use-IP

Your scenario, when it is difficult or expensive to re-cable is the perfect application for HD over co-ax. HikVision use a technology known as TVI. Dahua use CVI. Not to be confused with inferior earlier solutions and/or AHD. They have now engineered their way past the earlier cable length limitations, and poor video performance, noisy signals etc. If you are buying now, I'd look for HikVision Turbo 4.0 based solutions - Hikvision Europe Make sure you get a Turbo 4.0 DVR and cameras. Don't bother trying to mix & match technologies i.e. trying to add IP cameras to your Turbo DVR - the hybrid recorders (which will do analogue and IP are expensive, and have strict limitations to how many IP cameras and what resolution cameras you can add). NB - Power over Co-ax (PoC) is now a thing too! I'm sure you will be able to find a way to purchase Hik Turbo, any manufacturer who ends-up with 47,000 listings for their product on ebay UK is not very good at enforcing their supply chain rules!

Just my two penn'orth: Milestone is very corporate, expensive, and seems to be getting even more so! The annual costs are hated (can be huge for big systems), and all that cost typically just to 'carry on as you are'! The support is poor for what you pay. They have a bad habit of changing the rules / moving the goalposts. Luxriot works well, offers great value (although perhaps becoming more expensive with new EVO S versions). The old GUI wasn't popular, the new is a bit better. Support from Latvia is exceptional. Synology is excellent, perhaps THE most open & evergreen i.e. works with approx. 4,000 different cameras and they refresh it every year - some good big system & multi-site features, a non-browser-based viewer, good developments in analytics, just a shame about the per-channel licence cost. A smart company, clever enough to realise early that 'The Cloud' was going to disrupt their NAS data backup market, and build great strength in this other HDD-heavy sector. Vivotek's VAST software came out tops when one of our school customers put a great deal of effort into assessing many. They liked the user interface, the simplicity of reviewing, and the ease of extracting evidence. They use Vivotek's software with HikVision's cameras (so have to pay a fee per third-party camera licence which is very similar to the Synology licence cost). VAST2 was released recently - sorry, no feedback yet. HikVision's own IVMS-5200 VMS software - it's poor - not recommended. NVRs - worth a mention just because the Chinese manufacturers are now delivering so many channels at such a low price that they are hard to beat for value. Also, HikVision provide ANPR features FOC in their NVRs - typically a £1K+ add-on to software solutions.

From today HikVision will only allow end-users to purchase their HikVision-branded products from Trade Installers. They will be introducing a new budget brand called 'HiWatch by HikVision' for end-users. They have stated that schools, colleges, etc. are deemed end-users. Please don't shoot the messenger, we've done all we can

Luxriot is very popular with schools. Their Enterprise version allows unlimited cameras and unlimited clients, and has no annual fees for updates, camera packs, support etc. To start a new system for minimal cost, IP cameras from Vivotek & ACTi are very popular, as both offer free CCTV software for use with their own cameras (you can of course move to open software such as Luxriot or Milestone later).

As m25man mentioned earlier, the Y-cam bullet is outdoor-ready and wireless, and there's also a new HD version available now. EyeSpy247's EXT model might also meet your needs.

If your budget won't stretch to Axis or Mobotix then maybe take a look at the ACTi ACM-1231 or the Vivotek IP8332. Both are outdoor/weatherproof, built-in infra-red LEDs and POE enabled.

Mobotix cameras are superb, but you also might like to consider the great price/performance that Axis are delivering with their latest HD IP cameras - check these YouTube clips: Axis M1054 compact camera (installed on its side to view a long narrow server room corridor in HD) Each video clip is only about 20-30 seconds - be sure to watch in HD & expand the playback view window. It's CCTV Jim, but not as you know it

The Y-cam Bullet is probably the best option for price/performance; true day/night (hence good colour images during daylight), wireless and ready to install in a weatherproof housing. The Y-cam Black or Y-cam Knight in a weatherproof Shell would be a cheaper option, but daytime colour views of grass and trees pick up a purplish tinge due to the cameras unfiltered sensitivity to infra-red light (so not great for nature cams). The Solwise SEC-1002W is probably cheapest available in a ready to go outdoor wireless format, image quality is similar to the Y-cam Black or Knight.

VMS are a great source for information and materials to help you to comply with CCTV Data Protection Act compliance requirements. They've been specialists in this area for many years.

Hi Plexer, Is this ACTi IP Camera any good for you?

