Soundy

The switch is what all your network devices plug into so they can communicate. If you're using a broadband router for your internet, it no doubt has four or more ports marked "LAN" on it - those are essentially a network switch (with some added functions behind it). See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch This diagram is basically assuming that you're using a network-based POS system, where the terminals all read off a central database on a back-office computer (which is likely the case these days).

That's a UHF connector... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UHF_connector They're used (or used to be used) a lot on CB antennas.

There are a number of disk-space calculators out there, some online, some downloadable... many are on IP-camera-manufacturers' sites and geared more towards calculating the requirements for their cameras. Generally you can plug the same info into three different calculators and get four different answers, that's how much of a black art it really is. I don't really have any experience that would be meaningful to your particular situation... I deal mainly with Vigil DVRs, and besides most sites being fewer cameras, the bulk of them only use 1-2fps, maybe 80% CIF, 20% 4CIF for the analog units, Vigil also has their own proprietary Aztech codec which claims up to 90% storage reduction for MJPEG streams.

Try asking TP-Link: http://www.tp-link.com/company/contact.asp

I googled "TVC-1066A" and this was the second hit I got: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/15828/TVS-1066A-Manual They want you to register to download it, but you can read it in-line.

That would be any camera that best suits a particular need, for an appropriate price.

Based on that message (and my Engrish skills), I'd say that the software is actually shareware/demoware, rather than freeware, and is simply timing out. They probably want you to buy a "full" version of the software to get the added functionality.

Did you change the ALC and Level adjustments on the lens, as survtech indicated?

You mentioned suitable output from the camera. Currently I am using Panasonic WV-CP480. The output of the camera is only Video out. Should I get another one? If yes, what would you recommend? The lens should use the same connector as a DC-iris lens... that would be little black square in this picture: You would also have to go into the camera's menus (using the buttons under the slide-back cover in this same picture) to tell it to use video-iris mode instead of DC iris. Can you explain further with regards to this? I mean how do I check if my lens comes with this 'iris active circuitry'? Is there any tech jargon I should looking at the brochure? Thanks again. Those two adjustments on the lens tell you that it uses video-iris.

Nice piece, Bryn! We'll look forward to following your progress in this thread. Hope you can include lots of pictures!

Generically, it's probably a mini-DIN type connector, probably a five- or six-pin... something like this? What are you trying to determine, other than the connector type? These connectors aren't used on professional systems; they're common to low-grade "package" systems that include monitor, recorder, and cameras with attached wires.

The VBM is surface-mount only; the VCM has a back protrusion that can be countersunk in a surface for lower-profile flush mounting, as well as a back-box that can be used to surface mount it. There's also room inside the back-box for wiring and even some baluns, making it suitable when you have to pipe the wire into it through surface-mounted conduit. Either of the above. Bryn

Well, that's the difference between a "cheap" DVR and... well... a not-cheap one: you get what you pay for. Again, NOT having a composite/spot output is going to be fine for probably 90% of the people in that market segment anyway, so if they can leave it off and sell some more units by knocking $20 off the price... why not? I have no opinion on Lorex. Never used one, never seen one in person. They look like standard cheap offshore stuff, and again, in this business, you really do get what you pay for. Edit: honestly... even the Vigil systems we install (MSRPs ranging from $2500 to $10,000) have two composite outs, one that's just a switched feed from one analog input, one that's a software-multiplexed output to display multiple cameras, including a mix of analog and IP. And probably 85% of the time, we don't use either.

Looks kinda like a Digital Watchdog.

Doesn't play them, or just doesn't recognize the extension? You may have to rename it to .AVI or some other "standard" multimedia extension before some players will even attempt to play it.

VLC will play just about anything... and if it doesn't, K-Lite Codec Pack will cover almost anything else.

JPG under 150kb file size is best.

That would Planet 2009, where LCD VGA monitors are dirt-cheap and way better resolution than composite, where 99% of people just sit in front of the DVR to view it and wouldn't even think of connecting it to their TVs, even if they did know how Why not just a VGA splitter and some VGA-over-UTP baluns and replace your coax with Cat5e and upgrade any TVs that don't have VGA inputs to ones that do? Come on, this ain't rocket surgery!

