Standalones Catching up with PC Based Systems
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Security DVR Cards, Security DVR, Software
Well, as technology continues to move forward, one of the biggest changes I have noticed lately is that the Standalone and PC-Based DVR systems seem to keep getting closer and closer in terms of what they have to offer. Used to, if you had multiple locations and needed Central Monitoring Software, the PC based system was your only choice. And not only CMS software. If you needed to view your system on an iPhone or needed a RAID configuration and several other features, you had no choice but to purchase a PC based system.
Well, no more. I saw a stand alone system at www.apexcctv.com with all of the above features and even more. The system comes with free Central Monitoring Software already installed. Along with the CMS software, this workhorse of a unit can be configured with a RAID configuration, can be viewed with the iPhone, windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Android phones. It also has a MAC Client for viewing on an Apple computer! I have even heard that a POS system is being tested for use with this stand- alone unit. Seems the only thing the PC Based System has on this unit is the use of IP cameras. At the rate technology is moving though, can that be far behind.
Planning Ahead
Filed under: CCTV Articles, Networking, Security Camera System
If you are planning to install a CCTV system and think that down the road you might want to upgrade your system to include IP cameras, why not go ahead and do things up front, that are very reasonable, but put you in a great position to upgrade in the future. One way to accomplish this is to go with a Hybrid DVR card installed in your computer. Why a hybrid card? Because it allows you to use analog cameras and IP cameras on the same system. And if you really want to plan ahead, go ahead and use your Cat5 cable to all your analog cameras and use Video Baluns. The video baluns come in two types, passive and active. If your distance is 1,200’ or less, use the passive, if it is greater than 1,200’, use the active baluns, but remember the active baluns do require power. If you go ahead and use the Cat5 cable now, when you do upgrade to IP cameras, you already have the required cabling in place. Just another way to plan for the future that will not raise the cost of your start up system much, if at all.
One word of caution if you do decide to go in this direction. Be sure you consult a professional because there are limitations to the brand and number of IP cameras that you can use on the Hybrid DVR system.
Standalones Catching up with PC Based Systems
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, General Technology, Security DVR
As technology continues to move forward, one of the biggest changes I have noticed lately is that the Standalone and PC-Based DVR systems seem to keep getting closer and closer in terms of what they have to offer. Used to, if you had multiple locations and needed Central Monitoring Software, the PC based system was your only choice, and not only CMS software. If you needed to view your system on an iPhone or needed a RAID configuration and several other features, you had no choice but to purchase a PC based system.
Well, no more. I saw a stand alone system at www.apexcctv.com with all of the above features and even more. The system comes with free Central Monitoring Software already installed. Along with the CMS software, this workhorse of a unit can be configured with a RAID configuration, can be viewed with the iPhone, windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Android phones. It also has a MAC Client for viewing on an Apple computer! I have even heard that a POS system is being tested for use with this stand- alone unit. Seems the only thing the PC Based System has on this unit is the use of IP cameras. At the rate technology is moving though, can that be far behind.
Get It Right
Filed under: CCTV Articles, CCTV Camera, Security Camera, Security DVR
There are two main styles of security cameras on the market today and choosing the correct one can have allot to do with how safe your system will be once installed.
The two types of cameras are bullet and dome cameras. If your cameras are installed where they can be reached from the ground or with the aid of a short ladder or something else that can be put in place easily, you might want to consider using the vandal resistant dome camera. They are harder to damage than a bullet camera. But keep in mind if you are installing them on a wall instead of ceiling that you will want one that rotates on three axis. If not, your image will not be upright. If your cameras are mounted out of harm’s way, I would go with the bullet camera as you will find that they are usually more cost effective for the same quality of camera.
Also keep in mind that there are DVR lock boxes available to help secure your DVR. These come in several sizes and are made for stand alone as well as PC based DVR’s.
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