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What is DVR? |
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DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is a PC device which acts like a VCR
in that it has the ability to record and playback video image. DVR takes the
feed from a camera and records it into a digital format on a storage device which
is most commonly the hard drive. |
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What are the recommended system requirements? |
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| The following is the general guide line for DVR system configuration.
However,
it is required to obtain up to date information from Technical Support
in order to
maximize the performance of DVR system. |
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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS |
| CPU |
Recommend
Intel® Pentium® processor family / Intel® CoreTM
processor family processors 2.0GHz or higher for
CPU. Recommend 2.66GHz or higher for D1 and 32 channel
models. |
| Motherboard |
Recommend
to use Intel 945 / 946 / 955 / 965 / 975 / G31 /
G33 / P35 / G41 / G43 / G45 / P43 / P45 Chipset
motherboard. Intel, Asus, or Gigabyte brand motherboards
with above chipsets are preferred. |
| RAM |
Recommend
1GB or higher for Windows XP. Recommend 2GB RAM
or higher for Windows Vista and Windows 7. |
| HDD |
Recommend
Serial ATA (SATA) and/or IDE hard disk drives. Recommend
SATA with 32MB Cache hard disk drives for D1 and
32 channel models. |
| Video Card |
Recommend
ATI RadeonTM Series or Intel onboard video controllers.
For ATI RadeonTM Series on a Windows XP system, ATI
CatalystTM Display Driver Version 9.3 (Internal Version
8.591) is recommended. |
| OS |
Support Windows XP,
Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Support 32 bit editions only.
Under Windows Vista and Windows 7, User Account Control (UAC)
and Action Center (Windows 7) or Windows Security Center (Windows Vista) setting
must be turned off. |
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What if a DVR has some of the latest components and some not as current? |
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It is important to have the complete package of the latest
components in order to receive optimum performance. The absence of one aspect of
a current generation solution may "bottleneck" the system and in some cases even
hinder the performance instead of enhancing. Additionally, the right combination
of products needs to be tweaked for optimal performance. |
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Does learning how to operate a DVR require knowledge of PCs? |
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While knowledge of using a mouse and keyboard is helpful, it is not required. Anyone can learn to operate and program any of the DVR functions, as the software was designed with user-friendly Graphic User Interface for ease of use. |
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What should I do if there is new
version released? |
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Basically, we release
newer version software periodically, based on the changes
on platforms and additional features.
We develop and test our software on up-to-date
environment, and there may be major revision that would
prevent backward compatibility if necessary.
Therefore, it is recommended to keep the
original version that was purchased with.
If the update is unavoidable, please check
with your vendor to ensure your system meets requirements. |
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Are there any differences among DVR software? |
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Definitely. Software is just as important
as the hardware. Software that runs the principal
functions of the DVR is driven by database. The
architecture and design of the database are crucial to
systems stability and speed of which it processes the
data. Quite often poor database structure will slow down
even the best hardware and, in many cases, cause systems
crash. |
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What are the advantages of hardware compression MPEG-4 DVR boards? |
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- Real-time, full frame display - same as the
Live board
- Real-time, up
to 960 frame recording (NTSC) for 32
channels
- Healthy PC - minimal use of CPU even
while Real-time recording
- Up to 32 channel audio
synchronized with video
- Higher speed transmissions
- High quality, detailed image by using advanced imaging technology
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What is video compression? |
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When video is digitized by the DVR, it can consume as much as 165 million
bits of data every second. Transmitting this amount of data is not practical. To get
around this problem, a series of techniques - called codec (picture and video
compression/decompression techniques) - have been derived to reduce this high bit rate.
Their ability to perform this task is quantified by the compression ratio. The simple
fact is, the higher the compression ratio, the smaller is the bandwidth consumption.
However, there is a price to pay for this compression. Because increasing compression
causes an increasing degradation of the image. Therefore, there is a balancing act of
trying to achieve the desired image quality along with speed. |
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What are the differences between video capture boards? |
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Some video capture boards are also used for displaying the video as
well as capture. Sharing the resources of the capture boards may be
disadvantageous since it is using valuable processing power and inherently causes
slower transmission for a variety of technical reasons, especially when trying to
simultaneously capture image from multiple cameras.
Video capture boards are usually described in terms of how many camera input it
will support and how many image per second (ips) or frames per second (fps) it is
capable of recording. IPS and FPS are used synonymously.
