Q-See QSPDVR04 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder PCI Card
by Digital Peripheral Solutions
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List Price: Our Price: $71.99 You Save: $28.00 (28%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Q-See QSPDVR04 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder PCI Card
Customer Review: Excellent home surveillance PCI DVR
Summary: 5 Stars
*** UPDATE 5/4/08: After over 1 year of use, I've made a few updates to the review. Overall, still very happy! Just wanted to add some more useful information and minor updates. ***
I'm currently using 2 QSPDVR04 PCI cards along with 8 various Q-See camears. The maximum is 4 PCI cards (16 channels) per system. The box includes the software, users guide, pci card, and 4 BNC -> RCA adapters (the 4 connectors on the card itself are BNC (video only). The RCA adapters are only used for the low-end camears - which don't normally work that well anyways. Also note that the Q-See hardware and software both appears to be identical to the Swann gear.
I do suggest a much better system than their minimum requirements, especially if you are going to use more than 1 PCI card. In my case, the 2 cards are installed in a Dell Optiplex GX280, P4 2.4Ghz, 2GB of RAM, and 250GB HD. It's a relatively cheap system and has been dedicated as a DVR PC for the cameras. I originally had a slower PIII 1GHz system doing the job, but when I added a 2nd PCI card, that was a little too much for the old Dell. While this is still well above the min sys requirements, it's still a good idea to make use of the "scheduled reboot" feature if you notice things getting sluggish after awhile. This is possibly due to some bugs in the s/w and may be fixed in the future. I always install the latest software from the website - very important.
I'm using the remote web playback/recording software so 4 other computers in the house can monitor the cameras in realtime as well as PC's located outside of the house, via the Internet (may need to make changes to your router). I should also inform you that some of the "advanced" features may require a bit of time to figure out for novice PC users. Especially considering the manual looks as though it was written in another language and then poorly translated into English.
I have a few cameras connected to these cards. (1) QSVC456C camera, (3) QS2350C cameras, (2) QOCDC cameras, and (2) QPSCDCA indoor only cameras. The DVR software is setup to record 24/7 as well as make note of motion detection. This allows me to either playback everything, or just video where motion was detected. But thanks to a 250GB HD, it can record for months without running out of space. The card is only able to capture 7 FPS for each camera (30fps total). This also applies to watching video in realtime. So images will appear "choppy," which is expected for something in this price range. It's honestly not a big issue though.
The recorded image quality is fairly good, at a maximum of 640x480 resolution it works well for home surveillance. Just don't expect to zoom into a licence plate 100 ft away like you see on TV. :) The software also allows you choose several viewing options, such as auto scroll mode that goes through each camera, in full screen, one at a time. Or, display them all at once on the screen in various formats. You have the ability to set recording to schedule, manual, and/or motion detection (the sensitivity is adjustable).
The playback software works very well. Just select a date, then scroll through the time to pick the spot you want to watch. You can watch 1 camera at a time, all of them at once, or pick the ones you want. It's similar to other video editing software that you have likely seen on your PC. The only negative here is that if you want to watch it play back in realtime, the the fastest it will go is 4x. The use of 'motion recording' is recommended due to this over sight. I'm hoping a software update will fix this important "feature."
Pros:
* Very inexpensive DVR PCI Card
* Easy installation
* Basic but very functional software
* Expandable up to 4 PCI cards
* Good video playback/record quality.
* Remote software for Live/Recorded playback via LAN/WAN.
Cons:
* Advanced features may confuse some users
* Manual needs to be re-writting in "English"
* Fast Forward needs to be drastically increased
* 30fps shared between 4 cameras
Bottom line: while there are better dedicated DVR's and PCI DVR's out there - considering the price and functionality of the QSPDVR04, I rate this card at 5 stars, and consider it highly recommended for and home/small business surveillance. Even though I didn't have any issues with the card or software, keep in mind that I am a very technical user. If you don't feel comfortable opening your PC or are a novice user - be sure to read the users guide on the Q-See site before purchase to make sure you know what you're getting into. :)
Customer Review: Cost per value is excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Impressive unit
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking to replace a VHS based time lapse recorder that ceased working and couldn't justify the expense of a digital time lapse recorder even though that is really the only way to go. The Q-See QSPDVR04 unit had a good price as long as I already had the computer. I was surprised at the features on this card. As per the earlier comments the manual is marginal. But if you are semi savvy on computers or have messed around with video equipment the setup is fairly easy. I would not recommend this for a novice, but if you have replaced cards in your computer or have ever worked with software allowing lots of clickable selections and options this might be a good product for you. I managed to set the card up and have it running in about two hours time. ( I am a computer professional) One nice feature that I like is the ability to e-mail a picture of a motion detected breach within a ( or several) user selectable zones. You can opt out of detecting frequently used pathways and alert on a less commonly used pathway. This feature will save me a lot of hard disk space with the motion detection option. Overall I am impressed with this unit for the price. I have only had the card for a few days and it is working nicely.Customer Review: Worth it's Weight in GOLD!!
Summary: 5 Stars
As many have stated this card is great. I don't have a clue about port forwarding or CCTV's but I got this card in, up & running and can view my cameras from anywhere via the internet or my phone. The cab file it installed is a gem. I received step by step directions once I went to q-see website on how to get everything done and bam! Also, I do recommend simply downloading all current software from the q-see website to get the current ones. I never even used the disk it came with.
I love going and checking in on my home whenever I want. I only have 2 cameras right now but I will most certainly be getting 2 more to fill up the card. I go out of town for my job and this is going to help me sleep much better in my soon to be hotel somewhere in the world :)
Happy buying!
Customer Review: Critical buyer and I love this
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this product for quite some time now and it works extremely well. The software is easy to use and easily compatible with computers that meet the system requirements, as well as cameras. I'm an extremely critical shopper, as I purchase high end equipment for my paranormal team and we try to use the best available technology. I decided to cave in and buy a cheaper DVR card and I absolutely love it, infact we're purchasing more now as our cameras and surveillance areas are multiplying. I definitely suggest this to anyone who is working on a DIY DVR system and wants to save some cash.