Pirated PCI DVR Trade-in

The other day a lady came to our CCTV outlet to get a basic stand alone DVR for her house in Damansara.

After hours of painstakingly bargaining, we had finally agreed on the price.

While we are installing a hard disk to her DVR, we are in for a big surprise, she pulled an old PCI DVR card out from her over-sized designer bag and demanded to trade in the "expensive and still in working condition" card.

We kindly declined her proposal as we do not purchase used gear (especially PCI DVR card with pirated recording software) nor do trade-in.

To us an "expensive" pirated PCI DVR card is only good for slicing bread.

Firefox DVR

Some Mozilla Firefox die hard fans, for whatever reasons they just refuse to use Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE).

They said the browser is unfriendly and not safe.

But when it comes to Internet remote monitoring function for Digital Video Recorder (DVR), those Firefox users used to have no choice but to use IE as older generation DVR supports only IE.


DVR Internet remote monitoring with IE Browser




Nowadays there are DVRs that support Firefox browser. One of those is TANDER 3000 series DVRs.


TANDER DVR Internet remote monitoring with Firefox Browser




Not only the DVR suports Firefox but it supports other browsers as well.


TANDER DVR Internet remote monitoring with Google Chrome Browser.




TANDER DVR Internet remote monitoring with Safari Browser




TANDER 3000 series DVRs also supports mobile devices like Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian OS phones.

One BB and Firefox user happily call his newly deployed TANDER DVR as Firefox DVR.

Multitasking Housewife

Nowadays CCTV customers are getting more sophisticated and demanding.

When they look for a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), they want the DVR to have every conceivable functions, can be connected to all other gear they possess and to monitor the video streams via Internet and all their mobile devices.



Sounds impossible and difficult but luckily, TANDÉR range of network standalone DVRs manages to do just that.

This range of DVRs has multiple operation control namely the front panel key buttons, USB mouse and IR remote control.

TANDÉR DVRs support SATA interface hard disk for storage with 2 backup mediums USB pen drive and DVD±RW.

TANDÉR Triplex DVRs enable its users to remote viewing, playback through IE browser and 3G mobile phone while recording.

It supports Remote Viewing with BlackBerry (BB), iphone, Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, Internet Explorer. This BB DVR is getting very popular in Indonesia

The DVRs come with 2 Video outputs, 1 S-video, 1 VGA output, 1 Audio input, 1 Audio output and Alarm in/out terminal for added flexibility in deployment.

Central Management System (CMS) software is provided free to support multiple DVRs' video streaming to be viewed on a single screen.

Last but not least, to enjoy latest TANDÉR DVR features, users can upgrade the DVR software via USB pen drive by simply download the latest software.

CCTV DVR Password

It is a must to change the password of your newly deployed DVR or NVR. A default user name and password is not secure, it is like an open stadium in the midst of tall buildings.



Anyone who had handled with DVR or NVR can login to view live or playback the recorded video footage easily.

In fact, it is a good practice to change the password from time to time just like how you manage your bank's ATM machine password.

Eyes Play Tricks On Us

Our eyes ( to be more precise our brain) can be fooled.

Since our eyes or brain are not trustworthy, we must examine our recorded CCTV video footage from our DVR with extra care.

Check the video out.

Altered DVR Video Footage

The other day a customer asked us to examine a recoded video footage of a DVR as he suspected his guards had purchased a same DVR and recorded a section of 4 minutes video from one of his office's CCTV camera with a predetermined date and time, and later patched the video to his existing DVR.

We had watched the video footage, it is inconclusive.

I can not show you the video but that suspicious 4 minutes video footage from one of the DVR channel did look blur as compare to other video feeds and the stream was broken for 2-3 seconds at the beginning and at the end of the 4 minutes of recording.


An altered video footage can change a story completely as shown in the following 2 funny Star Wars videos, enjoy.

Non-Alcoholic Vodka

Some CCTV prospects want to deploy CCTV system for monitoring only.

To me a CCTV system without the recording function defeats the purpose of having a surveillance system. It is like Vodka without alcohol.



No man can stay focus and look at the video streaming 24/7.

Therefore serious CCTV users must have CCTV recorder like Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

Multi Tasking

For the pass few weeks, a number of PC based DVRs were brought to us for service and reconfiguration.

Most of the problem was caused by the users making use of the PC to perform multiple tasks. They used the same PC to host the PCI DVR card, to surf Internet, to host their accounting software, to play on-line game, to download movie, you name it.

To me a PC based DVR is like a car, to host a DVR card with PC is like getting around in your car. Of cause you can use your car for incoming bullets as well (exposed your PC to viruses while you serve Internet) but don't expect your car to run as smoothly after using it as a shield, that is if it could run at all.



During this tough economy period, careful with one's money is wise but don't fall in the penny wise pound foolish trap. Imagine you managed to save RM2,000 by multitasking your PC but you could have lost RM5,000 worth of goods when the PC DVR is down.

If you are serious about your CCTV surveillance system, a dedicated PC to host the PCI DVR card is a must.

Parasite

Yesterday I had visited a CCTV system integrator. He said his business partner is a computer game. I looked at him blankly. He pointed at a PC which is hosting a DVR card and continued, “he is fun to be with but he is not contributing to the company but consuming our company resources.”

I dunno about his business partner part but I agreed with him that a dedicated PC is a must for a PCI DVR card. Game or any other PC software like accounting software, POS software etc will definitely consume the PC resources and affect the DVR performance.

To put it in a better perspective, a computer game to a DVR PC server is like a parasite to an animal or plant. It obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting the host.

Tough Choices

PCI DVR used to has more advance functions compare to a standalone DVR but nowadays standalone DVR can perform most of the functions of a PCI DVR.

The latest standalone DVR supports Remote Viewing with handphone's Symbian OS, Windows Mobile, Internet Explorer and even Black Berry.

Standalone Triplex DVR enable its users to remote view, playback through IE browser and 3G mobile phone while recording.

It is not uncommon for standalone DVR to come with Video output, S-video output, VGA output, Audio input, Audio output and Alarm in/out terminal for added flexibility in deployment.

Most standalone DVR has multiple operation control, front panel key buttons, USB mouse and IR remote control.

Standalone DVR user can backup video footage with USB pen drive or DVD±RW. Users can even upgrade the DVR software via USB pen drive by simply download the latest software which is not possible in the past.

Hence it is getting tougher and tougher to choose between a standalone DVR and a PC based PCI DVR.

6 Channel DVR

Couple of days ago a “prospect” came to purchase a 6 channel DVR.

DVR only comes with 4, 8 or 16 channel, we explained if he wanted to deploy 6 cameras he must go for the 8 channel DVR.

The gentlemen said he had been to a few CCTV shops and had refused to get a 8 channel DVR as his house required only 6 cameras.

We asked if he could reduce the camera deployment to 4 so that he could purchase the more economical 4 channel DVR.

He angrily walked off.

One Chinese proverb says "Don't ask for a comb from a monk".

Sad to say that gentleman was doing exactly that.

Hybrid

This is a follow up to my previous posting.

In order to integrate analog cameras with IP network camera, network video server is an option and the other option is to deploy a hybrid surveillance system.

A hybrid NDVR system comes with analog composite video supporting DVR and digital network camera supporting NVR software.

Both network video server and NDVR provide surveillance users the flexibility to tailer made a most cost effective and efficient integrated cctv solution, which capitalizes on the advantages of both the analog and digital network surveillance gears.

Like this pair of shoes, hybrid gives you the best of two worlds.