robert 0 Posted February 10, 2008 Hi guys, Been reading loads,but too much again is confusing Rory - your posts are VERY useful! Few questions: 1.As I under balun is used to run power and video via cat5.By using this balun set I can just run one cat5 cable from analog camera to DVR/PCI DVR card and that's it ? 2.Difference between active and passive balun ? 3.Whats the maximum run can be on coax before it will start loosing signal? P.S. I just came back from exhibition is Moscow - Security Technologies 2008 and saw there running CCTV camera via 1.5km coax and still showing 5.If we are running power and video with baluns via cat5 - whats the maximum run then can be ? 6.Lets say I`m running coax and power cable - what will be the maximum power cable run before it will start loosing power ? 5. PCI DVR cards - what is the maximum fps PCI slot can hold at 704x576 ? 6.When looking at PCI DVR cards some say "REAL TIME 8 Camera DVR PCI Card".What does real time means and what would be "non real time" then? 7.What is the difference between these two cards? Thanks in advance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted February 11, 2008 1.As I under balun is used to run power and video via cat5.By using this balun set I can just run one cat5 cable from analog camera to DVR/PCI DVR card and that's it ? Yes that is just for one single camera. 2.Difference between active and passive balun ? Active is amplified and in some cases also includes Ground Loop Isolation and Interference Rejection, depending on the brand and model. Active means it can go much further distances and with little to no loss of video quality. 3.Whats the maximum run can be on coax before it will start loosing signal? Quality of video will degrade as you get in the hundreds of feet, signal loss will vary dependant on the camera, whether it is color or BW, and the cable used (RG59 or RG6, etc). Typically it is approx 1200' for color and 1500' for BW and RG6, less for Rg59, but typically when you break 750' you will want to amplify it or use UTP. 5.If we are running power and video with baluns via cat5 - whats the maximum run then can be ? Cannot comment on this, as it will depend on the brand and model you use; there are tons out there, many claim alot and only a few actually work as they claim. Basically you would need to check with the manufacturer as it varies too much. 6.Lets say I`m running coax and power cable - what will be the maximum power cable run before it will start loosing power ? Depends on the Cable used (18AWG, etc), the Camera's Voltage (12VDC or 24VAC), and the Camera's current draw (ma, Amps, etc). There are a few Power Requirement Calculators on the internet that will assist in that as well, here is one of them: http://www.video-insight.com/Support/Tools/Wire-Length-Calculator.aspx 5. PCI DVR cards - what is the maximum fps PCI slot can hold at 704x576 ? I dont understand this question. 6.When looking at PCI DVR cards some say "REAL TIME 8 Camera DVR PCI Card".What does real time means and what would be "non real time" then? Real time means 30fps per channel NTSC or 25fps per channel PAL. Non real time would be anything less than 30fps NTSC or 25fps PAL. 7.What is the difference between these two cards? Just going by the visual using the photo and no specs; left one has 4 camera inputs using BNC connections directly on the card, the other one uses a Pigtail with 8 camera inputs using BNC, that is connected with a D-type connection to the card. The card on the left also seems to have an RCA plug for either Multiplexed Video output or Audio input. Without the specs it is difficult to tell exactly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robert 0 Posted February 17, 2008 Q5 - I meant computer motherboard PCI slot,it must have some data throughtput,so what is it? how many fps at what resolution? Lets say can I plug PCI DVR 16ch card - will PCI slot be able to run 16 cameras ar 25fps max resolution ? Q7 - I meant whats the difference in connectors - why one card has them direcly on card and other uses pigtail ? Is there a difference which one to use ? Thanks Rory Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted February 17, 2008 Not 100% sure about that (not really my area), but the PCI Express cards should be faster, even though it is only x1. Software based compression cards, the most common, also rely on the CPU and memory, dependant on the software used. Hardware compression cards do more processing on the card, but still the actual recording will depend on the Computer hardware - slow/bad hard drive = slow/stuttery video. I dont believe PCI or even PCI-E x1 are capable of full 480fps in 640x480 or 720x480 though (uncompressed), unless you use a hardware compression card. As I understand it (someone correct me if I am wrong) the hardware compression card will compress the video before it is sent through the PCI slot, while with the software compression cards, the raw video is sent without compression. Also see these threads for previous discussions on that topic: http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=4326 http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6662 As to the connectors, pigtails allow more camera and audio connections to one single card. Also with Pigtails there is less chance of dislodging the card from the PCI slot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robert 0 Posted February 17, 2008 Rory - links are answer to my question! thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
