording? A basic NVR like something from Synology or QNAP may be appropriate, or you might toss something together from a spare PC. Remote recording could use a similar NVR, possibly via VPN, although bandwidth could be an issue... really depends on what's available for an internet connection.

As long as you don't enable the IR, a Linksys/Cisco SFE-1000P should do nicely. It has eight 10/100 PoE ports and two GbE/miniGBIC combo ports, so you can run your cameras, and connect to your DVR and LAN. And they come in under $300. The one limitation is that it will only do a full 15.4W on four channels at once, or 7.5W on all eight... but that should be more than enough for most basic IP cameras.

There are both standalone DVRs and PC cards for HDcctv... no idea how $400 ranks in their general price scheme, though, whether it's a good price or not (compared to other HDcctv products).

I've used a number of ComArt-based cards in Vigil and VideoInsight systems... decent software-compression-based chipsets.

Yes, the power and video use a common ground. This is common in most 12VDC-powered cameras. No, this is not done to prevent ground loops - in fact, in some instances, it can be a culprit in creating ground loops.

In case you hadn't noticed, a "crossover" cable is just T568A on one end and B on the other - 10/100 ethernet uses only the green and orange pairs, so you're connecting the transmit pairs on one end to the receive pairs on the other, and vice-versa.

Your DVR is probably limited to CIF resolution (352x240), while your PC monitor is likely 1280x1024 or higher... so yeah, big difference in resolution. Try using a remote-access solution on your PC - if it's Windows, you can set up a remote-desktop connection through Windows Live, or use a program like VNC or Remote Administrator... or even easier, use something like TeamViewer or GoToMyPC (I use TeamViewer, personally; works great).

Do they resume their patterns after a power-cycle? Can you still enter the menus and steer them manually? I would assume they're set to resume pattern after a set time after being accessed manually - do they do that?