Go1984

[sonic]

Any comments on Go1984?

go1984

IMO It's very well featured for the price, and works well in my experience

But most important Go1984 does not impose any licensing limits on number of cameras - the number of cameras is limited only by the hardware and setup. It seems very silly to me that other NVR software vendors fail to differentiate from DVR by imposing the same camera-count limits!

 

[Phil]

It's a new one on me, I've never seen it before so can't really comment.

Interesting to see that it's iphone compatible.

 

[sonic]

For me the killer USP is unlimited camera support. The software allows you to build an NVR capable of supporting 50+ cameras, for less than the price of a 16Ch 4CIF DVR. That's quite a cost advantage over an analogue system!

Seems very easy to set up and the support is good too - Logiware were happy to help out even though I was just playing with the free demo!

So I am wondering, what's the catch? is there some reason why I should NOT be using this solution? It almost seems to good to be true with the price/performance ratio!

 

[Phil]

Have you actually got cameras connected and recording to the trial demo version?

 

[sonic]

I have 8x Axis 221 and 2x Axis 233D running on the Go1984-pro demo, on a P4 2.3Ghz. This is a temporary solution (using a spare desktop PC!) that will be replaced with a remote recording solution once we get fiber into the site.

The cameras were installed by our network contractor, who having done training with Axis seem to know a lot more about CCTV than our security contractor!

I get about 2 weeks recording on just 80Gb using motion capture (the site is unmanned). This works fine, only issue the motion detection is hammering the CPU limiting the frame rate to about 3fps, but I plan to use the Axis motion triggers with http: event to reduce the CPU load.

Also I know people who have used Go1984 software successfully for over 5 years. I would like to try and get this software working with the Avigilon cameras you offer, as I have another application that is very cost sensitive. Is there an Avigilon JPEG2000 stream anywhere online?

 

[Phil]

Is the telemetry control of the Axis 233D Network Cameras OK from this software?
Often this is an area where software companies let themselves down, with otherwise good packages for static cameras becoming a bit 'clunky' when the need to control pan, tilt, zoom is added.

You can add a USB joystick keyboard to some packages which is a much more intuitive way controlling a fully-functional dome camera.

I'm not aware of any Avigilon feeds. They have only just added utilities that allow you to ftp to web etc. I will drop them a line and see if we can identify a suitable feed.

I'd have to recommend that people use Avigilon's own NVMS software with their cameras, the combination of that software, with features such as Dynamic Contrast Control, and their multi-megapixel cameras is very potent! (and actually pretty good £s per pixel too!).

 

[sonic]

The PTZ works fine with Axis - bit of a delay with the arrows but the presets are snappy!

I hear what you are saying re NVMS but I am looking for multi-vendor support, to allow low cost 4CIF indoor domes (e.g. Acti) to be used with Day/Night megapixel cams outside.

The lower res/cost domes make more sense where you need to cover lots of short corridors & multiple entrance doors (it's for a school) Megapixel cams are great for wide open spaces but unfortunately they cant see round corners!

 

[Phil]

I can't see you being able to mix ACTi and Avigilon any time soon.

I can see VR dome variants of Avigilon's multi-megapixel cameras on the horizon (probably in the next couple of months).

The ACTi bullet camera (ACM-1231) is a very cost-effective outdoor solution.

Checkout the video clips from ACTi that we've uploaded to our SmugMug account.

Bear in mind that ACTi provide their NVR Enterprise video recording software free-of-charge for use with up to 16 cameras.

 

[sonic]

I can't see you being able to mix ACTi and Avigilon any time soon.

Why not? Both use industry standard codecs (MJPEG/JPEG2000). It's just a question of sorting out the handshaking. In theory any camera that can be used with a web browser can be used by recording software; the NVR just 'pretends' to be a browser.

Of course Avigilon may have done some proprietary tampering with the codec to force you to use their software, but this would be a mistake in my book. IMO Axis have got to where they are by supporting a completely open API.

 

[DNSCT]

I first off want to say I don't work for go1984, though with the amount of money I have paid them in software licenses sometimes I ask myself. This is my first post in a forum pertaining to my business and I am hoping to be in the forums more often as I realize the knowledge that I have acquired is not as common as I once thought and I am not selfish enough not to share it.

I have installed more IP camera systems than anyone in Connecticut. I have installed systems of 48+ cameras on a POE switch linked to a server box of my design by SFP Gigabit optical just as I have put together small systems of 4 cameras, sometimes depending on the budget I have even used CCTV, reluctantly of course.

I have been through numerous NVR solutions, from the free ones that lock you into the cameras manufacturer with limited features, to distributed software licenses costing upwards of 10,000 USD.

I have been around the proverbial IP camera block more in the last 2 years than most companies have ventured in their existence.

I will not give away all the things I have found as some of it gives me a serious edge but as far as cameras go, I figure the more people that know about these folks at logiware the more money they will make, the more money they make the better the program will get, the happier me and my customers will be.

I wont go into all the specs but it is the most refined, cleanest looking, well put together, well featured, and best of all cheapest NVR software I have been able to find. You want to set up sixteen monitors on one machine, this software will let you do it. Want to use a web interface that has almost all the features of the downloadable software, this thing can do it. In the web interface you can draw a box on the PTZ picture and this thing will zoom and move the camera to bring the box into view, all without downloading anything, and you can use ANY BROWSER. Most of these programs require active X and IE to work, since IE doesn't work right period, heh, this is a problem for me.

You don't have per camera fees. Build the box as big as you can and as many cameras as you can stuff in it your set.

I have a dual core machine running 16 cameras at 20-25 FPS.
You don't need a beast to run it.

Try it they have a free demo. If you have an IP camera they support it almost guaranteed.
1 or 2 cameras you might have to tweak, like the Trendnet TV-IP201P didn't work well until I changed the URI. There support is great and if you have a camera they don't support ask them and they will help you add it.

Also the demo is SLOW. If you add a few cameras and get a slow FPS its because you need a license for the software to FLY.

Email me if you have any questions.

Go1984.com is the site, read up on it you will be thankful you found them, they are huge in the UK, but I have been to several trade shows in the US and know one has heard of them, lol oh well.

Oh and full Iphone/windows mobile compatibility.
_________________
Dan, Godin.
Bridging the gap between you an technology.
Visit us at DNSCT.com

 

[Phil]

Dan, Thanks for sharing your experience with the go1984 CCTV software

 

[sonic]

Hi Dan

Thanks for your comprehensive post!

Do you have any experience using hardware motion triggers with Go1984?