Soundy

Why, If the dvr can handle the NTSC signal ? From what I can understand (I'm a newbie in cctv field) the NTSC signal will flow between the camera and the DVR, and then the video output from Vga or ethernet, has nothing to do with NTSC. You are correct on that part. Where it COULD be an issue is with a DVR where the entire signal chain (to a composite output) uses one standard or the other. In that DVR's case, it MAY be an issue if you want to use the composite output on a PAL monitor, but if you're using the VGA output, there should be no problem. This was an "advice" of the store sales rep Figures...

Just connect both to the DVR, in parallel, and enable termination on both/all cameras. Consider that a typical "daisy chain" is a parallel layout as well.

That's been my experience as well (although I've never seen one where the A/V cable had a BNC on it - they all go to the standard yellow/red/white RCAs). Being a DVD player, they also work as a signal source for testing lines, displays, and inputs. I even made a custom DVD with a number of test patterns on it. My last DVD player, I got off Craigslist for $30. The only drawback to most portable DVDs is that they tend to have a low-resolution screen (320x240 up to around 400x240 - basically half-resolution from the DVD content). My co-worked used an Archos media player for a while that had a high-res (800x480) screen that looked great... thing even had a wrist strap, so it was "wearable". Unfortunately he broke the "DVR dock" connector on it so he could no longer input video to it No such thing as a "BNC to USB adapter". Same thing, you want to use a USB capture device. Most have an RCA input, so you just use a BNC-to-RCA adapter.

Bad sectors happen. It's not a rarity, or necessarily a precursor to massive failure. Running a full check (click the "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" box if doing it in Windows) will allow the system to remap any bad sectors as "unavailable" so it won't use them again. I had a SCSI drive in my old Dell server that was showing a number of bad sectors... I ran the full sector scan from the SCSI BIOS; it removed those sectors from "active duty", and the drive continued to run fine for the next six years (and in fact, was still running fine when I took the server offline last month). If you want to be extra-sure, download a manufacturer's diagnostic utility and run a "long test" against the drive. If that completes successfully, you can be reasonably certain the drive is fine (only once, in 15 years of working with PCs, have I had a drive that passed all the tests, and still had issues). Plus, if you want to RMA the drive under warranty, the manufacturer will require you to run their utility to obtain an error code.

Axis makes network cameras...

Any sort of USB video-capture device will do. There are tons of "TV tuner" adapters out there for ~$100 or less. I used to use an Adaptec GameBridge that originally cost only $30, and it worked quite well (alas, it doesn't work with Windows 7 on my new netbook).

They may not be thinking that the DVR will support both...? PAL is based on the 50Hz power frequency, while NTSC is based on a 60Hz power source. Depending on the DVR design, it may not work properly in NTSC mode if you have 50Hz power. You may also have an issue if you're using a PAL monitor on it, as some DVRs' PAL/NTSC option may be "global".

Is it JUST Multicam, or the whole machine that's restarting?

Catch with H.264 is that it was originally intended for encoding full-framerate videos, like movies and such. The compression starts to lose efficiency at lower framerates, as are common in CCTV, unless you do a bunch of tweaking to the codec (which isn't possible in most DVRs).

"A" bad sector is hardly a "drive crash". What brand and model were these drives?

I believe GeoVision will do everything you need (except maybe user-friendly; I find the interface confused and clunky, but I've been spoiled by Vigil), and you should be able to get an 8-channel version for within your budget. Just make sure you get it from a legitimate source; you'll find lots of CHEAP listings for GV on fleaBay, but those are almost universally illegal clones.

I think a real mousetrap would be more useful - when you hear the scream, you know he's caught. Put it on a really short chain in the top drawer, so he won't be able to reach his other hand in to release himself

Cnb site is misleading on this, because they show images of this model with the mask inside and some without it: There's no mask in that picture. You're just seeing a reflection of the background/softbox that the photographer is using. Edit: nvm, I see it now... it didn't show at the angle I was looking at my laptop screen.

The CNBs all come with a smoked dome.

