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| SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS | |
| CPU | Intel Pentium 4 2.4 or higher for CPU. Recommend Intel Pentium 4 3.0 or higher for 32 channel boards. CPU that is lower than recommended can reduce the recording frame rate. |
| Motherboard | Intel chipset motherboard. It is strongly recommended to use one of factory tested models. |
| RAM | 512MB recommended. 1GB or more if you are using 32 channel boards. |
| HDD | 80GB or above It is required to use Serial ATA HDD if you are using 32 channel boards. |
| Video Card | ATI Radeon 9000 or above, Intel Extreme Graphics 2 on-board It is required to use ATI X300 Express or higher for 32 channel boards. Using On-Board video controller for 32 channel models can reduce the recording frame rate. |
Q: What if a DVR has some of the latest components and some not as current?
A: It is important to have the complete package of the latest components in order to receive optimum performance. The absence of one aspect of a current generation solution may "bottleneck" the system and in some cases even hinder the performance instead of enhancing. Additionally, the right combination of products needs to be tweaked for optimal performance.Go To TOP
Q: Does learning how to operate a DVR require knowledge of PCs?
A: While knowledge of using a mouse and keyboard is helpful, it is not required. Anyone can learn to operate and program any of the DVR functions, as the software was designed with user-friendly Graphic User Interface for ease of use.Go To TOP
Q: What should I do if there is new version released?
A: Basically, we release newer version software periodically, based on the changes on platforms and additional features. We develop and test our software on up-to-date environment, and there may be major revision that would prevent backward compatibility if necessary. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the original version that was purchased with. If the update is unavoidable, please check with your vendor to ensure your system meets requirements.Go To TOP
Q: Are there any differences among DVR software?
A: Definitely. Software is just as important as the hardware. Software that runs the principal functions of the DVR is driven by database. The architecture and design of the database are crucial to systems stability and speed of which it processes the data. Quite often poor database structure will slow down even the best hardware and, in many cases, cause systems crash.Go To TOP
Q: What are the advantages of hardware compression MPEG-4 DVR boards?
A: - Real-time, up to 960 frame recording (NTSC) for 32 channels
- Healthy PC - minimal use of CPU even while Real-time recording
- Up to 32 channel audio synchronized with video
- Higher speed transmissions
- High quality, detailed image by using advanced imaging technologyGo To TOP
Q: What is video compression?
A: When video is digitized by the DVR, it can consume as much as 165 million bits of data every second. Transmitting this amount of data is not practical. To get around this problem, a series of techniques - called codec (picture and video compression/decompression techniques) - have been derived to reduce this high bit rate. Their ability to perform this task is quantified by the compression ratio. The simple fact is, the higher the compression ratio, the smaller is the bandwidth consumption. However, there is a price to pay for this compression. Because increasing compression causes an increasing degradation of the image. Therefore, there is a balancing act of trying to achieve the desired image quality along with speed.Go To TOP
Q: What are the differences between video capture boards?
A: Some video capture boards are also used for displaying the video as well as capture. Sharing the resources of the capture boards may be disadvantageous since it is using valuable processing power and inherently causes slower transmission for a variety of technical reasons, especially when trying to simultaneously capture image from multiple cameras. Video capture boards are usually described in terms of how many camera input it will support and how many image per second (ips) or frames per second (fps) it is capable of recording. IPS and FPS are used synonymously. Beyond these two basic reference points, there are significant differences that are usually not described by most manufacturers. Just like PCs, there are several subcomponents that go into making the product fast, stable and efficient and can cause the price as well as the performance of the products to vary radically.Go To TOP
Q: I have 30 frames per second DVR board, but it almost looks like it's recording still image. Why is that?
A: 30fps DVR board means 30 shared frame rate. What that means is a 30fps DVR board is 30 frames per second over the entire number of cameras being displayed. Therefore, a 4-channel DVR board sharing 30 frames may yield approximately 7.5 image per second per camera.Go To TOP
Q: What is the frame rate?
A: The frame rate is a number of image that are being displayed or recorded over a specific period of time. Typically, frames per second or "fps" is the specification most often used. Keep in mind that frame rate record and frame rate display are two different items.Go To TOP
Q: Will 60, 120 or 240fps DVR board run faster on a single camera than a 30fps DVR board?
A: The architecture of most DVR boards is such that, regardless of the total frame rate of the entire DVR board, you typically do not exceed 30fps per individual channel since there is usually only one chipset dedicated to that channel. The purpose of higher frame rate DVR boards is the ability to view at higher frame rates over multiple channels. For example, on a 240fps DVR board, you would view 8 cameras at an average rate of 30fps, whereas on a 30fps DVR board the same would be less than 4fps over each of the 8 channels.Go To TOP
Q: What do default ports mean?
A: These are the default ports utilized by the DVR system to access it remotely. Most ports can be changed from the default if required. Please refer to your User Manual as to which ports are required.Go To TOP
Q: What is a dynamic IP address?
A: When the internet was first conceived, the architects didn't foresee the need for an unlimited number of IP addresses. Consequently, there are not enough IP numbers to go around. To get around that problem, many internet service providers use dynamic IP addresses. Dynamic IP addresses are addresses that are temporarily assigned to your computer from a pool for an internet session or some other specified time. As soon as the session or period is complete the number is returned to the pool for use by another customer. Even if the user reconnects immediately, the odds are they will not be assigned the same IP address from the pool. You can locate your IP address by typing in www.whatismyip.com in your browser.Go To TOP
Q: What is a static IP address?
