Sms/mms By Dvr

[BigBrother]

Hi, as promised, the first of my two newbie questions:

Apart from the reallllly expensive units, is there a domestic DVR which can send SMS or MMS messages to mobile phones?

I notice that many DVRs offer an email facility when an alarm has been triggered, but when I'm awol, I'm unlikely to have any kind of interweb connection, with or without a laptop, but am highly likely to have a mobile and a signal to go with it.

I'm not too bothered about receiving live or recorded pictures on the phone, but it would be better to be alerted of any intrusion by this method rather than wait until I'm near an interweb signal laptop an' all!

Btw - I'd like to be able to send perhaps 2 SMS/MMS and 2 emails!

Thanks in anticipation

Big Brother

1 Vauxhall Astra, 4 broken door mirrors, 1 scuffed wing.

[james.wilson]

Before we tackle the sms issue. How do you expect the system to detect an 'alarm'? and what is it your classing as an 'alarm'?

[BigBrother]

Before we tackle the sms issue. How do you expect the system to detect an 'alarm'? and what is it your classing as an 'alarm'?

Sorry, newbie getting all tecchie-tongue-tied.

I've seen a number of DVRs which can send an email to several (usually 4-5) email addresses when triggered, either by an alarm connected to the unit, or when motion is detected through on or all of the cameras, or by some other 'Policy' set up in the DVR.

Thanks for your speedy initial response

BB

[james.wilson]

I can see what your saying but i just want to be sure you understand the implications.

If you use motion detection (and all but the very top end units dont have full blown video motion detection, more a scene change detector) then every light chnage, rain, vechile with headlights passing, passer by will cause an 'alarm'

If you want very sophisticated VMD (Video motion detection) that can for example can be specifically setup in different areas etc you are looking at very high end gear.

Basic activity detection or basic VMD as offered by most units is only to speed up the framerate when the scene changes, so you can effectivly lower framerate or quality when the scene isnt changing. Obviously false alarms on this are not a concern....but reporting them would be. YOu will get hundreds a day.

Or you have an input, ie pir etc that you can report from. This id suggest is the usual approach. But you will need to find a detector to fit your environment. Im guessing here but im assuming your vehicle is parked on a road, if so i dont know how your planning to detect vandals etc and not passers by.

Once you have your means of detection sorted (The hard bit) the reporting is usually the easy bit

[BigBrother]

I can see what your saying but i just want to be sure you understand the implications.

...

Once you have your means of detection sorted (The hard bit) the reporting is usually the easy bit

Thanks again for a speedy reply. The SMS/MMS message is for internal use. I think, because of exactly the issues you cite, I will be running the external cameras thus:

- One on motion detect (cars coming up down the wrong way (its a one-way street and often when cars/lorries go down, they err on the opposite side and clip the cars on this side - similarly cars on the opposite side get clipped by vehicles coming up the road))

- The other on continuous, pointed at the vehicle.

The SMS/MMS alert/message will be for me gaff itself, if anyone gains access. I do have a 4-zone PIR-alarm but due to ivy (the shrub not me neighbour's missus!), its not that visible, and even then it will only scare them off, not identify them.

Thanks again.

[breff]

If the DVR has alarm outputs, connect it to the input of an intruder alarm text dialler like this

[digitalwitness]

Not sure I have understood the requirement but why not just use an email address with text notification of the receipt of an email that you can retrieve on your mobile, such as a vodafone email account? Notifications may not be instantaneous and a little crude but it works.

If you wish to send a MMS/SMS then usually you will require a GSM modem with a sim (in other words contract or pay as you go), even if you found a domestic DVR with the capability of attaching a GSM modem, it is not likely to be able to tell which direction a vehicle is travelling so you would be sent all vehicles that pass plus any other visual difference that happens in the picture, you won't be long running up a large phone bill.

My advice is that if its that important go to a professional installer, do not mean to insult you but your knowledge does not seem to support your ambitions on this one.

[BigBrother]

Thanks Breff. Some DVRs do and some don't have physical alarm in/out-puts, so I'll add that to my spec list.

[james.wilson]

id still be wary f doing this as you will get tonnes of texts but on the alarm of your house point of view, use a text dialler on the alarm at home.

[justin]

Hi, as promised, the first of my two newbie questions:

Apart from the reallllly expensive units, is there a domestic DVR which can send SMS or MMS messages to mobile phones?

I notice that many DVRs offer an email facility when an alarm has been triggered, but when I'm awol, I'm unlikely to have any kind of interweb connection, with or without a laptop, but am highly likely to have a mobile and a signal to go with it.

I'm not too bothered about receiving live or recorded pictures on the phone, but it would be better to be alerted of any intrusion by this method rather than wait until I'm near an interweb signal laptop an' all!

Btw - I'd like to be able to send perhaps 2 SMS/MMS and 2 emails!

Thanks in anticipation

Big Brother

1 Vauxhall Astra, 4 broken door mirrors, 1 scuffed wing.

I,ve been asked this a few times. On the DVR's we use. We have setup the email notification selecting time periods for the alarms and only really using beams or door contacts as detection devises. Then using a texecom text dialler so we can link different inputs to different messages. Works well. As long as the customer is aware what exactly sets the alarms off.