AVCONSULTING

The phone company will climb up and confiscate your equipment if they ever see it. It is not considered public property and they will view any foreign equipment on their pole as a hazard. Now of course if it is in some area that is never inspected, then you take your chances.

Primarily from a marketing point of view. We sell DVRs and cards for our business and you don't want to spend a lot of time with customers promoting an item that is splashed all over the internet at insanely low prices. Ideally we want a DVR or DVR card that has as many or more features than the GeoVision but is strictly limited in it's distribution so we can be fairly sure that when the person does want to buy they will buy from us instead of some internet discounter. Also from a customer support point of view I'm not entirely satisfied with GeoVision's GUI and ease of use. To use many of the features means drilling down into endless sub menus and most end users are not computer savvy and end up flooding you with endless requests for help which takes up way too much time for the amount of money you get. The features are great, but GeoVision has to make them more accessible to the average user. They haven't done this to my satisfaction so far.

GeoVision has more features per dollar than any other card I've seen. Their GUI is a little rough compared to some of the really slick systems out there such as Digi-Flower, Idis, Kodicom, Chance-I, etc, but those cards are much more expensive. GeoVision has dynamic IP which is a killer feature, along with multiple site remote, object search, really good web browser remote, and on and on. Also they have lots of free updates available on their web site, while most other card companies are difficult to find updates and slow to implement them. If they would only polish their GUI they could become one of the best cards around. Download their manual and check out what you can do with it. In fact the best way to get a quick idea of what each card can do is to go online and download manuals and compare. You can get the GeoVision manual at http://www.geovision.com.tw/002/en/download.asp

Rory is right about 5 fps being more than adequate for most recording situations. Unless you have some very special recording need such as gambling, or high value small merchandise like jewelry. If you can get a real GeoVision GV-250 for $75 then it is a great price. GeoVision has some really great features and is probably one of the best cards for the money.

Well, for $149 you can certainly take a chance and get one to try out. I have a hard time believing that you can get 90' on just 12 LEDs, but give it a try. Will they give you a money back guarantee if not satisfied? Maybe you don't need 90' anyway. It doesn't have a vari-focal lens so you'll be stuck with wide angle, which may or may not do what you want.

Software is terrible compared to GeoVision. There is another thread on the forum where someone bought the Pico 2000 and trashed it. Stick with the GeoVision, you will be far better off.

BlueNote looks very slick, but for a small 4 camera system in a local system I doubt if it would be cost effective. First you would have to have a network setup for them to run into since they are IP based. You'd also need two of them from the looks of it and that would cost more than a decent 4 camera card. For what you want I'd look into a decent card system like GeoVision or one of the other ones listed on the forum.

The largest CCTV distributor in the U.S. is ADI. After that Tri-Ed and probably Alarmax. That doesn't mean you'll get the best pricing from them. Often you can find a smaller local distributor who specializes in CCTV that can get better deals. What area do you live in? Regarding picture quality of PC Based vs Standalone, that depends on whether your friend is referring to playback quality or viewing quality. A standalone will usually have better viewing quality since they are passing through baseband video signals to a conventional CCTV monitor. If you put a PC based side by side with say a Kalatel or DM you'll notice the embedded system looks better. Playing back is a toss up depending on the PC card you are using. Normally PC based systems compress the video more tightly than an embedded. This is good and bad. The good part is you can usually record two to three times as much video using a PC based as you can an embedded. You won't get as good of a playback though as the embedded. So there is a big trade off in picture quality vs amount of time you can record on a given hard drive. This is a decision your customer will have to make. Never any easy decisions when it comes to digital recording. Luckily there are people versed in both PC based and embedded systems on this forum who can give you their opinions on actual installations.

