Q-See QSPDVR04 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder PCI Card

Reviews of Q-See QSPDVR04 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder PCI Card

1.) Excellent home surveillance PCI DVR
Reviewed by: Omegafiler Austin, TX
Rating:

*** UPDATE 5/4/08: After over 1 year of use, I've made a few updates to the review. Overall, still very happy! Just wanted to add some more useful information and minor updates. ***

I'm currently using 2 QSPDVR04 PCI cards along with 8 various Q-See camears. The maximum is 4 PCI cards (16 channels) per system. The box includes the software, users guide, pci card, and 4 BNC -> RCA adapters (the 4 connectors on the card itself are BNC (video only). The RCA adapters are only used for the low-end camears - which don't normally work that well anyways. Also note that the Q-See hardware and software both appears to be identical to the Swann gear.

I do suggest a much better system than their minimum requirements, especially if you are going to use more than 1 PCI card. In my case, the 2 cards are installed in a Dell Optiplex GX280, P4 2.4Ghz, 2GB of RAM, and 250GB HD. It's a relatively cheap system and has been dedicated as a DVR PC for the cameras. I originally had a slower PIII 1GHz system doing the job, but when I added a 2nd PCI card, that was a little too much for the old Dell. While this is still well above the min sys requirements, it's still a good idea to make use of the "scheduled reboot" feature if you notice things getting sluggish after awhile. This is possibly due to some bugs in the s/w and may be fixed in the future. I always install the latest software from the website - very important.

I'm using the remote web playback/recording software so 4 other computers in the house can monitor the cameras in realtime as well as PC's located outside of the house, via the Internet (may need to make changes to your router). I should also inform you that some of the "advanced" features may require a bit of time to figure out for novice PC users. Especially considering the manual looks as though it was written in another language and then poorly translated into English.

I have a few cameras connected to these cards. (1) QSVC456C camera, (3) QS2350C cameras, (2) QOCDC cameras, and (2) QPSCDCA indoor only cameras. The DVR software is setup to record 24/7 as well as make note of motion detection. This allows me to either playback everything, or just video where motion was detected. But thanks to a 250GB HD, it can record for months without running out of space. The card is only able to capture 7 FPS for each camera (30fps total). This also applies to watching video in realtime. So images will appear "choppy," which is expected for something in this price range. It's honestly not a big issue though.

The recorded image quality is fairly good, at a maximum of 640x480 resolution it works well for home surveillance. Just don't expect to zoom into a licence plate 100 ft away like you see on TV. :) The software also allows you choose several viewing options, such as auto scroll mode that goes through each camera, in full screen, one at a time. Or, display them all at once on the screen in various formats. You have the ability to set recording to schedule, manual, and/or motion detection (the sensitivity is adjustable).

The playback software works very well. Just select a date, then scroll through the time to pick the spot you want to watch. You can watch 1 camera at a time, all of them at once, or pick the ones you want. It's similar to other video editing software that you have likely seen on your PC. The only negative here is that if you want to watch it play back in realtime, the the fastest it will go is 4x. The use of 'motion recording' is recommended due to this over sight. I'm hoping a software update will fix this important "feature."

Pros:

* Very inexpensive DVR PCI Card
* Easy installation
* Basic but very functional software
* Expandable up to 4 PCI cards
* Good video playback/record quality.
* Remote software for Live/Recorded playback via LAN/WAN.

Cons:

* Advanced features may confuse some users
* Manual needs to be re-writting in "English"
* Fast Forward needs to be drastically increased
* 30fps shared between 4 cameras

Bottom line: while there are better dedicated DVR's and PCI DVR's out there - considering the price and functionality of the QSPDVR04, I rate this card at 5 stars, and consider it highly recommended for and home/small business surveillance. Even though I didn't have any issues with the card or software, keep in mind that I am a very technical user. If you don't feel comfortable opening your PC or are a novice user - be sure to read the users guide on the Q-See site before purchase to make sure you know what you're getting into. :)

2.) All in all I am pretty pleased
Reviewed by: Dane Shepherd Gulf Coast, Florida
Rating:

Let me start by saying that I give this a Five Star rating based on performance-for-price; this product is not without its shortcomings.

