cctv, dvr units

[mr mac]

hi, does anyone know anything about cctv dvr's im after one for 4 cameras but bit clueless


thanks ian

 

[Shox Dr]

I have a very good system, what's your price range

 

[mr mac]

well a couple of years back we had the 4 cameras put in and we were using a computer with a dvr card installed, computer went wrong and we never sorted it so all i need is the dvr as the cameras all still are fine, i only need to record with movement activation and so on.... i suppose 200-300 would be a ok figure to go on, i had brief look about and entry level units seam to be a bit less so i guess thats a good budget


thanks for your help


ian

 

[the snooper]

look at maplin

 

[mr mac]

they so over priced mate


ian

 

[mr mac]

http://www.cctvdirect.co.uk/products/Jupiter-V2-4ch-H264-High-Resolution-DVR.html


something like this is what im after but i know nothing about what make or price to pay


regards ian

 

[mart]

I have a very good system, what's your price range

I have an interest in these too Dr Shox. What would be the criteria for a system to be described as a good one. What do you have? I am keen to find out what is available but have not got any budget in mind.Just probably maximum of 3 cams, with audio recording capability and infra red.

 

[Shox Dr]

This is the unit I have. Is a ALIEN504 alienPro 4 Channel DVR

here


has all you will need, start at £200 depending on size of hard drive

 

[mr mac]

has it got motion detection and all that.....and where u buy yours mate?


thanks ian

 

[Shox Dr]

Like I say it will do EVERYTHING. read the stuff on the site, you'll be impressed

bought mine trade, but there are plenty of peeps selling them

 

[mr mac]

will do lol ...thanks


regards ian

 

[mr mac]

i cant seam to find any stockists online???


thanks ian

 

[Shox Dr]

ebay has a few

 

[mr mac]

what u search for as i cant seam to find them on there


cheers

 

[Shox Dr]

See PM

 

[mart]

Shox Dr has been helpful in our PMs-thank you. I would, for the purpose of other interested forum members, and to give myself further opportunities to learn about some technical issues, like to continue the thread on here. (Apologies to “Mr Mac” who’s thread I feel I have sort of hijacked”.

For the experienced PC bods, I had not heard about H264 files. If I had been asked what it meant yesterday, I may have guessed that there was possibly some connection to flue jabs & chickens (but I know different now). This is (one of) the formats that the much discussed “Alien devil” DVR (security camera recorder in simplistic terms) records in. The other format that the machine records in is AVI.

The common format for DVRs has previously been (and still is with some DVRs) either JPEG or MPEG4-2. I’m fine with the new formats as long as my PC and the software that is on it can handle the H264 files. I seem to remember having difficulty opening AVI files, or at least converting them to a format that Nero CD burning software could handle. This I should add, was even after downloading file conversion software . (So, I still have not had an opportunity to watch this short video clip that I have on the PC involving a blonde lady & 2 donkeys)

Apparently, and I “quote
Blue ray uses H264 technology
BBC HD Ditto
SKY HD Ditto
The BBC is migrating iplayer to using H264 technology
The digital video broadcast standards body in Europe has approved the use of H264 for broadcast television in Europe
Unquote”.

So this format may well be the way to go.

 

[brightspark]

try system q get there catalogue or phone 01426 200 000 they do the lot i get mine from dynamic cctv but they only sell to the trade

 

[MrFluffy]

if your wanting to roll something yourself from pc hardware hauppage pci pvr350/500 cards record direct to disk in a mp2 video stream. The 350's are single input at a time jobs (composite/svhs/tuner selectable), and the 500 is two 350 tuner's on a single pci card (so can stream two channels simultaneously) but with mpeg2 composite output too. Setup under linux can be awkward as hauppage changed the innards without telling anyone multiple times so you have to have the right firmware, configure ivtv correctly etc.
But when it works its bombproof provided you dont cook the tuner cards when worked heavily (small case fan helps lots...) , and puts almost no load on the host pc.
Ive got a few bt848 based cards that have overheated at some point in their history and dont work properly anymore, so wouldn't waste money on pinnacle and the like cards if you go the pci card route.

Ive currently got a pair of pvr350mce's in a server here, and when the postie brings my latest purchase, they'll be being replaced with a pair of new in box old stock pvr500's to give me four simultaneous streams for which I paid the princely sum of 80e for the pair.

Its not for a cctv system, but a distributed satelite tv system with record to disk,scheduling etc (mythtv). It stresses things and requires more quailty and realtime working-ness than a cctv system would so a difficult case. Think sky+ but for any channel, on any satelite, with no restrictions, and modules to burn stuff to dvd/jukebox/ip telephone system etc.

For software zoneminder under linux is very mature and polished, but Id imagine its not for the linux newbie to setup :-
http://www.zoneminder.com/
There is as always about a hundred other open source projects that do the same but to varying degrees of useability.

Interestingly you can intergrate zoneminder cctv into a mythtv system...

If your not into linux and just want something to work, that jupiter system in the linked bit looks cracking value for money...

 

[mart]

try system q get there catalogue or phone 01426 200 000 they do the lot i get mine from dynamic cctv but they only sell to the trade

I have the catalogue from Sytem Q and they only sell to the trade also.