atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Security, Alarms and Paging system reccomendations

chrislebeck - I'd have to agree with Slix4x4 - I've been building PC's since the IBM XT days, when the price of memory had three zeros at the end (and no decimal point!) For the past few years though, apart from very specialist systems (video editing etc.) I've advised others to buy ready made, and even done it myself. There are so many potential compatibility problems, and by the time you buy the gear, put it together, load an OS, make sure you've got the right drivers and updates etc., you labour cost will have devestated any savings you made over buying ready made. Let someone else sort out the compatibility issues for you, do all the boring work, and deliver a working system to you, for a few dollars above the price of components. Buy ready made (possibly spec. a bigger, or preferably, additional, hard drive), and add your PCI card and software.
Telecom5000's suggestion of IP cameras is a good one, if the cameras are spread over a large building which has an existing computer network with extra capacity - otherwise I'd stick to co-ax cabled cameras back to the PC.
Here in the UK, you could buy PCI cards which would do everything you've mentioned and a lot more besides.

Edited to remove pricing.

i am too lazy to read the terms of use fro this site so, i wont post the website, but email me and i will send you the link. the systems i use have the ability to view off site via web browser or dedicated software. also have the ability to store backups offsite onto a remote server. i usually buy the systems and then add hard drive space as needed, its so much cheaper. if it is ok to post the website for this company, im sure i will be told so, and i will post it. thanks


sam

you can see that there are 2 of them right above. so it should be ok as long as you don't post prices.

I administer a GeoVision system, it is PC based and has remote view/remote server, alarm compat. w/ hardware. It's not bad, but not the best.

For best results, get a REAL DVR. Do yourself a favor

And that's coming from a CG!! (sorry topher, but you're right)

haha, no problem tp

I really bang my head against the wall when it comes to the PC based DVR's. Every 2 to 3 weeks I get paid to re-format, re-install, then make sure it stays working for at LEAST another 2 to 3 weeks ... then it'll crash again!

I'm nearly embarassed to say this but go take a look at Q-see products. Yes, they're about bottom of the todem poll but they do work decently, and at walmart prices (actually, walmart sells them too). I've been doing DM and other dvr's for a while but moved into a new shop recently. They tend to most often push the Q-see stuff (can you say max profits?). They're really not too bad for residential installations. DVR with day and ir cams. rj45 on some, decent sized (at low fps) hdd's.

I wonder .. I've had some very expensive systems fail or become so tempermental as to give me migraines. But the cheapie ones seem to last forever?