Testing Argus Surveillance VMS

BE
Benros Emata
•Published Jul 13, 2010 00:00 AM

** **** ****, ** ************ ************'* ***, ** ******** **** ******** ********* for ********* ******* ** ******* *** servers *** **** **** $**** *** for ** ******* ** **** **** $200. *** * ***** ** *** be *** ****? **** ********* *** issues **** *** ****?

**** **** *** ********* ** * Windows *, ** *** *******, *********** a ***** ** ******* ********* *** Axis *****, *-**** ***-*** ******** **-*****. 

***** **** ** *** ******** *************** were ********** *** ******* ** **** more ********* *********, * ******** **** of ******* ****** ******** **** *** dependable *** *** *** **** ***** one ****** ** **** ****** *** their ************. **** *** ** ********** for ******* ****** ******* ** **** up-front *** ***** ****** ** ********* problems ** ****** **** *** ****.

**** ********** **************** *** ********, *** ********* ** *** ******** / ******** ****** ****** ** **********.

***************************
 ***************** **** $*** *** ** ********; Less **** $**** *** ********* ******* running ** ********* *******
*********************** ** ********** ******* ******* ***** / ***-*****
 3rd ***** ** ****** ******* ********** ************ ******* *** ******* *** ***** cameras
H.264 ************** *********
Analytics ******* *********** *****, ******** ******, ** ******* documentation
********* ******************* ********
Remote ********** ********** **********, ************** & ************** *** available
Run ** * ***************

** *** ******* ** *******, ****** to ********* *** ********

Multi-camera **************

******** ****** ********** ** ********

***********

** ****** *** **** ** *** company ** *** *****

Key ********

Technical *******:  Technical support appears to be non-existent. We received no reply to our numerous requests for technical support via their website over a span of a month. No phone number is provided on Argus's website.

Face *********:  We were able to capture faces but the subject needed to be in a very narrow field of view (less than 5 feet wide) and the lighting needed to be even. At slight angles (tilting one's head away from the camera) or with modest shadows, face catpure was infrequent. No supporting documentation was provided for face detection. It is possible that some setting(s) exist to improve this but with the limitations noted, this was the best results we could achive.

Setup:  Generally setup is simple and straightforward; however, the fragmented interface can cause some confusion. For example, numerous menus and sub-menus must be accessed to completely configure a camera for recording (event monitoring, frame rate, schedules, etc.). Potential for error during setup is increased because related configurations are not grouped together within a single page or 'workspace'.

Live ********** / **************:  Live monitoring is easy even for non-technical users. Primary camera controls and thumbnails representing cameras feeds are displayed on-screen. Untrained users can select controls or select thumbnails to view or control video.

**************, ********* *** ****** *******, ******** useful ******* **** *** ****** ** use. *** *******, ****** ********** *** displayed ** *** ******** *** ****** search *** **** *****-****** ************ ******** is ********. *******, *** ********* ******** is *******, ********* *** ************ ** redo *** **** ****** ****** ********** export. **** *** ***** ******** ** prevent * ****** **** **** ********* video.

***************

*** ***** ********, **** * ** less *******, ***** ******** * ********* simple ********* ** ******** *** **********. Although *** ** ****** ******* ** limited, ***** ********* *** ** **** to ******* *** ********* **** *** a ***** ** ****-************. ** $** for * *******, **'* ********** ***********.

***** **** ******* ************ *** *** small ** ***** *** ***********, **** might **** * ****** ****** ** operators *** ******* *** **** ** those *******:
  • **** ******** ****** ****** (**** **********, investigations *** **************)
  • ******** **** ********** ******** (********* ********** camera ***********)
  • ******* ****** ************
  • ******** ******* ********
  • *****-****** ******** **** ****** **********
* **** ******* ****** *** ********* could **** ***** ** * **** saver **** *********** *** *** *********** license.

*******, *** * *******, *** ****** offers **** ******** ************* *** * 'cheap' ******** ** ****$***.**.

*** **** ** *.*** ******* *** prove ** ** *** ********* ** terms ** ******* ***********. ** ** cameras, *** ********* ** ***** *** example, **** ****** * ****** ******** as ******* ** ******** *******. **** would ** ********** **** *** ***** deploying **** ********** ** ********* *******.

