PC DVR 4 NET : 4-port PCI Security Card product reviews

If you have a need for home security, shop security, or simply a way to keep track of who is where, this is a really good choice for an affordable kit. We started off by popping the PC's case and slipping the card in. if you have never installed a PCI card before, you might want to let an experienced tech do it for you, but if you are comfortable with your level of skill, this is no different to installing any other PC card.
Slap the covers back on, and boot up the machine. We were using Windows XP Pro so automatic detection was fast, and it started prompting for the software. Slap in the CD and away we went. Installation was really simple, a few clicks, a little bit of thinking, and a reboot later and we were ready to install the cameras. They proved even easier. Connect the power, and plug the cable into one of the sockets on the card and that was it.
After connecting a couple of cameras to test the multi-display and channel-switching capabilities, we fired up the software. A few seconds while it auto-configured itself and that was it. From 'open the PC case' to 'record the neighbour's cat sniffing around the front door' was under 20 minutes. The longest part of the job was placing and mounting the cameras!
The software has amazing capabilities. You can watch all 4 cameras at once, or single any one out for closer full-screen viewing. Motion detection was really intelligent, with a variable threshold allowing you to tell it 'ignore birds and small animals, and people on the footpath, but record anyone entering the driveway or jumping the fence.' This allows you to have the cameras looking at public-access areas but not wasting hard-drive space recording the pedestrians walking past.
With the ability to pipe the cameras signals out down a broadband connection, we could watch who was approaching the house, without having to leave the back shed workshop, and by extension, we could also watch from any internet-connected PC. This is very handy when used in conjunction with 'email me if you detect motion' feature. Imagine you are at the office, and your email bleeps. It's a snapshot of someone trying to break in to your house thru the back ranch sliders. You log on and watch as they circle the house, then run as the cops you called arrive on the premises. He got away, but no worries, you have 26 full-face photos of the jerk. The cops, and insurance companies, will love you for it.
The playback and search features were a little fiddly to start with, but after a few minutes playing around, it became a lot easier to understand and use. We were able to scan back and locate clear facial shots from over 16 test recordings, and a quick snap-n-save gave us plenty of assurance that in the case of a crime, this package would be the downfall of any crook.
Quick, relatively simple, easy to install and use, it's all good. This is the best thing to hit the home/small office security scene in many years. And the best bit, it's scalable. Plug in more cards, get a software upgrade, and you can run up to 16 cameras at the same time!