daveshoot

External alarm inputs can trigger recording based on a switch closure from another device, like a PIR, gate control, etc. Video motion is very prone to false alarms, especially outside. The RS-485 on the Lorex has been debated, but it is not for IP PTZ control. Their documentation just says "unsupported" if I recall correctly, and also specifically said ptz not supported. The Swann night picture is very busy as the IR kicks in, but it is usable. The day picture is really good, and the color is good just after first light. It's only in the IR mode that things get noisy and I don't think they give you as much control over the settings as Hikvision would directly. The lens is called a 4mm with a 75 degree view angle. Probably the best overall choice, but I would have liked a longer one for one location.

It's a great price for 6 cams included. The trade-off between that and the Swann is no external alarm inputs, and no PTZ control. But, it's 200 bucks less with 2 extra cameras. It also has 100 ft. of cable instead of the 60 that come with the Swanns, which would have been nice. It seems the bullets are the same cameras as the Swann system, and my Swanns look very good in day, adequate at night. Time will tell, but they feel like pretty high quality gear. It would have been nice to have a dome option like the package you're considering. Believe the fan noise talk. Not a blow dryer, but you won't want it in a room with you for an extended period. It's more the continuous nature of it than the volume but you won't want it in a bedroom. I hope the software is better, but have no way to compare.

Roger that. You can fit the RJ-45 through a half inch hole, but be advised, the locking lever will click and it will not fit back through easily. In my circumstance I have found it easier to route the cam cable in, from the outside. Then I go in the attic and grab it, and pull it through. I am making the final connections outside. Carlon PVC j-boxes are cheap.

The angle is fairly wide on the Swann, pretty good really. A vari-focal lens would sure be nicer. My porch cam is backlit too much; the angle is good enough to capture the area, but the combination of foreground shadow and sunlit background is not good. If the porch light comes on, it gets pretty bad. I would never pick an analog system over this. For whatever complexity IP introduces, it's worth it for the management options and picture quality, IMO. I took today off to mess with it more, along with some other projects.

2000 sf, single story, detached garage, but with faux gables and design elements that complicate coverage. It's a 2.5 acre lot, most of which is pasture, but some large trees near the house. Sunset is a killer for some otherwise desirable angles. Also, one of my first placements would have a subject backlit, compromising a possible ID. If they come in they will have to go out, so I need to move that one to have the sun at its back in the afternoons. I could easily see 6 plus 1 or 2 PTZs. You would think 4 sides = 4 cams, but this is simply not the case. The garage and drive will require at least one of their own. There is just no substitute for getting started and tacking them up to try them out.

I have this Swann from Costco: http://www.costco.com/Swann-8-Channel-HD-NVR-Security-System-with-2TB-Hard-Drive-and-4-1080p-IP-Cameras.product.100027599.html I honestly can't answer most of that yet. I had all 4 cams running indoor for a week, and got the iPhone app running, but it was all temporary test on the desktop. I just finally got 2 installed outdoors late today. I have spent a lot of quality time in the attic and there will be more to follow. The NVR is finally tucked away, but hardwired to my router. I am still figuring out the recording options, since it records to both the NVR and PC (local and remote) and I am occasionally confused about which one I'm configuring. The iPhone Swannview app took some doing to set up, but I do like it. It has some lag, of course, but it was actually useful for setting camera positions. I have two device settings, one for at home in the internal network, and one for away connecting externally. It shows all 4 cameras at once or you can pinch/zoom to see just one full screen. I am completely rethinking my original fantasies about camera positioning. I was trying to do too much with a single placement. Also, I think you'll always want more cameras than you think you will.

There is also the Swann option at Costco. They seem to alternate between Lorex and Swann every couple months. Not sure what the bandwidth concern is; they make their own little network if you use the IP systems and wire them with CAT5e. You can also use one of the SDI systems which work over coax. Both Swann and Lorex seem to offer both through Costco, off and on. I don't know anything about the Samsung. I have been impressed with the Swann IP cameras, which appear to be the same as the Lorex (made by Hikvision). The main difference between these 2 systems seems to be in the details of the NVR. The software is kludgey but the support has been surprisingly decent; I now have two installed outside and view through IE or iOS on the iPhone 5. The NVR fan is noisy and you'll want a place to put it where it won't bother you. I think I can easily ID people after I finish tweaking settings and placement. Attached is a capture in the evening with overcast and a bit of rain... just got that one running.

Bad human! "malicious fecal distribution": priceless. He's due for a camera upgrade, I would say.

I will have to go back through the packing; I don't recall having seen these. Sorry, it absolutely does come with rack mount adapters. They were in the accessory box with the remote, as shown. I am almost done with my remote NVR install in a custom box, and tackling the exterior penetration to get a cam or two actually installed outside. While I have made this molehill into a mountain, I hope to have some preliminary results to post soon.

It does not come with any rack mount adapters. It is a hair under 15" wide (call it 14 11/16) by tape measure rather than spec, and 1.5" tall not counting the rubber feet.

