Soundy

I'd be pretty leery of that - I don't see a power connector on it, meaning it would have to pull +12V and -12V from the PCI bus to get the 24V that it then uses to step up to 48V. That's a lot of current to be drawing from the motherboard, even assuming 100% efficiency in the conversion. Looking at a 500W Antec PSU I have sitting here, the -12V rail is only rated to a maximum 0.8A, which means you'd have a MAXIMUM (again, assuming 100% efficiency) of 19.2W available, which is barely enough to drive ONE device to spec, never mind two.

Yes, but that has the same problem I noted above: once you use one pair for video and one for PTZ, you have only two left for power. At 200' and with a PTZ's higher draw, that just won't be enough.

Sorry, mis-read that, I see it's just a 7" monitor... same idea applies, you could use an articulated mount of some sort attached to a stud inside the wall, so you could adjust the position of the monitor to sit flush.

If it needs 7" of depth, it's going to stick out the other side of whatever wall it goes into (unless they're 2x8 or larger studs)... presumably this would be a closet or utility room or something? You could build a box back into that area, use an articulated wallmount to attach it to the back of the box, then position it up flush with the visible wall and put a frame around it. Wouldn't be hard to mount a piece of tinted glass or a two-way mirror there, and wrap the frame around that, so it just looks like a wall mirror.

Couple different methods we've used: a smoke detector wired into the maglock circuit, along with a latching relay so that if the smoke goes off, the lock stays off until a reset button is pressed; or a motion sensor above the door that interrupts the maglock circuit. Which works better for you (if either) will depend on your exact needs: if you expect some sort of emergency that would require fast evacuation, other than fire, then the smoke won't do. We also had one site where they'd attempt to use the maglock to trap petty thieves (snatch-and-grabs of chocolate bars, and such), but the motion sensor above the door would let them escape... then reset just in time to stop the clerk running after them (they asked me to disconnect the motion... I pointed out that the fire marshall would have something to say about it).

Can't think of any reason it wouldn't work... an AverKey would be ideal for this, as it splits out a composite signal and has a VGA pass-thru, so all he'd have to do it insert it "inline" with his POS monitor. http://www.avermedia-usa.com/presentation/product_avkimicro.asp

True, Geo seems to be particularly susceptible to poor/noisy signal... but signal strength should have NO relationship to the type of sensor used.

Well, you can do that too... I mean, I just use baluns that are video only - no power tails or anything else. I'll usually split the jacket, pull the blue pair out for video, then slip the jacket back around the others to run into the power can. I'll typically use the green and orange pairs for power and leave the brown pair for "future use", unless it's a particularly long run, and I can split out the brown to add to the power pairs.

I've really only used video-only baluns... I just split out the other pairs I need and hard-wire them as necessary. I've used GEM, GVI, MuxLab and NVT baluns - I wouldn't say any of them are substantially better or worse than the others, but I do like the GEM and GVI for their tool-less connections.

Found this via Google: http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/secureview-video-transmitter-receiver-system.html No.

An old DVR chassis with a P4 HT 3.0 MHz processor, 1 GB ram, new 1 TB Seagate... It's pretty light on resources.... Nice... wonder how it would do on my old PIII/1GHz server that I'm about to retire?

If you're talking Cat5e, 200' would really be pushing it... even at 24VAC, two pairs would be under-sized for the power (since the other two would be purposed for video and control), especially when you factor in the additional current requirements of most PTZs.

That makes no sense at all, both types output the same video signal, the sensor construction and material should have no bearing on that at all. Maybe you should use something other than GeoVision, especially if that's the best answer their support could come up with...

Unfortunately, there are already a number of free services similar (if not functionally identical) to this, so you'd have to come up with something extra-special to make it worth paying for...

There actually are devices made specifically to facilitate this: http://www.nvt.com/content.php?type=product&key=413a&cid=root http://www.nvt.com/content.php?type=product&key=452r&cid=root http://www.muxlab.com/products/vec_quad_video_balun.htm http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=41&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

It is most certainly possible, and I have done it on occasion.

Here ya go: 1080p, $150. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Insignia%26%23174%3B+-+5MP+High-Definition+Digital+Camcorder+with+3%22+LCD+Screen+-+Black/9419756.p?id=1218102199440&skuId=9419756&st=1080p%20camcorder&cp=1&lp=1

I'd think even something in an HD camcorder would be preferably to a CCTV camera in this situation. There are models with built-in HDD, as well as those that will record direct flash media.

Well, you need one that has a video or A/V input... then you need the appropriate cable. Most that have that feature will come with the cable, usually with yellow/red/white RCAs on one end and a mini-TRS on the other end (looks like a mini headphone plug, but possibly with an extra ring). Since most cameras use BNC connectors, you then just need a BNC-to-RCA adapter. The player should have its own rechargeable battery, so that takes care of power. For mine, I also created a DVD with various test patterns - most cases, just a JPEG that I made a 60-second video file from. Then I can use the DVD as a signal source as well.

That FreeNAS looks cool, imma play with that when I get home. What kinda PC are you running it on?

I know, I used that pic simply to show the difference between A and B schemes. ronbo: Unless you're really proficient with this, I'd recommend just using pre-made short patch cables and quick-attach keystone jacks - they're color-coded and a lot harder to screw up. Again, just make sure to use the same color scheme at both ends. You need to use the proper layout for ANY network cabling - IP cameras use the same system as your internet connection (IP = Internet Protocol).

^A brick compares well against an Arecont, IMHO.

Are you using the proper wiring scheme? The right pairs have to be in the right positions or it won't work, and a cheap tester won't show the problem. You can't just line the pairs up end-to-end. Notice how the pairs used are 1/2 and 3/6. If you're using jacks, most should have the colors marked, but make sure to use the same variation (a or b) at both ends: blue and brown pairs remain the same; orange and green pairs change.