A: A static IP is a number that is assigned to a computer by an Internet Service Provider (such as SBC, Verizon, Comcast, etc.) to be its permanent address on the internet. Computers use IP addresses to locate and talk to each other on the internet, much the same way people use phone numbers to locate and talk to one another on the telephone. Every machine on the internet has a unique identifying number which consists of four groups of number with no more than 3 digits in a group. A typical static IP address would look like 24.125.30.51 .Go To TOP
Q: How many cameras can I plug into a DVR board?
A: Typically, you can plug anywhere from 1 to 32 cameras. The cameras normally plug into BNC or RCA input on the DVR boards. Some boards come with a single video adapter and uses a pigtail cable which has multiple adapters on one end and a single connection on the other end.Go To TOP
Q: Can I use existing camera with DVR?
A: Generally yes. Your existing cameras will work by plugging into the back of the DVR which replaces the VCR. Some old CCTV cameras may require to have proper connector depending on the connection type. If your cameras are not so current, then you may want to investigate some of the newer cameras which are higher in resolution and may have more features. Typically, higher resolution cameras mean higher quality image.Go To TOP
Q: What are the precautions during MG installation?
A: 1. Make sure that the Capture Board driver is correctly installed, if applicable. (Control Panels-System-Device Manager)
2. Make sure that the storage is configured properly for the system.
3. Be sure to choose the correct NTSC, PAL when installing/setting up your program.
4. Check the cables connection on the capture board, if applicable
5. Check the connection on the cameras.
6. Make sure the camera functions properly.
7. When possible, avoid using software that resides in the RAM. Especially, vaccines can be potential problems.
8. Turn off screen savers when using the program (Control Panel-Display-Screen saver)
9. Turn off energy savers when using the program (Control Panel-Display-Power)Go To TOP
Q: What kind of cabling do I need to run from a surveillance camera to the DVR?
A: Standard coaxial cable such as the one which runs in your home to connect with the cable company is highly recommended (RG59U). You need to connect BNC connectors on the DVR end and BNC or RCA connectors on the camera end depending on the camera type. Try to keep cable length under 300ft and avoid close proximity to fluorescent fixtures or other electrical devices that may cause interference. For longer distances, there are a variety of other solutions from RG56U to fiber.Go To TOP
Q: What are the differences between RGB and YUV image signals?
A: RGB signaling refers to the method of dividing an image signal to the fundamental three colors (Red, Green and Blue) when processing the signal. It has the advantage of good color division and conveyance, but the disadvantage of requiring at least 3 color division data.
YUV signaling refers to the method of expressing an image signal by the vertical and horizontal signal synchronization (Y), and its color signals (U, V). Color division and conveyance qualities are inferior compared to the RGB method, but the YUV method can express more diverse colors using less image data.
The choice of both methods are available on DVR. RGB image will have clearer color but more 'blocks' on the image, while with YUV image dividing between colors can be more difficult but you will get a more smoother looking surface from them.Go To TOP
Q: What are the backup devices supported by MG?
A: Data backup devices include CD-RWs, DVD-RAMs, DVD-RWs, DATs, etc., any device that Windows recognizes as a drive, and you can also backup on a network drive. Most Stand ALone units support USB Drives and DVD's.Go To TOP
Q: When I view DVR remotely over the internet, how come the pictures don't have the same quality or speed as when I view it locally from the DVR system?
A: The answer is bandwidth. When you are viewing the DVR locally, you are transmitting right from the DVR to your monitor without having to send the image over a network and worry about throughput. Throughput is the amount of data transferred from one place to another in a specified amount of time. The lower the throughput, the slower the transmission.Go To TOP
Q: If I connect remotely, will I view live video?
A: You are viewing live video as it happens, but the motion and quality of the image are depending on your connection speed to the location. Real-time/Real-motion video from a remote location using the public internet or a dial-up modem is virtually impossible if you want to simultaneously view multiple camera image. There is simply too much data to transmit across a narrow bandwidth.Go To TOP
Q: When viewing video on some websites, how come they seem to have no robotic motions and clear crisp pictures?
A: Because the video is "streamed" meaning it is aggregated and then delivered on a delayed basis. There is a difference between real-time and real-motion.Go To TOP
Q: What are real-time image?
A: Real-time image are image that are being transmitted as they happen, not to be confused with real-motion. Unfortunately, the words real-time and real-motion are used synonymously within the industry. Just because something is real-time doesn't mean it's real-motion.Go To TOP
Q: How do I view the camera image remotely from my PC, laptop or PDA?
A: Our DVRs come with remote software which allows you to view the cameras once you are connected to the DVR via a phone line modem, internet connection or LAN connection.Go To TOP
Q: What are the precautions when recording sound?
A: Recently released motherboards are equipped with high definition audio controllers. As these new controllers are automatically adjust their settings, # of Sound Recording Channels Soundcard Connection Method Usable Mic.Go To TOP
Q: Is there special power requirements for the DVR?
A: DVR boards are low power consumption devices. However, DVR systems are usually equipped with additional components, such as multiple hard disk drives, and running 24/7 nonstop. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to use reliable power supply. you may also attach UPS to the DVR in order to protect the hardware against power spikes, reductions or outages.Go To TOP
Q: Do surveillance cameras work in the dark?
A: It depends upon the camera. If the surveillance cameras have Ex-view or infra-red (IR) capabilities, then they can operate in a virtually zero light environment.Go To TOP
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