Was gonna say... the Swann is apparently by consensus a Hikvision. It has 8 discreet alarm inputs. Each can be configured to do different things with selected cameras or ptz presets. They can be normally open or normally closed switch sensors. My NVR is offline now as I build its location, but details to follow. This feature is the main reason I waited for the Swann, over the Lorex. The RS-485 input supports Pelco P or D protocols, according to the specs page of the manual. This feature is not documented in the NVR manual but assuming those protocols can bus commands by address down a 485 path, I would assume it offers ptz control via the bus. Until Swann/Hik show their hand for expansion of the product line, PTZ control via IP remains a mystery, but I'm telling you every view (including mobile) of the NVR features the ptz functions and preset lists, as well as tour settings. Bloody annoying really, especially if you are thirsting for an affordable and compatible PTZ cam or two.

I had pretty good results with Swann support; all depends who you get on the phone. I do believe all were Indian. One was a script reader, but another was very sharp. I also reached a surprisingly well-informed Costco concierge tech guy, who was better than all the Swann folks. There also it depends on your luck in the queue, but the one guy was an NVR port forwarding guru, which really surprised me. No experience with Q-See. I'm planning to write up more of my generally great experience with the Swann IP NVR package but it's not really installed yet. I wanted to get it all running, including the iPhone app, before undertaking the real installation. Now I'm working on the final NVR location, then mounting the cameras outdoors. In a nutshell: The cameras are small, really well made, and the picture quality is great. Only tried the IR indoor but it sure lights up a dark living room. The fan is loud and continuous (not a blowdryer but you don't want it in a room with you) and the software is unnecessarily complex, but workable. The Swannview phone app is pretty cool and if they would pay me to rewrite their documentation, they would spend a lot less time taking tech calls. Now I'm wondering if 8 cams will be enough (and I started out looking for 2-4). Sure hope they bring in a PTZ soon, especially since their software keeps displaying all the PTZ functions whether you have one or not. Edit to point out the one out-of-box failure: the mini-CD with all the software was unreadable on 3 different PCs. This must have been corrupted in production. A Swann tech emailed me the essential files, although I don't know what I didn't get. NVR, cams, and accessories were all running on desktop or around the house for a week with no failures of any kind.

From IE (if you can access the NVR from a browser, or connect directly for similar options): Configuration - Camera Management - IP Camera. This will give you a grid of IPs for all detected devices.

Hilarious, good post.

Long ago when I was in the biz, there was usually a drop in misbehavior right after the systems went in, but then it was just as though they forgot the things were there. They would do unbelievably stupid and/or criminal things right in front of the cameras. I don't know if they forgot, or just assumed no one was actually watching. That all refers to employees, of course. Your smarter class of true criminal might choose to avoid well-surveyed areas.

I am still waiting for mine, so not ready to endorse it yet: http://www.costco.com/Swann-8-Channel-HD-NVR-Security-System-with-2TB-Hard-Drive-and-4-1080p-IP-Cameras.product.100027599.html But if 2.1 mp cams seem low-res to you, you are probably not a $1500 customer. This package is IP with 4 IR cams, 8 ch. NVR, and cables plus software (which we haven't heard a lot about). At 1080p it seems to be a lot of bang for the ($1200) buck. The Q-See is $700 for 1.3 mp/720p cams in a similar package, and many were happy with that. It does appear to meet your stated goals and budget, and some others have reported good results, but it's still theoretical until it gets here. The available guides are mostly from vendors educating you to buy their packages. I found reading here (and Buellwinkle's blog) among the better online resources for DIY.

I am actually posting via Ubiquiti RocketM, with a 25" dish on a pole by our pump station, with almost 300' of gel filled CAT5e to the modem. It is impressive. If I chose to pay the price, I could have 25 mbps download speeds. It's doing the 5 Gig link to a mountain over 10 miles away. My Swann is scheduled for July 2 delivery and I am eager to tackle whatever remote access issues await.

daviansmith pastes that same reply to all posts, not to worry. The problem is that your camera is putting out NTSC video, and the bandwidth is a lot for 2.4 GHz to send, greatly in excess of the requirements for a cordless phone. It is a weak signal in a saturated band and rather unreliable except in short line of sight situations. Once you enter the IP world there are more wireless options, but video is best hardwired whenever possible. Industrial customers can use point to point microwave links for CCTV, but they are cubic $$$. You can also add Yagi directional antennas to the consumer grade 2.4 Gig transmitters to get the most out of them, if budget is tight. There is a whole cult around building Yagis and waveguides from potato chip cans and coffee cans (http://newplans.net/WiFi/Directional/Types.htm) or they are commercially available, if you care to push the envelope.

Here, that would have a family of house finches within a week; spiders rest of the year. I don't mind the finches much in general, but their nesting in every nook and cranny has caused various issues with hardware and flora.

