Soundy

Yep, same in stock Android browser: up, reply/report buttons on posts work; gear, search and # buttons on top and bottom of thread don't... Confirmed popups and javascript are both enabled.

Okay, the "up" button works (top-left), but the search button on the top bar doesn't. Checked the settings in Dolphin, javascript is enabled, popup blocker is off.

I'll check for that, but the "gear" buttons on the individual posts do give me the proper popup menus, so I would think Javascript is working. The thread "gear" and # buttons don't do anything on the stock Android browser either.

1. I've seen a locksmith pick a lock. He didn't use "two hair pins." Of course not - he'd have tools specifically for the task. I can drill a hole in a piece of wood with a pocketknife, too, but I generally don't, because I have tools designed for the task that make it easier. You need to stop reading in things that people don't actually say. No, sometimes they're easier. As with any industry, it all depends on whether the "iconic" brand has reached the point where they start trying to skate by on just their name.

We've got some great members here

Thank you for the reply. With a 16 camera surveillance system, would all of the cameras be recording to the same DVR? In general, yes. DVRs typically come in four, eight, 16 and 32-channel designs. It's possible a 16-channel system could use two eight-channel machines, or four four-channel machines, but they probably wouldn't all be displaying on the same monitor that way (there ARE ways to do that, but it just gets more complicated as you go - safest assumption is simply that there's a single 16-channel recorder). Yes.

With analog systems, the cameras themselves don't display the time, nor can you set the time on them. The time display you see is being generated by the DVR itself. IP cameras typically have their own clocks and can display their own time, but we usually disable that display and just go with the recorder's time. How accurate that is depends on the DVR. I've seen some that were years out of date because someone forgot to set the date and time when it was installed. I've seen instances where the date and time settings were tampered with. I regularly see systems that are out by a few minutes because the realtime clocks simply drift over time, and some that are out by an hour because the system isn't configured to switch with Daylight Savings Time, and some that are out by a few hours because the time zone wasn't set properly. Ideally, your DVR should have an internet connection if for no other purpose than to allow it to sync with an internet time server.

We have several members in the UK, maybe one of them will chime in...

If everything is connected to a router (whether hardwired or wireless), that router should have a DHCP server... the computer and DVR should also be set for DHCP, so they'll get the proper IPs automatically from the router.

Connecting DIRECTLY from the DVR to the laptop (ie. one cable plugged into both) may not work without a crossover cable. Both plugged into or connected via the same router is the preferred test method. Both devices must have unique IPs on the same subnet (ie. if your PC/laptop has an IP of 192.168.0.something, then the DVR must be 192.168.0.somethingelse). Once you have the two devices communicating on the same LAN, THEN you can worry about outside access: for that, the DVR's IP must be in the router's DHCP range... ideally, if the DVR is set to use DHCP, this should be automatic. Then you need to have the proper ports forwarded in the router.

VCM-24VF is, yes.

I quite like the mobile view, except I can't see a way to change pages (Opera Mobile or Dolphin HD on Android). There are # and "gear" symbols at the top and bottom of the page but neither seems to do anything. Oh, and I don't see a "full site" link anywhere...

It's normal practice for a different question to get its own thread... in part, makes it easier for someone searching for info later. Anyway, this sounds like it could be a result of plugging a PAL camera into an NTSC DVR, or vice-versa.

Regular off-the-shelf Cat5e should be fine for that.

You could put a four-channel Dahua and four VCM-24VFH (H for Heater) domes in and keep it well under $1500. The cameras work great in low light (see samples here), they're solid and vandal-resistant, and the 2.8-10.5mm lens will give you lots of flexibility in getting the FOV you need.

That looks really slick, nice work! Next step is to wire a switch or sensor into your mailbox so when someone opens it, it triggers a preset on the PTZ to zoom in on whoever is going in the mailbox... just in case someone's stealing your Victoria's Secret Catalog subscription

Came "brand new" from where? Every listing I've looked at for this unit indicates it ships with a drive - Amazon specifically says, "comes standard with a 500 GB Hard Drive". If it used IDE drives, I'd suspect you have the master/slave settings wrong between the hard drive and the optical drive, but I haven't seen a DVR that used IDE drives in years.

How do you mean you "can't connect it to your PC"? What have you tried? What is or isn't working?

Either of those should work fine.

I bench tested a Sarix dome a couple years ago, was less than impressed. However, I had a long chat yesterday with their Sarix Product Marketing Manager and it sounds like they've made a lot of improvements since then... will be looking to demo some of the cameras again soon.

Not familiar with this specific machine, but most of them will have a separate option for each camera to configure whether it records constantly, on motion, or on alarm input. Some may have this in a "schedule" section that allow you to set different record modes for different times and days.

Welcome aboard!

Is this WITH a monitor connected? Other options may not appear otherwise.

Alarm systems have backup batteries. Well, they're supposed to, anyway.