I'm looking for any recomendations for a 4 input (expandable) pci card based cctv system

System must have a user friendly interface

Put your thinking caps on - what's the best value for money unit available?

You can download for free software that polls at least 4 (IIRC) cameras, also incorporates 'motion detection' and also allows user definable montoring sectors, ie a door handle.

Home Watcher polls by running multiple instances of the software so needs a decent amount of RAM. http://www.pestpatrol.com/pestinfo/h/home_watcher.asp

Extract:

HomeWatcher roughly works as follows. HomeWatcher takes snapshots at regular time intervals, compares the snapshot with the previous one and saves the snapshot when motion is detected. HomeWatcher creates webpages, an animation and dials to the internet (if necessary) to upload the snapshots, animation and webpages to your website (using FTP). You can also choose to store the snapshots, animation and webpages locally. You can customize all the parameters involved: the sensitivity of the motion detection algorithm, the mode and interval, the number of snapshots you want to keep on your website, the layout of the webpages, the minimum and maximum number of uploads per hour, etcetera.

HomeWatcher works with standard windows video capture devices and PhotoPC compatible digital still cams.

HomeWatcher can be started several times for different cameras and/or URLs. Remember that for every instance of HomeWatcher all parameters including the registration key, if applicable, must be set separately.'

HTH - Peace

Signatures reduce bandwidth

Your best bet is to go with Geovision, www.geovision.com.tw, they offer the best PC Based CCTV, and the software is incredible, tonnes of features. We use the geovision system as a management tool as well as a security system for our customers, you've got features like object counter, so you can let the manager know how many ppl come into the shop on different days! The only downside is that it is a bit expensive.

Peter James ?

The link works fine in W2K IE v6.

Can I suggest (wild-guessing at your OS):

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

HTH - Peace