[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Video Surveillance Systems (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 2/15/2017 4:37:47 PM EDT
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If you have a system, what type do you you use and what do you like/dislike about it?
I am looking at adding 3-4 cameras to the exterior of my house. A couple in the front and a couple in the back. I have been looking at using Powered Over Ethernet (POE) Cat5 wired IP cameras with all cameras routed to a POE+ switch in the attic, with a single Cat 5 cable coming down to the Network Video Recorder (NVR) which will be tied to my WiFi router. Would like to have at least 1080p. Higher is preferred. I see some people like using a PC setup with Blue Iris, but I would prefer to not go with that option. What do you recommend? Thanks. |
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I wouldn't put a switch in the attic. Not a good place for electronics. That's what I thought too, but lots of people are doing it without any issues, even in Texas where it gets very hot. They get switches with fans. I am still skeptical to do it though. Don't want to wake up in to a burning house. Edit: Most are rated 120 degrees+. |
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Put the switch where ever you put the server,ups,poe injectors ect they make nice flush mount wall panels for this, discrete and lockable... a good 4 camera setup (not enough Imho) expect to spend north of 20k ...there are several brands $20,000.00 for a 4 camera setup? what am I missing? |
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Put the switch where ever you put the server,ups,poe injectors ect they make nice flush mount wall panels for this, discrete and lockable... a good 4 camera setup (not enough Imho) expect to spend north of 20k ...there are several brands 5 4mp Cameras Server with 8TB of storage. Maybe 2k if that. 
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Just finished installing a 16 Channel Samsung Techwin system at the house over the weekend. Still working on getting network settings tweeked for remote access, but I am really happy with how easy the install was and how simple the software end is.
There are NVRs available with a built in POE Switch, so you simply have to run a single cable per camera into the NVR. |
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Put the switch where ever you put the server,ups,poe injectors ect they make nice flush mount wall panels for this, discrete and lockable... a good 4 camera setup (not enough Imho) expect to spend north of 20k ...there are several brands Maybe 10 years ago it was that expensive. Nowadays he can get a good 4 camera set up for under 1000. More if he wanted PTZ's. OP I like Hikvision for most cams and Dahua for PTZ. Both have a huge number of cameras depends on what you want. |
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5 4mp Cameras Server with 8TB of storage. Maybe 2k if that. http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j26/louisianarebel14/0223161521_zpswspxlfan.jpg |
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My buddy just installed a Q See system at his house. 8 cameras I think HD quality, 2 TB storage, everything runs to the DVR directly no Poe switch needed. The DVR then plugs into the network from what I understand. Smartphone app you can view the cameras from afar.
He hooked up a cheap 24" computer monitor to the DVR but said mostly he uses his phone to view the cameras. He spent well under $1000 on Amazon Unsure if this is a good product or if it will last but he likes it and said it was easy to hook up |
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$20,000.00 for a 4 camera setup? what am I missing? that is simply insane. go to ipcamtalk and look around. what i did was buy HD hikvison cameras from amazon (not grey market stuff from china which many folks do with OK results). bought 1000 feet of ubiquiti tough cable cat 5e, some pro rj45 crimpers. a poe switch (netgear) off of amazon, blue iris software and set it up my self. by far the hardest part of this was pulling cables through my attic because my roof has almost no pitch and you have to crawl around in cramped spaces. I probably spent less than 500 bucks total. I did have a spare PC to put the software on but you could probably get a NUC cheap. I plan to replace my PC with a NUC sometime in the next few months. Software emails me when something crosses zones. I can look at it in real time over my smartphone. my main point was to put the cameras where they are obvious. at main entry points to my house and at the garage door. want folks to see them. i dont believe in hidden surveillance. and sure i guess someone could knock them down but they are cheap to begin with. i would like an expensive ptz setup but they are large and can be high maintenance because of their motors. good ones are also expensive. and i dont want my neighbors to think im spying on them. smallish bullet cameras and domes at doorways are 'low-key'. good ptz cameras with infrared are cool as hell but big as basketballs. for 20k i could probably just hire a film crew part time to site outside my house and make videos. |
