Soundy

My guess would be the Geo card itself, since everything else is drawing properly... Honestly, if you've ruled out the cameras themselves, this would be the point that I'd recommend putting in a loaner system, and taking this one home to your bench for further work, instead of sitting there ripping it apart on the customer's site. If you really want to use the throw-money-at-it-until-it-goes-away approach, you can then limit it to your own money instead of the customer's: buy all the different parts you think you'll need, swap stuff around until it's fixed, then rebuild the system with only the necessary replacements, and bill the customer only for those parts. The other stuff, you can either try to return to the store, or keep for future projects. The beauty with this plan is, if you start with the Geo card and that's NOT the problem, you end up with an extra card that you can build another DVR around And BTW, if I were you, I would STRONGLY recommend that he get a separate PC for all his "other stuff besides CCTV" - the cost of a couple service calls to remove spyware and clean up the "junk" will easily pay for a separate system, and he won't have to worry about downtime on his DVR.

Hey Scorpion, haven't heard anything from ya in a while, where ya been hiding?? Good to see ya back

For analog video, the recording will be far more processor-intensive, digitizing and compressing video in realtime.

No, they're terrible at fighting crime, they just sit there and watch it.

Military-grade is the best... expect prices in the mid-to-high five-digit range.

LOL! Very well typed Soundy. I actually read that without hesitation and realized it was shorthand when I went back to actually look at the words I guess I chat too much and it's almost a second language that I've learned to accept. Thanks I actually found a txt-to-English converter (http://www.lingo2word.com)... didn't use it on that sentence above, that's just learned from years of hanging out on a ricer forum where everyone types like that anyway. It doesn't flow naturally, so I did have to think about it for a few seconds There's a really cool plugin for Firefox that will do all kinds of text transforms, like 'leet, ROT13, Latin, Morse code, etc., I should see if they can add txt to a future release (it's like a dialect of 1337).

Thank you, it comes naturally.

That's kinda neat, but it looks like they're just a bunch of Esprits running the same tour, not actually synchronized to the music.

So, you DON'T want anyone to reply?? Oh... you mean "KNOW". Got it. See what happens when you don't use proper language? Your words mean something totally different than what you're asking. This is a pointless question anyway. Are cctv cameras any good? I dunno... are cars any good? Are houses any good? Is air any good? Food? Women? Nail clippers? What are you asking? Are cctv cameras good for certain purposes? Are certain cameras good, better or worse than others? Of course CCTV cameras are good... for CCTV. They're not so good for hammering nails.

You see, you CAN type in normal English if you really try!

Well, I'll start off with some of my likes and peeves when it comes to cameras, especially domes. As an installer, probably 80% of my "WTF were they thinking" moments come from cameras that appear to have been entirely designed by engineers with no concept of actually WORKING with them. Case in point: Panasonic WV-CW484, one of the finest super-dynamic-range dome cameras around. Brilliant in almost all aspects except for one: when you plug into the camera's service port, it disconnects the main video output (WTF), and *disables the SDIII setup in the menus (WTF?!?!). Now, Super Dynamic III is really this camera's claim to fame, and to NOT be able to configure that function while working from the service port is nothing short of utter stupidity, IMHO. Pelco's great for design brain farts as well... like using a 2.5mm (sub-mini) TS connector for their service port (requiring yet another cable or adapter)... then not actually including even a stub cable with the camera to allow you to connect it to any sort of common monitor connector (RCA or BNC)... and on their IS90 indoor domes, the service port is buried way down in the bottom of the camera where any but the thinnest plug won't even fit. On the IS-110 outdoor domes, the service port is nice and accessible, on a bracket immediately above the lens... which means in most instances, your cable is going to hang down right in your field of view. One of biggest ones has got to be the utter lack of adjustability in most domes. Take another Pelco genius design, for example: the ICS-111/IS-110 domes. They have a three-axis (sort of) setup that basically gives you full hemispheric adjustment... but if you're within that last three or four degrees of the side of the camera, the housing around the dome blocks the edge of the view, basically making it impossible to use the camera to look straight down a wall. You can adjust the camera to do it - barely - but once you close the dome up, you lose part of your view. Come to think of it, the IS90s suffer from the same problem. Ironically, some of the cheapest cameras out there have some of the most intelligent physical designs. All the CNB domes I've used, for example, work great for looking back down a wall, because they have the range of motion, and the dome doesn't get in the way. They also put a "standard" (somewhat - standard as in, a lot cameras are using it now) easily-accessible two-pin service connector, *on the back board* (not on the camera gimbal), and *include* a short cable with an RCA jack with every camera. Sure, I have sh*tloads of them now, but it's better than being stuck with NONE. Here's another good one... it's not on a CCTV product per se, but on a keypad for an entry system: they include a pair of oddball esoteric security screws with each keypad... BUT NOTHING THAT WILL DRIVE THEM. Not a driver bit, not an Allen key, nothing. These screws get tossed out from every single install, because I have nothing to drive them with. I have a security-bit sets with some three dozen different "tamperproof" tips, and nothing that fits these goofy keypads' screws. Okay, so how does all this ranting apply to your needs? Well... if you're selling to these guys on an installer's level, you biggest selling point should be, intelligence of design and how it will make the installer's life easier. IMHO, anyway. It's the little things that count... things like, captive screws for dome closure. A common and easily-accessible service port that doesn't get in the way. Full range of adjustment and full hemispheric view. If you're going to use tamperproof screws, include a tool for driving them (bits are generally preferable to Allen keys, for me... but if in doubt, include both). In short: if you're CNB and my existing supplier is Pelco, forget about price difference, you've got a lock with me I've got lots more (like the Pelco box cams that put the BNC jack in such a tight place you can't get a T-connector on it), but that should be enough to get things started

Hmm, interesting project! First thing you might want to do, is to confirm that you have control of the cameras. Try installing PTZ Controller from http://serialporttool.com, and use that to first make sure that the computer and cameras are communicating properly. Remember that the baud rates and communication parameters must match, and that each camera must have an individual ID set (usually set through DIP switches on the camera itself). Assuming all that is taken care of, do you have the specs or SDK for the Pelco P protocol? I haven't delved into low-level PTZ control specifically, but from my experience with other serial interfaces, you can't just send random codes to the device and have it respond - the commands must be properly structured, including checksums.

