Soundy

There's no cheap/easy way to do it. A separate PC (even an old laptop) running a remote client for the two DVRs would be the best. You could run both DVRs' composite outputs into a mux, quad, or switcher, but that would either put each one on only a quarter of the screen, or just flip back and forth between the two... not really ideal. You could also run each into a separate input, but that won't give you all 32 channels at once.

Netbook, WiFi router, Veracity PinPoint

I would think not. Baluns have a transformer inside, wired like thus:

They're so small, I have to wonder if they're actually baluns, or just screw terminals connected straight through to the BNC...

"Loading it up" with 1TB or 2TB drives is going to be tricky right now... with the flooding in Thailand affecting a good chunk of the world's HDD manufacturing, drives are in short supply and getting very expensive. I just paid $200 for a 1TB WD Caviar Green that barely a month ago was selling for $79.

Pretty much go along with what the others have said... GENERALLY, pre-configured package systems are crap hardware. This, at least, APPEARS to be an exception to that. The problem is, without fully assessing the job first, you don't know if those cameras and lenses are suitable for each particular position and purpose. They come with a VERY basic 3.5-8mm lens - what if that's not wide or tight enough? Will they allow you to pick and choose different lenses to ship with the package, or will you have to accept them as is, the purchase lenses separately and have all these unneeded 3.5-8s kicking around? Do any of the camera position require or prefer vandal-resistant designs? Low-profile or covert designs? It appears they have basic little pedestal mounts with the cameras - what if those are sufficient? Again, will they allow you to swap those out in the order, or do you have to buy different mounts separately, and again, have the unused ones left to rot? And of course... does this total price include installation? Without assessing, how do you know what the work will be like? $2600 for the system... call it $3000 by the time you factor in shipping, tax, additional equipment (lenses, mounts, housings, etc.)... will $1000 be enough to cover the labour involved? Or, heck, you could always get a $1000 Costco box system and have a nice little profit for yourself...

He's saying that if removing the earth clears up the problem, it's an indication of a far more serious wiring fault, either with the power supply, or very possibly with the wiring of that outlet or even the building. You should have an electrician check all of it.

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You sure the domes aren't just getting fogged up from condensation?

Too generic a question - "an" NVR MIGHT... you'd have to check the individual specs. That would have to be a factor of both the software AND the hardware. A Vigil DVR/NVR, for example, will do as many separate VGA/DVI/HDMI outputs as you can provide through additional video cards, with the additional HD Viewer software, each with its own single-camera or split-screen display. Other systems will do this as well. Not necessarily. Most *standalone* systems are using an embedded version of Linux, in large part because it can be so extensively customized to be light-weight and run well on very minimal hardware. For a PC... sure it's possible... advisable, though? In this case, probably not so advisable, unless you really like hacking around with the system.

You don't usually get into 1/2" sensors until you get to 3MP or higher. 1280x720 *is not* megapixel (actually about 0.9MP). Box designs are not weatherproof without a separate enclosure. WiFi *and* PoE?? You do realize how contradictory that is, don't you?

Keep in mind that ANYONE can write or edit a Wikipedia article, so take that accuracy for what it's worth... these CAN be dangerous if used improperly, in certain situations where a ground is REQUIRED for safety. In this case, it's not. We used to use them regularly in the studio for lifting grounds on guitar amps when they caused interference issues... and sometimes actually to IMPROVE safety (ever seen a spark jump from a mic to a musician's lip because a leaky circuit is trying to find a ground through him via his amp's ground?) You can alternately snip the ground plug off your various equipment's power cords, but that's kind of a more permanent thing... these will allow you to test the theory first. That would make sense - when using a common power supply for multiple cameras, it means all those cameras are sharing a ground. They're also sharing a ground at the DVR, through the video connections. The DVR is then grounded via its own power cord. The TV's power cord may also be grounded. If not, the TV is still grounded via the VGA connected to the DVR. The TV is then ALSO grounded via the cable input. At a guess: does the 20A power power supply have a grounded plug, and the 6A supply just a two-pronged plug? With all those different ground paths, it's pretty easy to get some differential levels happening, and thus have noise introduced. I didn't notice if you'd said already, but is everything okay if you disconnect the RF cable from the TV? It's not uncommon for the incoming cable feeds to have poor grounds that can cause various issues - that final connection between the CCTV and TV systems could easily be enough for the two to generate noise.

IQEye cameras will fit all your requirements. The web interface uses both ActiveX and Java, and the MJPEG stream can be called direct from http command line, along with several options for image size, text overlay, etc. Check your PM...

Sounds like a ground-loop issue somewhere, but narrowing it down could be tricky with so many variables. You could try isolating the power grounds on each device using a ground-lift plug:

I want one of those 55s!

Except a lot of these, when they say "DVR", mean the home type for recording one or two TV shows intermittently... not the surveillance type that have to record, index, and playback up to 32 video streams under constant 24/7 I/O. A Ford Ranger and an F-350 are both pickup trucks, too, but you wouldn't want to carry 1800 lbs. of topsoil in the former. Sure, you COULD... don't expect things to go very smoothly or the truck to last very long, though.

Except he wants to do it in HD (per original post). Doing this with CCTV-specific equipment would be overly complex and probably cost-prohibitive, plus selection of equipment that would really fit the bill would be extremely limited.

OR, save yourself a ton of math and just use a varifocal lens, and adjust it to get the view you need. Comiscar/Pentax have a 5-50mm C/CS-mount that lists for <$100. Edit: BTW, that's a neat lens calculator... this one will also let you enter the camera height and do the angle calculation for you: http://cctvlenscalculator.com/

Which user will be doing this? Will someone be designated for operating this system regularly during services? This is where it could get expensive... because you're potentially talking about not just recording one cameras, but two or three... and then if you want to produce a DVD of the service, someone will have to edit them all together. I think in this case, you might be better off, at least initially, just recording one camera, even if it just goes straight to a standalone DVD recorder (get something with built-in hard drive so multiple copies can be made). If there's demand for it, they want to look at a more involved system at that point.

Didn't say it was IMPOSSIBLE, only that it getting harder.

Well, he COULD still walk away... would be a bit extreme, but... Maybe, but they SHOULD be in a position to weigh what their losses are vs. the potential savings realized by having proper equipment in place. Only problem is, finding parts for these things is getting harder and harder. I don't think anyone's actually made time-lapse VCRs in at least three years... the channel has to be pretty close to drying up... even finding someone who KNOWS HOW to service them is getting tougher. It may cost more to refurbish the VCRs than to switch everything to DVRs, and then you're still stuck with the ongoing tape costs and the limitations of the format itself. So yeah, you're a freak

This.