Do you think having a security camera is good or bad?
11-29-2016, 10:18 AM
#41
Senior Moderator
My ears were burning... 
Hola cuddlejoe 
I've been eyeing the Lorex system from Costco for my family. FWIW.
Hola cuddlejoe I've been eyeing the Lorex system from Costco for my family. FWIW.
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rockstar143 (11-29-2016)
11-29-2016, 10:24 AM
#43
my attic is pretty big...but I'm still a little baffled at logistics...maybe I should be happy with a 4 camera system...
my neighbors are watchdogs and since i'm on a corner, someone is always watching and reporting back.
my neighbors are watchdogs and since i'm on a corner, someone is always watching and reporting back.
11-29-2016, 10:30 AM
#44
Senior Moderator
Depending on the system you buy, it may not be as simple as "buying a 4 channel system and just adding two cameras". Some systems might just have a 4 channel NVR rather than an 8 or 16-port so then even with 2 extra cameras, you won't have anywhere to plug the new ones! 
IP Cameras are totally the new craze, with POE and power/data on one cable versus power/BNC, it's sort of a no-brainer to go with IP Cameras. Plus, bulk Cat5e is stupid cheap if you need longer cables. I agree with the others about not having money be the defining factor for your decision CuddleJoe. What good will a 300 dollar system be versus a 600 dollar system if it doesn't do it's job right?
My family in NM was using Swann's system and bought additional PTZ (Pan-tilt-zoom) cameras that they really liked. Also has an app for iPad that they re-purposed an older one to use to keep an eye on things. NVR is wired into the garage with a TV if needed to review footage. Pretty good idea.. Makes me re-think why I had all the cabling in my parent's house routed to my room when we tore everything down rather than the garage... whoops!
IP Cameras are totally the new craze, with POE and power/data on one cable versus power/BNC, it's sort of a no-brainer to go with IP Cameras. Plus, bulk Cat5e is stupid cheap if you need longer cables. I agree with the others about not having money be the defining factor for your decision CuddleJoe. What good will a 300 dollar system be versus a 600 dollar system if it doesn't do it's job right?
My family in NM was using Swann's system and bought additional PTZ (Pan-tilt-zoom) cameras that they really liked. Also has an app for iPad that they re-purposed an older one to use to keep an eye on things. NVR is wired into the garage with a TV if needed to review footage. Pretty good idea.. Makes me re-think why I had all the cabling in my parent's house routed to my room when we tore everything down rather than the garage... whoops!
11-29-2016, 10:45 AM
#45
That's an absolutely excellent idea, Johnny...
I assumed I'd use living room too, but the garage would be a lot easier to make look official.
I knew about the ports on the receiver...there are a lot of sets that sell you an 8 with 4 cameras or 16 with 8 or whatever for future expansion.
You're really smart so I'll just buy whichever one you like for your family.
I assumed I'd use living room too, but the garage would be a lot easier to make look official.
I knew about the ports on the receiver...there are a lot of sets that sell you an 8 with 4 cameras or 16 with 8 or whatever for future expansion.
You're really smart so I'll just buy whichever one you like for your family.
11-29-2016, 10:51 AM
#46
Senior Moderator
Oh didn't see that Kam already covered the PoE versus Coax/BNC and power discussion 
Yeah the garage concept is smart because (quoting my cousin): "If and when you need cop to come and review the footage, you can just pop up the garage and take him there as opposed to through your entire house"
Yeah the garage concept is smart because (quoting my cousin): "If and when you need cop to come and review the footage, you can just pop up the garage and take him there as opposed to through your entire house"
11-29-2016, 10:54 AM
#48
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True. My last house i would have had people looking out their windows, but now that we all have an acre or more, there is less chance of someone hearing it.
I had people try to break into my garage and my dogs scared them away, however none of my neighbors ever heard a thing, don't always assume... Unless you live in a townhouse or duplex where noise travels
I don't rely on my neighbors to keep any eyes on my house because they're older and I don't want to base anything off of assuming that they would be aware
I don't rely on my neighbors to keep any eyes on my house because they're older and I don't want to base anything off of assuming that they would be aware
11-29-2016, 10:56 AM
#49
shiettt...hence why you opt for the don't tread on me flag and ar15
they can't hear YOU but they also can't hear the burglars scream!
actually..a propos...right next to work yesterday 3 guys jimmied a sliding door open to burglarize...homeowner was home and armed...1 dead, 2 fled and caught.
they can't hear YOU but they also can't hear the burglars scream!
actually..a propos...right next to work yesterday 3 guys jimmied a sliding door open to burglarize...homeowner was home and armed...1 dead, 2 fled and caught.
