Security Camera System Recommendations?

[velvetfoot]

I'd like to put a security camera system at my house. Can anybody make some recommendations?

The Dropcam banner advertisement got me thinking about this again.

I have WIFI but it is only 3G, so I don't know how something cloud based would work. I could see cloud based, though fee based, could eliminate the DVR an be more secure. I don't think the Dropcam is marketed as a security camera though.

Not sure where to start, but don't want to spend a ton.

 

[seige101]

I installed this product about 18 months ago at my local dog pound after they had issues (broken link removed to https://www.q-see.com/products/product_description.php?cId=130&pId=394&id=130&pid=109)

It is 8 cameras and a 500gb DVR. In plain english it has 8 cameras and holds about 2 weeks worth of video at standard resolution before it starts to overwrite itself. You can add a larger hard drive or you can have it backup to a remote server (extra cost) The system was $500 through costco, the price has since dropped and you can get a better system cheaper.

The claims of 100' of night vision are at optimum conditions and in our situation much closer to 50-65'. The picture quality is good, where you can read a license plate or identify a face if they are close enough. Don't expect vegas casino quality footage or csi style.

If you are serious about image quality or pan tilt and zoom features you can easily spend $500 and up for some really really good cameras.

You can setup motion activated alarms where it could turn on a light or e-mail you if something crosses the path. However without spending a lot of time tweaking it prepare for tons of false alarms. (rain, insects etc will trip it)

These are color cameras during the day and automatically switch to black and white at night for use with the infrared leds.

You are able to view the cameras on any pc connected to the internet or your smart device if you connect the DVR to the internet. Setup is pretty easy and a less tech savy person can handle it.


What are you looking to accomplish? Basic look over the property, having vandalism issues or theft issues? Just peace of mind.

 

[velvetfoot]

Thanks. Yeah, peace of mind, I guess. We're rural, I guess you could call it, and the house next door got burgled a couple of years ago. I put in an alarm system and have used game cameras. Also motion floodlight cameras that record to sd cards-they haven't worked too well, esp. after power outages.

 

[seige101]

Do a rough sketch of your property and mark what areas you want to keep tabs on this will help you determine how many cameras you need. It may be worth while to buy a system with more cameras even if you need a few less because the price difference isn't much. This way you can also have a spare or 2 for less than the cost of having to buy another one outright.

This system or similar will be perfect for your needs.

 

[gzecc]

You of course have the option of putting the fake cameras up. Who knows whats fake and whats not?

 

[scooby074]

Have you checked with your local cable internet provider? Might be a way to get what your after albeit at an ongoing monthly fee.

Here, they are offering whole house monitoring with smart phone access. They also are offering the ability to lock and unlock. Adjust house temp, turn on lights and more. http://www.eastlink.ca/HomeSecurity.aspx

 

[msherer]

I agree with siege. Look at the camera system specifications and make a sketch of your property. Make sure the camera lens will capture the zones you want to monitor. Make sure you have the infrastructure available or a plan on getting the proper infrastructure in place.

 

[Laurent Cyr]

Hi!

I live out in the country too, and we had issues with B&E`s and poachers/trespassers/thieves in our area. I`ve got two security camera systems, and two DVR`s. The first system was bought at Costco, and it is made by Lorex. The DVR had a 500gb hard drive, and I have 8 cameras hooked up watching around the house. The other system I bought from Zmodo has a PTZ camera (pan-tilt-zoom) with a 1TB hard drive, being saved to the other DVR. The PTZ is up high on the barn, and is used to Watch over the country road and the animals. I also bought some cables and set up some cameras 1000 feet from the house to Watch other areas of my land, and blind spots.
They all work great. But keep in mind that you`ll need to view the videos from time to time, as most events happen when you are not at home. Sometimes someone steals from you and you only find out days later. So you need a lot of storage space on your DVR`s.

Also, if you do catch someone in the ``act``, don`t forget to keep the original video on your DVR, as the Courts may not accept copies.(which means the cops will seize your DVR`s and give it back to you when the case is finished).

Check with your local laws as well to make sure your setup is legal.

Being out in the country, my internet provider has a modem which will not accommodate port forwarding (having the videos online for viewing with our IPhone). So keep that in mind and check your modem.

Laurent

 

[jebatty]

Not making light of a desire for security, as our home has been burglarized twice, but sounds like the paranoiavirus is active again. Our solution was deciding we had too much stuff of value, got rid of that stuff (rest is just ordinary household junk), and let insurance take care of repairs/replacements, plus buddy Glock for safety. Everything else is just stuff, have it today, gone tomorrow. The less tight we hold on, the better we feel and the more secure we are.

 

[Laurent Cyr]

It all dépends on the situation you find yourself in. We have a neighbor who doesn`t like us, and he`s been making false complaints to the cops about us. After the third complaint, I figured I had enough of this, and we set up the camera system. Well, on his last complaint to the cops, we were able to give the cops a copy of a video showing that the neighbor was lying. He`s now charged criminally in Court. Maybe now he`ll back off a bit....

 

[jebatty]

I understand. Hope it works out well for you.

 

[blades]

One thing with a lot of the cameras included with systems is they use the infared emitters to see in the dark- problem here is it causes the car plates to bloom ( wash out) just like head lights or tail lights so 1 or 2 cameras that require extremely low lumens to see in the dark are needed for the system to be effective. These also need to be set up at a fairly low height ( shoulder height works) to catch plate #. I set these up inside looking out through a window due to the height.
Game cams set low and concealed work well for for remote monitoring of a driveway one in each direction. Again headlights tend to wash things out but tails are not as bad.