I have an Intel motherboard with an Intel CPU and everything works great for me. I am running Windows Vista Ultimate 32-Bit. nVidia nForce chipset and nVidia 8800 GTS Graphics. I had lots of blue-screens when I first installed this card, but after updating the nForce drivers from nVidia's website everything has been great. (I have read that AMD users may have more issues.)

A point that I want to make very clear is about the "30 FPS (frames per second)" of video capture; this card can, in fact, encode 30 frames per second of MPEG video, but it is divided amongst the 4 camera ports. IE: you will get perfectly smooth (movie quality) video with 1 camera, 15 FPS each when using 2 cameras, 10 FPS with 3, and only 7 frames a second per camera with all four ports connected. I am not saying that this is bad. Again, for the price, this is a great card with LOADS of features, but do not expect a four-way split screen with each camera having fluid video.

That being said; I generally like this card a lot. I specialize in computer service and repair for a living, and it took me a little while to get the Web Service running correctly. I followed all of the steps to setup "Remote Viewing", and was able to monitor all four cameras from any PC or laptop on my LAN, but was never able to watch from outside my home. A friend informed me that my ISP (COX Communications) blocks HTTP Port 80 (probably to discourage web-hosting) and once I configured my Q-See software and my Linksys router for Port 70 everything worked just fine. I can now watch my Front Door, Driveway, Backyard, and keep an eye on my pooches from anywhere in the world.

Another surprise was when I tried to log into my IP address from my Windows Mobile cell phone. A message asked me if I wished to install the cab file offered by my IP address and when I accepted it added Pocket Camera to my Start programs. I can now scroll through all of my cameras live on my cell phone. (Yah, my friends think I'm a HUGE Geek, but they agree that THAT is pretty cool.) LOL

The only issue I have at the moment is that the Q-See "SUPERDVR" monitoring program is locked to 1024x768 resolution and cannot be moved around on your screen. I have a dual-monitor setup and would love to be able to drag the camera application to my secondary monitor so I can see motion out of my peripheral vision while working on my main screen. Unfortunately I still have to Alt+Tab back to the program periodically to survey my premises. No biggie, and most people may not be running dual-monitors, but it would be a nice option for those of us who do.

Something that really impressed me was the ability to playback any given period of time, from any of your cameras, then burn it directly to a DVD. This is useful if you need to bring evidence of vandalism to the authorities, or simply if you want to record your dogs running around in the backyard.

I highly recommend this card, and have positive reviews for a few cameras as well. There are DVR cards at Amazon which can capture 30 Frames Per Second for each of four cameras, if you need such a thing, but most of then start ar four or five times the price. I think this is an excellent and easy-to-use investment for any homeowner or small business.

**Update: December 2009** I have now had this card for some time and have been very pleased. The company has now released drivers for 64-Bit operating systems (Vista and Windows 7). I was down for a bit after my upgrade, but their tech support was surprising responsive and assured me that the drivers were on their way. About a week or so after the release of "7" I was shocked to see them on their website. They have also updated the software over time, and I even have an app for my iPod Touch (or iPhone) which allows me to remotely view all my cameras! My friend's think I'm a huge Geek, but we've now busted a punk who took an iPod Nano from my wife's car, and identified a drunk who smashed our mailbox on Thankgiving night. Pretty cool! lol

**Update: June 2010** Got a new phone; Sprint HTC Evo 4G running Android 2.1 and have great picture using a free app from the Android Marketplace called SuperCam. Picks up all my camers fine. Even allows you to capture pics and videos on the phone remotely! I'm liking this card even more now! (I love watching my dogs sleep, or bark at passerby, while I'm away from home). LOL (p.s. I'm only on 3G in my area, not 4G (WiMax), and it still gives good framerates.)

