Soundy

First thing I'd say would be to confirm the connection from the matrix to the decoder. You should actually only need two wires: TX+ on the matrix to RX+ on the decoder, TX- on the matrix to RX- on the decoder. If you have a computer with a serial port, try wiring the TX pins on the matrix to the RXD (pin 2) and GND (pin 5) pins on a DB9F connector (see http://pinouts.ru/SerialPorts/Serial9_pinout.shtml). Normally you'd wire TX+ to RXD and TX- to GND, but I've seen instances where you have to reverse them. Once that's hooked up, fire up Hyperterm on the computer, configure it to use the serial port with the same parameters you've used on the matrix (2400 8N1, usually), and tell it to go online. Then when you move the controller on the matrix, you should see data coming in on Hyperterm. That will confirm the matrix is transmitting. After that, you can try wiring the TXD (pin 3) and ground on the DB9 to the inputs of the camera (same polarity rules apply - try it both ways), then download and install PTZ Controller from www.serialporttool.com, and try using that to control the camera.

That's where you're wrong: the factory WON'T typically warranty a product that was not sold under their own name. Once again, one of the problems with the rebranded product is that the company selling them will often make modifications of their own - with a dome or bullet camera, for example, they may remove the included lens and ship it with a lower-cost, lower-quality lens. What happens if the lens is later found by the customer to be faulty? Why would "the factory" honor a warranty on a product that they didn't supply? With higher-end cameras, third-party OEMs will often use their own modified firmware - again, why would "the factory" want to warranty something that they didn't produce? A solid warranty is worth more than just the cost of the product. For one, when a manufacturer provides a warranty, it's showing confidence in their product. If they're foisting off factory seconds to someone else, it's because they feel that specific unit won't live up to those expectations. So I can sell and install the name-branded camera with a greater expectation that it WON'T have problems into the future. Forget the raw dollars, it doesn't look good if a customer has to keep calling you in because you installed cheap equipment that keeps breaking down.

No, I think YOU'RE missing the point: cheap equipment is cheap FOR A REASON. Whether it's poor construction, low-quality parts, lack of "manufacturer" support, or any combination of the above, when you pay for "name-brand" equipment, you're usually paying for more than just the brand name. Good luck with that. No manufacturer I know of will support someone else's equipment, even if it was originally made by them. For starters, most want a serial number, and if it doesn't match one they've sold, they won't support it. Think about it for a moment: imagine you're a recognized name brand (Brandname A), you spend tons of money on advertising, marketing, setting up sales channels and a whole support structure... you spend money on an ongoing basis to maintain that support structure - toll-free phone lines, support staff, coders to write and test firmware updates... you invest a LOT to sell back up your products and keep your customers happy. Now some offshore company (Noname B) buys up the products that you've deemed not good enough to sell under your own name... they put their own name on them and blow them out the door cheap. They also don't provide any method of contact for customers who have issues. So customer with a bunch of flaky Noname B cameras figures out that, hey, these look exactly like those expensive Brandname A cameras... maybe Brandname A company will help me with them! If you're Brandname A, what would possibly entice you to support those cameras? To expend your own resources in aid of something that you essentially just tossed out because you KNEW it wasn't good enough to carry your name? ESPECIALLY when you know that Noname B quite likely modified those cameras on their own? My experience, that original manufacturer is going to tell you to go back to your vendor for support... which is hard to do if that vendor hasn't provided contact info. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahah really? You don't live in the real world, do you?

Sure they "shouldn't", but how often is that really the case? I've had Pelco ICS-110 domes die just being mounted in direct sunlight - really nice to have the full warranty coverage when that happens. I've had Pelco, Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony (Sony-branded cameras, mind you, not just "Sony CCD" no-name cameras), National Electronics, Arecont, IQEye, and other top-tier names with cameras that were non-functional out of the box... or damaged during packaging or shipping... or even just have small glitches that should be addressed under warranty, like an Arecont dome that the brightness and contrast settings didn't do anything (and yes, I checked the firmware version). The fact is, nobody sells a 100% perfect product... what's really nice is when the company stands behind it. Also, "support" doesn't just mean replacing bad cameras. It means being able to ask questions when something doesn't quite make sense, or when you need to know how to do something unorthodox. IQEye support, for example, has been outstanding in helping me with some scripting functions that aren't covered, or are poorly covered, in the manuals. It's invaluable in these cases to have someone actually respond to your questions with something besides "well, it's in the manual." And when you have these questions and problems, it's really great to actually have a phone number or website to contact someone through. Oh get real! How many cheap systems don't even list a brand name, let alone a web address or phone number, in their documentation? Just take a look through these forums, for people looking for firmware updates for their no-name and off-brand DVRs, because the included manual has NO contact information for the "manufacturer". That's the difference between paying $100 for a "budget" DVR, and $300 for a name-branded "identical" model.

Care to elaborate?