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that is simply insane. go to ipcamtalk and look around. what i did was buy HD hikvison cameras from amazon (not grey market stuff from china which many folks do with OK results). bought 1000 feet of ubiquiti tough cable cat 5e, some pro rj45 crimpers. a poe switch (netgear) off of amazon, blue iris software and set it up my self. by far the hardest part of this was pulling cables through my attic because my roof has almost no pitch and you have to crawl around in cramped spaces. I probably spent less than 500 bucks total. I did have a spare PC to put the software on but you could probably get a NUC cheap. I plan to replace my PC with a NUC sometime in the next few months. Software emails me when something crosses zones. I can look at it in real time over my smartphone. my main point was to put the cameras where they are obvious. at main entry points to my house and at the garage door. want folks to see them. i dont believe in hidden surveillance. and sure i guess someone could knock them down but they are cheap to begin with. i would like an expensive ptz setup but they are large and can be high maintenance because of their motors. good ones are also expensive. and i dont want my neighbors to think im spying on them. smallish bullet cameras and domes at doorways are 'low-key'. good ptz cameras with infrared are cool as hell but big as basketballs. for 20k i could probably just hire a film crew part time to site outside my house and make videos. Quoted:
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$20,000.00 for a 4 camera setup? what am I missing? that is simply insane. go to ipcamtalk and look around. what i did was buy HD hikvison cameras from amazon (not grey market stuff from china which many folks do with OK results). bought 1000 feet of ubiquiti tough cable cat 5e, some pro rj45 crimpers. a poe switch (netgear) off of amazon, blue iris software and set it up my self. by far the hardest part of this was pulling cables through my attic because my roof has almost no pitch and you have to crawl around in cramped spaces. I probably spent less than 500 bucks total. I did have a spare PC to put the software on but you could probably get a NUC cheap. I plan to replace my PC with a NUC sometime in the next few months. Software emails me when something crosses zones. I can look at it in real time over my smartphone. my main point was to put the cameras where they are obvious. at main entry points to my house and at the garage door. want folks to see them. i dont believe in hidden surveillance. and sure i guess someone could knock them down but they are cheap to begin with. i would like an expensive ptz setup but they are large and can be high maintenance because of their motors. good ones are also expensive. and i dont want my neighbors to think im spying on them. smallish bullet cameras and domes at doorways are 'low-key'. good ptz cameras with infrared are cool as hell but big as basketballs. for 20k i could probably just hire a film crew part time to site outside my house and make videos. I just can't see a use case for PTZ. I have cameras that cover all the doors and windows and I'm rarely watching them other than the front of the house camera that is shown on an old iPad. |
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I run Hikvisions at all my locations. My newest one is 16 4mp turrets, 2 motion PTZ's, a Huisun PTZ in my equipment room, and this spring I'll wrap up my dedicated LPC(license plate capture) cam. NVR with 24tb of storage. All connected to a 24ch switch. IIRC, it all was about $6000
I buy all my stuff from LTS |
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How hard would it be to have something like an IP cam/Foscam setup to record and just overwrite every few days? Depending on the camera it will have a SD card. 1080P video stream will fill up fast, several gigs a day, depending on movement. And LOL at 20k camera system. Last Sony PTZ i bought was 5kish. Just beautiful video though. |
| We picked up an Arlo system with two cameras and router and placed them on our rural property. They have motion detection system that records for 10 seconds, its wireless, and sends me emails to our IPhones when it picks up movement. The cameras have surprising clarity during daylight. The nightvision capabilities are limited, but still record when movement is noted. You can add 2 cameras to it. We mounted them on the facial boards, picture was better without the eve shade. It does what I wanted. |
