quality when viewing over the net

[gazz 0]

i have a swann dvr8-1200 (want to replace it when i can afford it)

 

it's connected to my router via a 20 meter cat5e cable, which connects to the internet on a dsl line, i get 1.2meg upload speed, 7meg down.

 

i can only access the dvr on internet explorer... crappy activeX based remote viewer... and that's after jumping through hoops turning off loads of security settings.

 

But the quality of the video is extremely poor, my camera's are in my aviary, but the pictures are so pixelated it's like looking at a lego creation,

the response to commands is extremely slow too, just selecting which chanel to view singly from the main 8 chanel view is a pain, and trying to use the ptz cams is impossible.... click the button to move it, and you get a response 2 seconds later,

 

it's exactly the same when using my netbook or the GF's new i5 laptop with dedicated gfx, and that's on the home lan.

at my parents house yesterday on a 2 month old computer, and today at my GF's parents on a 6 month old computer, leggo pictures and 2 or 3 second lag.

 

i've tried the bandwith setting in the network adjustments on the dvr, but it dosent seem to make any difference if i have it at 128k or 1024k, but i may be thinking that setting does something it dosent.

 

it dosent even make any difference if i select lan or internet in the option when first logging on to the dvr remotely.. if im at home on the lan or away on the internet, both produce the same crappy pictures and lag.

 

am i expecting too much?

i know it could well be my dsl connection not having a fast enough upload speed, but then i'd expect the lan login one to be much better... but it's the same... i.e when logging into the dvr on the home network with it's ip addy... the 192.168 one,

 

this is really annoying as i use my system to watch the live view 99.9% of the time, the recording part i can easily live without, but the net connection bit i do need (need to be able to check the bird when away, and if i spot anything wrong, ring a neigbour and ask them to go round and help)

[mike_va 0]

I recently took a vacation to the south of France, which had slower speeds than yours and was able to view a Qsee DVR (TVT rebranded) just fine. Could not view Axis camera station though sometimes on playback.

[yakky 0]

Most of the consumer grade DVRs have a reduced quality stream for remote viewing.

[groovyman 0]

Since it's happening on the LAN I think it's a physical problem - maybe an issue with the cable, router, network port on the DVR or maybe as simple as the cable not making a good connection on either the router port or DVR port. Is the cable self made? Might be a bad termination or possibly some wires are crossed.

 

As a test, try configuring your laptop with a static IP address on the wired network port and connect directly to the DVR with a patch cable, bypassing any routers or switches. Many ethernet ports are auto sensing today, so you may not need a crossover cable.

 

It could very well be the DVR or software too. Have you tried contacting Swann about the issue?

[tomcctv 187]

swann are very basic systems. to cut down on bandwidth try making another remote viewing account with just your PTZ available.

 

i.e. set up a remote password for full system and another password just for your PTZ.

 

also with a sunkwang i would change from 9600 to 2400

[gazz 0]

lan cable is pre-made, but i had exactly the same problem before with a home bodged cable.... i had a couple of pre-mae cables that werent long enough, so snipped the plugs off one end, then soldered the wires together, heatshriunk them etc,

 

i got exactly the same rubbish quality and lag with that cable... but i will try the laptop straight into the dvr, could be my router... but i know it's really the crappy swann dvr,

 

i'll also try the account with only the ptz cams active, and set the ptz's to a lower baud rate,

 

but i am looking at a better dvr, as i've used all 8 chanels and want more, so looking for a 16 chanel dvr, would like to get a dahua... but i can only really afford £200 max,

[tomcctv 187]

lan cable is pre-made, but i had exactly the same problem before with a home bodged cable.... i had a couple of pre-mae cables that werent long enough, so snipped the plugs off one end, then soldered the wires together, heatshriunk them etc,

 

i got exactly the same rubbish quality and lag with that cable... but i will try the laptop straight into the dvr, could be my router... but i know it's really the crappy swann dvr,

 

 

 

you could also have a problem with your phone line. every output MUST have a filter and its also best to run off the master than a secondery outlet. as extentions if not done right (called spidered) will also give you slow functions.

[gazz 0]

I've just ordered one of those faceplate filters, and will move the router next to the master socket when it arrives,

 

Will see in a few days if it makes any difference, but to be honnest i think it is this swann POS outputting a deliberately reduced quality stream as suggested... not much i can do about that really....

 

well there is, and i'm looking into what to replace this dvr with, but so many to choose from, i'm back to where i was a month and a half ago,

so many dvr's out there, most of them knock offs or genuine ones that are just plain crap,

 

only reason i chose the swann box over the kview box at maplins was because i've heard of swann

[tomcctv 187]

I've just ordered one of those faceplate filters, and will move the router next to the master socket when it arrives,

 

 

hi. if you have more than 1 point you will also need to put a faceplate filter on each one. or just use a plug-in filter on each outlet.

