PC Based DVR

I will not sell PC based recorders I have seen too many times where an employee has gotten on the PC and gotten it infected or other wise caused the recordings to go bye bye and or crash the PC stay with a box and save the headaches PC are fast and easy to set up but not worth the headache.

I've yet to have any problems with a PC based DVR, all Windows XP based

Ive had no problems with cheap Lorex cards installed on refurbished Dell Optiplex...well only one problem where the guy wanted to run it on his business computer along with his accounting and his restaurant software...he didn't believe me it wouldn't work for long. A month later I sold him a refurb machine and it's been running 7 cameras full recording for 4 months now without a lockup or crash. XP Pro 250gb hd, 2 g memory...but all it runs is the camera card and its software. Have 2 others that have been running constantly for a year at least...no problems except one lady keeps forgetting her un/pw.

And a piece o'cake to access over the net.

we've had to replace a single PC DVR combo 4 times so far.. (all within the first year) video card crash and burn, camera input card crash and burn, hard drive crash and burn, total software crash.. All this from a so called quality vendor in VA.. If the thing wasn't under warranty, it would have been in the river by now..

(Or customer has 4 of these units and each one has had something wrong with it within the first year of service)

Stand-a-lone DVR the only way to go.. (for my money)

software...he

applications,

You like the Lorex Cards huh? I have one that I have played with and a generic Ebay card. I was not thrilled, but they seemed to work ok. The problems seem to be on the PC side.

And meantime, I've put in a variety of cheap standalone DVRs that have had all manner of problems with failing drives, locking up, crapped-out video, spotty controls...

Considering most standalones ARE PCs at the core, running an embedded OS, the "standalone vs. PC" argument is rather silly.

What it comes down to is: you use cheap hardware, you'll get cheap results. You do things with a system that it's not designed for (ie. employees checking their Hotmail), you'll have problems. PC-based (rather, Windows-based) systems are plenty easy to lock down to prevent people tampering with them; most people just don't bother.

true true however the DVR stand-a-lone units tend to have the op sys on ram not software on disk.. also tend to have outboard power supplies which are easier to upgrade or replace.. also tend to run cooler with less heat related failures..

I have used nothing but PC based DVR's. I like 'em. They are easy for customers to use, and I have had very few problems. It seems like the problems I have had are things that might fail on any electronic device. Some windoze issues, but not many.

I buy the card based on number of cameras, framerate, etc. I get to control the quality of the computer and its components. The card works very well, and does everything I could ever want. Granted, I don't have experience with stand-alones, but based on what I've seen and heard from others, they are not bullet proof either.

"Tend tend tend" - it still comes down to the difference between cheap vs. quality hardware. Most of those standalones I had with the failing drives, the drives failed because of poor cooling. Of all the standalones I've installed, about half used a "standard" 12VDC power supply with barrel connector; the other half used proprietary multi-voltage supplies with DIN connectors, which are NOT easier to SOURCE; replacement computer power supplies are available at just about any little computer store, big-box electronics store, office-supply store...

Oh yes, and I've seen PC DVRs with the opsys loaded on internal flash drives, too.

For the money they're great, obviously you wouldn't use it for a big commercial job.

But you know what?....put it in a dedicated refurb computer like a Dell Optiplex (built like a brick you know what) and you got a great little system. Like I said...I got a guy here in the airpark that Ive known for 15+ years I get the refurb machines from and I've yet to have ANY die on me.

And if the Lorex card dies it's a cheap enough you can throw a new one in in

Ok ok...it's NOT pro quality we know that - but put good cams in and you have an inexpensive easy to use system for home or small business.

So which cards do you use?

A Korean card made by Tibet Systems.

Oh Yeah! I know the owner of that company ...... Ghengis Kahn

Now really ...... which cards do you use?

Oh Yeah! I know the owner of that company ...... Ghengis Kahn

Now really ...... which cards do you use?

Not so fast oh not so wise one!! Confucius say: Ah so desert flower, just Google before opening mouth and inserting dirty ones own foot..

I know I KNOW ...... already. ;-)

I was just trying to add a little levitation to the subject.

Just how high to you plan on "levitating" Jack?? Anything above 10000 feet and he'll need oxygen. :-)

Only if he levitates for more than one hour.

Not even RogerW could keep it up that long... and he's a legend!

Being levitatied for more than an hour might cause a severe case of the "straightens"