vanonsmith

I am not that worried about the outdoor cameras being concealed very well. It is the interior ones I want to be small and unobtrusive. I did know I would have to use external IR lamps for the range I wanted, and thank you for the advice on those. I just want to make sure that the red glow you described would be visible only from the elements themselves, and that I won't have a red glow surrounding my house. What are your thoughts on the Y-cam Bullet HD shown here: http://www.y-cam.com/y-cam-bullet-hd/ ? I was thinking I could drill a 70mm hole through an exterior wall, recess the camera so it is flush, caulk it, and use that? Do you have any experience with that, or know anyone who does? If I use the Axis 1214 on the interior, and the Y-cam Bullet HD on the exterior, will I have a problem with recording from both? And how big of a DVR system will I need to record all 16 feeds at once for a week? Thanks for the help.

Thanks for the advice partner. I guess that is something I forgot to mention when describing the layout. I am a bachelor who has very few friends, and I live out away from most everyone else. Those who do visit know of my paranoia, and they know they are being watched because right now I have a variety of handhelds set up in my home. There is also a large sign when you come onto my property that says "You are being recorded at all times - act accordingly" which my lawyer says is fair warning to anyone who doesn't know me. The bathroom may be a bit of a stretch, and I probably won't go that far, but I want coverage everywhere else. I recently came into some money, and I want to redo my system right. I don't have a hard budget when it comes to cameras, but the price of the Axis 1214 seems about right. I actually looked at the 1214, but as you said, no sound. Also, I couldn't tell if they had any IR capability. As I said, my lights are always on, but for outdoors I want IR, at least out to 100 feet. Lens size could go out to .5", maybe even more, as long as I can conceal the body. Do you know of any other cameras that might work well, or fit the specs? Thanks again, I look forward to your reply.

Ok, I have figured out the layout for my first residential CCTV system, and I know what specs I will need for particular rooms. What I am not really familiar with is the technology. So let me list what I am looking for, and maybe you guys can let me know what hardware best fits the needs. All the cameras should be small, I want to recess them so that only the lenses are visible, and I don't want huge glaring dark holes in the walls. They don't have to be super high quality, but I would like at least 720p. I would also like audio pickups, but if I have to do that seperately so be it. Battery backup would also be nice in case the power goes out. 2 in the living room (it is long and I want coverage from both ends), 1 in the entryway, 1 on the porch, 1 in the kitchen, 1 in the playroom, 1 at the side door, 1 in the basement, 1 in the stairway, 1 in each bedroom (2), and 1 in the bathroom. I will also need 4 outdoor models to cover the street, my yard, and the garage. I will also need a DVR that can record all feeds for about a week at a time. I would like it to be accessible online, but it is not required. Also some thoughts on wiring would be nice. So the rundown is this: 12 Indoor Cameras: Small, 720p, audio pickups. Nightvision is fine, there are always some lights on so no need for IR. 4 Ourdoor Cameras: Small, 720p, IR out to 100 feet. Audio pickups would be nice, but not necessary. DVR with ability to record all 16 feeds without stop for 7 days, automatically destroying old footage as it records new. I want it to give me a 7 day window to review footage in the case of an incident, and export video wthout interupting the feed. Battery Backup for the whole system. Wiring shouldn't extend more than 150 feet. As you can see, price isn't that much of a concern, but honestly, it always is. I don't want crappy equipment or a half assed setup, but if there are any deals I would be interested in them. Just don't direct me to the bargain bin. Thanks in advance for the advice, I look forward to hearing your input.