User's Manual Addendum for V5.4

     The hardware components included in your system may vary depending on the model or optional features you purchased. This chapter will describe all high end adapters of the GV-System and its installation procedures.

• Overview
• Hardware
• Software

V5.4 is needed by the adapters listed below

 

Model	Description
GV-900	Displays and records 240/200 fps (NTSC/PAL).
GV-1000	Displays and records 480/400 fps (NTSC/PAL).
GV-A16	Works together only with GV-1000 to provide 16-channel audio recording.
GV-DSP-8	A real-time display card that delivers the same functions as GV-DSP-16 for 4 to 8 cam models at lower price.

 

V5.4 Key Features

 

Feature	Description
Video De-interlace	Applying this feature, you can see improved video quality when running the mode of single channel view at 640 x 480.
Auto Gain Control (AGC)	Adjusting AGC help to boost weak video signals or reduce strong video signals, gives optimized image quality.  The adjustment could be done manually or automatically.
AVIRepairAPI	This feature helps to repair damage video files.
Minimize	Use this feature in Password Setup, main screen can only be minimized by authorized users.
New function icon to ViewLog	One new icon is added to ViewLog.  It opens a new dialog box that provides several user-friendly functions.
Mini-View Display	Use this feature to reduce overall size of images for data transfer over internet; extremely useful if wish to remotely configure GV-systems using Remote Desktop Connection (a standard feature that comes with Windows XP Professional).
Supporting Pelco D protocol PTZ camera	This version adds the support to Pelco D protocol PTZ camera.
Adds more supports to GV-250	V5.4 adds supports to GV-250.  It can now support DSP cards, and one audio channel recording (these two items must be purchased in addition to GV-250).  Your video capture card must be the version 2.0 or above.

GV-1000:  Video Capture Card

Connecting the card:

Specifications
Input Type	15 pins D-Sub connector x 2
Video Inputs	16
Total Recording Rate	480/400 fps (NTSC/PAL) in M-JPEG mode
Video Codec	Wavelet, MPEG4, M-JPEG
Audio Inputs	Optional to 16 channels
Audio Codec	N/A
GV-DSP Support	Optional
Hardware Watchdog	Yes
Dimension	225mm x 130mm

Minimum System Requirement
Operating System	Windows 2000 / XP
DirectX	9.0
CPU	Pentium 4 2.8GHz (800 MHz FSB)
Memory	2 x 256MB dual DDR400 SDRAM
Hard Drive	250 GB
VGA	NVIDIA GeForce II MX200 64MB

Before you start

Make sure your software version is upgraded to v5.4.0.0.

Setup Suggestions:

 

To get GV-1000 performed at 480/400 fps (NTSC/PAL), following elements must be correctly set up.

1. Video Resolution set to 320 x 240 (System Configure, Video Source, select 320 x 240 from Video Resolution).

2. Rec Video set to M-JPEG (System Configure, camera tab, in the Monitor Control section, press the white camera button next to Rec Video.  Select M-JPEG from the list).  It is important to all this setting to all cameras.

Please note that the setting mentioned above trade off storage space in exchange for higher frame rates.  It is best to evaluate motion frequencies at each surveillance area, and set the best combination to achieve most frame rates at lowest possible storage (frame rate is the first priority in these combinations).  Here are some suggestions:

Rec Video / Environment	Video Resolution	Recording Quality	Rec Video
Motion detect / usually not much motion	640 x 480 or 320 x 240	640 x 480 or 320 x 240	wavelet or MPEG4
Motion detect / usually a lot of motion	640 x 480 or 320 x 240	640 x 480 or 320 x 240	M-JPEG
Round-the-clock	320 x 240	320 x 240	M-JPEG

GV-1000 supports 16 channels of audio channels, with the purchase of a GV-A16 card.  Please refer to GV-A16 later in this manual for specifications of the audio card.

GV-900:  Video Capture Card

Connecting the cards:

Specifications
Input Type	15 pins D-Sub connector x 2
Video Inputs	8, 16
Total Recording Rate	240/200 fps (NTSC/PAL) in M-JPEG mode
Video Codec	Wavelet, MPEG4
Audio Inputs	4 channels
Audio Codec	ADPCM 8-bit Mono
GV-DSP Support	Optional
Hardware Watchdog	Yes
Dimension	198mm x 104mm

Minimum System Requirement
Operating System	Windows 2000 / XP
DirectX	9.0
CPU	Pentium 4 2.6GHz (800 MHz FSB)
Memory	512 MB dual DDR400 SDRAM
Hard Drive	120 GB
VGA	NVIDIA GeForce II MX200 64MB

Before you start

Make sure your software version is upgraded to v5.4.0.0.

GV-A16: 16-channel audio recording card

Connecting the cards:

Specifications
Interface	9 pins D-Sub connector x 2
Number of channels	16
Audio Codec	ADPCM 8-bit Mono
Compatible Models	GV-1000
Dimension	120mm x 91mm

Note:  The GV-A16 works in conjunction only with GV-1000 video capture card.

GV-DSP-8: 8 ports real-time display card

Connecting the cards:

Specifications
Total Display Rate	240 fps
Number of Ports	8
TV-Output	RCA x 1
Compatible Models	GV-250, GV-600, GV-650, GV-750, GV-800, GV-900
Dimension	198mm x 104mm

Software

Enhancing Video Quality Using Video De-interlace

Smooth out edge-tear effect between the odd and even video lines.

