erroneous wrote:I wonder if you can do some linux hackery to this to do things like auto backup cron jobs, NAS, dropbox, etc. They give you an "admin" name in the previously posted manual, which isn't root but might take you somewhere.

The manual shows you can have a maximum of 20 users, so they seem to have a layer on top of the normal Linux system [also only alpha-numeric passwords with spaces in the middle!]. I would love to be able to put on ZoneMinder on this unit instead!

sqfreak wrote:Good lord! The Engrish borders on incomprehensibility.

I just link 'em, not translate 'em.

vjl wrote:The manual shows you can have a maximum of 20 users, so they seem to have a layer on top of the normal Linux system [also only alpha-numeric passwords with spaces in the middle!]. I would love to be able to put on ZoneMinder on this unit instead!

I'm quoting myself. Sad.

For those interested, it appears you can install the free ZoneMinder program on this unit, which makes the software a LOT easier to use! See http://www.zoneminder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18137 for more info.

Th0r wrote:I have this. Got it from woot a few months ago. I put a 1.5 TB disk in it.

I can access it using a web browser. Firefox does not work, requires IE.

I can also access it using my ViewSonic tablet I got from woot. I use an app called "IP Cam Viewer Basic" by Robert Chou. You must configure each camera, so if you get the 16 channel model (see previous post) it could take awhile!

Now you've piqued my interest. Can you assign each camera an ip address/port and port forward the port via a router? I guess the question is whether the DVR has a web server to enable this type of set up.

syninthecity wrote:http://www.amazon.com/Surveillance-System-Silver-Weatherproof-Cameras/dp/B00589F5S0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320384747&sr=8-1

amazon has it listed at 300. hard drive and small monitor next to my computer are...negligable. i can probably use my old external if i wanted to..great deal, i'm in for 1.

That link appears to be a newer unit.

The older model with the same DVR-H8114UV main unit is found here on Amazon.

Still, for $100, not a bad deal. Performance and quality is comparable to the systems you see in the more expensive Harbour Freight surveillance system.

Remember the creepy web ads they used to run for these, that not-so-subtly implied that you should use them to spy on women?

vjl wrote:My favorite: "Caution: In some area, the power supply is irregularity, it will cause the DVR-4108 working not normal-operation, the DVR-4108 will be damaged in serious. In this surroundings, suggest select the stabilized voltage supply."

Also - the admin password is 666666.

How do you login? I tried telnet, admin and 666666 does not work for me.

How can this be put on a wireless network... cheaply?

vjl wrote:Each camera includes a 60-foot cable - so does that mean all 4 cameras have to be within 60 feet of the DVR to hook up to it? If I want one camera on the outside of the house, and I have power out there, I still need to run the BNC cable through a window or something to hook up to the DVR?

With the rising popularity of these type of systems, it is easy to find several sites that sell BNC/power cables at various lengths, so you can just order longer ones if needed.
I suppose the mfg. felt that 60ft. was a good average length.

Tim

If I drink too much tequila, will I still be able to see the image on the DVR ?

Looks like you can also obtain longer cables (up to 165') from the manufacturer as noted here

johnlafreniere wrote:It seems like you would need a VGA compatible monitor for playback... (or at least during setup) And a hard drive if you wanted to store the video. Otherwise you are going to be moving a lot a data over the network constantly to a remote computer somewhere...

A small video monitor or TV with composite video input (the yellow RCA jack) will work also. The DVR has a BNC video out so you will have to adapt it to RCA if your display doesn't have BNC input.

I'll be in for one of these, just need to decide if I want the 16 ch one instead...

Tim

John1000 wrote:Now you've piqued my interest. Can you assign each camera an ip address/port and port forward the port via a router? I guess the question is whether the DVR has a web server to enable this type of set up.

The same IP address and port (9000). But somehow there is a channel number. I guess the protocol to get the image includes a channel number. User and password are also required. I assume you can port forward at your router, but I used a tunnel through ssh to get remote access to port 9000.

First of all, I'm basing this on my experience with a slightly different model that Woot sold a while back, so take this with a pretty big cuboid of salt.

These are pretty easy to set up, you just plug in a leftover hard drive and a leftover monitor. Mine would talk to either a VGA or a composite monitor, but be careful you don't switch the UI to the monitor you don't have.

The cables are not well shielded, and unshortenable, so there's plenty of interference and loss. Although the cameras are weathertight, the connectors are a bit less so.

The cameras are actually pretty good! If nothing else, they have much better iris control than others I've used.

The video looks ok on the screen, but their format is a raw H.264 that no other player on earth can read directly once you export it. Youtube sometimes works with some pretty harsh i-frames, while the dump from the other camera didn't convert at all.

Similarly, VLC can play them, but you have to pass in --demux h264 on the command line, which is painful on a Windows box.

Their online apps depend on this device supporting a standard security camera protocol. The apps are all kinds of sketchy, in my humble opinion. Also, keep in mind that remote access depends on being able to reach your network remotely. For one thing, you're going to need some way to figure out your IP address, on most consumer internet connections.