3.) Impressive unit
Reviewed by: S. Buswell
Rating:

I was looking to replace a VHS based time lapse recorder that ceased working and couldn't justify the expense of a digital time lapse recorder even though that is really the only way to go. The Q-See QSPDVR04 unit had a good price as long as I already had the computer. I was surprised at the features on this card. As per the earlier comments the manual is marginal. But if you are semi savvy on computers or have messed around with video equipment the setup is fairly easy. I would not recommend this for a novice, but if you have replaced cards in your computer or have ever worked with software allowing lots of clickable selections and options this might be a good product for you. I managed to set the card up and have it running in about two hours time. ( I am a computer professional) One nice feature that I like is the ability to e-mail a picture of a motion detected breach within a ( or several) user selectable zones. You can opt out of detecting frequently used pathways and alert on a less commonly used pathway. This feature will save me a lot of hard disk space with the motion detection option. Overall I am impressed with this unit for the price. I have only had the card for a few days and it is working nicely.

4.) DVR
Reviewed by: Peter Goyer Rogue River, OR
Rating:

the Dvr card performs as advertised, it was a quick and efficient way to connect my multiple low cost security cameras into one remotely managed system. As a plus it has a motion sensitivity email app that lets me know when some one is in my yard when I am away. I received the package quickly and the vendor was reliable, I plan on purchasing more of these cards for my home security system as they are a great value.

5.) Cost per value is excellent
Reviewed by: Skoog Fullerton, CA, USA
Rating:

I don't often waste my quality time reviewing products, but I was pretty pleased with this product.
Knowing nothing about setting up a home monitoring system, I latched onto this card as an inexpensive way to experiment. Surprisingly this budget DVR worked well in every way possible. I dedicated a surplus Dell desktop running Windows XP, bought a few wired and wireless cameras, and a four-channel Q-See DVR, and without any notable frustration had it working in minutes. I was so enthused I decided 4 channels wasn't sufficient, so I bought another 4-channel DVR Q-See card, stuck it in the computer, re-installed the software, and amazingly enough, I had 8 channels, all integrated, configured, and working under one GUI, in about 10 minutes. The other reviewers have lucid commentary about the specific features, capabilities, and limitations, so I would read them, but my vote is this card is well-worth the $69. I have not yet got the remote access working, probably a problem with my home network, and I have no idea what the additional port socket plug-in is used for. The manual is really awful, but strangely enough gets the necessary information across despite being Chinese translated into English with a dictionary. When a non-English speaker manages to convey this sort of detail despite lack of fluency, I say give the guy a raise and fire the managers who decline to hire a proofer. I won't predict how the long-term burn-in will come out, but after about 3 weeks of continuous operation this setup hasn't missed a beat. I am relatively confident that should some misfit break into my house I will capture him or her on multiple video views, and that's the real purpose of this system. Highly recommend this card as an entry-level, extendable, feature rich, and (for me at least) easy to install purchase.

6.) Q-See 4 Camera Video Recorder
Reviewed by: JJC Eau Claire, Wi
Rating:

I installed this in minutes on an older computer, I set it up to record the times I wanted, can also be motion triggered, it was recommended not to use the harddrive on the same computer, I did, works fine, good clear picture, no problems!

7.) Critical buyer and I love this
Reviewed by: Brittnie - PACTpara.com Chicago, IL USA
Rating:

I've had this product for quite some time now and it works extremely well. The software is easy to use and easily compatible with computers that meet the system requirements, as well as cameras. I'm an extremely critical shopper, as I purchase high end equipment for my paranormal team and we try to use the best available technology. I decided to cave in and buy a cheaper DVR card and I absolutely love it, infact we're purchasing more now as our cameras and surveillance areas are multiplying. I definitely suggest this to anyone who is working on a DIY DVR system and wants to save some cash.

