IP Camera into NVR or router POE and why?

[activemind]

The reason why these new NVR's are coming out with ports like this is to simply get market penetration....Analog is far from dead, but IP keeps changing the quality, bandwidth and cost of the units and some of the cheaper units, while at a premium to analog, are very competitive, especially when you're talking a small install with the majority of the cameras never approaching the 100m cable limit (still not a hard number in the real world, but I'm not going into that discussion here).
 
It allows a relatively unexperienced installer to basically plug and play some IP cameras into the magic box, have no power supply and do little, if any, network configuration for the cameras. The normal model for an NVR requires bandwith and the backbone to support the streams back to the NVR. The majority of the cameras we use can support up to 20 individual streams, and while the majority of the NVR's use 1 or 2 (codecs notwithstanding) when you start putting remote viewing, decoders and what have you....it is what it is for multicasting. These magic boxes and kits mean the installer and the end users don't have to deal with the network onsite (if any) or supplying hardware to facilitate these cameras (at least for this install, looking towards future, who knows).
 
Pete, your calc sounds somewhat off in my head....does that include any compression or codec?

Thats what I figured. Installers are installing these like analog cameras because thats much simpler and thats what they are used to. Who wants to deal with all the network issues the customer might have depending upon their network config.
 
I think the manufactures are just responding to the demand and putting ports on the NVRs. 
 
I still need to research if 4/8/16 port is just a marketing gimmick or they are actually putting in more horsepower in the 16 porter. 

 

[pete_c]

Yup; calculation (calculator) was set to H.264.  More bandwidth with MJPEG.

 

[Del91574]

I doubt there's really much of a difference in the 4/8/16 port models in this case...besides the power output. It's not like we're talking too much in the way of network or capabilities here....the most the unit has to deal with is maybe a few multicast streams, even limited in that case.

 

[drvnbysound]

As mentioned above... regarding not wanting/having to deal with plugging cameras into an unknown network... another reason for NVRs to have 8/16 ports is so that they can be installed as an all-in-one system in places where there is no existing network backbone. What if it's a customer with a 100yr old home who only has a single Internet drop at the cable modem? It's much easier to homerun all cabling to the NVR than it would be to setup additional switching and such in cases such as this.
 
That said, I read an earlier comment about possibly dismissing the use of a companies NVR and possibly only wanting to use their cameras. Realize that there are a large number of IP cameras that utilize proprietary video streams. It may be a H.264 codec, but the data can be packaged differently allowing it to only work with their products. Just because you see "IP" doesn't mean brand X cameras will work with brand Y's NVR or software.

 

[pete_c]

Here I have always played with a variety of different cameras; both analog and IP. 
 
The embedded software most likely in the solution offered above is probably "adjusted" for the use of the same packaged IP cameras. 
 
That said it's a plug n play solution to get you what you want quickly. 
 
The user / purchaser though might have issues if a different mfg of IP camera is utilized. 
 
A quick look at the DIY CCTV forums would probably show how popular any particular NVR hardware box is and why its popular; most likely too it will indicate with said hardware works with any type or many types of IP HD cameras.
 
Many folks too will purchase a package deal say from whatever big box store has it on sale; good deals typically that include some 4-12 IP cameras.
 
These will work fine up until said purchaser want's to try some other MFG IP camera or not and may just keep using the packaged IP cameras until whenever.
 
That is where it becomes non plug n play because ubiquitous IP cameras are flooding the market and almost every IP camera's OS making them all a bit different. 
 
Personally here always played with different analog and IP cameras.  ZM provided me that opportunity because if it didn't work I could adjust it accordingly to make it work. 
 
On the Wintel side of things its the same for the CCTV software as most folks want to attach whatever cameras that they buy and want them to work.  If the software provider doesn't keep up with the variety out there then the purchasers will look elseware for software.

 

[activemind]

Thanks for the pointer to CCTV forum. I will go and check there.
 
My setup is going to be dhahua camera (6 bullet + 1 dome) and *a* NVR. I have various choices for a NVR and I am still trying to narrow down.
 
1. Buy one of Dahua NVRs. I am in email conversation with them about the price.
2. Use one of the NAS boxes I have (Netgear ReadyNAS) with add on sw.
3. Roll up my own server with some free/commercial software.
 
drvnbysound, see thats the part that scares me with all of these manufacturers putting in propriety stuff. Thats why I want to research BEFORE I buy or settle on a solution.

 

[Del91574]

I think the issue you're going to find with almost every popular NVR or server software is going to be the handlers for the cameras....I know of NO commercially availalable software that would support that manufacturer and hardware...the market isn't great enough for those that make open platforms to provide the handlers and support for a product that is low level or consumer grade to begin with. Just tossing that out there for consideration, not to burst the bubble.
 
Look them up, they're OEM for other consumer grade products...Qsee  and others.

 

[EyeofSauron]

Look carefully at the specs on that little box. 
 
It appears to only have 4 PoE ports, so even if you get the 16-chan version, you can only direct-connect four of the cameras directly to the device itself.  Also, that four-port connector on the back?  It's apparently not merely an integrated switch... it's a router.  In other words, you cannot forward ports through your firewall to individual cameras connected to that four-port connector.  You can only get those four video streams by connecting to the NVR itself.
 

 
 
Also, NetworkCameraCritic has a Review: http://www.networkcameracritic.com/?p=962
 
That device does NOT work very well with non-dahua cameras (even Axis, which is about as ubiquitous a brand as you can get in the IP-camera world).  Consider carefully whether you want to lock yourself into that specific brand of camera/NVR, particularly when they're relatively new to the market.