GLOSSARY

Welcome to our Buyer’s Aid section. The purpose of this section is to make technical terms easier to understand so that you can use them to help make better buying decisions.

We will also provide you with other aids such as pictures, charts and videos to help you chose cameras, install hard drives, and compare one DVR model another to help you decide which model best meets your needs.

If you have any questions or need further help you are also welcome to contact our technical support department at

We also welcome any comments you may have about other information that we may be able to add to this section to better assist you in your buying decision.

Thank you for considering Q-See products to meet your security needs.

Popular DVR functions

Installing K-Lite Codecs
If your computer cannot view AVI files, download the K-Lite Codec.

DVRs

Frame Rates
This is how many frames per second are shown on the screen. If the video is shown at 30 frames a second (NTSC), this is considered real time, since the motion is fluid like you are watching a TV show. If the frames per second are slower then this then the motion on the screen can appear to be a bit choppy, like crime videos you sometimes see on news casts where the person is near a display or register and in the next frame is a couple of steps closer to the door. The more frames per second you have in the video, the more fluid the video, but the larger the files are. So you may need to decide if you want to have smoother motion, or if getting more files on the hard drive is more important.
Record Quality and Frames per Second
There is no relationship between quality of the video and frames per second. If you record at a lower frames per second the video just will not be a smooth, if your quality setting is high, you will still have a high quality recording.
Resolution
Resolution is the size of the image on the display. The most popular resolutions are D1 or 4CIF (720x480), and CIF (352x240). Nearly all DVRs will display in D1 or 4CIF but CIF is a more popular recording resolution. D1 and 4CIF are larger images, but to record the larger image takes up more hard drive space. In addition, most DVRs need to lower the frame rate dramatically when using these resolutions for recording. A DVR that records at 30 frames per second in CIF mode will usually only record around 7 frames per second in D1 or 4CIF. For a DVR to record at 30 frames per second in D1 or 4CIF mode requires special firmware which makes these units very expensive.
HDMI Connection
HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.It has become the standard for high-definition video and digital audio because it is the first and only digital interface for consumer electronics that can transfer uncompressed high resolution video and up to 8 channels of high definition audio through a single cable up to approximately 50 feet without losing any quality. It enables resolutions up to four times as high as standard definition signals giving you a far more detailed higher quality picture. The interface has become popular on HDTVs, Blu-ray players, camcorders, computers, and video game units such as Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.
Hybrid DVR
A Hybrid DVR is special DVR that is able to handle the video streams from analog cameras and digital IP cameras at the same time and allow you to view them on the same screen as well as record the video from both types of cameras. 
Compression
Compression is used to reduce the size of the video files so you can fit more files in less hard drive space. There are 3 main types of compression used in DVRs, MJPEG, MPEG4, and H.264.

Most older DVRs used MJPEG format since it required less processing power. Some newer economy models still use this compression method.

But when DVR technology became more advanced more systems switched to MPEG4 which allowed better compression to save hard drive space. MPEG4 only uses about 67% of the bandwidth that MJPEG uses. Many newer mid range systems still use MPEG4.

Most newer DVRs, especially high end models use H.264, which is a newer version of MPEG4, because it compresses the video even more without significant loss of quality. It only requires around 41% of the bandwidth used by MPEG4. This allows you to fit even more high quality video files into the same amount of video space.
Bitrates
Most DVR systems allow you to set the bit rate that you record at. Some tell you the actually bit rate, such as 512Kb/s, while others give you options such as High, Good, Low, etc. The higher the bit rate you select, the better the quality of the recorded video, and the more hard drive space the video files will take up on the hard drive. If you select a lower bit rate, the quality of the recorded video will be lower.
Pentaplex/Triplex Technology
Pentaplex and Triplex technology both allow you to perform several functions on the DVR at the same time. With Pentaplex you can view live or playback video, record, backup, and view and backup video over the network or Internet at the same time, with Triplex can view live and over the network or internet, record, and backup video at the same time. In both cases you do not have to stop one function to use another. This is a significant improvement over older DVR models where you usually had to stop recording if you wanted to playback an older video which left your property unprotected until you finished playing back the video and could resume recording. With the new technologies you do not have to stop recording or stop using any one function to be able to use another.
Hard Drive versus VHS Tape
Older security systems backed up the video files to VHS tape. This allowed you to archive a large amount of video, and the tape could be overwritten, but there were some drawbacks. The biggest drawback was locating files. If you needed to replay an event you had to rewind or fast forward the type to find the file you needed. All current DVRs use hard drives instead. Current large hard drives also allow you to store a large amount of data, and you can also reuse them many times, but since the files are indexed on the hard drive it is much easier to find a particular file when you need it. You can select a date and time and go directly to it, and if you are recording on motion you can go directly to the event. Another advantage to hard drives is that you can setup the DVR to automatically overwrite the oldest files on the hard drive with newer files when it runs out of space so you do not have to worry about missing sometime important because the system reached to end of the tape before the event occurred.
Hard Drive Storage Space

