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[bs27975]

Some items that might be good in the DCS-2132L FAQ:

Q. What is the maximum capacity of the DCS-2132L's SD Card slot?
A. The DCS-2132L's SD Card is an SDHC (not SDXC) slot, so the maximum capacity is 32GB.

Q. What SD card speed should I use in my DCS-2132L's SD card slot?
A. Class {x?} is sufficient, however, given the small cost differential I suggest to go with UHS-1 (or Class 10, if you must). Reason: Future proof. You will ultimately use the card in some other device in the future, and there's no way to know, now, what speed you will need, then. IMO, buy the fastest you can now, and hope its sufficient for later.

Q. What is the video capacity of a 32GB SD card, in terms of time?
A. Depends upon what else you are storing on the card (events, images, video), but assuming only 1280x720 full motion (30fps), {??} hours can be stored before overwriting begins.

- i.e. This sets an outside limit. Any reduction in quality (resolution, fps, intermittence) will inherently get you more. (How much more is another question.)
- A link in the answer to some chart showing the factors (resolution, fps, etc) and resulting time capacity would be useful - if anyone has any idea where such a chart is.

Q. What things should one consider when using the DCS-2132L's SD card?
A. {I have no idea, but I'd sure appreciate anyone else's thoughts, advice, experiences!}

Please note: The above are proposed questions, and my best guess answers - confirmation / corrections appreciated. But they are only a guess - someone with authority to post to the FAQ should seek confirmation / correction if they're interested / before such posting.

In the second last case (question) {How much video on a 32GB card} ... I myself have no idea - I'm looking for the answer, myself. Which was the reason for making this post in the first place.

[JavaLawyer]

Thanks for your contribution.  

Can other DCS-2132L owners please validate or add to the OP's answers based on their own experience? Not having personally tested a DCS-2132L, I'm ill equipped to respond.

After all of the information is validated (by the user community!) I can add to the FAQ board.

Thanks!

[RYAT3]

Some items that might be good in the DCS-2132L FAQ:

Q. What is the maximum capacity of the DCS-2132L's SD Card slot?
A. The DCS-2132L's SD Card is an SDHC (not SDXC) slot, so the maximum capacity is 32GB.

Q. What SD card speed should I use in my DCS-2132L's SD card slot?
A. Class {x?} is sufficient, however, given the small cost differential I suggest to go with UHS-1 (or Class 10, if you must). Reason: Future proof. You will ultimately use the card in some other device in the future, and there's no way to know, now, what speed you will need, then. IMO, buy the fastest you can now, and hope its sufficient for later.

Q. What is the video capacity of a 32GB SD card, in terms of time?
A. Depends upon what else you are storing on the card (events, images, video), but assuming only 1280x720 full motion (30fps), {??} hours can be stored before overwriting begins.

- i.e. This sets an outside limit. Any reduction in quality (resolution, fps, intermittence) will inherently get you more. (How much more is another question.)
- A link in the answer to some chart showing the factors (resolution, fps, etc) and resulting time capacity would be useful - if anyone has any idea where such a chart is.

Q. What things should one consider when using the DCS-2132L's SD card?
A. {I have no idea, but I'd sure appreciate anyone else's thoughts, advice, experiences!}

Please note: The above are proposed questions, and my best guess answers - confirmation / corrections appreciated. But they are only a guess - someone with authority to post to the FAQ should seek confirmation / correction if they're interested / before such posting.

In the second last case (question) {How much video on a 32GB card} ... I myself have no idea - I'm looking for the answer, myself. Which was the reason for making this post in the first place.

Right now, 4-16-2013, my DCS 2230, on 1280x720/30fps, excellent fixed quality, at 8:00 pm (20:00),
the earliest file available is yesterday, 5:02 pm (17:02).

Most current file is being written, that's 7:57 pm (19:57).

So that's 27 hours worth.

I'm using one of these, San disk c10 32gb, from B&H, which was $30!

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/886009-REG/SanDisk_sdsdqui_032g_a11_32GB_microSDHC_Memory_Card.html



If you drop the fps in half, you'd probably get almost double the time.

[bs27975]

Thank you so much for this!

(And the clock beast is just too cute!)
{Even for a guy.}

[RYAT3]

Thank you so much for this!

(And the clock beast is just too cute!)
{Even for a guy.}

Windows Vista SideBar gadget.

It has 8 options.  I don't use that at all..(seriously!) only to hide my current option :p

[RYAT3]

Thank you so much for this!

(And the clock beast is just too cute!)
{Even for a guy.}

Only other notes, I'm using H.264 all everywhere, other options would not offer as much compression.

Even though H264 promises compression, it does appear to have it's limits.

I think fixed quality black screen would take the same amount of file size as something with an image.

What I mean is that, the camera is pointed out my window, so nighttime is mostly black, but daytime is full with image.  It looks like I have 20 files per every hour.  (sometimes 19). 

The 2230 offers more detail, but isn't available on mydlink.com as an option.  I haven't compared it with the 2132L, which I have fixed and don't want to move it.  I do have a weblink to view static images, and the motion jpegs also work.

Not sure why you want to record chairs being thrown, but I'd consider the DCS-2230.. which runs around $250 online.  If you are at a computer, you can always log in and watch the camera's video through the firmware.

[bs27975]

What I mean is that, the camera is pointed out my window, so nighttime is mostly black, but daytime is full with image.  It looks like I have 20 files per every hour.  (sometimes 19).

Thanks!

I could see from the prior screenshots that a new file was coming less than every 10 minutes, and your note is consistent with that. Good to know.

And I remembered, later, FAT32 has a 2GB limit, so it has to switch files at least that often. (At that resolution.)

