Soundy

Hmmm, interesting... "The 1st, 9th, 17th and 25th video channels can support max D1(4CIF) realtime recording and other channels can support CIF realtime recording." Nice try though

There are quick-access buttons for 1-10, but a dropdown for presets that lists up to the maximum for the protocol, and lets you enter whatever number you want.

Hmmm, looks like the VCM-24VF at least, only supports manual shutter as low as 1/60s: http://www.cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?inc=spe&seqx_prod=1073#p_v1 You could also look into cameras that have DSS (Digital Slow Shutter), normally used as a trick for low-light performance (looks great until something moves, then you just get a blur).

Welcome!

Hmm, I'll have to think about it for a bit to come up with a low-cost analog cam that does it. First ones that come to mind are the Panasonic SuperDynamic line, but those are pretty spendy. If you can find some used National NLC-5700s, those do it, but they're box cams and would require a lens and probably enclosure as well. I know several meagpixel IP cams that will do it, but that's not suitable in this case. Trying to remember if the CNB Monalisa domes have user-selectable shutter speeds besides "flicker" control (1/60s lock).

You just need a camera that will let you adjust the shutter speed. There are lots out there - are you looking for analog or IP? What sort of price range? Does it need to be a box cam to use a bigger lens?

The building isn't that old, I don't think... there is actually a bundle of wires coming out of the camera and up into the ceiling, but I really doubt it's functional (notice the red light isn't on!). My suspicion is that a manager got it at a garage sale and put it up as a joke...

Look at the power connectors on the cameras - if they're a barrel jack, they're probably 12VDC only. If they have some kind of screw terminals, they may be dual; if they're 12VDC only, they'll have polarity markings on the connectors.

According to Samsung (http://www.samsung-security.com/products/security-cameras/analog-cameras/fixed-domes/scd-3081.aspx) those are dual-voltage cameras, and will work with 12VDC and 24VAC. However, if you're not set on the Samsungs, you might want to look at these: http://www.cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?inc=spe&seqx_prod=1073#p_v1 - specs are way better, especially low-light specs, and cost about 50% less ( web search shows the Samsungs going for $250-$300). All that aside, you wouldn't need to change wiring to use 12VDC-only cameras; you'd only need to change the power supply.

Spotted this in a Wendy's today...

Well, it kinda kills the budget, but VCM-24VFs feeding into IP encoders would give you some pretty good low-light performance. Conversely, maybe something like this: http://cnbusa.com/en/html/product/product.php?seqx_prod=1194

Welcome! Two possibilities come to mind: one, that the ActiveX control hasn't actually installed properly (I know, they can be a real pain with tweaking security settings); or two, that your client computer has a firewall that's blocking the secondary port needed for the video stream. First thing I'd probably try is to completely disable any firewall on the computer...

You could take a look at QNAP's offerings as well - both manufacturers have demo pages on their websites where you can try out the VMS for yourself.

Based on this calculator: http://www.wrekincom.com/cctv_cam_calculator.html For a 1/3" camera at 90' to capture a 10' area would take about a 43mm lens - well within the capabilities of that lens. In fact, you'll have lots of room to fine-tune it to capture the area you need. For that matter, the unit with the 7-70mm lens (for $20 less) would be sufficient. The most important consideration, I think, will be lighting, something that will certainly be less of a problem with an analog camera vs. megapixel. The one possible issue with that particular camera may be night performance, given that it's color-only with a 0.3lux spec. If you're going to to need to see vehicles after dark, you'll probably want to look at something in either a B&W or TDN model - it costs more, but I think this camera would be better suited if night performance matters, it would probably be worth the difference (I say "probably" only because he doesn't list the actual illumination specs).

I'll set aside my usual Arecont rant here and suggest that the problem is likely the lens itself - the lenses included with both cameras are designed for use on megapixel cameras (that is, they're built to higher optical quality and have higher resolving power), whereas I suspect the one you swapped in for the Arecont isn't. Something else to keep in mind is that the higher the resolution, *in general*, the poorer the low-light performance of a camera. Think of the sensor pixels as buckets and light photos as raindrops - the larger the bucket, the more water you can collect; similarly, the larger the pixel, the more light you can collect. Of course, there's more to it than that, including the processing done in-camera, the iris opening of the lens (how much light it passes), and so forth... Without some pictures or video clips from the two cameras, it's hard to say beyond that exactly where the problem is, because "picture quality" means different things to different people.