*.MPG would normally be an MPEG file, which usually tend to be a pretty standard codec (I don't think I've yet seen an MPEG file that wouldn't just play in Windows Media Player, but I suppose there could be exceptions). Businesses won't generally use "proprietary" file formats or codecs, but DVRs themselves often do. What players have you tried? Most here have had good success using VLC (www.videolan.org), sometimes needing some assistance from an additional codec pack (I use K-Lite myself - google "K-Lite Mega Pack"). Beyond that, it would probably be most helpful if we knew the actual make and model of the DVR itself. Is it still possible to get the player file from the store manager?

You only need to post a question once. Can you post some screenshots or photos showing the problem?

Other than for RF (satellite/MATV/CATV), I can't think of any common residential application that would REQUIRE coax of any type. One thing about the conduit: try to wire everything you think you'll need right from the start. Pulling more wire later is usually POSSIBLE... IF you have enough room in the pipe, and IF you don't have too many curves, and IF you used plenty of yellow lube (the kind that stays slick on the wires - the clear water-based stuff doesn't). Remember that the pull string (assuming you pull one in with your runs) will be twisted into and around the bundle, so you'll have additional friction there, which will be exacerbated any time it goes around a corner. The harder you pull, the more damage the string will do to the existing wires' jackets. The more wire you try to add later, the more difficult it becomes, too, as the new wire will, naturally, follow the string's path in and among the existing wires. Best way to avoid this is to try to anticipate future needs and run overkill in the first place.

Woot! There are plenty of reasons for preferring 24VAC over 12VDC, but this is not one. Sync is generally derived from the video signal itself. The only time I've seen a need for external sync, is when feeding a switcher of some sort, and non-sync'd signals show a pronounced "flicker" when switching inputs. The only time I've actually USED an external sync is between a MUX and a VCR to get the de-muxing process to work properly... and that's done via a dedicated connection between the machines. Go ahead and use the 12VDC setup; you shouldn't have any problems with it (none caused by the difference between AC and DC supplies, anyway). Again, probably not worth worrying about. It's probably still designed to present the proper 75-ohm impedance, and likely has a stranded center conductor, which will withstand the constant flexing a lot better than replacing it with solid-core RG59. Besides, unless some has replaced that after the fact, consider that the manufacturer has used that cable *intentionally*, for a reason. They were probably thinking that almost all PTZs have auto-focus and auto-iris and 99.9% of the time, those functions aren't controlled manually. If YOUR camera does auto-focus and has an auto-iris lens, you'll probably also find you don't NEED those functions... certainly not enough to make it worth worrying about controlling them from your phone. 1Vp-p is the NTSC video standard. Most cameras should already do this, and should not need adjustment. In fact, the vast majority won't even have this adjustment available to the user; if it even IS adjustable, it will probably require disassembly of the camera. That's most likely a white-balance setting. Again, 99.9% of the time, your cameras will be set to "AWB", or Auto White Balance, and will work just fine like that. The only time you should really need to change it would be under particularly strange lighting conditions. And if the color is that far off, it's more often an indication that the sensor is failing and the camera should just be tossed anyway. Maybe... maybe not. This works fine if your desk contains the exact lighting conditions as your final installation site...

Add to that, several jurisdictions don't require a front plate.

Back to the original question: you could always go with something purpose-built: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/DriveWinter/WinterCarCare/IncarEntertainment/PRD~0352518P/Yada%252B3.5-in%252BBack-Up%252BCamera.jsp?locale=en Camera mounts to the license plate bolts and is pretty inconspicuous... not "covert", but not obvious either. I've seen versions with a GPS built into the monitor as well - operates in GPS mode normally, switches to camera when you put the car in reverse.