So if I tell them to wait at least 10 minutes after an incident before pulling the card, all should be well. (Let alone, if we get ~27 hours, there may be no need to pull at all - the event only runs from ~5pm - ~9am every Friday.)

The 2230 offers more detail, but isn't available on mydlink.com as an option.  I haven't compared it with the 2132L, which I have fixed and don't want to move it.  I do have a weblink to view static images, and the motion jpegs also work.

I saw that. ~$300 here, vs ~$200. Being a volunteer run / donated event, there's a reluctance to spend anything at all, preferring to spend the budget on guest deliverables. Add with no back end infrastructure, ethernet, computers / servers, they don't yet believe / understand the costs involved for the desired result. The 2132L seems a reasonable get your feet wet device to have them work through the processes, issues, technology, infrastructure requirements. At the other end I can see them acquiring more cameras, at half the price (e.g. no SD), with a zoneminder catcher. (Once they surmount their privacy / confidentiality / access concerns.)

Not sure why you want to record chairs being thrown, but I'd consider the DCS-2230.. which runs around $250 online.  If you are at a computer, you can always log in and watch the camera's video through the firmware.

We run an Out Of The Cold site - volunteers have been hurt. At least once case went to trial and unsuccessful (not proven) as the guy said it wasn't him. A camera would have nailed him.

This past season has been harder than usual, violence wise. Although the above (trial) happened several years ago, I was unable to get cameras in at that time. This year, there have been more inter-site/night incidents, with some spillover. I'm hoping footage will get me a headshot as they exit the building that we can pass on to the next night / organization. Hoping for quid pro quo. (And looking to spend the least amount possible until these concepts 'proove' themselves in our environment. e.g. Necessary infrastructure in place, access controls surrounding who can extract the footage, etc.)

With no other computers on site ... it's a learning curve journey for everyone to travel, and they'd like to travel it for the least cost and without going down false trails. (For which I can't blame them - nobody wants to spend more than appropriate, nor task volunteers to watching a TV screen - only to have them not come back again, out of boredom.)

[RYAT3]

Thanks!

I could see from the prior screenshots that a new file was coming less than every 10 minutes, and your note is consistent with that. Good to know.

And I remembered, later, FAT32 has a 2GB limit, so it has to switch files at least that often. (At that resolution.)

So if I tell them to wait at least 10 minutes after an incident before pulling the card, all should be well. (Let alone, if we get ~27 hours, there may be no need to pull at all - the event only runs from ~5pm - ~9am every Friday.)

50 MB switching

I did a 2132L test for you. Manually removing the card while recording, corrupted the last file as expected.
I waited 10 minutes and put the card back in, and it restarted automatically.


*This just in - divx and windows media player could not play the file, but VLC media player was able to!

[bs27975]

Cool.

Thank you very much for taking the time to do that!

[RYAT3]

Cool.

Thank you very much for taking the time to do that!

I guess the last questions - are you mounting this outside or indoors behind a window?
And if outdoors - is it covered or exposed to rain?  (there's an online video on youtube of someone using his indoor dcs camera in the rain until it craps out)... There are success stories of outside but not exposed to rain, etc..

Are you going to use video motion or PIR (passive infrared detection)?

From what I know and understand - PIR apperently doesn't work behind a window and is reflected - so anytime I walk by with it on while inside, it detects motion.

And on all these cameras - if you turn on the infrared led lights - they shine red.  You could get some infrareds online without the red back light...    and turn off the dcs camera reds... but then - they are only good for 10-15-20 feet depending on location...

[bs27975]

This is the first camera, a trial. I expect people will work through the issues of what these beasties are all about and the procedures surrounding them (e.g. footage access), then work through where all cameras should be, with what capabilities.

For the moment, I'm expecting to put the camera up around 5pm on a Friday night, hooked to an electrical extension cord, then take it down around 9am the the next morning. It will be inside only, pointed to catch headshots as people leave.

I did catch the internal / external <thang>, thanks. I see there is an external version of the camera, for only $100 more!, and would push for that if they become interested in outside. Of bigger issue, in that case though, is wiring and vandalism. I don't trust wi-fi to be fast enough, and it's no good if someone walks by and takes a cane to it and destroys it. (I've been reminded of PoE and Powerline stuff, so have been considering that for the future, not this camera. But just like every extra device slows down wi-fi, as far as I know the same is true of powerline. A single 200Mbps full duplex may be fine for one device, but I expect more than 1 will seriously degrade the throughput of all.)

Of larger issue to the membership will be the cost of running wires, and the 'ugliness' of the result.

We will play with video motion and PIR, but probably only as part of understanding the ramifications of the beastie for setting criteria for future cameras. Given where this one will be pointed, fluorescent lights will be on at all times, and being the front desk, in all but constant motion. (The area is in all but constant motion as people come in, and go out for a smoke.)  I'm not yet convinced that either will be useful for this particular camera, but the point of the trial is to check it all out and see what's practically useful and not just marketing speak. (In our particular environment.)

The short distance of the IR should be sufficient for this camera's purposes. May not be in other locations, but we'll be able to buy specific to those other locations. I've seen references to external IR, so those combined with a non-IR (and less expensive) camera may make sense in those locations. I've also seen references to 'birdhouses' constructed to mount inside only cameras outside, so I get your point.

Thanks for the note that the IR shines red - good to know. Something we will have to address and be ready to explain. As long as it doesn't randomly speak out "Input ... I need input ..." we'll probably be OK. Even if some people start having nightmares.

[RYAT3]

If you are indoor with the lights on, then you won't need to turn on the IR's.

PIR will work fine without IR and all that.

You can turn off all the lights on the camera, so it does look "dead".

[helloimtired]

I need help.  The playback only shows 4 seconds out of a minute.  How do I see the whole playback?