Beyond these two basic reference points, there are significant differences that
are usually not described by most manufacturers. Just like PCs, there are several
subcomponents that go into making the product fast, stable and efficient and can
cause the price as well as the performance of the products to vary radically. |
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I have 30 frames per second DVR board, but it almost looks like it's recording still image. Why is that? |
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30fps DVR board means 30 shared frame rate.
What that means is a 30fps DVR board is 30 frames per
second over the entire number of cameras being displayed.
Therefore, a 4-channel DVR board sharing 30 frames may
yield approximately 7.5 image per second per camera. |
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What is the frame rate? |
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The frame rate is a number of image that are being displayed
or recorded over a specific period of time. Typically, frames per second or
"fps" is the specification most often used. Keep in mind that frame rate record
and frame rate display are two different items. |
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Will 60, 120 or 240fps DVR board run faster on a single camera than a 30fps DVR board? |
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The architecture of most DVR boards is such that, regardless of the total frame rate of the entire DVR board, you typically do not exceed 30fps per individual channel since there is usually only one chipset dedicated to that channel. The purpose of higher frame rate DVR boards is the ability to view at higher frame rates over multiple channels. For example, on a 240fps DVR board, you would view 8 cameras at an average rate of 30fps, whereas on a 30fps DVR board the same would be less than 4fps over each of the 8 channels. |
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What do default ports mean? |
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| PORT CONFIGURATION |
| PORT |
Below ports are set as default and can be changed
at "Start.exe" |
| 3000 |
Image
Transmission |
| 3001 |
Pan Tilt and Control
Command Transmission |
| 3003 |
Setting
Information Transmission |
| 8800 |
Sound
Transmission |
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3007
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Network transmission speed and bandwidth control
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What is a dynamic IP address? |
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When the internet was first conceived, the architects didn't foresee the need
for an unlimited number of IP addresses. Consequently, there are not enough IP
numbers to go around. To get around that problem, many internet service
providers use dynamic IP addresses. Dynamic IP addresses are
addresses that are temporarily assigned to your computer from a pool for an
internet session or some other specified time. As soon as the session or period
is complete the number is returned to the pool for use by another customer. Even
if the user reconnects immediately, the odds are they will not be assigned the
same IP address from the pool. You can locate your IP address by typing in
checkip.dyndns.org in your browser. |
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What is a static IP address? |
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A static IP is a number that is assigned to a computer by an Internet Service Provider
(such as SBC, Verizon, Comcast, etc.) to be its permanent address on the internet. Computers use
IP addresses to locate and talk to each other on the internet, much the same way people
use phone numbers to locate and talk to one another on the telephone. Every machine on the
internet has a unique identifying number which consists of four groups of number with no
more than 3 digits in a group. A typical static IP address would look like 24.125.30.51 |
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How many cameras can I plug into a DVR board? |
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Typically, you can plug anywhere from 1 to 32 cameras.
The cameras normally plug into BNC or RCA input on the
DVR boards. Some boards come with a single video adapter
and uses a pigtail cable which has multiple adapters on
one end and a single connection on the other end. |
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Can I use existing camera with DVR? |
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Generally yes. Your existing cameras will work by
plugging into the back of the DVR which replaces the
VCR. Some old CCTV cameras may require to have proper connector
depending on the connection type. If your cameras are not so current, then you may
want to investigate some of the newer cameras which are
higher in resolution and may have more features.
Typically, higher resolution cameras mean higher quality
image. |
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What are the precautions during DiViS installation? |
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| 1. Make sure that the Capture Board driver is correctly installed. (Control Panels-System-Device Manager) |
| 2. Make sure that the Database (Volume) settings
are correct. |
| 3. Be sure to choose the correct NTSC, PAL when installing your program. |
| 4. Check the cables connection on the capture board. |
| 5. Check the connection on the cameras. |
| 6. Make sure the camera functions properly. |
7. When possible, avoid using software that resides in the RAM. Especially, vaccines can be
potential problems. |
| 8. Turn off screen savers when using the program (Control Panel-Display-Screen saver) |
| 9. Turn off energy savers when using the program (Control Panel-Display-Power) |
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What kind of cabling do I need to run from a surveillance camera to the DVR? |
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Standard coaxial cable such as the one which runs in
your home to connect with the cable company is highly
recommended (RG59U). You need to connect BNC connectors
on the DVR end and BNC or RCA connectors on the camera
end depending on the camera type. Try to keep cable
length under 300ft and avoid close proximity to
fluorescent fixtures or other electrical devices that may
cause interference. For longer distances, there are a
variety of other solutions from RG56U to fiber. |
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What are the differences between RGB and YUV image signals? |
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RGB signaling refers to the method of dividing an image
signal to the fundamental three colors (Red, Green and
Blue) when processing the signal. It has the advantage
of good color division and conveyance, but the disadvantage
of requiring at least 3 color division data.