No, it won't have motion detection. Alarm event would be a hardwired alarm input from a PIR or some type of switch. For motion detection you would use the DVR card. Computers are dirt cheap these days. Just get a local computer shop to build something for you to the GeoVision specifications. A friend of mine just got a full computer with 14" LCD flat screen monitor for $600 and that was with a built in CD player and DVD player/recorder. You are just better off buying a dedicated computer for your DVR card. You could probably have the shop install and setup the card for you for a small fee. Or you can get a standalone with motion detection built in and two channel audio recording. Here is an example below. Look at the VT-DVR04 at the bottom of the page. http://www.at-fairfax.com/DVR/VitekDvr.htm#vtdvr04

I don't know about keeping it under $200 but if you use a home style consumer vcr you'll still need a Quad to view the cameras. Here is some starting ideas for you. Cameras: http://www.at-fairfax.com/Camera/Infrared.htm Quads: http://www.at-fairfax.com/QuadSwitcher/QuadSwitch.htm You could use a switcher instead to save money but you then will only see one camera at a time.

Same one as I listed last time. http://www.avtech.com.tw/Mall/DVR/AVC770.asp?LanguageType=1 This is the Appro which is definitely different although I don't know about the price. http://www.approtech.com/product/dvr/DVR-3014.htm

A VDR is just another name for a single channel DVR. It probably wouldn't suit your purpose. You really shouldn't use a computer for dual purpose because video recording takes up huge amounts of hard drive space and it gets messed up when you start trying to use it for other things. I would suggest something much simpler and less expensive for what you seem to want. http://www.supercircuits.com/STORE/prodinfo.asp?number=DVQ1-120&variation=&aitem=14&mitem=26 This will record 4 cameras, b/w or color. You won't need a computer. It won't network but you said that wasn't a problem. You will need a color monitor or a color TV with video input to watch it. It is very easy to use and has a built in scheduler to turn it off during certain periods of the day when you wouldn't need to record. It can also record audio. For your other cameras, if you have enough light I suggest color. Color cameras these days have plenty of resolution so you will get as good a picture as b/w. B/W main advantage is low light ability. Price isn't much different.

Stay away from Elbex. First they are not cheap. You would gasp at the pricing they want. Second they have terrible factory support. Very arrogant about their products. No ability to return things. Nothing but trouble. They are local to me and I used to deal with them and I hated it everytime I was forced to buy something from them.

Back focus instructions usually come with the camera also. On most cameras it is a small screw to loosen a ring. Panasonic may have a larger focusing ring on the front of the camera depending on the model. If you are using an auto iris lens then you have to focus it at night, or put some type of filter in front of the lens to make it open fully. Otherwise you will see a good picture during the day but a fuzzy one at night. Also on vari-focal lenses they are not linear, so as you move the lens from wide angle to telephoto you have to readjust the focus. It won't track like a motorized zoom would track. If a the very widest angle or very telephoto angle it is fuzzy and you can't adjust the lens focus, then try the backfocus on the camera to bring it in focus.

Was that Mr. Fuji who came by to visit? I'm going to see all of the Ganz guys at the ISC show in March. They used to be one of my biggest sellers when I had my distributing business. We did about 1 million a year with their products. I really like those LCH cameras with the built in vari-focal lenses. Their West Coast office is about 5 miles from my house so I have lunch with the Western Regional manager about twice a month. He said the thermal cameras are doing very well here. Regarding 1/4" cameras, you can still use a 1/3" lens on them. It will work just fine, but you can't use 1/4" lenses on a 1/3" camera since there isn't enough glass in them to cover the whole chip area and you'll get a tunnel effect in the picture. Video lenses are on the way out. As you said, primarily replacements. They are much more expensive than DC lenses and really don't provide any better picture.