8.) Worth it's Weight in GOLD!!
Reviewed by: V. JOHNSON VA USA
Rating:

As many have stated this card is great. I don't have a clue about port forwarding or CCTV's but I got this card in, up & running and can view my cameras from anywhere via the internet or my phone. The cab file it installed is a gem. I received step by step directions once I went to q-see website on how to get everything done and bam! Also, I do recommend simply downloading all current software from the q-see website to get the current ones. I never even used the disk it came with.

I love going and checking in on my home whenever I want. I only have 2 cameras right now but I will most certainly be getting 2 more to fill up the card. I go out of town for my job and this is going to help me sleep much better in my soon to be hotel somewhere in the world :)

Happy buying!

9.) Great Card but Crummy Instruction Book
Reviewed by: Computer Guy
Rating:

This card performed well in my computer with inputs from three Q-See QSC48030 cameras. I was very satisfied with the capabilities of the card and the software but finding out how to utilize the features of the software was as much trial and error as it was obtaining the information from the instruction manual.

Cons: I really did not like the limitation to 1024 x 768 screen resolution. Also, using a remote computer or computer on the LAN, the Remote Desktop will not display the camera video but there is a utility provided within the software that will allow you to view the display remotely. My old software (Webcam Surveyor which does not work with this card) would allow me to use Remote Desktop and to use any screen resolution. This was an advantage to me because I could have the remote desktop running in a window and monitor the cameras while working on something else. With the Q-See software, even if you are working on the computer with the card installed, you can only view the camera video in full screen mode so you can't monitor the cameras while working on anything else.

10.) Its a good deal for the money, no doubt
Reviewed by: S. Bunker
Rating:

Ok, I just picked this up recently from amazon and used it with a KPC-EX230HL camera and it works really well. Both that camera and this DVR card are better than expected. Yes, the DVR software is a bit 'basic', but not buggy ... and works out of the box and does all that is needed. It would be nice if the motion sensing logic was adjustable, but it works well and using the mpeg4 format ... the size of the recorded videos are very small ... so it record a lot a not consume so much hard disk. I'm running on only 20GB of space (older computer), but it seems like plenty. This is a lot of capability for the money, runs on slower computers and doesn't seem to load the system down much if at all. Just remember the 30fps is shared between all cameras, so if you want 30fps for all cameras, get one of these cards 'per camera'. Otherwise, just realize the 30fps is shared and you'll be happy. Please get a good camera to go with it, not the Q-See cameras or other cheapo camera. Get a .003 lux camera if you want decent low-light pictures.

11.) functional, but configuring was tricky
Reviewed by: My89pickup Georgia
Rating:

I've had this about 6 months. Before I got this system I read the reviews and now I see whats they're saying about the manual. I'm using 2 wired cameras with this and having no problems. First time configuring was trial and error. As others said, manual isnt much help because of translation. I just "Googled" and found answers. I really like how you can view an area, but you can set it up to only record when there's movement in an portion of the screen. For playback, you can manually move the playback bar to any time to view, so fast forward hasnt been an issue. a side note , I tried their wireless camera and it interfered with our wireless network.

12.) Good value despite a few hoops to jump through.
Reviewed by: Gadget Guru
Rating:

Overall, this is a great software and hardware combo for creating a home security system. Just don't install the software that came on the disc. Instead, download the latest version from the company web site and use that instead. Once you do that, things go a lot better.

Be warned, that despite it claiming 30 frames per second recording, that's for all four inputs combined. So, if you have 4 cameras hooked up, you can only get around 7-8 frames per second on each. For me, that's fine since I only run at 7 frames per second, anyway. You really don't need much more than that. It saves space and gets the images.

Some nice touches include the ability to print stills as well as set various recording times and modes for each camera. So, you can determine when each camera records and whether it rolls full time or only when it detects motion. The interface is easy to control, though the broken English in the manual requires frequent re-reading to fully understand some of the advanced options. You have three view options: 1 camera full time, multiple cameras at once or a cycle of all cameras on the system.