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I might skip the POE switch and route each camera to the NVR (unless you have other uses for the switch). Many (most?) NVR's are set-up to have each camera attach directly and they have the software installed that lets you change views and such. Care to point to an NVR that has multiple 802.1af ports? |
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Care to point to an NVR that has multiple 802.1af ports? Quoted:
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I might skip the POE switch and route each camera to the NVR (unless you have other uses for the switch). Many (most?) NVR's are set-up to have each camera attach directly and they have the software installed that lets you change views and such. Care to point to an NVR that has multiple 802.1af ports? This one? |
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I might skip the POE switch and route each camera to the NVR (unless you have other uses for the switch). Many (most?) NVR's are set-up to have each camera attach directly and they have the software installed that lets you change views and such. Care to point to an NVR that has multiple 802.1af ports? This one? Interesting. Hadn't seen one that did before. But then again I've also got PoE to do other work in my house and use a software NVR so I don't shop too much for them. |
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Interesting. Hadn't seen one that did before. But then again I've also got PoE to do other work in my house and use a software NVR so I don't shop too much for them. Quoted:
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I might skip the POE switch and route each camera to the NVR (unless you have other uses for the switch). Many (most?) NVR's are set-up to have each camera attach directly and they have the software installed that lets you change views and such. Care to point to an NVR that has multiple 802.1af ports? This one? Interesting. Hadn't seen one that did before. But then again I've also got PoE to do other work in my house and use a software NVR so I don't shop too much for them. They're out there now for those that want simplicity. I'm in the process of upgrading from a Cisco WiFi router to an EdgeRouter Lite, EdgeSwitch 24-port POE, Unifi AP Pro, and eventually to a server that will host NVR software and also act as a NAS. That's the goal for 2017, but I'm piecing it together as I watch for deals on hardware. |
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Originally Posted By:
You rang? Read your awesome post. I need to get something setup quickly. Just found out this morning my wife's Jeep just got broken into  .
Seems like a lot are going with Hikvision. We have a tiny 1200 square foot home that is shaped like a rectangle. Front and back of house are around 45' each. What kind of setup would recommend? Any new technology come out since your other main post? Thank you |
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How hard would it be to have something like an IP cam/Foscam setup to record and just overwrite every few days? Easy peasy, but skip Foscam and step up to atleast a Dahua or a Hikvision. Both brands have $100-$150 cameras with an onboard MicroSD slot that can get several days to several months worth of video in a loop depending on quality setting and the use (or not) of motion detection to activate recording. The hard parts are: 1) Running ethernet cable (or power if wireless) to your mounting location. Still not as big of a deal as most people think. 9 times out of 10 you just need a drill, a snake, and some imagination or just hillbilly rig it and run the cable along the outside of your house like your Cable company would. I've used a cheap $150 endoscope with a hook to overcome a few tough situations where I had to make a turn inside the wall. 2) If you want to review the feed remotely on your phone, you'll need to either have or develop some networking skills. Some of these cameras come with an online service that can make this easier on you. If you only view the feed or playback from your home network and never need to access it remotely then it's no sweat. |
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Easy peasy, but skip Foscam and step up to atleast a Dahua or a Hikvision. Both brands have $100-$150 cameras with an onboard MicroSD slot that can get several days to several months worth of video in a loop depending on quality setting and the use (or not) of motion detection to activate recording. The hard parts are: 1) Running ethernet cable (or power if wireless) to your mounting location. Still not as big of a deal as most people think. 9 times out of 10 you just need a drill, a snake, and some imagination or just hillbilly rig it and run the cable along the outside of your house like your Cable company would. I've used a cheap $150 endoscope with a hook to overcome a few tough situations where I had to make a turn inside the wall. 2) If you want to review the feed remotely on your phone, you'll need to either have or develop some networking skills. Some of these cameras come with an online service that can make this easier on you. If you only view the feed or playback from your home network and never need to access it remotely then it's no sweat. What's a good retailer for Dahua or Hikvision? |
