Identifying your Capture Card
From EZWatch Wiki
Over the years, Automated Video Systems has produced and sold many different versions of our signature 'EZ Watch Pro' cards and software. Our cards have evolved from fairly simple surveillance tools to powerful and complex devices capable of a huge range of features and capabilities. With more and more legacy customers requesting information, identifying which of our cards you have is important for downloading software updates, drivers, and backup software. This guide will aid you in determining which card you have, and guide you to the best resource to that card's downloads.
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EZ Watch Pro v. 1.0/1.1
The earliest EZ Watch Pro capture cards available, version 1.1 was a simple and effective surveillance system. It lacked many of the advanced features and quality our current versions have, but still offered a solid security system. These cards are no longer in production, and our warehouses do not retain any more of these cards in stock; expansion of a 1.1 system is not possible.
The 1.1 Capture Cards are all a bright green color. On the back is a sticker which indicates which card (Out of 4) it is. Some older cards simply have four check boxes designating which set of cameras that card is designed for (1-4 are Card 1, 5-8 are card 2, 9-12 are card 3, and 13-16 are card 4).
This image shows an example of how the version 1.1 software looked while running.
To download the version 1.1 software, you must visit our ftp site and download the entire version 1.1 directory. If you are having problems downloading it with IE version 7, we recommend using a 3rd party FTP client such as Filezilla to download the directories.
EZ Watch Pro v. 3.0/3.1
The 3.0 capture cards were flexible, powerful cards which had a wide range of advanced features. These cards were widely available for quite a while; production stopped on all cards in October 2007. The 3.0/3.1 capture cards are NOT currently available, and as such existing systems using 3.0/3.1 are not expandable.
All 3.0 capture cards are a green color. On the back of the card is a sticker containing the model number and card number in use.
Version 3.0 cards all came with one of the following model #'s :
| Business Grade | Professional Grade |
|---|---|
| 1400 AS | 1404 HS |
| 1416 ASE | 3404 HS |
| 1432 ASE | 1600 RD |
| 3416 ASE | 1160 RD |
| 3432 ASE | 1320 RD |
| 5416 ASE | 2160 RD |
| 5432 ASE | 5404 HS |
After the model number is a card identification number. This number is VERY IMPORTANT, as cards MUST be installed in order : 0, 1, 2, 3. If you have Card #1 and no card #0 then your software will not load.
The image above shows an example of a typical version 3.0/3.1 screen. In the top-left corner of the screen you will also see your card's model number displayed : 
If you are using the 1404, 1416, 1432, or 1600 cards then you must use EZ Watch Pro version 3.0 software. It is a free download from our FTP site.
If you are using the 3404, 3416, 3432, 1160 or 1320 cards then you should use the EZ Watch Pro version 3.1. The software for these can be found in the 3.1 Software (Before June 07) section of our Download Center.
If you are using the 1400, 5404, 5416, 5432, or 2160 cards then you should use our All-In-One version 3.1 installer. This can also be found in our Download Center.
EZ Watch Pro v. 4.0
EZ Watch Pro is the latest version of our software, offering the maximum in power, economy, and flexibility. The software has been simplified from a large number of models to a few, and the boards are more easily recognizable from one another.
Business Grade - WDM
The earliest models of 4.0 Business Grade cards are the 'WDM' cards. These cards are easily identifiable by their black-colored circuit board. They are no longer under production, however for users wishing to expand they may be sent in to us to be exchanged for the newer 'G3' series cards.
A sticker is present on all WDM cards indicating its model number : SCB1004 or SCB-1004 is on all 4-channel cards, while SCB3016 or SCB-3016 is present on all 16-channel cards. Up to 4 of the SCB1004 cards may be installed in a single PC (Providing 16-channel maximum), or 2 of the SCB3016 cards may be installed simultaneously (Providing 32-camera maximum). The two different models of cards will not function in the same machine; there is currently no way to get a 20-camera system with the Business Grade cards.
The WDM cards are compatible with ANY version of the EZ Watch Pro 4.0 software; you may download the software from our website at the Download Center. Please be aware, however, that while the version 4.3 software is compatible with the WDM cards, the 4.3 software does NOT contain the correct driver. You must FIRST install the 4.2.8.0 software and driver, then uninstall it and install the upgraded 4.3 software.
Business Grade - G3
As we have continued to refine the version 4.0 hardware, we found that the WDM chips and drivers were no longer being produced; to ensure the continued support of our Business grade products we had to switch to a new card called the 'G3' card. The features and capabilities of the G3 card are identical to the WDM card, however the G3 cards are slightly smaller and use smaller chips. The boards themselves are a very bright green color. Any system using the G3 cards can be expanded by adding an additional capture card to the computer.
A sticker is present on all G3 cards indicating its model number : SCB31004 or SCB-G3-1004 is on all 4-channel cards, while SCB33016 or SCB-G3-3016 is present on all 16-channel cards. Up to 4 of the SCB31004 cards may be installed in a single PC (Providing 16-channel maximum), or 2 of the SCB33016 cards may be installed simultaneously (Providing 32-camera maximum). The two different models of cards will not function in the same machine; there is currently no way to get a 20-camera system with the Business Grade cards.
The G3 cards are compatible with EZ Watch Pro versions 4.2.8 and above. You may download the software from our website at the Download Center. If you already have the software loaded and simply need a replacement driver, we recommend downloading and installing the newer 'G3' driver on the site; otherwise, simply download the 4.3 software as it contains both the EZ Watch Pro setup and the driver installation files.
Professional Grade
Our latest Professional Grade model cards are an incredible step forwards for the entire EZ Watch Pro brand. Unlike all previous cards mentioned here, the Professional Grade 4.0 capture does not record using the MPEG4 codec, but rather uses a newer codec called H.264. The H.264 codec provides better compression without sacrificing quality; clips recorded with it are the same size as MPEG4 clips, but the quality is much better. Because H.264 is much more processor-intensive, Professional grade cards have their own compression chips built in to them, so that the computer does not become overtaxed trying to compress the video. As a result of the additional chips, Professional grade cards tend to be physically larger than business grade cards.
Professional grade 4.0 capture cards are a blue color, making them easy to identify compared to the bright green and black of the business grade cards. There are three models, designated solely by the amount of cameras that card supports : SCB5004, SCB5008, and SCB5016. The cards can be mixed but a maximum of 4 total cards is the hard limit. A 5004 and a 5008 card can work in conjuction to produce a 12-camera system.
The sticker designating which card is in use is normally found on the silver sticker on the corner of the packaging for that card; on some newer production runs an additional sticker was placed on the card, but this sticker was not present on most older cards, despite the actual hardware itself being unchanged.
The Professional grade cards are compatible with any version of the EZ Watch Pro software, however we always recommend using the latest version available to make certain you have all available features. You can find the latest version of the EZ Watch Pro Professional grade software on our Download Center.
