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Q-See QSPDVR04 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder PCI Card

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Ack...@norbert.com

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May 22, 2009, 2:00:55 AM5/22/09

Price:$99.99
Image: http:///image.php?id=B00069ECUY
Best deal: http:///index.php?id=B00069ECUY

The card works fine for the Money but I have noticed the software does not work well with windows XP. After a while it generates error messages becuase it needs updated CODECs for the remote playback. So if your monitoring a business you may come back to a windows XP crash error message. The only way to minimize this issue is to not upgrade XP beyond service pack 1. For the money though it works fine.
I installed this in minutes on an older computer, I set it up to record the times I wanted, can also be motion triggered, it was recommended not to use the harddrive on the same computer, I did, works fine, good clear picture, no problems!
I've installed many of these cards now, both for myself and for others. While you'll find many mispellings in the manual and software that isn't always that great - it really fit my needs with a budget price. The largest downside is the remote viewing software. This can take hours to get right for each computer. And then when it's right and you upgrade, you have to figure it all out again!
Overall, this is a great software and hardware combo for creating a home security system. Just don't install the software that came on the disc. Instead, download the latest version from the company web site and use that instead. Once you do that, things go a lot better. Be warned, that despite it claiming 30 frames per second recording, that's for all four inputs combined. So, if you have 4 cameras hooked up, you can only get around 7-8 frames per second on each. For me, that's fine since I only run at 7 frames per second, anyway. You really don't need much more than that. It saves space and gets the images. Some nice touches include the ability to print stills as well as set various recording times and modes for each camera. So, you can determine when each camera records and whether it rolls full time or only when it detects motion. The interface is easy to control, though the broken English in the manual requires frequent re-reading to fully understand some of the advanced options. You have three view options: 1 camera full time, multiple cameras at once or a cycle of all cameras on the system. The playback system for recorded videos is a bit slow to load, though I'm sure part of that is due to the older system I'm running it on (see the next paragraph). It's relatively easy to call up and view video, as well as burn it to recordable media to view elsewhere. The software has a handy calendar function to allow you to pick a date to view. From this area, you can also manually delete files. When hard drive space is running low, the system will automatically delete older videos, so be sure to back up anything you want to keep for your records. So far, my system has been running well for several months on an old Pentium II system I dug out of the closet that I'm running Windows XP Home on. I've only had one freeze up and a reboot took care of that. The card has BNC connectors on it, but you can get an RCA to BNC adapter at any Radio Shack. Most decent security cameras will come with one. If the camera has controls for it, the software can control panning, tilting and zooming (PTZ). However, unless you have a camera designed for remote control, this function won't do anything for you. Finally, if you want to monitor a remote location, you can set up the software to allow to log in via the internet when you're away. It offers password protection for both remote viewing and for adjusting settings (including disabling the system) when you're at the system itself. I gave it 4 stars only because of the snafu with having to download a working version of the software and that I wish you could search forward and back a little faster than what can be done currently. Also, the ability to choose an exact time would be nice rather than fiddling with the slider bar. The hour by hour ticks are nice, but not as handy as they could be. However, the price is certainly right, considering how much a standalone security video deck or DVR costs. Overall, very good, just a few "gotchas".
I don't often waste my quality time reviewing products, but I was pretty pleased with this product. Knowing nothing about setting up a home monitoring system, I latched onto this card as an inexpensive way to experiment. Surprisingly this budget DVR worked well in every way possible. I dedicated a surplus Dell desktop running Windows XP, bought a few wired and wireless cameras, and a four-channel Q-See DVR, and without any notable frustration had it working in minutes. I was so enthused I decided 4 channels wasn't sufficient, so I bought another 4-channel DVR Q-See card, stuck it in the computer, re-installed the software, and amazingly enough, I had 8 channels, all integrated, configured, and working under one GUI, in about 10 minutes. The other reviewers have lucid commentary about the specific features, capabilities, and limitations, so I would read them, but my vote is this card is well-worth the $69. I have not yet got the remote access working, probably a problem with my home network, and I have no idea what the additional port socket plug-in is used for. The manual is really awful, but strangely enough gets the necessary information across despite being Chinese translated into English with a dictionary. When a non-English speaker manages to convey this sort of detail despite lack of fluency, I say give the guy a raise and fire the managers who decline to hire a proofer. I won't predict how the long-term burn-in will come out, but after about 3 weeks of continuous operation this setup hasn't missed a beat. I am relatively confident that should some misfit break into my house I will capture him or her on multiple video views, and that's the real purpose of this system. Highly recommend this card as an entry-level, extendable, feature rich, and (for me at least) easy to install purchase.
QSPDVR04 is a PCI Card installed in a PC that will display and record live video from the cameras connected. It has 4 channels video input, the maximum display/recording rate is 25 fps under PAL ·format, and 30 fps under NTSC format. One PC can use 4 cards simultaneously, with 16 channels video input as the maximum number. Total resource is 100 fps under PAL format, and 120 fps under NTSC format. 1-16 channel video input, 1/4/6/8/13/16 screen display modes are available. Multi alarm triggering method: sensor alarm, motion detection, video loss, and HDD sources shortage. Also supports schedule recording mode. Video compression format: MPEG4. 5 level recording quality options available, and the recording frame rate range from 1 to 30 fps adjustable for each channel. Recycling recording method available. Support multi-channel playback, searching by time/date and recording events,images can be zoom/capture/save/print/backup. Support remotes surveillance and PTZ control through web browser, support dynamic domain name.