quidpro

Shopping around for an entry level system and will start out with a Costco Q-See QT428 and 4 cameras. Now back in the day I remember CMOS was always for the "cheap" cameras and CCD was the only way to go. They have the QT428 bundled with either the 1/3" CMOS or 1/4" CCD, the CMOS being $20 more. I've seen the night shots from Mike_VA on the CMOS camera and they look decent at night. But how do these cameras or similar spec'd cameras perform during daylight? Any input is appreciated.

I'm in Canada, but have a place in the US that i ship from Costco.com to. Ended up purchasing a QT428 with 4 1/4" CCD cameras... was on special for $279.00. The cameras are probably crap, but if they work decently while I find something better... that's fine with me. I really only wanted the DVR, which was going for about the same price (without cameras) everywhere else.

Just wondering if anybody has had a chance to use either or both of these units. Picked up a Swann D19-16CH w/8 Camera bundle at Costco and while I thought the image quality was decent... the leafblower dual fans on the side of the DVR is making this a dealbreaker... I thought my old PC's were loud! From what I gather here the Q-See is fanless... not sure about the D14. The QT-428 almost has me sold, but not sure about the quality of the cameras that come with it. I know typically bundled cameras are not that great... but need a starting point for now.

Thanks for the info. I contacted Swann and they said the D14 has a fan... though in the manual when you see them replacing the HD, I don't see any fan... but who knows. Seems QSee often has firmware updates, which speaks volumes about after-sales support. Might be tough to gethem on the phone as some people say, but at least they are passing firmware updates along from their manufacturers.

Thanks for the input and information! I like the QT-428... seems to have a decent rep on here and since it's fanless, should be pretty quiet. I actually grabbed a Swann D19 and while it okay... the deal breaker was two leaf-blower fans. They sell the QT-428 at Costco here in Canada with either the 1/3" CMOS ($449 CAD) or 1/4" CCD ($429 CAD). I know Costco.COM in the US is selling the CCD version for $279 right now... if it was that cheap here, it would be a no brainer. But Canada is the land of scarcity, so prices are always overinflated. Any idea where the QT428 can be had on it's own for cheap... most places I've seen, the price of the DVR alone is more expensive than a bundle from Costco!

Mike, Thanks for the sample grabs. It's a newb question, but would you see this washout on the CCDs as well. I guess what I am asking is what are the pros/cons of a 1/3" CMOS vs. 1/4" CCD. Thanks.