Sun on the window isn't the problem - reflections from inside are.

What is a "retail camera"? Something like the CNB VCM-24VF is rated at one 2.2W power consumption - at 12VDC, that's barely 180mA. The Panasonic WV-CW504 domes are rated 3.4W, or 280mA@12VDC. This range is far more common for non-IR, non-PTZ cameras. You could hang 50 24VFs off a 10A power supply without coming close to its maximum output.

Should be fine with a hardware-compression card.

I'd be leery of running both systems off one NAS - I foresee camera dropouts or glitches if they start streaming a 1080p movie or two... or vice-versa, dropouts in HD movie playback if the cameras start throwing a lot of traffic. Either way, check the read/write rates on the selected systems and go with the beefiest system that fits the budget, to be on the safe side. If their movies stutter during a windstorm because the cameras are picking up all kinds of movement, it will naturally be your fault That aside, looking at the specs of both those units, they APPEAR to indicate support up to only WXGA resolution (1280x800) - at least, they only list max framerates for that resolution. Their bandwidth calculator supports up to 1920x1080, but I can't find anything else that actually states the maximum resolutions supported. If you plan to use any cameras over 1MP, you might want to confirm with Synology directly.

Did you not read the first two posts of this thread? He asked a vague question that didn't make much sense, then when he didn't receive a response in *less than two hours*, he insulted the entire populace of the board. You have to remember, while there are lots of experienced professionals here, this is not an official support channel. People participate here as a hobby, in their spare time. Not every question will be answered or even read within five minutes. Insinuation that we're all noobs because we don't jump to it and respond to a poorly detailed question is a great way to get started. Anyway, the OP has solved the problem, case closed, apparently we were no help at all, so he can just move on with his life happy in the knowledge that he done told us all.

You are the noob because you gave no information. Are we supposed to telepathically figure out what camera you have? Read your manual first. Thats what we would have to do. If it is adjustable it will have a pot on the IR board which the manual will explain. Save your insults for your wife, go call her a name, if you don't have the answer just move on down the road. I gave all the info I had, and I read the manual. Is this your guys way of welcoming people to this forum by busting my Balls, and playing 50 questions, try being more friendly and less of the Bullying and you will attract more members and this board will grow. Er... you posted a vague question with no useful details, then insinuated the entire population of the site were noobs because nobody replied to you in less than two hours... if you want a warm welcome to a board, try being a little less presumptuous.

Your description is still unclear... it sounds like you think the IR is reflecting off the streetlight?? That doesn't make sense... the streetlight itself should be brighter than the IR. It's more likely any glare is being produced by the streetlight itself and adjusting the IRs won't make any difference. Pictures of the problem itself would be useful.

FIRST thing I did when I saw that was to come back down, go inside the store, and figure out where it was plugged in, so I could unplug it before continuing. Actually, the FIRST thing I did was take the picture... the rest came immediately after that I can't even begin to fathom what was going through the guy's head when he mounted that way... not even under the canopy, but way out in the open. I mean, the Vancouver area only has two seasons: rainy season, and monsoon season. How does one put up a housing that way and NOT clue that it's going to get water in it??? You can't tell so much from the picture, but the two PTZs with the leaks looked like those little hermetically-sealed aquariums you can get - all sorts of stuff growing in there. Surprised there weren't Sea Monkeys or something. I still can't decide which is the bigger bonehead move, that or the 110. I mean, three of the four PTZs were 12VDC powered; the fourth had an internal transformer and regulator and was 120V powered, but the internal regulator just came out into a barrel plug that then plugged into the barrel plug coming off the camera board, so it wouldn't have been hard to just bypass the 120 completely and power the thing off 12VDC. Still, someone who's not electrically adept might not think that way... so for boneheadedness, I'd still have to go with the upside-down vented housing. Even a six-year-old should have been able to see the potential problem there... That depressing moment when you realize you've been in the trades far too long....

He has separate power supplies (PS) for the PTZs... it's hard to see, but the blue lines are network and the black lines that all tie together are power.

Your network topology doesn't entirely make sense... for example, why are you chaining through two PoE adapters between the main switch and camera 1B at the far bottom-right? PoE adapters are not ethernet extenders.