Spiders seem to love the IR light, and spider webs moving in the wind set off motion detection.

By the way, doing motion detection on outdoor shots is a giant pain in the rump, especially if you live somewhere with trees and sunlight.

In short? They're not really good. You can do MUCH better with a dedicated linux box, ZoneMinder, and a cheap Chinese capture card. But then you'll have to learn Linux and PC Hardware. I replaced my ZoneMinder system with one of these, because I just couldn't spend any more time futzing with it.

Lastly, if you're really talking about security, keep in mind that in all reality, if it does manage to take pictures of thieves, they're probably not going to be identifiable from the video. Also, if someone breaks into your house, the device is conveniently small enough to steal, too.

piskami wrote:Bought one of these a while back.

NIGHT VISION IS TERRIBLE OUTSIDE. Not to bad inside, up to 20 feet.

If you are looking for something cheep to watch your kids or small business indoors - why not. But outdoor use is pointless unless it is a well lit area.

Hey, can you tell me if these pick up audio along with the video?

Here's a pretty good video of a Zmodo system that may be similar (or not) to this 4 camera system.

Zmodo 8 Camera System

inkagneato wrote:Hey, can you tell me if these pick up audio along with the video?

The DVR supports audio, per camera. However, the cables and cameras don't. So, you would need a microphone and audio cable.

I needed a longer cables than 60 feet, so I bought a 100 foot cable that also supports audio. However, I did not buy a microphone. Ebay (or was is amazon) has them.

I'm a very active dreamer and talk and act move around a lot in my sleep. I've pissed a few past girlfriends and my fiance hitting them in my sleep. lol

I've been curious to see what the hell I actually say and do in my sleep.

Do these things record sound and what kind of video does this record with the lights off?

Is this more for small business or for actual home security system? Thoughts?

I just had a thought!

If you mount 2 cameras side by side, can you record in 3D?

churchi4cubs wrote:I'm a very active dreamer and talk and act move around a lot in my sleep. I've pissed a few past girlfriends and my fiance hitting them in my sleep. lol

I've been curious to see what the hell I actually say and do in my sleep.

Do these things record sound and what kind of video does this record with the lights off?

I'm sure if you wanted to capture your sex... uh, I mean 'escapades'... there are easier ways to do it.

mattlscc wrote:Is this more for small business or for actual home security system? Thoughts?

Yes

But in both cases, it would be hard to identify who you are watching, unless you know them. The image is not high def and the cameras are wide angle, so the person's face is really small on the screen.

Would be better if the cameras had zoom lenses so you could adjust them to the area you want to record.

Th0r wrote:Yes

But in both cases, it would be hard to identify who you are watching, unless you know them. The image is not high def and the cameras are wide angle, so the person's face is really small on the screen.

Would be better if the cameras had zoom lenses so you could adjust them to the area you want to record.

Depending on where you live, you can probably be 80% sure that you'll be able to identify who is rummaging through your stuff. Then again, maybe you don't have a meth labs and several halfway houses in your neighborhood.

ProzHack wrote:I'm sure if you wanted to capture your sex... uh, I mean 'escapades'... there are easier ways to do it.

True. LOL But being a DIY guy and tech geek, this is right up my alley. It would be nice to have a camera on the front door, patio door, living area, and my bedroom.

If I want to record the bow-chicky-bow-wow, I'd go for HD for sure. lol

To enable the DVR function, you could pick up this $75 2TB 3.5 inch Hard Drive with free shipping and decent reviews at BestBuy.com.

Th0r wrote:How do you login? I tried telnet, admin and 666666 does not work for me.

I believe you have to login via the console itself, as it doesn't enable telnet or ssh. The Linux OS is on a chip itself, which means the best way to run ZoneMinder is via the link I put a few posts ago [ZoneMinder is free software that allows viewing/monitoring/recording of security cameras, and the UI is much friendlier than what comes with the Zmodo].

From what I've read, I would just change the admin password, install ZoneFinder on a spare computer, and use it to interface with the Zmodo box. But I don't yet have one of these to know 100% sure if that's how the guy got it to work.

mdwyerfoo wrote:
Lastly, if you're really talking about security, keep in mind that in all reality, if it does manage to take pictures of thieves, they're probably not going to be identifiable from the video. Also, if someone breaks into your house, the device is conveniently small enough to steal, too.

Also, if you live in Grand Prairie, TX even if you have eyewitnesses that saw the thief and they admit to you that they broke into your house, the wonderful PD won't do anything about it.

TellarHK wrote:They probably removed it to bring the price down. If there's no hard drive it works just fine as a live monitoring system, but it won't record without one. Fortunately, even with the shortages in hard drives right now, a good 500 gig drive should be negligible in price.