The playback system for recorded videos is a bit slow to load, though I'm sure part of that is due to the older system I'm running it on (see the next paragraph). It's relatively easy to call up and view video, as well as burn it to recordable media to view elsewhere. The software has a handy calendar function to allow you to pick a date to view. From this area, you can also manually delete files. When hard drive space is running low, the system will automatically delete older videos, so be sure to back up anything you want to keep for your records.

So far, my system has been running well for several months on an old Pentium II system I dug out of the closet that I'm running Windows XP Home on. I've only had one freeze up and a reboot took care of that.

*** EDIT: (March 22, 2010): Regarding the above, I have since replaced the above system with a Pentium 4 system I recently retired from normal computing service. At the same time, I also upgraded to the latest DVR software available from Q-See. Both changes are an improvement. Indeed, the slow transition from recording to playback view were due to the older system I was running. The software now jumps from recording view to playback view in one or two seconds and the interface overall is a bit more polished. The only thing I don't like is they eliminated the "notch" in the playback speed slider that shows normal speed. It's still easy to get it back to that position, but I liked having the indicator show exactly where that center "normal" position is from the last software.***

The card has BNC connectors on it, but you can get an RCA to BNC adapter at any Radio Shack. Most decent security cameras will come with one.

If the camera has controls for it, the software can control panning, tilting and zooming (PTZ). However, unless you have a camera designed for remote control, this function won't do anything for you.

Finally, if you want to monitor a remote location, you can set up the software to allow to log in via the internet when you're away. It offers password protection for both remote viewing and for adjusting settings (including disabling the system) when you're at the system itself.

I gave it 4 stars only because of the snafu with having to download a working version of the software and that I wish you could search forward and back a little faster than what can be done currently. Also, the ability to choose an exact time would be nice rather than fiddling with the slider bar. The hour by hour ticks are nice, but not as handy as they could be. However, the price is certainly right, considering how much a standalone security video deck or DVR costs.

Overall, very good, just a few "gotchas".

13.) PCI-E Video Recorder Card
Reviewed by: One and the Same USA
Rating:

This card worked good after downloading update drivers/software from the manufacture. I used this card because I used Q-See cameras, But there are other cards (Swann) that are cheaper, I could not tell you if the features are the same. They all seem to be interchangable. If your not comfortable with working with or on your computer, you might get discouraged by the time you get done, you may need to upgrade your Video card/memory. The operation software (Once you get it working) that comes with this card works pretty neat to, you can record, playback, set alarms, motion detection, e-mail notification and print out a captured picture. I run two of these cards in my computer with 8 camera, upgradeabe to 12/16 cameras with addistional PCI-E slots. One for every four cameras, flexable.

14.) Decent DVR, but you'll want IT/networking aptitude
Reviewed by: John Dachik Madison, WI USA
Rating:

Put 3 of these cards into two dedicated Windows XP boxes (one Home, one Pro). It takes some willingness on your part to learn - port forwarding, etc. Also, in my version of the manual, they only referenced 3 of the 4 ports that needed to be forwarded. Once you see what ports the software is trying to open, you'll see what you need to do. You can also change the ports if you like. I run two servers on the same network just by assigning different ports.

I believe you can only run the server side on XP (haven't tried anything else), but I've gotten the client side (WebCam, Remote Playback) to work on XP, Vista, and Windows 7.

Video is stored as MPEG4 based AVI files, playable in VLC and Windows Media Player. A 160 GB can hold a couple months of recordings, at least for me, when set to record only when sensing motion.

Picture quality is ok (also dependent on the camera, of course).

A good value, in my opinion.

15.) Excellent device
Reviewed by: Qarni
Rating:

Good for monitoring and recording videos for 24h with grate features like motion detection etc.

16.) Bargain DVR that works
Reviewed by: C. Tierney Omaha, NE, USA
Rating:

I've installed many of these cards now, both for myself and for others. While you'll find many mispellings in the manual and software that isn't always that great - it really fit my needs with a budget price. The largest downside is the remote viewing software. This can take hours to get right for each computer. And then when it's right and you upgrade, you have to figure it all out again!