Complete brand and model numbers of the DVRs, at the very least. If they're PC-based, you can probably configure them for file system sharing, but if they're standalone/embedded types, you're probably stuck going through the web interface. If the latter, you may be able to script something to navigate the web interface automatically, but you'd then still be limited by the unit's network capabilities - I doubt most embedded systems will do what you want. Ultimately, if these aren't PC-based systems, you may need to switch them to PC-based systems to achieve what you're after... at that point, you could just run a regular backup app on each one, or even have them write to a secure network drive instead of a local drive.

I think this could be a good topic for open discussion - if I follow what you're getting at, essentially you're asking, what do installers look for in their CCTV equipment? What makes an installer happy, or pisses him off? Do correct me if I'm reading your question wrong. First thing I'd ask is, what do you manufacture? DVRs, cameras, accessories, etc...? All of the above? I could give you a lot more ideas about cameras, for example, than DVRs.

Cameras first... the mirrors will make tempting bait to finally capture the perps on film (metaphorically speaking).

Don't know the lux level, but based on your comments, I'm assuming it's extremely low, in which case, I would be happy with that image. Yes, extremely low. I swear, I'm gonna pick up a lux meter just so I can thumb my nose at Rory Thanks! That's me... Wearing blue jeans and an orange shirt... so both around mid-grey in there. That's a piece of pine 2x8 I'm carrying, too. I can send you the whole video clip, if you want... I can dial out the saturation on the DVR, but that will make the daytime image B&W as well. I should ask 3xLogic if there's a way to make it auto-desaturate when the camera goes to night mode. So far though, I haven't seen ANY DVR that does that... Best, Christopher

I need Advil... Age is no excuse for a complete bastardization of the language. We have lots of people here from all around the world who have trouble with English, but at least they try. You're from the birthplace of the language and your command of it would put 5-year-olds to shame.

Ok thanks. Guess I will stay clear of the Mona Lisa for now then Not happy with that clarity of picture in extreme darkness? Whatever... They're exposed outside domes and it's been raining for a week, so...

ok Thanks u should tweak image kinda weak I leave that for their IT guy - he likes to do his own tweaking

Yes, it would --- but coax simply doesn't transmit enough data for the TCP/IP protocol to broadcast a megapixel system. Back when computers used coax cable for networking I think the best speed they got on it was 10mbps, which is nowhere near fast enough for Megapixel IP. The old coax ethernet was, indeed, 10Mbit (10base-2, vs. 10base-T - "2" for coax, "T" for twisted pair) but that was a rather different setup - for one thing, it was an end-to-end topology: you had to run from machine to machine to machine in a single line with a T-connector at each one, and a terminator at either end of the chain. And BTW, existing RG59 coax CAN handle 100base-T ethernet using HighWire adapters and similar devices. That's the one thing that's conveniently ignored by the nay-sayers. The ability to use existing coax is great... where you have existing coax. Where you're already wiring for network in a new construction, though, it's crazy to carry a whole bunch of extra wire that will be used for a single purpose. You can pull a bundle of 6, 8, or more Cat5e or Cat6 and use them for LAN, IP cameras (on their own separate physical network if so desired), phone, analog video (including component), audio (intercom systems), HDMI/DVI video (with proper extenders)... mixing in coax/siamese just adds complexity and cost, not just for cable but for the labour... and that cable will be usable for video and little else. Seconded there! Most of them don't want the associated cost (since most of ours will require the internet connection added to the site) but 99% of them, one of the first things they ask is, "Can I watch this from home?"

That's a Vigil. No tweaking done to image (brightness/contrast), and compression level has been increased a bit beyond default.

Actually, just went and checked the boxes: it's the VCM-20VF, which looks to basically be the vandal-resistant version of the OP's cameras. The problem with comparing day/night pics like this is that you have no idea how dark it really is on that patio - with everything being dark surfaces as well (stone base, dark-stained wood trellis, etc.) and what light does get to it being highly filtered, it's dark enough that you could easily trip over something walking through it. Here's the daylight view:

... I think what he is trying to say here is: the low-light quality of this camera may not match to the quality of an infra-red camera. Having said that, if you're putting this camera near streetlights or you have a motion-sensing floodlight I imagine this camera should be fine. I'm glad YOU can understand him.

Around here, you're required to have both front and rear plates. Having NO plates is a BIG deal... but as long as you have your rear plate, it's actually three times the fine to have a damaged/bent/modified/covered/improperly-mounted front plate, than it is to simply have no front plate at all. "I wasn't driving fast, Officer... I was flying REALLY low!"

I haven't used that model specifically, but we're using a lot CNB domes these days and find them excellent overall. Just recently put some day/night domes in recently on a restaurant patio and their night sensitivity is pretty impressive. With your existing flood lights, there should be no need for IR. Here it is with the standard patio lighting on... the bright blobs are 40W bulbs in caged fixtures. And here they are with the patio lighting (including Christmas lights in the trees) all turned off - all it gets is filtered street lighting from a couple hundred feet away (coming from the left), and light from inside the dining room, filtered through half-closed blinds (from the right).