Soundy

Not talking about IP cams, I'm talking about better-quality analog cams. And it could be four $100 cams vs eight $50 cams, the point remains the same: you're better to start off with fewer, higher-quality cameras, strategically placed, than just loading up on cheap cams because they're cheap.

Looks pretty good - lotsa features in there, and appears to be a well-laid-out interface with lots of control. This is one thing that drives me nuts with Arecont and HIKvision - Arecont doesn't give you a lot of features or controls, and HIK's setup is all over the place: some of it is done through the web browser directly, some of it you have to use the on-screen PTZ controls to access camera OSD menus... WTF??? I have a HIK camera on the shelf here, I'll fire it up and grab some screenshots later.

I'll second that - in fact, you'd be better off starting with four $200 cameras rather than eight $100 cameras, and then adding cameras as budget allows... otherwise, if the plan is to end up at eight cameras, at the end of it all, you've spent $1600 in total, rather than $2400 and have eight "low-grade" cameras sitting on a shelf. (or, you know, two $200 cameras instead of four $100 cameras, or whatever the budget allows... concept is the same, get fewer cameras that will serve you better in the long run, rather than wasting money up-front on "interim" cameras that will get replaced later anyway)

Had an old B&W Bosch camera on my front porch that kept cutting out, so I decided it was time to upgrade it. Here it is at day, at night with the porch light, and at night without the porch light: Replaced it with a CNB VCM-24VF: In the second picture, the ONLY lighting is three street lights - one just off the foot of the stairs (base is visible to the left of the image), one 30m away, one 60m away: In fairness to the Bosch, I did discover a slight obstruction over the lens:

Seconded for the Spectra - we've got Spectra IVs, IIIs, and even IIs that have been running flawlessly in the field for years. These things never need servicing other than maybe cleaning the bubble. Most of them are running tours or patterns constantly as well. I have beefs with several of Pelco's designs, but their PTZs (including the Esprits) are pretty damn near bulletproof.

And honestly, the IQs are a little on the spendier side... but I'd take them over an Arecont any day of the week (and twice on Sunday). I've installed quite a few of both, rarely had an issue with any IQ (and when I did, IQ's support was outstanding), and frankly, the IQ's are just a lot easier to install and configure. The Alliance dome's mounting design is brilliant and completely unique from any other domes I've worked with.

I think I'm gonna side with Chris on this one, I REALLY would not want to have Fiona as a neighbor.

Define "not that cheap" - what make and model is the DVR? The image there looks like a failing input. There's a slim chance it's also a sign of a failing camera, but since it appears to be happening on two different channels, that would mean two failing cameras, which is far less likely than a failing capture device. Have you tried swapping the affected cameras to different inputs? Swap cameras 3 and 4, for example, see if the problem moves to channel 3 or stays on 4?

So far you've only posted pictures of guys pissing on the ground and a kid riding a bike through an empty playground... unless you're a gardener, I'd say those are pretty victimless.

Sounds like Rory and Fiona need to duke it out for the title of Who Lives In The Most Crime-Ridden, Dangerous Place That I'll Never Leave.

That airport picture is from a 16MP Avigilon Pro camera. It uses a full-size 35mm CMOS sensor, the same as you'll find in a full-frame digital SLR. In fact, Avigilon Pro-series cameras use the Canon EF lens mount that will fit the full line of Canon EOS lenses (and third-party lenses that use the EF mount as well). Suffice to say, the camera runs in the five-digit range; lenses can be had for anywhere from $150 to $15,000. Check out this rig: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11322&start=82 And further discussion of the equipment: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11322&start=108

No. Analog cam at CIF: 1.3MP cam (click for full size): Keep in mind that we're not just talking about adding IP cameras... we're talking about a DVR that's probably substantially more advanced than what you're using now.

What part of that is unclear? HE IS NOT SAYING THEY'RE IDENTICAL. For that matter, he's not specifying MEGAPIXEL cameras - there are plenty of standard-def (usually VGA output at 640x480) network cameras out there as well. That information is either incorrect, or more likely has been misinterpreted.

How much for Vigil? MSRP will run between $2,000-$4,000 for a turnkey system, depending on channels, features, storage, and modules desired (POS, analytics, etc.).

http://www.iqeye.com/products/sentinel-series.html http://www.iqeye.com/products/alliance-series/alliance-pro.html

Failing capture chips would be my first guess... I'm assuming this is a really cheap DVR?

Actually, it's more important to use the spacer so the back end of the lens doesn't contact the sensor. Not necessarily true. A varifocal lens can usually still be focused, although likely not through the same zoom range (ie. it may not focus when fully zoomed in or out). Also, many cameras have adjustable back-focus and can be adjusted to a point between C and CS distances, and sometimes beyond them.

Or people have just been busy... we just do this on our spare time, after all.

They're not using the same CCDs. An analog camera's chip is typically around only 811 x 508 pixels.

There's a thread for that too: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=29164

"DSS" stands for "digital slow shutter"... slower shutter allows more light but also results in more motion blur. Color cameras add the IR cut filter in the first place to prevent naturally-occurring IR light from adversely affecting exposure and color balance. When a TDN camera goes to night mode and switches to B&W, color balance isn't an issue, so it flips out the cut filter to take advantage of any ambient IR for better exposure. This is not "kinda the equivalent of IR" - functionally, IR illuminators are doing the same thing as adding a security floodlight, they're just using a spectrum that falls outside the range of human perception.

Whatever NVR software you use will probably not integrate at all with your existing system (not knowing what your existing DVR is) - to get them all together, you'll be looking at either replacing your current DVR with a hybrid system, or with multi-channel encoders to go along with the NVR... or you'll need to access both from two separate VMS/client apps on a PC. The software is not typically proprietary to the cameras (unless you're talking the software that comes WITH a camera), but you do need to look at each software package's compatibility list of supported cameras - the big names (Exacq, Milestone, Vigil, etc.) do have very broad support for a wide range of camera and encoder brands. Lots here will say Avigilon is the best NVR/VMS around... I haven't tried it yet, but I have tried Exacq, and it's not bad. I install mostly Vigil systems, where the DVRs/hybrids/NVRs all use the same server software (an NVR in this case is just a hybrid DVR without the capture card), and it's a very nice system as well. There's a thread elsewhere for DVR screenshots, but none for NVR/VMS screenshots... thinking that might have to change

You can use just about anything for power cable. 18/2 is most common, but we normally use station-Z wire (22/4, aka alarm wire) if we need separate power. You can use speaker wire, lamp-cord wire, microphone wire... heck, you could even use 14/3 Romex if you REALLY wanted to. For a 200' run, though, running through 18/2 Siamese cable back to the DVR should work fine as well.

It will also vary with the angle of the windshield, the angle of the sunlight, the curvature of the windshield, and the makeup/composition of the specific glass (which can affect the refractive index).

Wow, and you're giving Tom crap over his joke link...