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A real crappy way to do business. I purchased this product and when received discovered it was not for a 64 bit system. I am now stuck with a product I cannot use. I tried to return it within two weeks maybe three because I didn't try to use it right away and got no answer to my emails. There's no phone number to call. I use to like buying from Amazon. Do what you want to but I got screwed.Swann PC DVR 4 Net
I like the Swann PC DVR 4 and was able to get it to run perfectly on a PC running Windows Vista using an AMD chip. It required some reading but I eventually got it set up with 4 cameras and did some remote viewing via the internet. I would definitely recommend it as a home monitoring system as long as you invest in a few quality cameras.
It is not shipped "Vista ready". I have two, in two different minimalist PC's I set up specifically for this task. That would enable 16 cameras to be attached. I use it in my oldest systems with no other options.
I use one weak, stripped down, PC in my garage hooked up to 4 cameras watching the front of my house. I keep mine ON continuously. It works great with Windows XP. I like this product a lot. However, the core functionality to watch and record my house when I am not there makes this a great product a great value (when on sale). No false claims of broad compatibility are made.You can put up to 4 of these cards in a single PC, if you have that many old style PCI slots.
I found that the wiring to 5 or more cameras to be more trouble than it was worth. Got tired of long wires everywhere.
Even at $80 or $90 you can still build your own scalable system, paying only for what you need when you need it, for less than buying a complete DVR package. It is not a resource hog; it is happy with a slow single core cpu without bells and whistles.
I have another similar setup in a back bedroom to watch the sides and back. It is not 64 bit OS compatible, but really that weakness is common to most hardware/software.
It also is not Linux compatible. This means a lot less wires in the house.I really do wish Swann would update the product, software, and documentation and release a Linux solution.
But if you are not comfortable tinkering, a package may be better for you.
Very Good Card. Has all the features you need for Surveillance Camera.Easy to install and clarity is very good.
I've installed two of these cards in two of the exact same machines. Overall with a little work, I give it three stars. These things have worked like a charm.
In both cases I was referred to the latest 5.4 (I beleive) driver update. Once I get these port forwarding glitches and the firmware correct, I should be good to go. I contacted Swann and asked which of the three support drivers would work best for a Vista 32bit application.
I'm still working on figuring out the remote viewing and local viewing portion of the device, but so far it has lived up to what it says. Upon trying this, I received misc errors. I then tried the oldest driver, and presto.
Also this card allows you to recycle the destination folder for your motion recordings, and keeps your hard drive from filling up with squirrels running through your yard, or leaves blowing in the wind. If their Australian support team was a little more helpful, I probably would have gave it four.
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