There's more information on what actually happened in this report at the Manchester Evening News

New guidance statement from the Information Commissioner's Office today: 6 November 2009 CCTV in schools Jonathan Bamford, Assistant Information Commissioner, said: “CCTV should only be used for a pressing need. It is perfectly reasonable for a school to use CCTV to help secure its premises, but it shouldn’t be left switched on capturing images of school children changing during the day. When a school is staffed and children are on the premises, cameras will not generally be required for security purposes. Organisations that do capture images using CCTV are required by law to adhere to the Principles of the Data Protection Act. Guidance for organisations using CCTV is available from CCTV Camera, the Data Protection Act Interesting sentence in the middle there The statement http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/pressreleases/2009/schools_salford_061109.pdf

Mobotix do make fantastic IP cameras. Often referred to as having the computer in the camera, they have a greater choice of settings and configuration options than probably any other camera. Their latest models Q24 and D24 are really pushing the performance envelope with their latest in-camera processing being able to deliver 3 megapixel images at full frame rate (25 images per second). A couple of major benefits with Mobotix; all the software you'll need is provided 'in the box'; and the camera can be configured to write its video to any drive you choose e.g. a pre-existing network drive, or specially added NAS. Their cameras are relatively top-end price-wise, but you do get what you pay for in terms of performance, image quality, and a mature/developed whole IPCCTV camera and software solution. Learn more about Mobotix IP Cameras.

Hello badders, We would be pleased to discuss your requirement and assist you in finding a cost-effective solution. As mentioned by dgsmith and steveg above the ACTi range of cameras offer pretty much maximum 'bang for your bucks' - especially when it comes to outdoor-ready megapixel cameras. ACTi also provide their CCTV recording software on a CD in the box with every new camera. As mentioned above, there are better Professional CCTV software solutions available if you need to mix & match IP camera brands - but Free is a good place to start:) Currently 120+ IP cameras to choose from on our site - priced from just £41 +VAT We're always happy to take phone calls and discuss your application, and happy to accept purchase orders from schools ...

Are you using Google Toolbar? It's pretty tightly integrated and caused a few problems when I upgraded to FF3.5. You need to install the very latest version of Google Toolbar. Now running version 5.0.20090324W Strangely their Download Link from their Toolbar Help page (top left of page) mentions T6 and is currently a broken link , so maybe Toolbar 6 will be here shortly????

That's great news - well spotted. Been on cable since ntl days. At £28 that'll be about the same as we pay now for 20MB. I think they honour same deals for existing customers. 10MB uploads would be very interesting for CCTV uplinks and recording to the web.

The document from 2005 is a bit dated - made me smile, I haven't heard that term used for many a year I can link you to newer docs, but it may involve a lot of reading on your part. Have you got any particular concerns?

PC Pro reviewed one of the replacement Sony models today (A330). Their review here. They seem to think the current series offer better value for money:

Just to add a quick two penn'orth, however low budget you go make sure that your printer has an LCD display which provides meaningful error and state messages ... e.g. displays words. We once purchased one that used flashing LED codes to indicate what was ailing it and that was a complete pain. Oh, and a decent paper tray capacity ...

Pleased to see so many votes for the Sony DSLRs, I recently made the same decision. I went for the A300, mainly because of the flexible viewfinder screen. The 200 and 300 series are soon to be replaced by newer models, so you should be able to find a bargain somewhere. I got mine from Jessops, collected in store but used a £20 off voucher from voucher codes. Some sample snaps here.

Just some info that might help (from the Axis website): Why network cameras are better for ftp uploads than webcams Configuring an Axis network camera to feed website video for low-medium hit rates (users access the camera - only recommended for up to about 20 connections) For high hit rate sites (video routed via http upload to a web server) Lots of other useful links and info around those pages.

Try cycling the power to the camera, if it remains poor you are likely to need a replacement. You could try substituting camera/lens from another position to fault-find and prove whether it is the camera or the lens (and to check that the poor picture is not actually due to some kind of cable fault from that position). If you need any further help or advice to resolve the problem yourself please feel free to get in touch.

Not tried it yet. Not been that bored for some time Hadn't really paid a lot of attention to Windows 7 development at all. I saw the article in the second link first, and was surprised to see that as soon as this July you'll be able to buy new systems with the rights for a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it is finally launched - surprised because I didn't realise we were that close to the next OS, and because it means that quite a lot of folk will effectively leap-frog Vista all together. AND, now that cat's out the bag, folk will delay purchasing new hardware to take up that option - just what the hardware vendors didn't need in tough times!

Spotted a couple of updates: Windows 7 Beta gets official this Friday Starting on July 1, 2009 any new systems purchased [Vista] will be eligible for the no-charge update

7&Y you are quite correct to say that you can recycle any and all pre-existing analogue CCTV into a new IP CCTV solution by the use of video servers. Indeed, these are available in units that take from 1 camera right up to sixteen, so you could remove any traditional dedicated CCTV DVR (or VCR and multiplexer) and, by means of a video server, then record those analogue cameras via the network to a PC and software. But I think that Geoff sums it up quite well: It is a pay your money and take your choice thing: Is it worth the expenditure on a video server to get the original cameras on your network? Are the images from those cameras worth saving? Are you better off spending those funds on a new system based upon new megapixel cameras? Maybe there are other factors to consider - such as a quick fix to move an analogue DVR and CRT monitor out of somebody's office? BTW if you use an ACTi server, their free video recording software will record the feeds. NB latest ACTi software is version V2.2.8 available from their website (select the software tab at the bottom of the page). (The CD in the box with your camera or server may not be the very latest version - cleanest to start with the latest version).