He stopped at 26 posts... looks like he's trying to build his post count past 25 to get access to the Professional area. Too bad for him, 25 posts doesn't AUTOMATICALLY get you in there; you still have to be added by an admin, after showing that you ARE a professional... something that this kind of behaviour doesn't really demonstrate.

For a Windows-based utility, check out Unstoppable Copier from www.roadkil.net (among other great free utilities!). I've had it recover corrupted files several times, as it will keep trying as many times as you tell it to. Also handy for regular copy/move processes without the usual Windows "Are you sure?" idiot popups.

We painted an environmental housing black and dark green once, and hid it within the branches of a small pine tree near a driveway gate. Even I had trouble spotting it, and I knew it was there.

While these different re-brands may be identical DESIGNS, built on the same production line, they're usually not identical IN QUALITY. The cheaper ones are typically the units that don't pass the quality control/quality assurance stages of manufacturing, sold cheap to a third party to re-sell under their own name. This is a common practice in all areas of manufacturing. The cheaper "brands" (or lack thereof) often come with no support as well - they're the units that have no brand name on them, and no contact info in the all-too-skimpy documentation. If a company doesn't have to support the products they sell, they can sell them for a lot less. A large part of the extra money you pay with "name brands" goes to actually having a toll-free number, and to technical support and customer service staff. It goes to cover their costs when a customer gets a bad unit and wants it replaced under warranty.

Funny thing, I tested a Panasonic SD5 3MP camera a little while back... found that using a combination of BLC and Adaptive Black Stretch worked far better for severe backlighting than actually using the SD5 function.

Mighta been a temporary problem at the time, I just recall it was too slow to really tell anything. Wanna shoot me the link again, and I'll give it another shot?

I remember that... seems to me I tried it a couple times and the connection was so slow I couldn't get anything useful.

Hi. you can use the same settings as the HD4000p. i will set-up a system on wednesday so as you can login and have a play. Dunno how I missed this thread back in April... Tom, do you still have a demo online that one could take a look at? Hearing great things about these cameras and trying to get the boss to invest in one to try for one of our pickier customers (upscale lounge/dining restaurant that always operates with dim lighting).

Did you send your ORIGINAL email TO sean@cnbtec.com, or is that an address that you got a reply from when you filled in a web form or something? Cuz you know, it's really easy to spoof a "From" email address... heck, I could change my Outlook settings in about 15s to make it look like an email from me is actually coming from CNB, or from cctvforum.com, or even from you.

Both links (now removed) pointed to the same cheap camera... Chances are your Costco DVR uses proprietary multi-pin power/video/audio connectors and you won't be able to plug a camera like this into it.

They are also NOT in Van Nuys - at least, there's no such address listed on their website... and there's nowhere on the website to actually purchase. What they DO have on their website, is this: http://cnbusa.com/en/html/partner/unauthorizedreseller.php

I can't imagine putting together just a decent new PC for that price, let alone the cameras and software. If you're using a Windows-based software, the Windows license alone will eat up half that budget. At that point, you won't be able to include any but the cheapest junk cameras. That may sound harsh, but if you're getting into the business, you might as well get off on the right foot: first thing you need to do is adjust your expectations. The EASIEST way to maintain a single-wire system is to use IP cameras, a PoE switch to power them, and some NVR software. A number of IP camera brands include their own basic NVR software for free. And since Cat5e is available in a wide range of colors, if you insist on surface-running the wire, you can at least try to match it to the decor.

Seeing as most IR bullets are weatherproof, what's the point of putting it inside an enclosure? Does the customer want it to look more impressive than it really is? Anyway, why not just remove the glass?

The "PTZ Controls" in the Hikvision interface are for digital PTZ. Not all their cameras support it, but the interface layout is common to all the cameras (and the DVRs, I believe), so they all have the controls present, whether active or not.

You need either a switch with PoE ports, or an individual injector for each camera.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_gamma

Yeah... grossly over-simplified, it's basically a big capacitor that sits across the legs of the circuit, where the phase shift "slows" the meter mechanism. It doesn't reduce your usage, it just makes the meter run slower and thus give lower readings. AFAIK, they're not legal anywhere in the developed world. EDIT: There's some discussion of it here, as well as a better description of how it actually works: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060627041826AAGt6oV

It is... and frankly, I've never seen an auto-iris lens that DIDN'T already have the connector on it. I think the point here is, don't worry about - CNB is ahead of almost everyone else by including this information "just in case" (just search the threads here for people looking for those pinouts - they're almost impossible to find published anywhere on the 'net). Doesn't mean anything... everyone discontinues older models as newer designs, styles, and technologies come out. If anything, it shows they're keeping up with technology rather than sitting back on a few older models.

Seeing as the BBM line are box cameras and don't ship with lenses, I don't get where that's CNB's problem? In fact, it says right there at the top of Page 12, very first entry in the Connection section: "THE LENS IS NOT SUPPLIED WITH THIS CAMERA"