11-29-2016, 11:09 AM
#50
Senior Moderator
'Tis the season to be robbin'.. 
11-29-2016, 11:12 AM
#51
with IP cams, it doesn't matter where you are wired to because as long as you are on the home network, any computer can access the NVR... so if something happens, i'll bring my laptop out and i can show the cop whatever he needs without him stepping foot into my house... i don't have a monitor hooked up to my NVR anyway... i access everything through the network... (
) you wouldn't want the NVR easily accessible or wires exposed because if someone is smart enough to get into your house and can see the NVR, all he has to do is disconnect it and take the evidence with him... put it in your safe room...
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11-29-2016, 11:33 AM
#54
Senior Moderator
i like that concept but it wouldn't work for me... the garage (if it is not temp controlled) can also pose a big issue if you have temp swings... not a prob in FL or CA... and sometimes i leave my garage doors open when i'm working on the yard, so having my security system there is an open threat...
with IP cams, it doesn't matter where you are wired to because as long as you are on the home network, any computer can access the NVR... so if something happens, i'll bring my laptop out and i can show the cop whatever he needs without him stepping foot into my house... i don't have a monitor hooked up to my NVR anyway... i access everything through the network... () you wouldn't want the NVR easily accessible or wires exposed because if someone is smart enough to get into your house and can see the NVR, all he has to do is disconnect it and take the evidence with him... put it in your safe room...
with IP cams, it doesn't matter where you are wired to because as long as you are on the home network, any computer can access the NVR... so if something happens, i'll bring my laptop out and i can show the cop whatever he needs without him stepping foot into my house... i don't have a monitor hooked up to my NVR anyway... i access everything through the network... (
) you wouldn't want the NVR easily accessible or wires exposed because if someone is smart enough to get into your house and can see the NVR, all he has to do is disconnect it and take the evidence with him... put it in your safe room...
so long as they're connected to a PoE switch or power injector, i guess they could be anywhere! GOOD CALL!
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11-29-2016, 11:45 AM
#57
Race Director
I'm running 9 IP wireless PTZ cams (not HD) and my wireless AP is pretty much maxed out. They all are controlled by Blue Iris and the retention files dump to my 12 TB Raid-5 NAS. I may wire a bunch of the cameras now that the attic is cooler. I also use IP Cam Viewer Pro on my android phone to access/control/view all 9 cams.
11-29-2016, 11:57 AM
#59
im interested in purchasing a set for my home as well, am interested in what you decide to go with rockstar........ill let you be the test dummy for this lol
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rockstar143 (11-29-2016)
11-29-2016, 12:24 PM
#62
Race Director
It does, but it still has some growing pains based on the reviews. I've been using IP Cam Viewer for almost 3 years now and never had a single problem, plus Robert Chou updates it at least 3x /month.
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KaMLuNg (11-29-2016)
11-29-2016, 12:31 PM
#63
when i was looking to stay in my budget like "j rock from the sun" i also considered a blue iris server in lieu of a dedicated NVR... i have a 4-bay NAS set up that could easily hold the data... when it came down to it, i just decided to have dedicated hardware since i use the NAS for file backup... if something were to corrupt, i didn't want it impacting the other.
11-29-2016, 12:45 PM
#64
Racer
Tis' the season for thieves and package grabbers which is what got our community started with cameras. We found out that 1080P is the MINIMUM and is certainly not overkill if identifying faces or reading license plates is something that will be needed. It was a real challenge to do any of that even at 4MP with the standard bullet cameras especially in low light as most cams use small CCD sensors that is typically found in point and shoot cameras. We upgraded to a Panasonic 4K beast of a unit that utilizes a CMOS sensor and the difference is night and day when run at 12MP/15FPS in low light without IR. That is the way to go but cost is an issue with those units and the NVR system hw must be physically capable to support the increased resolution as it can bring some systems down to a crawl. GL!