CIF @ 15fps constant... you don't say how many cameras, but I would expect with 2TB, you'd get at least a couple months.

If the player installs a standard codec, you could probably use something like VLC (www.videolan.org)

Sounds like what happens when you use an older version of DivX for a video made with a newer version. Can't really tell much without knowing at least what codec it is...maybe what DVR it is... what file extension it uses... really not giving us ANYTHING to work with here...

It should be a standard M12 mount... although I don't know if you'll find a lens much faster than the stock (the aperture is unlisted, but you'll always be somewhat limited by the small mount). The included 2.8-10.5 is pretty good quality compared to some I've seen. I don't think there's really as much of a market for high-end M12 lenses compared to high-end C/CS lenses, so selection will probably be limited.

Well, nothing says you can't make the employees THINK it's there Just knowing there are cameras watching the parking lot would probably be enough! Yeah, what we've found with PTZs, a lot of the time, is they're "neat toys" for the first while, but then they fall short when actually needed. There ARE places that they're useful, don't get me wrong: we have several in a crane yard that covers two square blocks, with another in a remote yard in another town, and the dispatchers can all pull them up on their desktop computers and steer them remotely - they use them to check on the location of some of their trucks, stock, storage items, and so on. Most are also set on regular tours just to keep a general eye on things and so they're not being completely useless when not being human-controlled. But again, their main use here IS being under human control. We've also used them in the past at some gas stations, set on a tour to zoom in sequentially on each pump position in order to capture cars' plates... a car is typically stopped there long enough during a fill-up to be captured at least three times through the camera's tour. Since prepay-only laws came in here, though, capture plates at pumps has become almost a moot point - gas'n'dash events are almost eliminated.

That's essentially the same camera "guts" as the VCM/VBM-24vf (the Vxx models are the vandal-resistant domes; the DBM would be a standard plastic dome). Those do do quite well with harsh backlighting when you crank up their "SBLC" (super back-light compensation) setting. Take a look at my screenshots in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22141&hilit=sblc Probably the BEST camera for this purpose is the Panasonic WV-CP484 (box) or WV-CW-484 (dome) camera... but that will probably run you 3-4 times the price of the CNB.

Not necessarily. All "hybrid" means is that it supports both analog and IP cameras. It has nothing to do with the codec(s) used, POS integration, or anything else. As with anything else, there is no 100% perfect-for-all-cases solution. H.264 has its benefits, which may be useful in some situations. In other situations, other codecs' benefits may take precedence. No. IP cameras connect via the network, so you only need a network switch; plug the DVR into that, then plug in as many cameras as the system supports. Okay, there's one thing that you have to keep straight in this discussion: MP and IP are not the same thing. Analog video has limitations on resolution (to well under half a megapixel) because of the video standards used (NTSC or PAL, depending on whether you're in North America, or just about anywhere else). To get around this limitation, megapixel cameras most commonly use a network connection, using TCP/IP protocol (the same as your internet connection). (To avoid further confusion, we won't get into HDcctv, which isn't available on the market yet, and probably won't be for some time yet). There ARE standard-resolution cameras (VGA - 640x480 - most commonly) that use IP connections as well... and you can get "video server" boxes that will let you convert any standard analog signal to send over IP. There are some definite advantages to using IP-networked cameras, most of which apply to larger, more complex systems. It's NOT generally as easy to set up as standard analog, though, which is why you don't see it a lot in lower-end systems. Now, the comparison photos you're probably looking at are for megapixel cameras... they don't do as well in low light because they have to cram more pixels into the same size sensors as most analog cameras. Smaller pixels collect less light and thus *IN GENERAL* don't do as well in low-light conditions. Naturally, there are exceptions both ways... And as with compression codecs, sometimes the benefits of one may outweigh its disadvantages, depending on your needs. In any case, you can't really compare quality of "IP vs. analog" because there isn't an inherent reason for there to BE a difference. Case in point: Panasonic makes both analog and IP versions of its standard-resolution CW484 camera; there is no difference in quality and performance, just a difference in how you connect them.