17.) Good functionality - flimsy connectors
Reviewed by: Glenn M. Muller Westwood, NJ
Rating:

I concur with the majority of the reviews; however, two of the BNC connectors broke while I was easing the PC back into its space. It was difficult to understand how these could have broken so easily.

18.) It does the job
Reviewed by: M. Metzke Milwaukee WI
Rating:

Was looking for something modestly priced mainly to see the front of my house from my basement office. Setup was easy and it seems to work. The only drawbacks are that you can't hide the window from the taskbar, relocate the window (it's locked in the upper corner of the screen), and my screen won't "sleep" when the dvr program is running.

19.) Hardware is Great
Reviewed by: debdebtig Barrington, NH USA
Rating:

The hardware that we purchased is great. The only problem was that the software didn't do everything we wanted it to do. We ended up buying two of them.

20.) Performs well
Reviewed by: C. Pehl Southern CA.
Rating:

This hardware performs well, but for the price it doesn't really provide anything the Swann equivelant does for a few dollars less, they both use the same software vendor. Also, there is a software upgrade available on Q-See's site that makes some essential upgrades, I would recommend installing that right away, as you have to uninstall in order to upgrade, and you lose any settings you made. Also, no matter how you read the wording, this card (and the Swann) only capture 32 fps divided by the number of camera's you use. If you use 4 camera's you will only get 7 fps on each.

21.) It works and it's cheap
Reviewed by: Timothy Carroll Gainesville, Florida, USA
Rating:

It works and it's cheap. The card is great. The software is...lacking. It REQUIRES you to be logged on to Windows to record, so there is absolutely no way you can install it as a "Windows Service" on a server machine in the closet (I've even tried running it as a scheduled task and using a "any program as a service" program -- it doesn't work beacause it require a DirectX drawing surface (not available without a screen) to even start up for JUST recording).

So you have to basically run XP or Vista as a makeshift "server" and have it autologon and lock the keyboard so nobody can mess with your machine until the screen locks. It will crash if you lock your computer before the software loads, because you cannot ignore DirectX rendering problems (when you lock your computer, there's no screen for it to render on).

The software was obviously outsourced to some foreign country because the translations are terrible and the UI is different from any other Windows program. The browser plugins/remote viewing software is very basic. Again, the UI is crap. The plugins are NOT signed, so if you have ActiveX signing requirements, you'll have to jump through hurdles to get it to work. The good news is that once it's installed, the remote viewing software works well. Final complaint: it requires 1024x768 or greater viewing area for everything. So it hogs screen space on a low-res monitor, and is microscopic on a high-res monitor. It would be better if it would allow dynamic resizing.

Well, that's a lot of complaining, but it really does work well and is very stable. You can even set it to automatically reboot your computer periodically if you have a very unstable old system. The main DVR program is pretty packed full of features. The password system is very flexible in what user has what rights. It's not bad. I guess for the price, it's a "you get what you pay for" thing, but not necessarily in a bad way. I was expecting a better UI based on the company literature, but what I got was a lousy UI, but a more feature packed software package than I thought. I suppose it depends on what your priorities are.

The latest version of the software on the website says it's Vista compatible, but I didn't take the risk. It was hard enough to get working on XP.

For my next DVR card, I'm going to thoroughly demo the software before buying.

22.) Not Bad for the Price
Reviewed by: R. Towner US
Rating:

I installed this card on a PC with Windows XP, and the set-up was easy, and the accompanying software/drivers had it up and running with no snags. I have connected cameras, and experimented with the system. It seems to work as advertised, however the software and instruction manual are very vague and difficult to follow. I have been figuring out how to set up the software, and I believe that it will do what I want it to, however the user manual is pretty vague, and it difficult to follow. It performs as advertised, however the Q-See QSOCWC night vision cameras that I purchased to go with this are another matter. If you are looking to buy cameras to go with this, stay away from the Q-See QSOCWC weatherproof night vision cameras.