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rockstar143 (11-29-2016)
11-29-2016, 12:47 PM
#65
We upgraded to a Panasonic 4K beast of a unit that utilizes a CMOS sensor and the difference is night and day when run at 12MP/15FPS in low light without IR. That is the way to go but cost is an issue with those units and the NVR system hw must be physically capable to support the increased resolution as it can bring some systems down to a crawl. GL!
holy chit man... i can't imagine if i was streaming that to my phone what kinda bandwidth levels i would need... are you on like a fios 500 up/down?
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rockstar143 (11-29-2016)
11-29-2016, 12:58 PM
#66
Race Director
when i was looking to stay in my budget like "j rock from the sun" i also considered a blue iris server in lieu of a dedicated NVR... i have a 4-bay NAS set up that could easily hold the data... when it came down to it, i just decided to have dedicated hardware since i use the NAS for file backup... if something were to corrupt, i didn't want it impacting the other.
^^ This...
Tis' the season for thieves and package grabbers which is what got our community started with cameras. We found out that 1080P is the MINIMUM and is certainly not overkill if identifying faces or reading license plates is something that will be needed. It was a real challenge to do any of that even at 4MP with the standard bullet cameras especially in low light as most cams use small CCD sensors that is typically found in point and shoot cameras. We upgraded to a Panasonic 4K beast of a unit that utilizes a CMOS sensor and the difference is night and day when run at 12MP/15FPS in low light without IR. That is the way to go but cost is an issue with those units and the NVR system hw must be physically capable to support the increased resolution as it can bring some systems down to a crawl. GL!
Tis' the season for thieves and package grabbers which is what got our community started with cameras. We found out that 1080P is the MINIMUM and is certainly not overkill if identifying faces or reading license plates is something that will be needed. It was a real challenge to do any of that even at 4MP with the standard bullet cameras especially in low light as most cams use small CCD sensors that is typically found in point and shoot cameras. We upgraded to a Panasonic 4K beast of a unit that utilizes a CMOS sensor and the difference is night and day when run at 12MP/15FPS in low light without IR. That is the way to go but cost is an issue with those units and the NVR system hw must be physically capable to support the increased resolution as it can bring some systems down to a crawl. GL!
11-29-2016, 01:21 PM
#67
Racer
If you're going the Blue Iris route using HD cams, you should plan on an Intel based chipset and at least a quad-core I5, preferably I7. Blue Iris is an immensely powerful and feature rich software (I run it as a service) of which I've only started to master. I have a few cams that record 24/7 and the rest record on "motion detect". I also have it set to send me an email and text when motion is detected. There's a lot of information about Blue Iris available on IPCamTalk.
Last edited by SDSilverM3; 11-29-2016 at 01:23 PM.
11-29-2016, 02:05 PM
#68
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11-29-2016, 02:11 PM
#69
Safety Car
Thinking of installing a security camera system at home to monitor the exterior. Nothing fancy, just your average $300 DIY systems to you can get at Best Buy, such as 4 camera system with a recorder.
Good: When bad people see a camera pointing at them, they are less likely to do something bad. Next, move on to the next house.
Bad: When bad people see a camera pointing at them, do they think there must be something good and valuable at this house. If not, why the cameras?
Which statement do you agree with?
Good: When bad people see a camera pointing at them, they are less likely to do something bad. Next, move on to the next house.
Bad: When bad people see a camera pointing at them, do they think there must be something good and valuable at this house. If not, why the cameras?
Which statement do you agree with?
I'll definitely be looking into getting a camera system for my future home when I purchase. Seems like we have a good amount of technical know-how as well judging by the posts above so will need to look into high quality cameras and support/storage system. Glad I have some PC-building skills so hopefully the learning curve isn't too steep.
Last edited by nist7; 11-29-2016 at 02:15 PM.
01-05-2017, 02:07 PM
#70
Senior Moderator
Damn.. the more I'm thinking about the systems at Costco, the more I'm contemplating just piecing a system together a la carte and running Blue iris.. The reviews on the sub-$1000 systems are abysmal
Any specific camera brands/models ya'll suggest?
Any specific camera brands/models ya'll suggest?
01-05-2017, 02:33 PM
#71
Race Director
I'd probably lean toward Amcrest...
01-05-2017, 03:12 PM
#72
Racer
That said, the two systems I've had direct experience with are the REVO and Swann systems. I tested both before purchasing the Swann for one of our tenants. Both were able to stream 1080P/30 at all times on all channels and performed similarly in daylight and low light. I did not like the lack of granular control for compression or noise reduction but most of the options and settings were good enough in terms of customization for something off the shelf. It was a toss up as to which one was a clear winner. I ultimately decided on the Swann because it was half the price from Sam's Club compared to the REVO system ($530 vs $999).
