Anyone know much about cheap security cameras?

**Homestar** · 9th January 2018, 04:59 PM

Got a DVR system that can run up to 8 cameras but I only bought 4 a couple of years ago. This exact company doesn’t exist any more (no biggy, these systems seem to be all the same) so I found some cameras on eBay. Emailed the seller and asked if they would work with my system - ‘yes, will work on your system ‘

Sure enough they don’t. Back and forwards to the seller until I get the ****s. They power up fine - the IR LED’s come on when you turn out the lights, tried different power supply, leads, etc. nope..

Tried to get my money back - nope. Filed a complaint through eBay - they sided with the seller saying they hadn’t supplied faulty goods so stiff ****. By this time I can’t even go through PayPal because it’s been too long.

Anyway, last thing I want to try is to see why the frig they don’t work. They say they are PAL cameras, the system is set to PAL - tried NTSC too just in case they put the wrong stickers on them, but no.

Being that they are just cheap CCD cameras - 3 wires - pos, neg and video out, so buggered if I can work out why they don’t work.

Any gurus out there that know a bit more than how to plug these in? I’ve pulled a camera apart and the vid out signal does indeed go to the pin of the connector so it must be just a format mismatch? Should these just work to a video in of a tv, etc like my GoPro, mobius, etc?

**Homestar** · 9th January 2018, 05:22 PM

A bit more info now I've done some testing. Original cameras that work on the DVR also work when connected to a video input of the telly, so DVR is just recording a standard video signal. New cameras produce a series of scewed lines across the screen, so different format. But what is it and why when they are PAL cameras, or is that the problem?

Don't know enough about different signal types unfortunately and neither did the seller...

**Mick_Marsh** · 9th January 2018, 05:46 PM

You bought a box of worms.
A Brief Comparison on the HD Security Camera Formats

Did you get any documents with the cameras?

**cjc_td5** · 9th January 2018, 06:03 PM

Scribbly lines across the screen indicate PAL/NTSC format missmatch, at least that was the issue when I installed the camera in my D4.

**Homestar** · 9th January 2018, 06:09 PM

Thanks. That was my first thought but my DVR supports both PAL and NTSC and they don't work on either setting.

**Homestar** · 9th January 2018, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

You bought a box of worms.
A Brief Comparison on the HD Security Camera Formats

Did you get any documents with the cameras?

They came in a nice brown box, only sheet in there was package contents...

So looks like there's heaps of different formats... Now I just need to work out what I have to see if I can do much about it. Don't mind buying a second DVR for the cameras, just want to make sure I get thhe right one!

**Mick_Marsh** · 9th January 2018, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Homestar

They came in a nice brown box, only sheet in there was package contents...

So looks like there's heaps of different formats... Now I just need to work out what I have to see if I can do much about it. Don't mind buying a second DVR for the cameras, just want to make sure I get thhe right one!

So, what brand/model are they?
Any info on the net?
You might be able to convert the signal.

**Tins** · 9th January 2018, 07:56 PM

Originally Posted by Homestar

Thanks. That was my first thought but my DVR supports both PAL and NTSC and they don't work on either setting.

Being a sparky, you'll get this. PAL comes in 50 ( Aus and NZ ) or 60 ( pretty much everywhere else ) Hz. I suspect that you may have got some cams designed for the EU. Prepared to be corrected, but if they are stated to be PAL then I reckon that's it. My Mac can convert NTSC to PAL, and vv, so maybe your PC can as well. Worth a try I guess to see what's what.

**AK83** · 9th January 2018, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by johntins

Being a sparky, you'll get this. PAL comes in 50 ( Aus and NZ ) or 60 ( pretty much everywhere else ) Hz. I suspect that you may have got some cams designed for the EU. Prepared to be corrected, but if they are stated to be PAL then I reckon that's it. My Mac can convert NTSC to PAL, and vv, so maybe your PC can as well. Worth a try I guess to see what's what.

Those frequency numbers may be for AC electrical stuff, but PAL video is Pal video .. is PAL video.
There are a few anomalies for some countries, but nothing to be of any concern.
PAL Europe/UK/Aus .. are all the same data: 625lines(576 visible) 50Hz vertical refresh rate, 7Mhz channel separation(for the old analogue TV broadcast) .. etc.
But for the important info of video out, it's 576 lines and 50Hz refresh rate.

Like Mick asked, what brand/model .. and can you connect up to a computer(or other device) of some type that accepts video in signals?

**Homestar** · 10th January 2018, 06:43 PM

Thanks for everyones input. After a lot more searching - drove me nuts! - I found that they are TVI caneras, which my DVR should be able to cope with, but doesn't - although it is a hybrid unit, it is a very early one, so I think TVI is just out of reach for it.

One the bright side, a new 8 channel modern hybrid DVR that will except TVI and old analogue cameras isn't expensive - $89 delivered so not the end of the world and it will accept the old cameras too.

I'll put the HD TVI cameras out the front where the old ones are, then put the old ones in other locations around the place. The TVI cameras use the same BNC connectors so existing wiring is fine. 👍

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