Hal

Hmm, are there certain specs or designs which would indicate potential issues? The camera would be mounted underneath eaves, but attached to the wall. Rain shouldn't be a problem. So far I'm considering the eye surf ip dome as well as the highly recommended cnb. Thx

This is probably a silly question, but are there particular reasons you wouldn't want a dome camera on a wall vs a ceiling (outdoors). I'm assuming that you'll be able to get the same picture is it has 3 axis adjustments? Perhaps it would be less weather resistant? Thx.

Thanks for the responses everyone. This is a very extensive remodel, so it's easy to run wires and install boxes at this time since we're finishing up the rough electrical/framing stage. I'm not sure I understand how to do this. The attic is not very tall, so it would be very difficult to access any gang boxes from the attic once the ceiling and walls are up. It would be much easier to access them from the outside. Is it even necessary to have the boxes at the eaves if I'm just going to pull the cables out of the wall? All I have to to is make sure that the hole is large enough to push the baluns back into the attic after the connections are made, or should those connections be enclosed the bodies of the cameras? Any pics or videos of preferred install techniques? Thanks again!

Hi everyone. I'm asking my contractor to prewire my house for security cameras while they're doing some remodeling, but I don't think he has any idea what the best way to do this would be. His idea was to leave the wires hanging out of the wall, but that's not exactly "prewiring" in my mind since they may be like that for several months. Would it be a good idea to enclose the cat 6 and power cables in a junction box for the time being? If so, should the box be recessed into the exterior walls (stucco, siding - all under eves or under porch) or should the boxes be surface mounted? Steel or PVC? And when I eventually get cameras, should I just mount them onto the gang box covers or is it preferred to mount them a few inches away so the box is easier to access in the future? I'll have a mix of domes, bullets, and maybe a couple of those eye ball type cameras. I'd like to keep the installation unobtrusive if possible. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

Are there any other recommended hybrid DVRs besides the Avermedia? Thanks.

Hi. I'm planning to upgrade a mediocre analog 4 channel cctv system in a retail setting to an eight channel system and the current plan is to go with an 8 channel hybrid DVR in order to have the option of using some IP cameras now and in the future. I've heard good things about the EH1008H Hybrid DVR by Avermedia (and it's at a great price point), but it doesn't have digital PTZ in realtime or playback which is the main reason I need the surveillance system. We need to watch people's hands, what may or may not go into their bags, etc. Are there any other hybrid DVRs that I can consider in the general price range of the Avermedia which have this capability? Or am I going to be stuck with an analog DVR? Thanks!

Oops, good point. I'm in the US, southern CA. Thanks.

I was wondering if there are any national or reputable CCTV/Survelliance Professional associations where consumers can search for professionals in there area? Googling doesn't provide the most reliable results and I don't want to get sold by a fancy or lack of a fancy website. Thanks.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I think the best thing to do would be to just try out the CNB DBM-24VF. I can probably use the same connections as one of the current cameras and I'll bypass the DVR to check out the image quality. Does anyone have suggestions on a reputable place to order one of these? I've read of some issues with one of the larger online retailers. Anybody ever order from dvrmart? Thanks.

Perhaps I'm erring on the side of caution, but I played around with some of those parameters (white balance, exposure, gamma, etc) with our current system after it was set up. It's because one wall of the store is entirely glass (south facing), so we had issues with different light levels at different times. Maybe this isn't an issue with the better cameras?

Thanks Soundy for the helpful advice (and all your other advice to other posters). The CNBs are definitely on the list, but since I know I'll have trouble adjusting the output, the ability to do those things from the DVR will come in handy. The domes will be on a pretty high drop ceiling so the less times I have to access them directly, the better. Oh, and I won't need PTZ on these domes. Perhaps there are other alternatives? Thanks.

Hello everyone, I've been lurking here for some time and I'd like to get some suggestions before I really get into upgrading my current retail indoor surveillance system setup. We currently have a four camera standalone dvr setup that's about 6 years old, standard resolution. The cameras are pretty basic dome cameras, fixed lenses, color only, no ir. I plan to add 4 additional high resolution dome cameras as well upgrading to a better DVR and larger power distribution supply. Can I get some recommendations on best value high resolution dome cameras which will meet my needs? It seems like the CNBs are highly regarded here and I may go with something like the CNB DBM-24VD, but perhaps are other choices? My current criteria - high resolution, vari-focal, ability to be adjusted from the dvr (not sure if that is the same as OSD), reliable manufacturer, picture quality. I believe I don't need - Color/BW or IR since there are some 24 hour lights at the store. Of course, a better low light illumination spec would be helpful. I also don't need vandal resistance. I'm sure there are other important specs that I'm overlooking, but hopefully this is enough info to get some suggestions? Thanks everyone.