How much video you can store on a hard drive depends on several factors, including how large the hard drive is, how many cameras you are recording on, what resolution you are recording at, what quality setting you are using, and how you are recording, 24 hours, on a set schedule, or on motion detection. By changing these factors you can control how many days worth of video your system can store. The larger the hard drive, and the lower the resolution, frame rate, and quality settings, the more days worth of video you can store. The trade of for this is the video you store will be lower quality. If you record at a higher resolution, higher frame rate, and higher quality setting, you will get higher quality video, but you will not be able to fit as many days on the hard drive. You did to decide which combination will best meet your individual needs.

To give you an example, here is a chart to shows how many days worth of video you can fit on different size hard drives recording 24 hours a day at normal settings for a few of our DVR models:

DVRResolutionFPSQualityRec MethodCameras250GB320GB500GB
QSTD5304C4CIF30Normal 24 Hours4151930
QSD2308C8CIF15Medium24 Hours8152031
QSD2308C8CIF30Medium24 Hours881016
QSD2316C16CIF15Medium24 Hours1681016
QSTD2408C8CIF30Normal 24 Hours881016
QSTD2416C16CIF30Normal 24 Hours16458
QSD9004CIF30Normal 24 Hours4111523

 
Motion Detection versus Alarm Recording
You can save hard drive space and make it easier to find recorded events if you record only when there is something happening in front of the cameras. You can do this by having the system only record when an alarm is detected. Most DVRs have built-in motion detectors that monitor the video feed coming from the cameras and start recording whenever they detect a change in the video stream that would be caused by something moving in front of the camera. Most DVRs also have ports on the back of the DVR that you can wire external motion sensors into. The system would start the system recording anytime something moves in front of the external motion sensor. Most customers prefer to use the motion detection built-in to the DVR. It is already on the system so no other equipment or installation is needed. It also gives you more control over when you record since you can set the sensitivity level before recording starts, and you can also decide which areas of the camera field that you want to be sensitive to motion and what areas you do not want to trigger recording on motion.
How Motion Detection Works
Motion Detection in a DVR works by monitoring the video that is coming from the cameras. When something moves in front of the camera it causes a change in the pixels of the image and when the motion detection software detects this it instructs the DVR to start recording the video stream from that camera. When the pixels return to normal then the software instructs the DVR to stop recording. The DVR has a section in its menu where you can go to setup the motion detection. Here you can set the sensitivity level for motion detection. The smaller and further away an object is, the less likely it will be to trigger motion recording unless you have the sensitivity level set high. On the other hand, if you have objects close to the camera triggering motion, like large bugs flying by the camera, you might want to set the sensitivity level lower. You need to adjust the setting to meet your individual needs. You can also determine what area of the camera field that you want to trigger motion. As an example, if you have a bird in a cage that is constantly moving and triggering recording, you can block out that area of the camera field so that it doesn’t record every time the bird moves. On most DVRs you can also setup a schedule of when you want the system to record on motion, and when you might want it to be constantly recording.
Backup Options
Backup options are different from one DVR to another. Some can back up to USB flash drives, hard drives, and DVD burners, some can back up to eSATA hard drives, some can back up to a PC through USB or over the internet, and some can back up to a combination of these options. Usually the more versatile the firmware, the more options you have available. As an example, a economy model might only be able to backup to a PC through USB, or to a small USB flash drive, while a high end model may be able to backup to an eSATA hard drive, USB flash drive, and to a PC over the internet. How often you need to backup would determine which of these options would be best suited to your needs. If you only need to backup a file to use a evidence in a case, then a system that allows you to backup to a USB flash drive or to a PC for you to burn to disc would be all you need, but if you need to make frequent or daily backups then you would be better off with a system that will allow you to backup to an external hard drive, large USB flash drives, or burn DVDs. If your situation requires that you have backups of everything for insurance purposes, then the best option for you would probably be to backup from the DVR to a VCR onto VHS tapes and store the tapes.
DVR Comparison Charts
Here are some charts to compared the features on our different 4 channel, 8 channel, and 16 channel DVR models.