There are other options out there and you really have to take the reviews with a grain of salt. Expectations seem to be extremely high in some reviews along with clear lack of technical know-how in others. The best way to find out how well a system works is to purchase from a place with a good return policy such as Costco for testing. It is important to know what the system is lacking because no system including a la carte BI systems are 100% without shortcomings. You'll need to decide whether the shortcomings will become high risks.
01-05-2017, 03:26 PM
#73
Senior Moderator
Thanks nfn, i'll look into Amcrest.
I appreciate the thought out response SD! That's sort of how i'm feeling about these off-the-shelf kits I've seen (QSee, Swann, Lorex, etc. etc.). The UI of the software looks extremely similar and I'm more worried about the NVR and camera hardware quality. For the convenience/ plug and play feature, I see them charging the amount they do. But if I can piece together a better system for a comparable price, then it's a no brainer for me. 1K feet of Cat 5E is ~100 bucks, if I can buy 8 good quality PoE cameras for ~100 bucks and then build up a system to act as the NVR for 200-400 I'll be right at the ~1200 budget but at much better quality of product.
I appreciate the thought out response SD! That's sort of how i'm feeling about these off-the-shelf kits I've seen (QSee, Swann, Lorex, etc. etc.). The UI of the software looks extremely similar and I'm more worried about the NVR and camera hardware quality. For the convenience/ plug and play feature, I see them charging the amount they do. But if I can piece together a better system for a comparable price, then it's a no brainer for me. 1K feet of Cat 5E is ~100 bucks, if I can buy 8 good quality PoE cameras for ~100 bucks and then build up a system to act as the NVR for 200-400 I'll be right at the ~1200 budget but at much better quality of product.
01-05-2017, 03:31 PM
#74
Senior Moderator
Oh wait.. forgot about the whole NVR on a NAS setup 
How we built our DIY Home Security Camera System - VueVille
That cuts down the price even more
How we built our DIY Home Security Camera System - VueVille
That cuts down the price even more
01-05-2017, 09:41 PM
#75
Race Director
01-07-2017, 11:00 PM
#76
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Looking into Ring doorbells, want a wifi camera with a motion activation for the front door, anyone have any experience with one?
01-09-2017, 12:56 PM
#77
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Just ordered a Netgear Arlo-Q camera for inside the house for the room my dogs stay in during the day. We are either really forgetful because the one dog is so good and she goes in her kennel on her own and we forget to latch it or she has learned to open the two latches on her own. Not a huge fan of having a camera system inside all the areas of the house unless we eventually give the dogs the ability to roam the house during the day but at least in the room where all their kennels are we don't use for anything during the day. Where I think I will be placing it as well will give me a view of the front door as well.
Long term I really want to do IP cameras outside my house but still trying to figure out how I will be able to run the cables to all the places I would like cameras with having limited access to my places in my roof to run all the cables. I think I could cover most of my areas I want to with 7 or 8 cameras and of that I think I would only have 5 locations to run wires too cause two would two cameras aimed in different directions. Only way I can think of doing this is removing roof soffits and running the cables through that but I have no idea if that stuff is easy to remove and put that up or not.
Long term I really want to do IP cameras outside my house but still trying to figure out how I will be able to run the cables to all the places I would like cameras with having limited access to my places in my roof to run all the cables. I think I could cover most of my areas I want to with 7 or 8 cameras and of that I think I would only have 5 locations to run wires too cause two would two cameras aimed in different directions. Only way I can think of doing this is removing roof soffits and running the cables through that but I have no idea if that stuff is easy to remove and put that up or not.
01-09-2017, 12:57 PM
#78
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01-09-2017, 01:22 PM
#79
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The problem I hear with Ring Doorbells is dependent on where your doorbell is located. I myself am seriously considering the Kuna camera because I have one light on each side of the door.
https://www.getkuna.com/
https://www.getkuna.com/
01-09-2017, 02:14 PM
#80
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Those are interesting. Thanks for posting. That would at least satisfy my need for cameras at my side garage entrance and my backdoor.
My only issue would be that if I have multiple different brands of wifi cameras I would need multiple different apps to control them which would be kind of a pain.
My only issue would be that if I have multiple different brands of wifi cameras I would need multiple different apps to control them which would be kind of a pain.