Some of us are still waiting for them to arrive. Placed order with Costco on the 21st. Ever since then, the status is merely "Order Received" (by them). Finally reached a nice human who said: they usually ship faster than that, sometimes the vendors don't update the Costco system in a timely fashion, I should receive shipping confirmation when it ships, and it should be here in a day or two. So that is an interesting set of assumptions, but I can assure you that you'll hear about it one way or the other, if it gets here. Another thought is that people who are really unhappy with what they receive tend to be very vocal, so perhaps little or no news is good news. That's putting my best spin on it, while I wait.

and now Lorex seems to be offered in SDI only. Hard to keep up with this stuff! http://www.costco.com/Swann-8-Channel-HD-NVR-Security-System-with-2TB-Hard-Drive-and-4-1080p-IP-Cameras.product.100027599.html Ack, the price went up to $1199 with 4 bullets. I still thought the Swann was the better NVR package due to alarm inputs, and PTZ support. There is a little more confusion (I think?) because the "in the box" pop up calls the NVR an "SDI" but says there are CAT5e cables in the box, and the cameras are clearly pitched as IP. Perhaps I am not sophisticated enough to understand how they can co-exist, or maybe it's left over from the previous offering. I did email them the question. Also, in going through the 17 reviews, most of the one or two-star input was due to a) fan noise, b) Mac OS issues, and c) mobile access, usually neglecting to mention the phone OS. Most also agreed on sketchy or poor documentation. The guys who sounded like they knew what they were doing seemed fairly happy with performance. I would not want a problem with a Mac, but I don't have a Mac, so I am going to look past those complaints. As a Harbor Freight customer for years I've learned to work without instructions. And even if it sounds like a Harrier hovering I can find a secure place for it; the Lorex always got the same complaint. So for 1200 bucks I think it is the starter kit I was wanting, and I have been putting off the purchase for some time. Do any of you that went with this last time around have new input? Anyone care to point out a different direction at the price point?

In addition to my merely interesting neighbors, there was a mean home invasion thing down the road a few months ago, on our commute to work. Wife and kid (3) actually passed the perp on the road, who appeared to be fumbling with his belt (they didn't think much of it at the time, though they had to swerve to avoid the guy in the road). Crime was committed with a handgun, so that is a bit chilling. I followed down (unaware) on my way to work about 30 minutes later, cops everywhere all SWATted up, looking down the ravine with ARs. Perp left no business card and cops never caught the guy, despite dogs and a chopper. Volunteered our info, but nothing came of it. Still out there. Nothing against the PD at all, but the nature of the job is to fill out forms after the Bad Thing has happened. I have changed a few things since then. Here, you better be your own first responder within reason.

Yup, feel your pain. But by this same logic, you'd never buy a computer, since it will be obsolete in a year or two; nature of the beast. Mine isn't even delivered yet. However, I already know I'd like to try some domes, and Swann isn't offering IP domes at present. Will the Lorex's work in this system? Neither of them is going to guarantee that (bet they will work, but it is a bet, and might require warranty-voiding flash updates). Or, do I throw the dice on aliexpress with some HK supplier that is out of reach of law and hand? Hikvision themselves seem like a pretty good bet, being well established in the limited distribution market. In my case, getting the wire around was the biggest project, and as long as it stays intact, I can leap to the next thing later if I must. All we can do is string 'em up and see how long they last. I have finally taken the leap and will just roll with the punches. I can't get any smarter about it just reading the forums. It's not that much $$$ in the grand scheme of things. The burglars may just take the whole rig, for all I know. Securing the NVR is occupying my thoughts at present.

Nope, not that interesting but I remember that thread . I have it easy by comparison. The ones across the street had a significant raid at one time, including police, sheriff, DEA, and an alphabet soup of other agencies. Boiled down to a family dispute including gun brandishing by ex-con (probation violation) against other family member, and subsequent discovery of unlawful "medical" pot farm. Jut good old back country fun and misunderstandings. They weren't so bad. The renters are gone now, and the owner has only backed into my gate once, while no one was home (one of the departed volunteered the info). Now, the OTHER ones... they're INTERESTING. Lotsa scruffy foot and vehicular traffic. One night a scruff tried to come through our walkthrough gate, demanding to see "xxx" (a name next door), but met dog, and almost Mr. Mossberg. One of my concerns is being mistaken for the folks next door by people with poor directions or impaired skills. There appears to be a coven or something in their yard, living in a stone and earthen yurt, for lack of a better word, that has smoke coming out of it frequently. I'm sure it's all harmless but I just think some extra eyes are prudent. We also have large, brazen coyotes and other rural critters, and of course the gophers. You can sort of time individual gophers, if you know when a particular one is usually active. They may then be dealt with ballistically. Livestock will be added over time and the barnyard will be a future surveillance project. Still, the CPS Nazi guy takes the cake and I hope he isn't planning to rent around here. Stuff like that can really affect quality of life.

Jeez. It doesn't look like lightning damage to me and I'd look at other causes, such as ground faults, but the OP didn't do anything wrong here. If you're a retired engineer or professor, and scolding is your normal tone of delivery, try actually helping, as in "check resistance between x and y" or something. Keep in mind this was on the VGA plug, not primary AC, and volunteer something useful. This is an egregious failure and while I have seen a lot of surge damage, I've never seen melting like this on a VGA connector. Lightning is usually catastrophic and instantaneous and blows stuff up. If lightning had caused that melt, there would be plenty other damage besides (and there may be anyway). That looks like sustained high current draw.