32 way DVR

[camstop]

Hiya guys

My first post here so be gentile with me

I have a site where we put in 16 cams (static) and a Videoswitch DVR with 3 keyboards and 4 monitors in different parts of the site.

Now we are looking to add another 10 cams again static to this site and the owner is willing to put his Videoswitch in a new premises he has so im looking at either using 2 16 way DVR's or a 32 way if available.

I'd use another Videoswitch and may well end up doing that but i don't feel they are as cost efficient as they used to be in this fast moving market and as i say i have a chance to put a new DVR configuration in there.

I should be able to use their LAN for some of the viewing and controlling but i will need a keyboard in the shop part.

I don't expect too many speedy replies seeing it's just us Scots working today but i look forward to receiving your advice

:edit: I must learn to spell

[Mavrick_001]

Any objections to a dm sprite? Two 16way units... linked... one keyboard and you can select which unit you want to control with the one keyboard. Have been to site where there had been 3 or even 4 linked together, might be a good option for you. Some of us English fellas are still doing a bit today!!!

[Truss and France]

I agree with Mavrick the Dedicted Micro 16way DVR is the best way to go, I have installed several different makes of DVR and in my opinion the DM comes out tops. Although I dont know what the limit is on linking them together but im sure four linked together is not out of the question.

Good Luck

Kevin

[camstop]

Thanks for the fast reply Mavrick

I've not kept up on the price of the sprite in the last month but i'm sure it would be similar or a bit more than another Videoswitch.

Has anyone tried this with 2 Dynamic DVR's as the 800gb model with LAN seems more competitive. I did like the look of the Hunt units but Dynamic don't offer keypads for them, Anyone know where i could get keypads that would work with the 16 way Hunt DVR's ?

Thanks again and all advice welcome.

[camstop]

Thanks Kevin...

I have a BX2 on a LAN at another site PTZ and it works well and is real pwetty

Personally i tended to go the Videoswitch way because of the inbuilt CD/RW (yes i know DM have them now) and the fact you can easy remove the hard drive and not need to send the unit back if it goes t*ts up that way.

Thanks again guys and keep it coming

[Paul Giles]

dalmeier?

[secboy]

Paul I agree with you on the Dallmeier and if you wanted to go further they have server control with mapping to make the camera search easier, not the cheapest but you still only get what you pay for and support is excellent!!!! Paul.(A 42" plasma screen also looks great with the multipic display)

[Brian c]

Dowshu do a 32way unit. Seen one in action and was in impressed.

[camstop]

Thanks again guys and i've gotta add that i'm looking to do this on a cheaper budget than the Videoswitch if possible or i'd just be as well to get another one of them.

I like the look of the Dowshu unit Brian and that was the kind of thing i had in mind or two of the budget end DVR's that would work well together.

Don't any of you ever use any of the Dynamic cctv DVR range?

Thanks for all the help guys and looking forward to hear more ideas before i finally decide what to do

[CompostCORNER]

Dowshu have real potential and we have been using them for over a year now. I really do like the systems and hope to install many more.

Unfortunately though, their units seem to be built to different specs on more than just the camera input configuration. All the units are capable of showing all the cameras at the same time on the main computer monitor/TFT but the conventional monitor out socket varies from machine to machine. Some allow all cameras on screen (namely the 3008) but upgrading to the 3016 and all you have is sequence on the monitor out.

We have dozens of the units out there all connected to our central station and we have nothing but problems with them. Except the 3008 that is.

One of our 32 way units grinded to a halt approximately 3 months after install. I rang Dowshu tech and stated the problem to the chap on the phone to be given the reply 'Is the unit switched on?'. Quite insulting really. the unit went back, they had it for months and returned it wiped of recordings and it worked fine again for exactly another 3 months. We have established ourselves that when the drives become full, the unit locks up. Dowshu's cure is to simply wipe the hard drives and install the latest version of firmware. When the drives get full again, it locks up again. Not good when it has to go back every three months plus they are very slow at getting faulty units fixed and sent back to us.

We had a 1004 unit that worked perfectly except that it wouldn't alert our control room when a sensor was activated although the activations were logged on the unit. We had many months of hassle with their technical and was basically told it was a fault with the sites internet. We swapped for a 3008 and low and behold, the unit worked perfectly from the off wth all sensors alerting our control room. We fitted the 1004 into a standard CCTV installation that simply had cameras and nothing else. We gave up in the end and used it as a standard DVR.

We have also been waiting for over 6 months for their latest control room software and promises of visits to our control room end up with us calling them at 10am asking for their ETA only to be told that they have no record that they were to visit us.

Admittedly, it's all supposed to have changed at Warrington, their UK tech base but we are still awaiting our software update.

The 3008 is a cracking unit. Cannot be faulted. No problems in its performance at all but their other models leave a lot to be desired. I for one need to be re-assured that Dowshu have got their act together now as I really did push for this stuff only to find poor aftersales.