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Those with lets say 1TB of storage, the recordings just get overwritten when you reach the 1TB, correct? Generally speaking you would have to configure a camera/NVR to overwrite but we are just talking about clicking a checkbox, nothing special. They may not ship from the factory with overwriting set by default. |
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Great thanks. What about a good retailer for the NVR? Didn't see many of those at Nelly's. Wrightwood Surveillance is supposed to be pretty good. I have that first NVR listed at the link below running 7x 6MP box cameras with run lengths of up to 300' and get about 2 months of recording loop with I think 2x 4TB drives installed. It's more than enough NVR for your average homeowner even though it's a "budget" model. http://wrightwoodsurveillance.com/product-category/nvrsoftware/nvrs/ ETA: If you buy a Hikvision NVR, then run Hikvision Cameras on it. Keeps things simple and compatible even though you technically can run mixed and matched cameras with mixed and matched NVRs. Hikvision Cameras on a Hikvision POE NVR will just plug in and work with no particular configuration required. |
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Nelly's Security. Their house brand "NSC" cameras are Hikvision. Would their NSN NVR's also be Hikvision? I see this "NSN" one for $299. Has 80Mbps Incoming bandwidth. http://www.nellyssecurity.com/recorders/nvrs/nsn-608-8p-8-channel-poe-plug-n-play-hi-def-nvr-recorder.html By my calculations I could put 5 cameras on it running at 3 MP (2048 x 1536) at 30fps with nitrate of 8200-15,400 Kb/s, correct? |
Securitycameraking.com is local to me so I used them to buy all my equipment for my commercial building. Good folks, you set up all the hardware and plug their system in with internet service and they can go through it step by step with you setting everything up, even the cell phone/tablet access. Find a closet or something to drop down into the house. You really don't want it in the attic.
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Wrightwood Surveillance is supposed to be pretty good. I have that first NVR listed at the link below running 7x 6MP box cameras with run lengths of up to 300' and get about 2 months of recording loop with I think 2x 4TB drives installed. It's more than enough NVR for your average homeowner even though it's a "budget" model. http://wrightwoodsurveillance.com/product-category/nvrsoftware/nvrs/ ETA: If you buy a Hikvision NVR, then run Hikvision Cameras on it. Keeps things simple and compatible even though you technically can run mixed and matched cameras with mixed and matched NVRs. Hikvision Cameras on a Hikvision POE NVR will just plug in and work with no particular configuration required. How do you run 7 x 6 MP cams on it when that first NVR's incoming bandwidth is 80Mb/s? Still trying to learn. Thanks |
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The bandwidth issue isn't that simply. Resolution is one thing, but how fast the picture changes, refresh rates and encoding all change the amount of bandwidth. 30 frames per second is great for smooth video, but unneeded for most security systems. Things like trees blowing in the wind will generate a lot more data than a static driveway.
Some cameras like Axis have coding in the camera that greatly reduce the amount of network traffic. Google Axis camera, somewhere on their website is a really nice calculator. |
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Would their NSN NVR's also be Hikvision? I see this "NSN" one for $299. Has 80Mbps Incoming bandwidth. http://www.nellyssecurity.com/recorders/nvrs/nsn-608-8p-8-channel-poe-plug-n-play-hi-def-nvr-recorder.html By my calculations I could put 5 cameras on it running at 3 MP (2048 x 1536) at 30fps with nitrate of 8200-15,400 Kb/s, correct? I don't know about their NVRs Resolution and FPS are all related to bitrate, but they kind of aren't. You can set cameras to constant or variable bitrates. Example: I have 8 cameras set for 1080p 30FPS 4Mbps. I get smooth video with good image quality. It's a balance between resolution, FPS, and compression to hit your target bit rate. You can have super high resolution video with crappy image quality due to compression. |