PC or Standalone Camera DVR suggestions

[Mike C]

Hi All,

Looking for a standalone or PC based DVR for security analog non PTZ cameras. Have 5 cameras.

Main requirement is easy access from the internet via browser and mobile phone. Motion notification not that important. Would like to be able to store a few days of video. Not sure I need a high frame rate.

Have been using a Lorex DVR but the version I have is painful to use remotely (must have quicktime installed and configured).

Any suggestions?

Mike

 

[pete_c]

I've always used Zoneminder (years now). Its very flexible and I have it interacting with my HSPro server / HAI OPII panel.

I have 8 analogue and 1 IP camera connected to it. The one IP camera is PTZ and its functions and controls via ZM are fine. Its currently running on PC OS Linux. It is in always recording but only saves motion events. Its never crashed and just runs and runs (using a 500Gb drive in it). It's features / mods have been well documented. Once configured it just works.

It has the capabilities to utilize X10. I have it set for using xap events both to and from the ZM box.

Motion events can be triggered from the box (sent to the HA box) or to the box say if the OPII and or HA server sends it a trigger.

It has a custom built mobile phone web interface which works well on my MS Mobile 6.X phone using Opera/3G.

 

[drvnbysound]

GeoVision (geovision.com.tw) and Avermedia (avermedia.com) both have PC solutions that allow remote connectivity as well.

 

[troymt]

ICatcher

PC based.

Supports Mobile access, SMS alerts, IP or CCTV or a mix of cameras.

 

[electron]

I am still happy with the Vitek EH8 system I have, and it does support all smartphones without requiring quicktime. I took a few days off next week so I can finish that review everyone is waiting for

 

[russban]

The Techvision EL-M and the Digimerge DH200 are both very nice, easy to use stand alone DVRs. Both have remote access via browser and smartphone.

 

[Mike C]

I've always used Zoneminder (years now). Its very flexible and I have it interacting with my HSPro server / HAI OPII panel.

I have 8 analogue and 1 IP camera connected to it. The one IP camera is PTZ and its functions and controls via ZM are fine. Its currently running on PC OS Linux. It is in always recording but only saves motion events. Its never crashed and just runs and runs (using a 500Gb drive in it). It's features / mods have been well documented. Once configured it just works.

It has the capabilities to utilize X10. I have it set for using xap events both to and from the ZM box.

Motion events can be triggered from the box (sent to the HA box) or to the box say if the OPII and or HA server sends it a trigger.

It has a custom built mobile phone web interface which works well on my MS Mobile 6.X phone using Opera/3G.

Pete, which analog capture card do you use?

 

[Mike C]

ICatcher

PC based.

Supports Mobile access, SMS alerts, IP or CCTV or a mix of cameras.

Troy - looks like nice software but it wants to install Java on my machine to view a demo cam. I would like to be able to use a browser without the need to install anything. Am I correct?

 

[troymt]

I also know you can use java script to view the cameras. (Not sure about the demo camera setup).

They also have a special view for mobile devices that are don't require anything special but the view is much more limited for obvious reasons of screen size of mobile phones.

 

[pete_c]

Pete, which analog capture card do you use?

I utilize a generic Ebay special using distinct per channel video chips. I put small heatsinks on each chip and the box has been running now for a "few" years. It is utilizing a BT878 chip set. You can buy these for around $60. Years ago ZM configuration was a bit sticky (using modprob etc) but these days its much more plug n play. Most of the "stand alone" PVR's utilize propietary Linux OS's which are not too documented. I've read though of folks taking the stand alone PVR's and installing ZM on them. The new PVR's mostly all have web / mobile interfaces / analogue interfaces. I manage my box mostly thru Webminder and rarely go to the console. The OS still has the capability to "speak" X-10 and analogue PTZ but being able to utilize Xap worked for me.

Here is a picture of the generic video card. You can load up a "live" version of the OS and "test" the functions of the application without installing it.

 

[Mike C]

while searching on ebay i found these

http://cgi.ebay.com/EASYCAP-USB-CAPTURE-CA...2#ht_2475wt_911

4 channel usb... hard to believe that it will work for that price.

 

[pete_c]

It'll probably work but you may not get the FPS you are looking for. My PVR runs 24/7 always recording set to about 5 FPS. I can crank it up a bit but have tweaked the memory a bit to handle the load. I've been testing one camera at about 25FPS and it does work.