Need help choosing Video Surveillance System and software

[mowermanEd]

I'm purchasing a bar and wish to have a 4 camera video sureillance system that I can
monitor remotely. I'm considering a system that I can buy at SamsClub http://http://www.samsclub.com/shopp...641&fid=661802 This particular system only needs an internet connection to work. However, I know that there are other systems that can be connected to a PC set up as a server. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? What would be your reccomendations? If it matters, I have a new PC that I plan to install in the bar office that could be used as the server if need be.

[Nelson37]

Have dealt with quite a few of these, and the software setup and install.

You are roughly in my area and there is an installer you need to watch out for and avoid.

Camera types mobile or fixed, hidden or plain sight, connection available, power over ethernet or USB, recording time desired, these are all considerations.

Most use a custom card to accept four or more coax connections, card is a hardware MPG encoder, some do WMV or variant. Any decent PC with large secondary drive will run these.

Most offer remote monitoring over Internet connection, but not a monitoring service.

For a bar you need to consider a secure location for the server itself.

WindowVision has been running well in several clients for several years with no problems in the software, many motion-detection and mobile-camera controls, not too expensive.

Basically pick the cameras, which drives the connection type, pick the card, and drop it and the software into a good PC in a locked room, run the cables, off you go.

[mowermanEd]

Thanks Nelson37. I was kinda hoping it would be that easy. It's just that I've never delved into that stuff in the past and didn't know where to start. Hopefully, there won't be any installer other than myself involved. The bar has a small office (converted closet is more like it) that will house the PC. I haven't built the PC yet but plan on using a mid-grade board with an AM2 processor and 2 gigs of ram and whatever parts I have laying around. All it will be used for will be the surveillance system and e-mailing suppliers and such.

[Richard_G]

The best software I have found for this purpose is Eyecopia, you can even download a time limited trial to make sure it is right for you from http://www.enjoinllc.com/eyecopia/