Cameras

CCD versus CMOS
There are 2 types of sensors in CCTV cameras, CCD and CMOS. Cameras with CMOS sensors are less expensive and require less power, but CMOS sensors are not as light sensitive, and have lower resolution, so the picture quality is not as good and the color they produce is not as accurate, especially outdoors where the color can change depending on the amount of light and shadow. Resolution on CMOS cameras is 400 TVL or lower. CCD cameras are more sensitive to light and have higher resolution so you can get a better quality image. They are usually worth the extra price and the higher power consumption. The resolution on CCD cameras is 420TVL and higher.
Wired versus Wireless
Cameras can be wired or wireless. Wired cameras plug directly to a video in port on the DVR, wireless cameras send signals through the air to a receiver that you plug into a video in port on the DVR. Wireless cameras are handy in areas where it is difficult to run wires, but wireless cameras operate at 2.4Ghz which is also used by many other wireless devices including cordless phones, garage door openers, and wireless internet routers. Since they are using the same frequency, all of these devices can interfere with the wireless cameras. The biggest problem is wireless routers because they are always on and can have an extended range. With analog wireless receivers there is no way to prevent this interference, but with the digital wireless receivers technology is available to eliminate most of this interference.
Night Vision
Most outdoor cameras, and many indoor cameras, have infrared sensors that enable to the cameras to record images in the dark. When the available light becomes too low for the camera to product color images, LEDs come on that allow the camera to produce black and white images. The light from these LEDs cannot be seen, but they have a reddish glow that can be seen by someone looking at the cameras.
Fixed versus Varifocal

Cameras can have 2 types of lenses, fixed and varifocal. Fixed lenses have one size, are pre-focused and can’t be changed. Varifocal lenses have a range of sizes and can be manually set to the size you need for a particular application.

As an example, a varifocal camera may have a range of 3mm to 8mm. At the lower setting the camera has a wider field of view, but the images are smaller. At the higher setting the camera has a smaller field of view but the image is larger. If you are using this camera in a store you could use the camera at the lower setting to cover a large wall of merchandise, or you could use it at the higher setting to watch a cash register.

The most popular Fixed lens sizes are 3.6mm and 6mm. There are pictures below that compare the field of view of a camera with a 3.6mm lens and the same camera with a 6.mm lens so you can see the different. There is also a picture that compares the the same view when seen through a 2.6mm to 25mm lens.

learn more...
Click on image for larger view.

View from 3.6mm Camera

View from 6mm Camera

Field of View-Lens Comparison
PTZ Cameras
PTZ cameras (Pan-Tilt-Zoom or Speed Dome) are specialized cameras that can rotate 360 degrees, move up and down, and zoom in and out. You can control the camera through the buttons or remote of the DVR, and in most cases, and also control it over the internet. Because of the motors and powerful zoom lenses in these cameras they are much more expensive then standard CCTV cameras. Below are pictures that show you how to attach a PTZ camera to a DVR, a PCI DVR card installed in a computer, and a PTZ control keyboard.
Click on image for larger view.

PTZ Attached to Keyboard

PTA Attached to PCI DVR Card

PTZ Attached to DVR
IP Cameras
IP Cameras are digital cameras that are attached directly to routers so that you can access them directly over a network or the internet through a web browser or a client software program.
Indoor versus Outdoor
The major difference between indoor and outdoor cameras is the camera casing. Outdoor cameras have water tight, weather resistant cases that allow them to work outdoors; indoor cameras do not have this type of case. You can use outdoor cameras both outdoors and indoors, to use indoor cameras outdoors you would need to put them in a protective housing.

Remote Access

Firefox Browser Access

There is a new plug in that will allow you to access the DVR using Firefox.

The instructions for accessing your DVR through Firefox are in the image below.

Click on image for larger view.

