4MP IP cams on DVR that only records at 2MP?

[bigredfish]

So I pretty well understand cctv cams and am currently running 2MP CVI Dahua cams and am quite satisfied with them. I'm about to upgrade to a newer Dahua Tribrid DVR that will give me more channels, allow me to run IP cams, and allow me to run at 30fps along with some intelligent options/IVS like Tripwire. (One of these, not sure what the difference is other than the "N" appended to the end of the model #? HCVR7216AN-S3 or HCVR7216A-S3)

So my question: I'd like to play with some 3-4MP IP cams as well, but don't know if there is any real advantage if my DVR will only record at 1080p anyway? I'm a noob when it comes to IP cams.

 

[fenderman]

So I pretty well understand cctv cams and am currently running 2MP CVI Dahua cams and am quite satisfied with them. I'm about to upgrade to a newer Dahua Tribrid DVR that will give me more channels and allow me to run at 30fps along with some intelligent options like Tripwire. (One of these, not sure what the difference is other than the "N" appended to the end of the model #? HCVR7216AN-S3 or HCVR7216A-S3)

So my question: I'd like to play with some 3-4MP IP cams as well, but don't know if there is any real advantage if my DVR will only record at 1080p anyway? I'm a noob when it comes to IP cams.

You will be at a disadvantage, they will perform worse at night/low light.

 

[nayr]

but on the other hand you'll get much better WDR when comparing most of dahua's 2MP against the 4MP, though some of the 2MP's do come w/real WDR instead of DWDR.

It really does help on northern facing cameras since they are often in the shade of whatever they are attached to.. certain times of the day my northern facing 2MP cameras either have faces over exposed or under exposed when the 4MP ones have great detail.

 

[fenderman]

but on the other hand you'll get much better WDR when comparing most of dahua's 2MP against the 4MP, though some of the 2MP's do come w/real WDR instead of DWDR.

It really does help on northern facing cameras since they are often in the shade of whatever they are attached to.. certain times of the day my northern facing 2MP cameras either have faces over exposed or under exposed when the 4MP ones have great detail.

these are the CVI cameras, they may not be the same.

 

[nayr]

I think he's wanting to run IP on his hybrid NVR

 

[bigredfish]

Correct. I was planning on running a mix of IP and my existing CVI cams

 

[fenderman]

Still think the low light performance is worth the 2mp cams...some newer models may have better wdr..

 

[bigredfish]

So from a pure IQ standpoint I gain nothing if the DVR is recording at 1080p max with a 4MP..?

My 2220 CVI cams do have true WDR I believe, at least it's called simply WDR and allows me to adjust and works very well. In fact it's a godsend on my patio/pool area..

 

[nayr]

yeah it depends on the situation, if you have plenty of light the 4MP's will give a better image in the daytime because of the WDR.. some of the higher end 2MP's have 120db WDR like all the 4MP's but its not a given, most have DWDR and it sucks in some locations and is not needed in others..

If they release a 4MP mini-black face PTZ I'll throw my money at them, my only complaint about it is how badly I need good WDR in this particular location.. DWDR just dont cut it, and I have ample light so the differences at night are minimal.

Real WDR is done on the hardware, usually by taking many exposures and combining them.. Digital WDR is done in post processing via software alone and sucks in comparison.

WDR is not needed in every environment, but its good to have.. it saved my ass when it came to my LPR camera once the seasons changed, the light angles this time of year are just terrible compared to early spring when I set it up.. without it I cant read plates in the day at certain times.

 

[bigredfish]

Thanks very much to both of you. I really appreciate the help. I learn a ton here and I'm glad I found this place.

Now I'll get back to figuring out how to get the "fuzzies" (highly technical security camera term) out of my night scenes...I have found that there is no substitute for white light, but I see some night images using IR like yours nayr and keep working towards fixing it. The images are clear as a bell, until humans/critters in motion come into play. Humans in motion get "fuzzy" noisy, some blur. Cars on the other hand seem quite crisp and clear. That tells me the IR reflection off the metal car is what's making the difference...but that's for another thread.

 

[Securame]

The new S3 Dahua tribrid units support IP cameras up to 5MP! HDCVI resolution is limited to 2MP, but the IP channels can go up to 5MP.

So you WILL be able to record them at 4MP.

 

[bigredfish]

I saw that but wasn't sure or knowledgeable enough to know how to interpret it

>Max 24 channels IP camera inputs, each channel up to 5MP
>Max 96Mbps Incoming Bandwidth

Yet under "RECORDING" it says

Compression	H.264+/H.264
Resolution	1080P, 720P, 960H, D1, HD1, BCIF, CIF, QCIF
Record Rate	Main stream: 1080P/720P/960H/D1/HD1/BCIF/CIF/QCIF (1~25/30fps) Sub steram1/CIF/QCIF(1~25/30fps)
Bit Rate	32Kbps ~ 6144Kbps Per Channel

Only plan on 1 or 2 IP cams at most anyway, the existing 8 CVI cams do pretty well and I want to explore their Starlight units. I did see a press release about 4MP CVI cameras coming also so may sit tight and see what those are all about.... cool stuff.

 

[Securame]

CVI and TVI can go up to 8MP, I have seen working samples, but so far I think there is nothing on the market.

S3 series from Dahua can do 960H/HDCVI channels, AND extra IP channels.

7216-S3 is a 24ch unit; you can do 16ch 960H/HDCVI 2MP and 8ch IP 5MP, and you can replace the 960H/HDCVI channels for extra IP channels, so you can go up to 24ch IP 5MP.

 

[bigredfish]

I see thank you. In that case I'll just do the 8 channel unit as I won't need that many cameras.

Any idea on the difference in model numbers with the one that has an "N" at the end?

again many thanks :very_drunk:

 

[Securame]

I see thank you. In that case I'll just do the 8 channel unit as I won't need that many cameras.

Any idea on the difference in model numbers with the one that has an "N" at the end?

again many thanks :very_drunk:

With the 8ch you can have up to 12 cameras (8 960H/HDCVI + 4 IP, all the way to 12IP).
I do know the difference... but hey, it is not that hard to look at the specs on the manufacturers web site, and compare.

 

[bigredfish]

I see now, the "N" version doesn't have Alarm input or relay output. Took a few times reading the specs side by side to spot that.

Thanks again for your help