DVR Security System Review

Designed specifically for analog cameras the Axis 241QA is a four channel video server that converts your cameras output into a digital signal.  The ‘A’ in the name of the video server refers to the fact this particular model in the range supports two way audio, this means you can hear and be heard by people in the vicinity of your surveillance cameras.  The video server uses PCM audio and can transmit sound signals over a network at up to 64 kbps.

The video server uses both motion JPEG and MPEG-4 video compression and it has a maximum frame rate of 30 FPS per camera.  What video signal you set the video server to use has an impact on the frame rate, the device is compatible with both PAL and NTSC signals.  In PAL mode the frame rate is slightly lower at 25 frames per second and this mode offers the higher image resolution, that being 768*576.  In NTSC mode the device can capture images at the maximum frame rate although at a slightly lower image resolution of 704*480.

Like many of its other counterparts in the Axis video server range the 241QA has 11 preset levels of image compression.  You can strike a balance between the usage of video storage space and image quality by adjusting the image compression settings of the device.  You can switch between either color or black and white video and you can rotate the image output from the video server.

The overlay capabilities of the device enable you to give each camera attached to it a unique name, the name is displayed while monitoring the camera and is handy for identifying cameras easily.  You don’t have to give each camera a specific name using the overlay controls, you can replace this information with either the date or the time.  Analog cameras are connected to the 241QA through its four BNC inputs, four alarm inputs are also built in to the video server.

An ETRAX 100 LX 32 bit CPU is inside the 241QA and it has 64 megabytes of RAM and a supplementary 8 megabytes of flash memory.  As with the other video servers in the range the 241QA includes software you can install on your Windows PC for monitoring your surveillance cameras. The video server also has a RS-485/422 and RS-232 ports and it supports security analog cameras with PTZ functions.

Check the latest price of the Axis 241QA Video Server