Kumar's problem is he doesn't understand that CCTV video and satellite video are two different forms of signals. He is trying to feed a baseband video signal into an RF amplifier and it won't work. He thinks that all he needs is a connector that adapts but what he really needs is a video to rf modulator like Channel Plus or Channel Vision. http://www.channelvision.com/ http://www.multiplextechnology.com/channelplus/

Thanks, will be on the lookout for them. I'm going to the ISC show and they are going to be there so your prices will be of great help in establishing a baseline point. We evaluated the GeoVision and decided to wait for them to make the GUI easier for end users. Honestly, I and my DVR guru guy felt that the end user would have too much trouble using certain features and we showed the American GeoVision guys some ideas which would make things much easier to use. Stuff like video timelines for easy retrieval of video clips. Easier ways to back up from object search. Bookmarking, etc. Hopefully a new version will address such problems. Meanwhile our search for the perfect card continues. I'll update you on any interesting finds at the show so you can check them out for yourself.

I'd start out by getting to the ISC show in Las Vegas since almost every DVR card supplier of any importance will be there. You can evaluate the available products and also start striking deals. It is at the end of March. As far as end users or consumers I really wouldn't want to get involved in selling them raw boards since the customer support would be prohibitive since you would be dealing with all the problems inherent of someone trying to build their own computer and integrating it with the board. Best to stick with wholesale on the boards. Probably have a separate wholesale area that is password protected for cards only. I know there are card guys selling to end users but I think your margins would be low and the maintainence high. Selling complete DVRs and embedded DVRs would be best for end users. I think your idea of becoming a DVR specialist is great since too many sites are camera oriented with DVRs as a sideline. I had toyed with the idea after I sold my distributing company but dropped it mainly out of my selfish desire to lead a lazy life and not wanting to start a new company again. I wish you great success with your new endeavour and will follow it with interest.

http://www.pelco.com/productspecs/2483.pdf

http://www.atvideo.com/multiplexers.htm http://www.approtechnology.com/product/multiplexer/MPX-9004S.htm

The Geovision card would be better, but remember, you have to devote the computer entirely to being a DVR. You won't be able to run it for your other applications. If you can't devote the computer 100% then you might want to consider a simple standalone system. It won't have most of the features of the Geovision but it would be simple to operate and would be devoted completely to recording. There are some good examples of standalone DVRs and also covert cameras on these sites. http://www.at-fairfax.com/CCTV.htm http://www.supercircuits.com/store/home.asp

Measure the voltage coming out of your power supply at the plug. Generally the inside of the barrel is positive and the outside negative. See what it reads, if anything. You might have defective power supplies (a common cause of camera problems). Does your power supply plug directly into one of the camera leads? Or is the camera only powered through the transmitter? If you have to plug your camera into the transmitter for power then you'll also have to check that plug for power in case the power isn't feeding through. What recourse do you have with the seller to either return the product or have it tested by them? Your first bit of troubleshooting is going to be with the camera itself. Once you can verify the camera is working then the next step is to work on the wireless part. After that the DVR. Each piece is a part of the chain of video. Power supplies, cables, connectors can all contribute to problems. Most of the time the electronics will work ok, its the mechanical stuff that causes most of the problems.

Not familiar with this card, but seems your problem is with the cameras anyway. You should pick up a low cost volt meter from Radio Shack or whatever equivalent store you have nearby. I think they are about $10. Main thing is to make sure your power supplies are working. Are there any lights on the cameras that would indicate you are getting power? Most CCD cameras whatever their origin usually work. You should get some type of signal off of them, even a fuzzy one. Do you have a camcorder? First try plugging it into the TV to make sure you aren't having a problem with the TV. You can also try plugging the camcorder into the DVR. A digital still camera with video out can be used also for testing. Also you might want to check with Aus Pro who is here on the board. Maybe he is near you.

Do you have a volt meter? Did you try metering the power supplies to make sure they are supplying proper voltage? Are you applying power directly to the camera and then plugging the camera into the A/V jack on your TV? Also, though it might seem obvious, is your TV switched to the A/V jack. Also how are you plugging the camera into the TV? Jumper cable or can they plug directly in without any adapter or other cable. As far as the DVR card, no link to where you bought it?

What unit is it and do you have a link for the manufacturer?