cglaeser

None, I would do 3 cameras. Well, there's one answer to your question. I could give you several more. Many off-the-shelf solutions are D1, are B&W, have limited distance, and of the IP solutions are not ONVIF compliant and therefore record continuously, to name a few. I've had projects where budget was not an issue and I would have much preferred an off-the-shelf solution, but sometimes you have to roll your own. Best, Christopher

Which LPR camera do you recommend that can acquire license plates for two or three lanes? Best, Christopher

It's my understanding that the 4.x and 5.x databases are different. I'm guessing one feature of the upgrade utilities is to convert a 4.x database to a 5.x database. I expect someone with more information will follow up. Best, Christopher

I have discussed security issues with hundreds of homeowners and there are two common patterns regarding security signage. First, security signs are free and many homeowners opt for the signs rather than pay for a security system. Second, signs give a false sense of security, and those homeowners who have signage are less likely to turn on the security system when they are away. The real question is, how do burglars react to security signs? The majority of "research" is really just an advertorial, but if you tease out actual unbiased research, the data is not clear that burglars are less likely to hit a home with signage, and some even argue that burglars are more likely to hit a home with signage because it's either a bluff or they are using the signs to avoid having to turn on the security system every time they leave the home. YMMV. Best, Christopher

Will it be possible to run a 4.0 client and 5.0 client on the same workstation at the same time?

Our community pool has a sign mounted to the gate that must be routinely repaired because people use the sign as a foothold as they climb over the fence. When I arrive with the police, I always ask them, did you see the large sign with big red letters that says the area is under video surveillance? Some say they did not see the sign and others say they thought the cameras were fake. In my experience, signs are not an effective deterrent. Your area may require signs for legal reasons, but I would not bother putting them up for security reasons. Best, Christopher

Can a client connect to ACC 4.x and ACC 5.x servers at the same time? Is there a free upgrade if ACC 4.x was purchased after ACC 5.x was announced? Best, Christopher

Thanks for posting your research. That's very helpful. Best, Christopher

Absent any specs, that's a good rule of thumb.

Thanks. Has Avigilon implemented ONVIF 2.2 and Profile S?

That's very reasonable pricing. What operating systems are supported? Best, Christopher

Nope.

Where did you hear that? ADT? Are you aware that alarm companies will send signs to any home, even if they are not a client? Signs are great for free advertising. I've asked many homeowners in our city it they are monitored and if they have signs. Guess what. They are more likely to have signs if they are not monitored. I generally recommend against signs. IMO, a sign says, "I can't afford to be monitored so I put up this free sign instead."

Why do you recommend yard signs and window stickers? I've studied surveillance video of crimes in this area and burglars don't seem to care about signs. For day time home burglaries, the two biggest deterrents are when people are at home and barking dogs. I've also studied the night crimes in this area and burglars tend to prefer driveways that are lit or have motion lights. It's easier to see inside a vehicle if the area is lit. One deterrence I have noticed at night is a 50W Raymax IR source. I have video on two separate occasions of auto burglars walking towards a vehicle in a driveway and then turning away towards the next house when they spotted the bright red glow. (I caught them anyway because they tripped the outdoor long-range PIR motion sensors.)

"you gotta spend more" is focusing on the solution before you have defined the problem. You need to start a project like this with a clear understanding of what you are trying to accomplish. You've been burglarized twice since February. What is your objective? Be specific. Do you want to record the next burglary so you have something to show your friends on Youtube? What do you want to accomplish?

I'm coming into this discussion late and did not read the entire thread, but one issue to consider with bullets is the ease with which they can be re-aimed. A friend of mine had bullets all around the outside of his building, so the burglars used a long 2'x4' (which they found on site) to point all the cameras towards the sky. Best, Christopher

I thought about doing that but I'm afraid to touch it. I have a 3MP Panasonic (1.3MP in H.264 mode) that I purchased about three or four years ago that was ahead of it's time. It has both day and night focus settings. You can either use auto focus or manual presets, and auto focus does an excellent job. Eventually I will replace this camera because newer cameras have better low light sensitivity, but otherwise, it's still a great performer. Best, Christopher

Yeah, it's not paper-cuttin' sharp, but I think it's acceptable. I reset the sharpness and image quality to default values. At night it's a tad on the soft side, but I'm quite pleased with the lack of IR hotspot. The IR lighting is very even. I have two 5MP non-IR domes at another site and the focus and detail is excellent, but they are outdoor cameras where the available light can decrease the aperture and increase the DOF, so it's not an apples to apples comparison. I'm thinking of getting another camera for my house and leaning towards the 3MP dome with IR. My thinking is I want the WDR so that headlights and taillights are less of an issue as vehicles make a late night loop in our cul-de-sac. I think Mike always suggests, get the 5MP over the 3MP. Comments? Best, Christopher

Just a quick follow up on the 5MP bullet. The focus is now good. Not sure what made the difference, but I kept trying to adjust the focus (remotely) from 0 to INF and back and apparently the camera was finally able to auto focus. Best, Christopher

Thanks for the quick response. When monitoring cameras on a single client computer, can you simultaneously view cameras in real-time view and recorded view? This is not possible in Exacq, and worse, during the commission of a crime, it takes what seems like an eternity to rebuild the recorded view each time you want to switch back and forth between live and recorded. In Avigilon, while a crime is in progress and I have the police dispatcher on the phone, I can answer questions about what the criminals are currently doing and at the same time review recorded video so I can report what they did, how many suspects, descriptions of each, etc. This is not a big deal to most people because they record the crime at 2 am and then review the crime in the morning when they wake up and then post the video on Youtube after the criminals have sold their goods at a pawn shop. My primary goal is to stop the crime in progress and have the criminals arrested and the best way to do that is to catch them during the commission of the crime. Can Milestone do that?

Can you review a camera in both real-time and recorded view at the same time? Best, Christopher

Messoa has released their megapixel LPR camera. They can read license plates of two lanes up to 150 feet. If it performs as well as the SCR515PRO, it will be a winner. I'll take two, please! Best, Christopher

This Youtube video shows the NCH517 integrated with ANPR software. The ANPR demo starts around 1:18. zFdTZIDtkb4

Most manufacturers use LPR to mean the camera is deigned to recognize plates at night with headlights and taillights on. ANPR/ALPR means the software can scan the plates and store them as searchable data. Best, Christopher

I don't recall the exact price but the SCR515PRO was about $2,000 from the installer. I am reading license plates at 180 feet at night which is pretty amazing considering they are designed for one lane and the lane I'm covering is almost two lanes wide. The only issue with the SCR515PRO at that distance is the varifocal lens for the distance (if memory serves it is a 70mm to 120mm) is not IR corrected. So, if I focus for night, I can read plates in daylight when the aperture is closed down, but I can't read plates during the 40 minute transitions from day to night and night to day. According to tech support, the lens used in the NCH517 is IR corrected. The down side for the 517 is few NVRs likely support it, so the recording will be continuous and not based on motion. Even so, I expect I could make good use of this camera. Don't yet have pricing on this camera. Best, Christopher