 

 

[gazz 0]

i've got the nte5 socket upstairs where the cable from the pole comes in,

atm there's a 15 meter length of normal phone wire from the nte5's extension idc terminals running around the house to the living room, where there's a normal phone socket,

 

then the dangely filter, phone and adls router plugged in there,

 

i'll move the router upstairs next to the nte5 socket, fit the filtered faceplate (got a vdsl one as used on bt vision, supposedly the best there is)

the top socket on the nte5 will be for the router then, and the 15 meters of phone wire will then come off the filtered idc connections on the vdsl plate, and the phone will plug in direct to the socket in the living room,

 

oh, and i'd better remember to run the cat5e lan cable from the dvr to the routers new home haddnt i

 

 

Never know, i might get that elusive 1 meg of broadband speed i'm down on my line, i'm on an 8 meg package (1.2 up) and get around 7 meg most of the time,

but as i already get the 1.2 meg upload speed, i cant see too much change in the dvr's net viewing quality... tho if i'm getting errors and high latency due to the phone wire it might improve,

 

just done a ping test... getting 1% packet loss... so theres a problem for a start, 48ms ping and 16ms jitter,

 

bod this stuff is confusing

[yakky 0]

Color me confused, but you stated:

 

"it's exactly the same when using my netbook or the GF's new i5 laptop with dedicated gfx, and that's on the home lan."

 

So if its bad on the lan, why are you troubleshooting the remote connection?

[gazz 0]

well, i guess there is a slight difference on the lan versus the net.... not in picture quality or lack of it,

 

but it's latency i believe... on the lan, i can press the onscreen ptz arrow and it will move almost straight away,

but on the net press the button, nowt happens for 2 seconds, then it recognises the button press, and finally the picture moves.

[groovyman 0]

well, i guess there is a slight difference on the lan versus the net.... not in picture quality or lack of it,

 

but it's latency i believe... on the lan, i can press the onscreen ptz arrow and it will move almost straight away,

but on the net press the button, nowt happens for 2 seconds, then it recognises the button press, and finally the picture moves.

So, it's not exactly the same on the lan as it is on the Internet afterall, as stated in the original post, several times.

[gazz 0]

quality wise it is, either on the lan or the net the pictures look as if they are constructed from lego,

 

it's just the controls for the ptz work faster on the lan,

 

it's the quality of the pictures i have an issue with, what is the point of being able to log into the dvr from anywhere, if you can't make out any details under 2 foot in size when they are less than 2 meters from the cam at all times,

 

i could only just tell the difference between a canary and a song thrush, but only due to their colours, a block of yellow bobbing about versus a block of brown,

 

 

i've recently tried the mobile login, and that is a much better picture!!!

[groovyman 0]

OK. I was attacking the issue from a networking angle because that's what it sounded like. Now it sounds like a video quality issue.

 

What resolution does the DVR record? Is it CIF, 2CIF, 4CIF or HD1, D1? If you record at CIF and view full screen on a computer monitor the image is going to look lousy no matter what brand DVR is used. If recording at 4CIF or D1 it will look much better, and the step above that is mega pixel.

 

Also, what type of camera is being used? Is it a camera that came boxed with the DVR? In my experience many times the cameras that come with those dvr in a box systems are terrible quality and produce terrible images.

 

So, if by chance the DVR is recording at CIF with a low quality camera you will get lousy video, especially when viewed full screen. Even D1 with a lousy camera will produce lousy video.

[gazz 0]

ahhhh.... does the remote viewing over the net thing use the resolution/quality as set on the chanels record settings???

 

i think this dvr has 200fps to play with, the usual, 4 or 5 per fps increase for D1, 2 for half D1 etc,

 

i have 2 chanels set at 19fps D1, these are the camera's looking at the nests,

 

then i have the camera out the front of the house set at 21fps at HD1 (to catch the neigbours chucking stuff over the fence onto the drive etc)

 

those are the only chanels i set up to record, all on motion detect,

the other 5 chanels i've had to 'set' as 1fps cif in the record screen, but i have recording disabled for them on the same screen.

 

and of course the 2 ptz cams are the non recording ones,

 

tho, i am deffo getting more than 1fps viewing any cam remotely,

all chanels are set to 'best' quality (of a choics of 'good' 'better' and 'best')

 

the cams:

 

4 of the camera's are what came in the box, swann pro 580 cams, they are 1/4" sensor 480TVL jobbies, and do a pretty good job, the 2 looking at the nests give a perfect picture day and night, the other 2 are looking along 2 of the flights, and are more than acceptable.

 

Then i have an ebay no name, 1/3" sensor 520TVL cam, it's got a sony sensor tho... the seller bigged that bit up

it's actually not that bad, pain to focus due to the crappy lense mount, but it's brilliant in the dark due to the 10mm infrared led's, 32 of em, look like a flood light when viewed with another cam.

 

And 2 x sunkwang V106 ptz cameras, thing they have 480TVL sensors in em, they give the best pics by far.

 

so i dunno what i can change, if anything,

[groovyman 0]

ahhhh.... does the remote viewing over the net thing use the resolution/quality as set on the chanels record settings???

Depends on the DVR. Some have dual stream, some don't. Some let you choose the remote viewing quality, some don't.

 

If the channels are set at D1 and recordings produce decent video then it's probably not the cameras. Just another thought to try and help identify & correct the issue.

[fran 0]

thanks, I really get much about DVR