 

Applications applied

• Main System

• ViewLog

Condition

• Applied only to single channel view mode running 640x480

• Requires DirectX 9

• VGA card must support de-interlace (most of the popular VGA cards in market support de-interlace).

 

Before de-interlace	After de-interlace

 

Follow these steps to apply de-interlace to your Main System:

1. Press Configure button in function panel, and select System Configure from menu.

2. In the System Configure dialog box, select Enable De-Interlace Render in Startup section.

3. Press OK to apply the setup.

4. Exit and restart the Main System.  Without this step the function will not apply.

Note: To apply de-interlace to ViewLog, see New Features in ViewLog?section later in this document

 

Tip: To check version of your DirectX, search for file name dxdiag.  Open the file and you will see version of your DirectX.  DirectX 9 is also included in your system CD-ROM.  Find DirectX9 folder and run dxsetup to upgrade to DirectX 9.

 

Optimizing Video Signals Using Auto Gain Control (AGC)

 

Adjusting AGC help to boost weak video signals or reduce strong video signals, gives optimized image quality.  The adjustment could be done manually or automatically.  When a video signal is weak, for example, due to distance, adjusting the brightness or contrast of the video source will NOT help the situation.  Adjust AGC and feel the difference.

 

Applications applied

 

Only in GV-900 and GV-600 V2.08 / V2.08A video capture cards.

 

The default is set to 1.15V (115), but you may move the slider bar to adjust between 0.3V (30) to 2.5V (250).  Follow these steps to adjust AGC:

1. Press Configure button in function panel, and select Video Attribute from menu.

2. While you can adjust AGC manually for each camera, it is recommended to use Auto.  Press Auto button and have the system do the work for you.  Default button will bring back all cameras to default value.

3. Press Apply button to apply the setup.

 

Repairing Damaged Video Files

 

If the computer has been shut down improperly, for example, due to power failure, use this function would repair the damaged video files.

 

How to find damage files:

 

When a computer has been shut down improperly, the first thing you do when starting your GV-system is to run the Repair DataBase Utility (Located in Program, System folder, Repair DataBase Utility).  After running the program (see User’s Manual for steps), go back to ViewLog and view Video Events.  You should be able to playback all video files after running the utility.  However, if what you see is a question mark after clicking on the file, chances are the recording process was interrupted.  To repair this file, you may:

 

1. Find AVIRepairAPI in GV-system’s root directory.  Executing the application will bring up the following dialog box:

    

   
   

2. Press Select Source Path and find the damaged video file.

3. If you know the Resolution can Compression Type of the file, select Manual to manually select the correct video format.  Alternatively, you may select Auto and have the system run all combinations for you.  Please note that it takes longer time to repair with this selection.

4. Press Repair.

5. You may see distorted images or No Image on view screen if an incorrect video format was chosen.  Don’t worry, just press No button for next combination, until a complete image appears.

   
    

   Distorted image	No Image	Complete image

    

6. When a complete image is display, press the arrow button to preview.

7. Press Yes to start the repair.

8. Press Yes will overwrite the old file, or No to save the video file to another location.  However, if you choose No in this step, remember to run Repair DataBase Utility?again after exiting this program.

 

Locking Main Screen by Passwords

 

Adding one more feature that to be controlled by passwords.  With the Minimize selected, only assigned users can minimize GV-system main screen.  Follow these steps to set up:

 

1. Press Configure button in function panel, and select Password Setup from menu.

2. In the Password Setup dialog box, select Minimize.

    

   
   
   

New Features in ViewLog

 

A new icon is added to the ViewLog application:  ..  Press this icon will bring up the System Configure dialog box.

 

4 Quad UI Active

Select channels you wish to display in a “Quad View?

Use Deinterlace Render

Enable this function to apply de-interlace.  User must restart ViewLog software to apply new setting.

Note:  De-Interlace function can only be applied to single view at 640x480 resolution.  This function requires DirectX 9 and VGA card with de-interlace support.

 

 

Use Scaling Render

 

Enable this function to apply video scaling, which is used to smooth out jagged edges or mosaic squares when enlarging a playback video.  User must restart ViewLog software to apply new setting.

 

Note: Scaling function may be applied to single view only.  This function requires DirectX 9 and VGA card with video scaling support.

 

 

 

Mini-View Display for Remote Configuration

 

Since you may use Microsoft Remote Desktop (a feature that comes with Windows XP Professional Edition) to set up a GV-system through network, it is important to get smallest size possible data for transmission over network.  This feature allows user to squeeze all video channels into a single 320x240 view, so that you have less image data to transmit.  Here is how:

1. Press Configure button in function panel, and select System Configure from menu.

2. In the System Configure dialog box, select Mini-View for Remote Desktop in Startup section.

3. Press OK to apply the setup.

4. Exit and restart the Main System.  Without this step the function will not apply.

5. After system restart, select Configure button again, then enable Mini-View Switch from menu.  If wish to go back to normal view, just deselect the feature.

   
   

Note: You may see a warning message “Directdraw Create Overlay Failed?when trying to connect to a server.  The message indicates the server has selected the “Enable Overdraw Overlay?function.  It only means the remote side will not see the images with DirectDraw applied.  It is safe to press Yes to continue the connection.