Soundy

That depends on who the seller is, but advertising claims about cheap CCTV systems like these tend to be GREATLY exaggerated, even from better-known brick-and-mortar stores. The video really looks like a spotty wireless connection, but if it's the same both wired and wireless, it could be that either the camera(s) and/or the DVR just have serious issues. You may also have to manually tell it to use the wired connection, or it may still be using the wireless link.

hehe, wireless camera so useful, take off cables, install anywhere you want, why still can't replace the wired ones? Well for starters, you still have to power the thing, so you really can't get rid of ALL the cables. And as others have noted here, most of them operate in the same consumer frequency band as thousands of other devices, including cordless phones, wireless keyboards and mice, WiFi, wireless alarms, baby monitors, Bluetooth, etc. Wireless works poorly through woodframe walls, worse through steel-stud walls, and even worse through concrete, which severely curtails their usefulness in all but residential and outdoor installations. So no, you can't just "install anywhere you want". But by all means, if you have something better, do feel free to step up and prove it. Send some evaluation hardware to some of the professionals here - if it works well, we'll all be happy to recommend it. If it doesn't, we'll be sure to say that it's crap. How confident are you in what you sell?

He knows what it means... the confusion is over the claim that those cheap cameras have it.

Welcome aboard! Assuming electrical and building codes are similar in the UK as in North America, wiring through a wall should be stapled to studs for most of its length, and when transversing between studs, should be well clear of plates, so as long as you have a stud finder and keep a couple inches clear of studs, there should be no problems. An SDS-type hammer drill is good for making larger holes for passing wires and conduit through thicker walls, but can be overkill for smaller holes for anchors or Tapcon screws; for that, I like a basic cordless hammer drill/driver (DeWalt make some good ones). You might want to hold off on the SDS drill until you see how much you need it, as they can be rather expensive, and it may be more cost-effective to just rent one when you need it, at least while you're starting out. You can, within limits. You can run video, power, and control (RS-485) over single cable, but for longer runs (several hundred feet) you may need to add a separate power wire, especially if you're using 12VDC cameras, as 12V will see greater losses on the thinner wire. The other benefit is that if you go to IP cameras later, the wire is already in place. Pelco makes SOME good cameras, but IMHO many models are overpriced for what you get. The one exception may be their PTZs. Right now, we're using and liking CNB's Mona Lisa line of cameras (VCM-24VF in particular), as far as good image and overall bang-for-the-buck, but that could change tomorrow if something better comes along. There are exceptions for certain installations as well, of course, since there is no universal one-size-fits-all camera... for example, the Panasonic WV-CW484 or CW504 "SuperDynamic" cameras for extreme backlighting situations. Specific cameras to use are really something that's best selected on a job-specific basis. Most times you'll end up with a mix of brands, models, and form factors, depending on what best fits a particular need. I'd just start with a couple of cheap multi-bit kits... as you find which ones you use most often, you can replace them with better bits. A good stud sensor will have all those features. This is a nice unit, combines stud finder, wire sensor, laser level, and sonar measurer: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/MeasuringTools/SpecialtyMeasuring/PRD~0574532P/Mastercraft%252BMaximum%252B4-in-1%252BLaser%252BPro.jsp?locale=en I use GE Silicone II. Highly recommend a quality (no need to get stupid with it though) caulking gun and the suitable tubes of sealant, rather than the little squeeze tubes. You still need a power supply with Cat5e as well. All those types of baluns do is give you the "convenience" of plugging in with RJ45s (which take extra time to add as well), and split out the unused pairs to power tails, which then need to be connected to a power supply. I find it just as easy to split the pairs out manually... and it gives a lot more installation options. That will depend on the needs of a particular job. I'd buy that on a per-job basis, when and if needed.

They've recently added/tweaked/enhanced a lot of the job-search functions.

Have you tried LinkedIn? They have a number of features specific to job hunting and the like, as well as some jobs-specific groups.

