Soundy

nice toy... what about for non-Axis IP cameras tho?

Get a small laptop or netbook. Plug directly into the camera with a crossover cable. Or plug a wireless router into the switch that the camera runs back to, and connect your laptop/netbook wirelessly. Or use cameras that have analog outputs for this purpose specifically (like most of IQEye's cameras). My coworker uses his Archos 5 on a wrist strap for both analog cameras (via the "DVR dock" adapter), and IP cameras via WiFi. Very handy.

Agreed there, there are still instances where extra illumination is needed... I just found archik's question kind of, well... dumb, frankly: the whole discussion is about the ultra-low-light performance of these cameras and he's wondering if they come with built-in IR??? *BUILT-IN* IR is, IMHO, a hack workaround for CHEAP cameras.

The whole point of these cameras' low-light capabilities is to NOT NEED hokey workarounds like IR illuminators.

Sounds like a hack workaround for a poor design. Why not just make it so you don't have to stop recording to change the settings? Or at least, why not make that option a default? We have only one customer with Geo systems, installed by their previous supplier. We're steadily replacing them with (more like, upgrading them to) Vigils... in part, because of silly things like this.

What are you trying to decide, then? Whether to use IP cameras, or analog cameras with IP video encoders? If so, there's no functional difference when it comes to the network... your decision should rest on the appropriate camera for the purpose; ie. day/night, IR, PTZ, megapixel, etc. If a megapixel camera is most suitable, then all you need is the wireless link; if you don't need megapixel but need other features better provided by an analog camera, go with the analog and then add the video server. I assume power is already available at the poles?

Er... I was talking about GeoVision, actually... I've never seen an Aver system

Check these threads: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20048 viewtopic.php?f=5&t=20411

They're a decent system... lot better than most of the cheap stuff flooding the market. Works fairly well, but the interface - or more specifically, the menus and controls - are frustrating and poorly laid out (IMHO). There's a particularly dangerous oddity in that you have to stop all cameras recording before you can go into the main settings page... too often I've seen someone (including myself) forget to re-start recording after adjusting some settings, and machine have sat for days without recording anything. I've also found an annoying little hardware thing with them, at least with the versions of the cards I've had foisted on me, in that a single camera being flaky/noisy can affect up to three other cameras that share that one encoding channel, and cause them to drop out entirely. NOT a good thing, and can be very frustrating if you have to figure out which one camera is taking down all four.

Model number is listed there with the attached images above. The newer VGL-branded cameras may have been PoE, I don't know... but these older ones didn't work with it. Interesting, I'll play with that when I get the chance.

Just to be fair, these aren't bad cameras - not the best I've seen, but far from the worst. They have LOTS of onboard setup options - almost too many, it can get confusing, and some options are in unexpected places... and there's a lot of Engrish, especially in the config utilities. But they are very flexible, and have pretty good quality.

Don't expect any kind of quality with that camera count for $1200. You'd be lucky to get a half-dozen *GOOD* cameras for $1200, let alone 16 *and* a DVR, *and* installation. What "newlifecoming" is offering you is, frankly, cheap junk, and at best you'll be happy with it right up until you actually need it. Honestly, tell your boss the budget is unreasonable for her expectations.

This is the easiest, by far. Don't need anything fancy on the end of the string, we just use a piece of a plastic bag. Feeding the string through each section of pipe as you assemble it is going to be a real pain, with 20 or so sections, and if you're gluing the sections together (as you should), there's a chance of the string getting glued in place. Assemble the pipe first, make sure to properly glue all the sections together, and then use a shop-vac as survtech suggests.

I wasn't aware Nikon made CCTV cameras. If you're asking about pocket or digital SLR cameras, you're in the wrong area... and really, on the wrong system.

See if you can correlate the "scrambling" to something environmental, like a motor starting up or high-power lights turning on.

The problem with converting the video format is that you lose any authenticity markers - there's no long anything to prove it hasn't been edited or changed. When you export to native format on Vigil, it includes a player utility and can install a codec so other players can handle the video format. The player includes a "test authenticity" function that checks and confirms that the file hasn't been altered. If they're worried about the video not being altered, you need to keep it ORIGINAL.

^Wow. Now THAT is cluelessness at its highest level.

We have literally dozens of CNBs in service now (not all these models, of course) and I don't think we've had a single in-use failure or a single DOA camera yet. Several of them have replaced toasted Extreme domes in one client's site... others were used as spares to temporarily replace Pelco IS-110s that had to go in for repair after less than a year in service. Based on experience SO FAR, the CNB domes have been among the most reliable I've ever dealt with. On top of that, they're among the nicest and most flexible to install and configure... like they actually had an installer consult on the physical design!

Thank you for supporting our resident incorrigible spammers...

I dunno about Hik's DVRs, but if their cameras are any indication, better brush up on your Engrish...

Yes, although I generally prefer a 24VAC supply - you get less loss over long runs, and practically eliminate the chance of ground loop issues when using baluns. Assuming you get the dual-voltage model of those cameras, of course. The BNC and power cables are separate entities, attached by a "web"... so you just cut a bit of the webbing, grab the ends of the two wires, and peel them apart. Don't worry, it's designed to do this, for exactly this reason. They're flush-mount domes with surface-mount back boxes... no additional hardware required unless you want to hang them from pendants or something. I've never bothered with pendants though - if they need to attach to a wall, I just mount them straight to the wall using the back-box.

Correct. Theoretically, it's good practice to always do this. In reality, it's rarely a problem to run your signal beside 120/240VAC for short distances. Interference CAN be exacerbated by other factors, especially if you have weak signal or really long runs... and the level of interference will also depend on the actual current running through the power lines.

Sorry, I meant to say 180 degrees. Any power cable will generate a field which can be induced into a data cable close and in parrallel to it causing problems. Crossing at 180 decreases the induction potential considerably. You had it right the first time: 180 degrees is still parallel.

Welcome!