****** ***** ******* ** ****** ** cameras ** ****** ** ****** *** supported *** **** **** ***** ********* and ** ********** **********, *** ***** cheap ******* **** ** $** ** less *** ****** (*********** ***** ***** 16 ****** *** ** *******) ***** this ********** ** ****** *** **** to *** ***** ******* *** *** willing ** ******** ** *** **** term ******* ** ************** ***** *** system **** *****.

Product ********

********* ******** *******

***** ************ *** ******** ******* ****, XP, **** ** ***** ** ***. The ******** ** ************ **** ***** website [**** ** ****** *********], ***** provides *** ***** ****** *** ****** functionality. * ***** ***** ********* ** their ******* [**** ** ****** *********] provides ******* *******.

***** ***** *******

** ************* ** ********* *** *** website ** ******* *********. **** *** driver ****, *******, ** *** ******* some ******* *** ******** ** ************. Examples ** ****** ******* (*** *** limited **):

  • **** ******* *******
  • ********** (***** ***** *****)
  • ******* ******* *******
  • ********* ******* ******* + **** ******* models
  • **** ******* ******* + **** ******* models

*** **** ** ********* ******* ****** to ** ******** ***** *** ********. Although ** *** **** *** **** Q1755, **** *** **** ***** *** generic ***** ****. *** ************ ** generic ******* *** ********* **** '****-**' potential **** ******** ******* ** **'** seen **** ******* *** *********.

*******

***** ***** *** ******** **-**** ****** to *****. ** ***** *** ********* pricing/package ******* [**** ** ****** *********]:

  • * ******* ***, ****** ******** - $89.00
  • * ******* ***, ****** ******** - $118.00
  • ** ******* ***, ****** ******** - $198.00
  • ** ******* ***, ****** ******** - $338.00
  • ********* *******, ****** ******** - $***.**
  • **** ********:  ********* *******, ** ** 20 ********* - $***.***
  • ***** **** *******:  ********* *******, ** to *** ********* - $***.**

** ******* **** *** ******** ********* means **** * ***** ****** ** servers *** ** **** **** **** capabilities. ***** *** ***** **** ******* as ** *******, **** ***** **** that *** ******* *** ** **** to ****** *****. **** ******* ** a $** *** '****' **** *** can ******** ** ***** ** ********** offering; *******, ******* ******** **** *****, we ****** ****** ******** ** **** statement.

********* ********* ****** **** **** *** lack ** ******** **** ***** ** combination ** *** ******** ****** ******* raises * *** ****. ** ****** be **** ***** **** ******** *** system *** ** *** ** *** most *********** ** **** *** ** the ******, ***** **** * **** - lacking ***** ******* *** *** *******. 

*********

*** ********* ********** ******** ********* ********** of *****' *** ******. *** ****** include:

  • ** ******** **** ********* ******* (**:** min)
  • ** ********** ************* *** **** ********* analytics (**:** ***)
  • ************** ** ********** (**:** ***)
  • ****** ********** *** ******* *** ************** (05:23 ***)
  • *** ********* ******** (**:** ***)
  • ****** ******* ********** (**:** ***)
  • **** ****** ************ *** *** *** interface (**:** ***)

**************

*** ********* ********** ******** *** ** configure/setup *****' *** ******. *** ****** include:

  • ****** ********** (**:** ***)
  • ***** *** ****** ********* **** (**:** min)
  • ******** ***** ********** *** ********* (**:** min)
  • ********* ****** ***** *********** (**:** ***)
  • ****-******** ****** *** ********* (**:** ***)

Live ********** & **************

*** ********* ********** ******** **** ***** monitoring **** *****' *** ******. *** points *******:

  • ****** ****** *** **** **** *** investigations (**:** ***)
  • ********** ******* (**:** ***)
  • ****** ********** ******** *** ************** (**:** min)
  • ******* **** *** ********* ******** (**:** min)
  • ****-******** ****** *** ********* (**:** ***)