bryceb

I know there are some portable service-type monitors but I'm not sure if they are battery powered or require a power outlet. The screens I've seen are between 5 and 7 inches. You might be able to find something like that for less than $400. I know that capture cards cost around $200 if you wanted to modify an old pc. Not sure if they work on laptops though.

I happen to believe the saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," so if you have another place to park your car, I'd try that first. Next up, I'd try to find out if they are following a pattern. Same Time? Same Day Of The Week? Same Direction? Same Brand of Brick? etc. Hopefully they won't give you any more chances to profile them though. But if they do, you could be prepared for future encounters. Maybe hide a camera near the street with a nice angle on the back license plate.

You might also try adjusting the sensitivity or the scan range to reduce the number of false alarms. I had an IR camera with motion activated recording and I got a lot of the same snow issues. I adjusted the sensitivity and it seemed to do alright, although I probably don't have as much "snow" as other rooms might.

many dvr's include audio connections, but like everyone is stating above, there are some legal issues regarding audio recordings. Don't buy a camera with built-in mic or speakers, as the quality will be crap. Instead, buy the mic kit separately (for around $30) and get some louder, independent speakers. Most the time you can look up state laws on audio recording and show that to your clients.

Hello, If you are going for a PC based unit, there are several DVR cards that are floating around out there, I forget the brands except for one I saw recently by EZWatch Pro. I'm not entirely sure if it's iphone mobile viewing compatible though as their software uses activeX controls (that aren't supported outside internet explorer). There are some cheaper armor pro dvrs that can handle 4 cameras pretty easily. The capture cards will cost around $300, and the 4 channel armor pro will cost $550

You said the camera connected via a buried Cat5e cable, is that PoE?

Caught red handed for sure. Lol. I don't think you can get anything for $20, but some webcams include a motion activated recording software that you could set up in that area. I'd be careful where you are recording though. If that's an area where people might have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a dressing room, then it's most likely illegal to record there and could land you in trouble.