From the product description:
"Supports up to 2TB 3.5” SATA hard drive, not included"

You can pick up an OEM 1TB drive for less than $80. They're selling it without to keep the list price low.

vjl wrote:How did you feed the camera cables from the outside of the home into the home? ... if one is trying to keep the cables out of sight, it might be hard to wire up 4 cameras to surround a house

Do you expect magic invisible wires for $109? You run the wires the way you run any wires.

Probably the simplest solution is to put the recorder upstairs, run the wires through the attic, mount the cameras under your soffit (where they will be out of reach of vandals). Obviously some familiarity with hand tools is required unless you want to do it all with duct tape.

Anyone lacking the basic skill to run a wire from point A to point B should get help.

Zetabee wrote:I'm tempted to put one outside my house just to see what would happen. WHAT WOULD I SEE? Most likely nothing, but WHAT IF I did see something? That would freak me the hell out! Do I want to know about murderous ghosts and supervillains lurking out there in my yard when I'm not watching, or do I want to live my life in bliss not knowing?

I would go for the bliss of not knowing. Half the fun is not being able to I.D. the people that trashed your home while you were at work.

After reading some of the questions and comments about different products on Woot, I'm amazed that some of the people on here can even operate a computer well enough to post. This particular product is for people who are smart enough to figure out how to find longer cables and know how to run them inside walls. If you can't figure that out, then you need to break out your checkbook and hire someone to install a system for you. Then again, you probably won't be able to figure out how to run it once it's installed.

slotter wrote:I don't get it... why are these systems so popular. Guess it's because I live in rural flyover country? Cannot see wanting this.

Well, ah, yes. If you live in flyover country, the left has TOLD me that you have both a Bible AND a gun and are therefore safe from all evil, alive and not so alive :-)

If I was seriouse about my security I would not use this system to protect my loved ones. The cameras are HUGE and picture quality and options are minimal. You want the cameras to be so small when some one looks for them their invisable. The best security systems are the ones you can't see. Why would you want a system you have to Micky mouse the software and components? The real killer to this deal is the product manual in brocken English. RED FLAG! Can you just imagine what type of product support you'll receive when you call.

I install and maintain the security cameras for my county's school system. The zmodo system is by no means a professional system BUT, for the price it is pretty unbeatable. I just set a 16 ch version up in my house and for a starter system it is just fine. Things you might want to know:

1: The cameras MIGHT not be focused perfectly from the factory. Most of the 8 I got were, but two were off just a little. Each one can be opened (in a dry, clean area.) The IR board unscrewed and there is a set screw on the lens. Loosen, focus, then tighten everything back.

2: If you need more than 60 feet, check out the cat5 solution using baluns that send video/power and if needed, audio. Check out the security sections at places like monoprice.com. If you can make your own cat5 cables you can run 100s of feet. Even more than the standard ~300 foot cat5 spec since this isn't sending data.

3: Other cameras will produce better picture and color. The color on these little bullet cameras is pretty sad. But cameras go bad (or if you get the moofi deal, you'll have 8 spare ports anyway) over time (several years), so as you replace them, you can upgrade. Getting 500+ line cameras, varifocal lenses with box or dome cameras will all bump the quality of the recorded picture up. I haven't tried anything as good as a 600 line camera on this system. The record quality might max at some point even with a better camera.

4: Off site recording. If someone breaks in and takes this unit, there goes your evidence. There are FTP options or you can set up Carbonite (if you record to a PC constantly) for some added protection.

5: Motion detection is tweakable. If you have a bush or a tree-branch in the picture, you can remove motion from sections of the view using a grid... at least you can with the model I have.

6: Evidence-wise, even with a good system, if you don't recognize the burglar, the cops won't either. Any video system is better used as visual dissuasion than as damning evidence.

My kid is awake now. I gotta go.

I hate to talk trash about anything on the Woot but this (as well as the 16ch one) is complete garbage. First the cameras have CMOS chips, always go with CCD chips instead. An EtchiSketch will look better than what these will produce. Second, Record Resolution: NTSC: CIF (352 x 240) / PAL: CIF (352 x 288), this is the smallest possible and fine if you like looking at postage stamps but for identifying someone, no good. Also, the IR night vision of 30 feet cut that in half and with a full moon and some ambient lighting you might see someone dressed in white. Dont waste your money and read up on this stuff first, there is alot of junk out there. You can find very useful info at www.cctvforum.com

I've been waiting for this......

If you buy two is there anyway to connect them so that you can view all 8 cameras remotely?

Even without a hard drive, it says you can still use the for surveillance. With that said, wouldn't it be easy enough to capture that stream directly into a nearby PC?

I plan on putting it next to one of my home workstations, and I figure I could easily go VGA to VGA and record the input with any variety of capture programs. Perhaps it would be possible to stream it over the network as well (as long as your router supports video streaming).

Bought two of these on a previous woot; One of the cameras was DOA; I sent several E-Mails and tried to call once, never got a reply.

Others have had better luck getting replacements.

slotter wrote:I don't get it... why are these systems so popular. Guess it's because I live in rural flyover country? Cannot see wanting this.

The cameras can be directed upwards in order to see what's flying over you.