Hahaha, the problem with this thing has nothing to do with "radiation limits" and everything to do with the fact that it's simply cheap junk. Guarantee you the output of these cameras is nowhere near any country's "safe limit".

Smaller, lighter, faster... when your system is pretty much single-purpose, you don't need a ton of the extra functionality and features and bloat that's typically loaded into Windows.

First thing I would have done is probably look at what would be required to clean up the existing mess... then tell them, look, I can swap in new cameras, but that's not going to solve the problem of not having full control... and here's what it would take to achieve that.

hi, you didn't open the motion detective record mode. in that mode, the dvr record only when there are things moving. He already said he wants to record 24/7. Not at all uncommon in standalone DVRs.

You're right that a system is the sum of all its components (weakest-link theory) but there's a lot more to what makes a "good" camera than the size and brand of sensor.

Agreed, 3/4" is preferable (I'd meant to put that before, but forgot). Clear Glide, however, will dry out before long... if you're going to leave a string along with the lines, you should use the "Yellow 77" lube, as it will leave things a little slick and easier to deal with if you want to add any lines later (also make it easier if you ever need to pull those out). Of course, if you don't decide to leave a string in with the pull, it doesn't matter...

Looks pretty normal for most types of video compression, from that picture... unless you're talking about that one bright white dot?

For a single run, or even two, 1/2" should do. I wouldn't pull the wire in "as you go" - that's a MAJOR MAJOR pain in the arse, trust me on this. Personally, I'd assemble the conduit first, making sure to seal all the joins properly... then use a shop vac to pull a string through. This is quick and easy: take a little piece of a plastic bag, enough that you can puff it out to fill the pipe, then tie a pull string to it. Seal the vacuum hose against one end of the pipe, then insert the "mouse" into the other, and let it go. Should only take a minute for it to go the full distance. Then you can use that string to pull your wire. If possible (cost allowing), I'd pull a second Cat5e at the same time, as well as another pull string, so when it's all done, you have two cables and one string left in the pipe - that gives you future capacity, and the ability to pull another wire if necessary. Make sure to use lots of lube to make pulling easier - if you're going to leave a pull string in it, use the yellow lube, as it will leave a waxy coating behind and make future pulls easier.

Screenshots or video clips showing the issue would be much more helpful...

You can always check the warranty status on them - most drives have three years, some five. I realize that won't apply to a drive from 2004, but with newer ones, it never hurts to check.

I thought about banning him, but you know... it's more fun to see the spammers like this make their sales pitches, and then be publicly ridiculed After all, what more effective counter is there for a crappy product, than posting it up and then having a bunch of professionals and experts shoot down all the grossly exaggerated claims?

Hard to say, not knowing what DVR you're using, but if you haven't found the options in the settings, chances are that DVR isn't capable of it.

Neat... their demo page loaded up a Java app... and then just went blank. Not impressed. Next?

im wondering if this is simply the best route for me at the moment. i could essentially get a 1x4 catv powered splitter to output the composite/bnc video out from the server to 4 tv's around the house as well as be able to view it on my ipad, pc, etc. Negative. CATV splitters are designed to work at RF frequencies, not composite video. You'll need either a proper composite video splitter to feed the signal straight to the TVs' composite inputs, or an RF modulator to put the signal on a TV channel, then use your CATV splitter on that. Since you probably already have a splitter on your main incoming cable, that then goes out to the TVs, your most efficient method might be to just put the modulator in-line with the incoming CATV feed.

True, UTP is preferred... but since he's looking at a chunk of cable that's 10m long, I'm guessing that his run is <10m, and thus pretty much anything with two conductors should suffice.

IP cameras don't require a DVR card...

Not so - I've installed plenty of domes outdoor in the direct sunlight, all kinds of different brands and models. The Pelcos were the only ones that ever seemed to have an issue with it.

BASIC programming (date, time, codes) is fairly straightforward on the DSCs I've used... more advanced stuff has been somewhat more convoluted - a lot of the settings are bitmapped, so you pretty much have to figure them all out on paper first, so you can enter the right numbers when you're at the keypad.