Does SD card slot mean edge storage? (ACTi 5611)

[PluffMud 0]

This is probably a naive question but does having an SD card slot (like the KCM-5611 has) mean edge storage in the same manner as Mobotix and Axis? Although maybe not currently supported I see in the specs of the 5611 that snapshots and video can be saved to the SD card which makes me think it is 'edge storage'.

 

It appears to only be able to save video/snapshots to the SD card in response to an alarm event and can not save continuous recording. Is that the differentiating factor of why it may not be considered capable of 'edge storage'?

[ando 0]

You can do the continuous recording if you like. It may not be the best idea in the long run though, due to SD card life span may not be as long as hard drives.

 

However, if it is needed, here's the pdf that explains how to set it up:

http://www.acti.com/kb/detail.asp?KB_ID=KB20120702001

[buellwinkle 0]

Ando, one of the limitations of ACTi's implementation of SD cards was that you couldn't view the recordings directly from the camera's web interface. Has that changed, or will it change in the near future?

[PluffMud 0]

Ok very good to know thank you! Related to buellwinkle's post, how do I watch the video from the SD card? Assuming the web interface does not provide a way is there a separate app that allows me to browse the recordings? I am definitely interested to know if something like this is already available or if it will be available in the future.

 

Btw...buellwinkle your site is EXCELLENT and has been a HUGE help!!! It's actually what got me really interested in the KCM-5611 (and ACTi in general)! I'm about to make the leap and start upgrading my cheapie IP cameras (Foscam and the like) so I've been on your site a good bit recently. To me the edge storage feature is very important but of course the cost is the tradeoff. I'm hoping ACTi has something in the works for the near future!

[buellwinkle 0]

It's been a while since I reviewed the camera, maybe they made some advancements. To view the video recorded on SD, if I remember correctly, you can copy the video to your computer, then you can use the ACTi player app to play it or export it to .avi. Ideally, if you can just click on it and it starts playing, that would be best. Don't expect Ando to respond today as it's Saturday morning now where he's at.

 

They have some great bargains now, like their 3MP D32 IR bullet. I've requested one to review, hopefully I can get it soon.

[ando 0]

Good morning!

 

Indeed, there is no user interface within the Web Configurator to do the playback of the RAW files. At least not yet. And currently, there is no plan to develop the RAW player within the camera either. The long term plan is to let the NVR do the sync, manage the files in the camera and do the playback.

 

ACTi main focus is to provide a decent software NVR solution, as the highest priority. The other software/utility solutions are with secondary priority. NVR 3 today is the result of the priority arrangement.

 

Regarding the local storage file management:

The current way to playback is pretty much as you already said:

1. download the RAW files

2. use Archive Player or Demo Tool to play RAW directly or use Media Converter to convert RAW to AVI. All these utilities can be downloaded from http://www.acti.com/Utility

 

We also keep looking at the market trends and see whether there is a growing need for having the media player within the Web Configurator or not.

 

In the meanwhile, I can just humbly thank you for your patience!

[buellwinkle 0]

For me it doesn't have to available via the web browser but I would like to connect a laptop to the camera and run a program like Axis Camera Companion or Mobotix MXControlCenter to view timelines of the recordings and click on it and start playing it vs. ACTi where you have to download all the possible events and then play them.

[Korgoth Of Barbaria 0]

Or GeoVision GvSDCardSync soft. It auto downloads all recordings from SD cards and you can view/edit them in ViewLog - like normal GV-NVR recordings.

[ando 0]

Hmm... How about this: with a few hours of effort, it is possible to make your own File Manager script that would search, download the needed files, remove needless files, etc, automatically. I know may be a bit time consuming, but sometimes self made tools are kind of cool.

 

You may take a good use of Local Storage related URL Commands, as listed here:

http://www.acti.com/kb/detail.asp?KB_ID=KB20120327001

(page 23).

 

The following commands can be executed by your script:

 

• Get the recorded files list
  Get the recorded file
  Delete the recorded file
  Get the status of local storage
  Mount or unmount the disk
  Format the local storage
  Check the report of disk format
  Remove older files from local storage
  Set date and time filter for local storage file search
  Search for event related recordings
  Scan the disk for possible errors
  Check the report of the disk scan
  Set overwrite parameters and low disk warning rule

[tesc_cctvpro 0]

Can these cameras upload files to an ftp server?

[buellwinkle 0]

Yes, you can have events written to an FTP server.

[ssmith10pn 0]

Genetec has a cool feature called "trickling".

In essence you set up a schedule for the video on the SD card to trickle to the NVR on off peak times.