Firefox Access Instructions
Static and Dynamic Addresses
You can access the DVR through a static or dynamic IP address; however a dynamic address can change from time to time. How often depends on your service provider. When it changes you need to go to a website such as www.myipaddress.com from a computer attached to the same router as the DVR to find out what the new IP address is. There are two solutions to this problem. One would be to get a static IP address from your service provider so that you do not have to be concerned with the address changing. Another solution would to use a dynamic domain name service to get a domain name that can be linked to your dynamic IP address. We suggest www.dyndns.com or www.myq-see.com which is a free service that we provide for our customers. You would setup your account on the webpage and then download a software program that you can install on your computer that will link the domain name you create to whatever the current IP address is. You would need to have the computer attached to the router the DVR is attached to, and leave it on all of the time. Many of our newer DVR models have this software option already setup in the DDNS section of the network setup, on these models you do not need to use a computer. Many routers will also have a DDNS section that will allow you to enter this information which would also eliminate the need to keep a computer attached and turned on.
DHCP, Static, EEEoP, DDNS

There are 4 ways you can setup DVRs to be accessed remotely; DHCP, Static IP, PPPOE, and DDNS. Not all DVRs can be accessed using all 4 options, you need to refer to the owner’s  manual to see which options are supported by your model.

DHCP: If your router is setup for DHCP, and most of them are by default, you can have the router assign an IP address to the DVR. If your model supports this option there will be a DHCP option in the network setup section of the DVR menu. Once the DVR has been assigned an address using this message it is usually a good idea to take the address that was assigned and go back into the network setup option and enter this IP address, gateway, and subnet as a static address so you do not have to worry about the router changing it later.

Static IP: To use this option you will need to setup the network settings on the DVR to match the settings of the router that you attach the DVR to. To get the router settings you would go to the run option on a computer attached to the same router as the DVR and type cmd and hit OK to bring up a command prompt, then type ipconfig at the prompt to access the router settings. Write down the gateway and subnet mask numbers so you can copy them into the network settings on the DVR. For the DVR’s IP address you would enter the same first 3 sets of numbers as the gateway and select a fourth set of numbers that is different then any other device attached to the same router. If the IP address of your computer in the ipconfig was a single or two digit number you should be ok with any three digit number, if the computer IP address ends with a number in the 100s then you should go with a 200 number.

PPPOE: If you are going to attach the DVR directly to a DSL or Cable modem instead of a router you will need to select the PPPOE option in the NETWORK options. Not all DVRs have this option, check the manual for your model. To use this option you would put a checkmark in the PPPOE option box in the DVR network setup and then select the OK button.  You will need to contact your internet service provider to get the User name and Password you need to enter into the spaces under the PPPOE option.

DDNS: You can access the DVR through a static or dynamic IP address; however a dynamic address can change from time to time. How often depends on your service provider. When it changes you need to go to a website such as www.myipaddress.com from a computer attached to the same router as the DVR to find out what the new IP address is. There are two solutions to this problem. One would be to get a static IP address from your service provider so that you do not have to be concerned with the address changing. Another solution would to use a dynamic domain name service to get a domain name that can be linked to your dynamic IP address.

We suggest www.dyndns.com or myq-see.com which is a free service that we provide for our customers. You would set up your account on the webpage and then download a software program that you install on your computer that links the domain name you created to whatever the current IP address is. You would need to have the computer attached to the router the DVR is attached to, and leave it on all of the time. Most of our newer DVR models have this software option already set up in the DDNS section of the network setup; on these models you do not need to use a computer, you would just go the network setup, select the DDNS option, select myq-see from the dropdown options and then input the address you set up on the website along with the user name and password. Then you would just need to enter the myq-see address in an Internet Explorer or client software window to access the DVR. There are instructions below on how to set up our DVRs to use the myq-see DDNS option.

Port Forwarding

Before you can access the DVR from a remote computer you need to forward the ports needed to comunicate with the DVR from the router the DVR is attached to, to the IP address of the DVR that you setup in the Network Configuration section of the DVR menu. If your internet service comes into a router/modem from your internet service provider and then goes from there to another router that the DVR is attached to, then you need to forward the ports on the modem/router to the IP address of the router the DVR is attached to, and from there you need to forward the same ports to the IP address of the DVR.