23.) Does what's advertised.
Reviewed by: Mike Lee
Rating:

Used as a nanny cam. Instructions sucked, which is unfortunate, because it had a lot of neat features. Play around with it and you'll get the hang of it. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is the instructions, and I'm also having problems getting color to work well...

24.) Proprietary drivers/software
Reviewed by: Wrenchmonkey Sacramento, CA United States
Rating:

This card can't be used with any other software, such as Luxriot. Only the crappy software that comes with the card, which is OK if you don't mind being stuck at 320x240 resolution with Chinglish directions. Mine's going back.

25.) Works Fine for the Money
Reviewed by: George M NY USA
Rating:

The card works fine for the Money but I have noticed the software does not work well with windows XP. After a while it generates error messages becuase it needs updated CODECs for the remote playback. So if your monitoring a business you may come back to a windows XP crash error message. The only way to minimize this issue is to not upgrade XP beyond service pack 1. For the money though it works fine.

26.) proprietary, not worth the $$
Reviewed by: cololawyer Denver,CO
Rating:

Not compatible with any OS but WinXP -OR- any video capture software but the junky software that came with it. Do yourself a favor, find the video capture software you like (like blueiris) and get a video capture card with widely available drivers to go with it. If you are not technical, buy the fully integrated DVR system.

27.) THEY ARE STOLING YOUR MONEY
Reviewed by: Cesare Iannone
Rating:

NO INSTRUCTION, DIFFERENT CARD FROM PICTURE ( ACTUALLY IS A SK2000 PICO????) NO DRIVER, NO BMC ADAPTORS, NO SUPPORT AT ALL. I JUST WROTE TO HAVE SOME HELP AND THEY DON'T CARE. 5 MONTHS TRYING INSTALL IT, IF YOU WANT TO RETURN IT YOU HAVE TO PAY THE 50%. D O N' T B U Y IT.

28.) Only runs with Pentium III (not PII)
Reviewed by: GBTG USA
Rating:

I didn't see this on any of the tech-specs before I bought it. I was going to use an older Dell 4700 PII XP system which seemed to fit the basic quoted specs. WRONG! after several hours I eventually got to page 97 of the flakey manual and found this is a PIII only card. Why couldn't this be listed up front?

29.) Buy the Lorex card instead of this card!
Reviewed by: MikeUSAF Batavia, OH USA
Rating:

I'm not sure what is worse, the PCI card or the software. I am very knowledgeable about electronics and computers yet I had a difficult time getting this to work. Qsee's technical support finally got the card working after two days of phone calls however the software was still buggy. I returned this card to Amazon and bought the Lorex card which is what I should have done in the first place.

Qsee needs to put more effort into their capture cards and software as they do their cameras.

Features of Q-See QSPDVR04 4 Channel Digital Video Recorder PCI Card

QSPDVR04 is a PCI Card installed in a PC that will display and record live video from the cameras connected. It has 4 channels video input, the maximum display/recording rate is 25 fps under PAL ·format, and 30 fps under NTSC format. One PC can use 4 cards simultaneously, with 16 channels video input as the maximum number. Total resource is 100 fps under PAL format, and 120 fps under NTSC format. 1-16 channel video input, 1/4/6/8/13/16 screen display modes are available. Multi alarm triggering method: sensor alarm, motion detection, video loss, and HDD sources shortage. Also supports schedule recording mode. Video compression format: MPEG4. 5 level recording quality options available, and the recording frame rate range from 1 to 30 fps adjustable for each channel. Recycling recording method available. Support multi-channel playback, searching by time/date and recording events,images can be zoom/capture/save/print/backup. Support remotes surveillance and PTZ control through web browser, support dynamic domain name.

1.) Recording Rate 30 FPS NTSC (Total);
2.) MPEG4 Compression;
3.) Record Mode: Motion/Sensor/Schedule/Manual;
4.) Software Included for Internet Monitoring / Networking;
5.) Input Connector: BNC;

Package Height x Length x Width: 11.4 in. x 11.4 in. x 8.4 in.
Package Weight: 1.1 lbs.