YUV signaling refers to the method of expressing an
image signal by the vertical and horizontal signal synchronization (Y),
and its color signals (U, V). Color division and conveyance
qualities are inferior compared to the RGB method, but
the YUV method can express more diverse colors using
less image data.
The choice of both methods are available on DVR. RGB
image will have clearer color but more 'blocks' on
the image, while with YUV image dividing between colors
can be more difficult but you will get a more smoother
looking surface from them. |
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What are the backup devices supported by DiViS? |
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Data backup devices include CD-RWs, DVD-RAMs, DVD-RWs,
DATs, etc., any device that Windows recognizes as a drive,
and you can also backup on a network drive.
The unit of the data is 1 minute, and can only be viewed
through the supplied Backupviewer. Data backup is also
possible on the Search program, where it can be saved
in AVI format, making it conveniently viewable through
the Windows Media Player (by enabling "View-Caption"
from the menu, you can also conform information data). |
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What is the supported picture quality when recording on DiViS? |
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NTSC
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PAL
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| CAP Series |
320x240, 640x480 |
352x288, 704x576 |
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ACAP Series |
352x240, 704x240, 704x480 |
352x240, 704x240, 704x480
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LIVCAP Series
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352x240, 704x240, 704x480 |
352x288, 704x288, 704x576 |
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AMX Series |
352x240, 704x240, 704x480 |
352x288, 704x288, 704x576 |
| D1 Series |
320x240, 704x240, 704x480 |
352x288, 704x288, 704x576 |
| H.264 Series |
320x240, 704x240, 704x480 |
352x288, 704x288, 704x576 |
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When I view DVR remotely over
the internet, how come the pictures don't have the same quality or speed as when I
view it locally from the DVR system? |
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The answer is bandwidth. When you are viewing the DVR
locally, you are transmitting right from the DVR to your
monitor without having to send the image over a network
and worry about throughput. Throughput is the amount of
data transferred from one place to another in a specified
amount of time. The lower the throughput, the slower the
transmission. |
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If I connect remotely, will I view live video? |
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You are viewing live video as it happens, but the motion and quality of the
image are depending on your connection speed to the location.
Real-time/Real-motion video from a remote location using the public internet or
a dial-up modem is virtually impossible if you want to simultaneously view
multiple camera image. There is simply too much data to transmit across a
narrow bandwidth. |
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When viewing video on some websites, how come they seem to have no robotic motions and clear crisp pictures? |
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Because the video is "streamed" meaning it is
aggregated and then delivered on a delayed basis. There
is a difference between real-time and real-motion. |
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What are real-time image? |
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Real-time image are image that are being transmitted
as they happen, not to be confused with real-motion.
Unfortunately, the words real-time and real-motion are
used synonymously within the industry. Just because
something is real-time doesn't mean it's real-motion. |
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How do I view the camera image remotely from my PC, laptop or PDA? |
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Our DVRs come with remote software which allows you to view the cameras once you are connected to the DVR via a phone line modem, internet connection or LAN connection. |
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What are the precautions when recording sound? |
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Recently released motherboards are
equipped with high definition audio controllers. As these
new controllers are automatically adjust their settings,
# of Sound Recording Channels |
Soundcard Connection Method |
Usable Mic. |
1 Channel |
Mic. input |
Ordinary or Amplified Mic. |
2 Channels |
Line or External input |
Amplified Mic. |
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Is there special power requirements for the DVR? |
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DVR boards are low power consumption devices.
However, DVR systems are usually equipped with additional
components, such as multiple hard disk drives, and running
24/7 nonstop. Therefore, it is
strongly recommended to use
reliable power supply. you may also attach UPS to the DVR in order to protect
the hardware against power spikes, reductions or outages. |
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Do surveillance cameras work in the dark? |
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It depends upon the camera. If the surveillance cameras have Ex-view or infra-red (IR) capabilities, then they can operate in a virtually zero light environment. |
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