Below are instructions on how to forward the ports, there are also videos to show you how to forward the ports on some of our most popular DVR models and routers. You may also click here for further instructions for port forwarding.

ActiveX Controls
Most of our newer DVR models can be accessed from a remote computer through Internet Explorer. To view the cameras from the DVR you use a webcam program that is based on an Active control. To use this control you need to enable the ActiveX control options that are in Internet Explorer. Below is a Power Point presentation that tells you how to do this. On many systems you many have another option. You can go into internet options in Internet Explorer, enter the IP address you use to access the DVR as a trusted site, then go to the default level button and set move the bar down to the low setting, click apply and ok”
Cell Phone Monitoring

Our 2300, 2400, 5304, 8204, as well as our PCI DVR cards can be accessed through cell phones running Windows Mobile Pro and Symbian Operating systems, as well as from iphones. To access the systems through cell phones you go to the Network Configuration setup on the DVR and set them up for Network access, forward the ports on the router the DVR is attached to, and, if you are running Windows Mobile Pro or Symbian, you would access the System through the cell phone to download the webcam program the same way you would from a desktop computer. To access the DVR from an iphone you would need to download the Supercam Program from the itunes store and then install it. There are instructions below on how to do this from all three operating system.

You an also access our 9004 model from phones running Windows Mobile Pro and Symbian Operating systems. But on this model you would install the software from the installation disc that comes with the DVR. 

Installation

Cable Types

There are several types of cable you can use to send the video signal from the camera to the DVR. The cable that we include with the camera is pre-connectorized, unshielded plug and play cable cable. This cable is not UL rated but is weather proof, can be used outdoors or indoors, and is fine for the vast majority of installations. In some cases the cable can be influenced by electrical fields and should not be used inside of walls. In these cases we recommend either RG59 or RG6 cable. This cable is insulated and is also UL rated and if you get siamese versions of the cable it can carry power to the cameras as well as video from the cameras like the pre-connectorized cable we include. You can also use CAT5 or CAT6 Ethernet cable to carry video between the cameras and the DVR. You would need to use a video balun between the cable and the camera and the cable and the DVR to alter the signal. If you get powered video baluns you would also be able to send power to the camera through the Ethernet cable.

Cable Lengths
How far you can extend the cables depends on the type of cable that you use. If you use the plug and play cable that comes with the cameras you can extend up to 200 feet, we have extensions available for this cable on the accessories section of the www.q-see.com website. If you need to go further you can use RG59 cable which is good to 800 feet, or RG6 cable which is good to 1800 feet. If your unit comes with a splitter that divides the power to the cameras from one power supply you would need to get a separate power supply for the cameras you are extending. You can order those through the customer service dept at cs@dpsi-usa.com
Connectors

There are two main types of connectors used on cable for survelience cameras, RCA and BNC There are pictures of both of these types of connectors below. Most CMOS cameras use RCA connectors and CCD cameras normally use BNC connectors. Since most DVRs have BNC video in ports, the cables for CCD cameras will attach directly to them. To attach a cable with RCA connectors to a BNC connector on a DVR you need to use a RCA to BNC adapter. We also have a picture of this connector below.

Our cameras come with pre-connectorized, non-insulated cable that is fine for most installations. In cases where you need to go to longer distances, such as 200 feet or further, or in cases where the cable is exposed to interference from other devices, you would need to use RG59 or RG6 cable, which is usually sold in bulk spools and you need to cut the cable to the length you need and splice the connectors on the cable. We have included instructions below on how to do this.

Click on image for larger view.

RCA Connectors

BNC Connector

RCA to BNC Adapter
Locating Cameras

Here is a guide to answer questions you may have about locating your cameras:

Installing Hard Drives

Many of our vendors sell our DVRs with small hard drives pre-installed. Other vendors do not include a hard drive, they let the customer decide what size hard drive they want to install to meet their individual recording needs instead of being limited to a pre-decided size. We have video files below that show you how to install hard drives on some of our more popular DVR models that are most often sold without hard drives. You can also use these videos if you decide to upgrade the hard drive.

DVR Functions over the Network

Using CMS

Portforwarding

Need help forwarding your ports?

Listed below are a set of links for simple port forwarding instructions. If your router manufacturer is not listed below or your router model is not in one of the files, feel free to send an email to ts@dpsi-usa.com asking to add your manufacturer or router model to the files.