32 channel video capture, what hardware/software?

[alkasecond]

I've been looking to replace our 2 time lapse VCR's with something better.
Our current setup : 32 cameras, 2 16 channel multiplexers, 2 VCRs.
VCR's are gone as of now , and the replacement cost will be ~$1000 for both.
At the same time I stumbled upon this http://www.digivue.com/edv416hs.htm
I like the features (especially remote monitoring via internet) and the price is right
arround $500 per unit.
My plan was to get 2 boards , get rid of multiplexers and run all 32 cameras directly
to PC.I even talked to one supplier explaining the situation and they assured me that
hardwarewise I'm OK and software will support 32 cameras.
So far so good!?
Just out of couriosity I called digivue and talked to customer support, gues what?
They claim that their software supports up to 16 channels only.
What do I do now?
I need someone familiar with multichannel video boards to help me here.
Have couple of questions:
Is there a software solution to the problem? ( ie I buy 2 boards only and different
software for them that supports 32 channels simmultaneously)
Or Is there a different product that will do what I want ( either 2 16 channel or
4 8 channel boards)?
Budgett is limited to appx ~$1500, and we dont need full 30fps on all channels ,
5~7 fps per channel at the same time will suffice.
Time is of an essence.
Thanks.

[Arachnotron]

My plan was to get 2 boards , get rid of multiplexers and run all 32 cameras directly

Without any knowledge of multichannel video boards:

If you are talking consumer grade computers, you will be running into the limitations of an ordinary 32 bits 33 MHz PCI bus.

The theoratical bandwidth available to all PCI devices including harddisks is 133 Mbyte/s. In real life, the limit is lower, around 80 Mbyte/second. This has to be devided between 32 cameras AND the resulting 32 datastreams to the harddisk

I think this may be the limiting factor. Using a multiplexer reduces the number of simultanuous datastreams from camera's to 2.

[alkaprim]

Bandwidth will not be a problem at all, these boards are commercial
grade CCTV monitoring devices.
In essence a capture boards rated at 120 fps , storing in MPEG4 at
1.5 ~ 2.5 Kb per frame. What it means ?
You can capture simultaineously 4 channels of video in realtime (30 fps)
or 8 channels at 15 fps or 16 at 7.5 fps.
So doubling the number of boards gives you 240 fps efective,
at 2 Kb/frame that gives 480 Kbs what any machine should be able
to handle.
They even claim minimum requirements for one board to be P2 266MHz.
I wouldn't stretch it that far but any decent P4 should handle
it no problemo.
There are boards rated at 480 fps , but still only 16 channels.
My problem lies in the software that they provide.
So far I wasn't able to find any that gives you 32 channels of
recording , monitoring and serving over web simultaneously.