We're going Cat5 for almost all installs these days. When you install regularly, it makes sense to only have to carry one type of cable around. As Christopher has noted, it works for video, power, serial control, audio, network... and almost any combination thereof (you can even run 10/100 *and* video on a single cable, in a pinch). Many aren't fond of the idea, but yes, you can also use it for alarm wiring. I'd put in two or three Cat5 runs to each point, and if anything, add an 18/2 or 16/2 in case you install something later with heavier power demands. RG6 would be useful, say, to the tower, in case you add satellite at some point... but if wiring JUST for CCTV, and you really want to use coax, I'd recommend RG59 - thinner, lighter, and generally a lot more flexible/pliable. Either way, make sure to use a cable with solid copper core and 95% braided copper shield - no jacketed steel or aluminum foil shields. As to advantages or disadvantages: coax only allows you up to about 200-300m; passive baluns over UTP can easily extend you to 800-1000m, and over a mile using active baluns. The balanced design also inherently rejects induced noise. The main disadvantage is that when using cheap 12VDC cameras, which use a common ground for power and video, you can get ground loops with multiple cameras on a single power supply. Depending on how many pairs you use for power and the load you put on it (PTZs, high-LED-count IRs), you can also see excessive voltage drop over longer runs, especially at 12VDC (losses are about half when using 24V). Realistically though, this won't be a problem in most instances. Stick with 24VAC cameras and power and you avoid both issues. As for cameras having "only RF" - actually, they have composite video outputs, not RF... and several camera models do have built-in baluns, either standard, or as an option. If they DO have it, it's probably there at an extra cost, so there's not really a benefit to it other than installation simplicity. It's still composite video, BTW... just a difference in the type of wire used.

I dunno, to me, that's kinda hot From what I've seen so far, I'm pretty sure you can too The problem in any fast-growing industry like this is that as soon as people realize there's a demand for learning it, you'll get all sorts of "courses" popping up that will drown you in the basics, but not go much beyond that... so you get a ton of n00bs with their little "diplomas" out flooding the workplace, with enough knowledge to crimp on a BNC and connected a camera to a standalone DVR. The trick then, if you REALLY know your stuff, is to pick up where they leave off. And you'll probably find you learn a lot faster just doing things hands-on. If anything, a general electronics course would probably be more useful than "CCTV training". OH... and maybe a good networking course, since that's becoming more and more a part of CCTV. I took a 5-day intensive course on OS/2 Warp Server from IBM once, about 15 years ago... one whole day was dedicated to networking, about 60% of it to TCP/IP, and the knowledge just from that has served me very well ever since. A good grounding in the basics of IPs, routing, netmasks, DNS and DHCP will go a LONG way. Depends mainly on where you live (or more specifically, where you want to work). BC doesn't require any certification or education for CCTV work, although most aspects of alarm work require it.

Didn't look like a "simple discussion" to me... the original post looks more like a sweeping statement that name-branded cameras are a rip-off.

Nope, not everything needs a ground It really depends on how a specific device is designed. RS-232 references its data signals to a common ground (hence the computer 9-pin serial port has only single TXD and RXD pins); RS-422 and RS-485 both use balanced signal lines that allocate two wires for signal (a + and a -) that don't reference to a common ground. You might use the ground with a shielded signal wire, if induced noise is a problem, but the balanced line itself tends to reject noise pretty well. If you're not using a shielded wire, the ground is pretty much moot, except maybe to address ground-loop issues. In both cases, though, it would generally be something to try IF there are problems.... the additional ground connection would actually be more likely to CREATE a ground loop.

I think the hype may be getting a little out of hand At the same time, it certainly doesn't apply to ALL their cameras - I've used some models that were mediocre at best. They key phrase is "for the price". Even the mediocre ones have been on a par with most others in their price range; the big hype is over the Mona Lisa models, which for us anyway, have been really outstanding *value*. No, they won't measure up to megapixel for basic image quality; no, they won't generally compare to the higher-end analogs STRICTLY on the basis of image quality... but FOR THE PRICE? We get them for about 1/3 to 1/2 the price of a Panasonic WV484, for example... and about the only place the Panny beats them cleanly is in the Super Dynamic function and the ABF. Yes, the Panny has a better image... but not 2-3 times better. The Mona Lisa beats it hands-down for low-light response. And hey, as an installer... I REALLY love them. The 3-axis gimbal design is one of the best to work with, way easier than the Panasonic's, which even with all their annoying lockdown screws still ends up sloppy. For easy of installation and setup, there's simply no other dome I've EVER worked with that can touch them.