mattaggie

personally I prefer dome because they are more vandal resistant. You could throw a football at a bullet and change where it is aimed. Also with a dome, people cannot tell where it is being aimed. A bullet shows you exactly where the lens is pointed. But, as you point out, bullet stands out more and says to people "hey im watching you!" Bullet vs dome doesnt matter in terms of area it covers. Its all about the lens to know the field of view. You can get vari-focal cameras that have a lens range from like 2-8mm so that you can configure each camera to the area's needs. Unless you are going to be monitoring the cameras constantly, there is no point in a PTZ, other than the convenience of changing angles and view from PC vs at the camera itself.

It would help if you mentioned where you live.

For your budget, look at one of the complete system purchases. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/LaView-Camera-Security-System-Bullet/dp/B0149OP3P4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480030471&sr=8-1&keywords=laview I think it meets all your needs except for optical zoom. Thats a feature that makes the cameras more expensive, so may be tough to get with your budget. Personally I dont find find zoom to be all that great because it means someone has to be actively monitoring the cameras to take advantage of zoom.

You have some pretty demanding needs. Wide angle and getting facial features dont really go together. When you go wide angle, you give up detail. You might need to look into 4k cameras. Hopefully someone more knowledgable than me can guide you.

I bought a bundled NVR and 4 IP camera system. The value is pretty good for $800. The hardware is fine. Cameras are a little on the large side, but that's not a big deal for most people. Its the software side that stinks. I set up all these motion settings on NVR and it never worked. So I called them. Played phone tag for a few weeks. When you call, they answer, but say they have to call you back, which they will in a few hours. They said I have to set motion up by going into each camera through the IP address No where in the instructions could I find this information. I have no idea what all the motion settings on the NVR control. Motion works better now, but it still records way too much (ie when there is no motion). If you can get comfortable with the NVR interface, its not a bad deal. I'm still undecided on the company. They seem like they are genuinely trying, but just don't have the manpower for good customer service.

You could make a nice system using this 3MP outdoor dome camera from Geovision. https://www.amazon.com/Geovision-GV-EVD3100-H-264-Super-Vandal/dp/B019S45A7Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465879221&sr=8-1&keywords=evd3100 You get free Geovision software with the camera. You really shouldn't have to add anything to mount them. They can be screwed directly into wall or under eave. I use these cameras and love them. And Geovision has good support if you ever needed it.

why not just buy an analogue camera that doesn't have IR?

Max length is about 330 feet. You can use one Ethernet cable for multiples cameras, but you will a switch. So cameras will plug into the switch, and one cable between switch and router.

I use Geovision and sometimes their software just acts screwy. They do have a new software for remote viewing (live and past) that is much nicer than remote viewlog http://www.geovision.com.tw/english/Prod_GVEdgeRecording_Win.asp

http://www.geovision.com.tw/english/Prod_GVIPCAMEVD2100.asp $250 on Amazon. I realize its a bit over your budget but it does meet your other criteria. I use these cameras and they are excellent.

I think if you got a camera with a 12mm lens option, that would suffice. If you have to get excellent, up close view of gate, you'll probably need to get a speed dome camera than can do 20x zooming. Remember there is a trade off when zooming in. You get quality picture, but only in one small spot. You miss coverage in the area around the gate (unless you put in another camera with a wide angle of view). Personally I use Geovision cameras, but there are so many camera brands out there its mind boggling. Is your reasoning for good view of the gate for people/ vehicles coming in during the day or breaking in at night? If its for vehicles coming through, you may consider a license plate camera.

I cant comment on how to set up 4 monitors, but Im trying to sell a Geovision 16 channel DVR card (1480b) and 8 Bosch analog cameras (VDC 260V04). Would make you a nice deal if you are interested. I'd even through in the power supply. Geovision has excellent support, so Im sure they could guide you on how to get your monitors set up.

Wow that's a long story. You should definitely keep police involved. I would imagine this guy is all talk but you never know. I'd report every run-in you have with him, including over hearing him say threatening things. You can ask the police about audio recordings. I think its legal. Where in SE Texas are you? I'm near Houston.

is it powering up other cameras but not one camera? Take the camera down and connect to the switch using a short cat5. Did you make the cat5 cable or was it a premade cable? When making a cat5 cable, I have put the wires into the head in the wrong order, thus making the cable the culprit.

I have a Geovision GV-1480B DVR Card 16 channel. Bought new in 2013. Has worked perfectly. Includes everything you get when you buy a new one except for the little IP camera Geovision throws in. $500 and free shipping. Paypal. Will only ship within USA. Let me know if you have any questions.

Still available. lowered price to $400

To get license plate at night, you needed a LPR camera focused in on a smaller area. Those images you have aren't even remotely close to getting plate numbers.

Higher cameras do give you a bigger field of view, but the downside is the angle of viewing. You may not be able to make out a face or license plate. You just have to experiment.

There are just so many factors and its hard to know what you need without actually seeing the property. You really need someone knowledgeable to go out to the property and see what you need. Just find a reputable company. They will supply the hardware and deal with any issues that arise after installation. You can read through these forums to gain more understanding. Really the hardest part is running the wires. Also motion detection outdoors can be tricky because so many things can cause motion like trees blowing in the wind. Everything you mention is do-able, its all in getting the right camera for each purpose.

That camera is not wireless. You will need to connect a cat5 cable from the NVR to each camera. This will provide power and data transmission. Wireless cameras do exist, but I wouldnt use unless there is just no way for you to run cat5. You don't need to worry about bandwidth for 4 cameras going straight to an NVR. the NVR you picked out looks fine. You can use up to 8 cameras with it. Beware that cameras only record what has already happened. Even if you get a face or a license plate, your bike is already gone and you may never get it back. So my point is, cameras are no substitute for physical barriers like chains, bars, cables, etc.

The only aspect you really need to do during your remodel is the wiring (cat5 or cat6). You can pick cameras and DVR/NVR later. Just run wires from where your recorder will be to where you want the cameras. You can read through reviews to see if you like a battery powered camera. Personally, I'd somehow get wires to where I wanted cameras. Otherwise, you will always be beholden to battery life. Wired is just better and more stable. http://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Smart-Home-Wire-Free-VMS3130-100NAS/dp/B00QH0Q8J4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458529401&sr=8-1&keywords=wireless+battery+camera+outdoor

I think any DVR or NVR will have fans.

call Geovision support, they are very helpful. 949-583-1519

Your challenge is going to be getting faces and license plates at night. You are wanting very wide angle views, but that takes away from the detail. Think 3 million pixels in a wide view vs 3 million pixels in a narrow view. To get license plates at night, you'll need LPR camera pointed at a specific spot. The headlights will make the plate unreadable to normal cameras. Also be aware that when it rains, your camera is going to detect motion. There are ways to adjust the settings so that it doesn't detect on rain, but this does affect sensitivity and so potentially it may not record something you did want recorded. You'll just have to play around with lenses, settings, angles, etc to get it like you want.

That camera seems like it would meet your needs fine. The camera will have an IP address and employees can simply view camera from the IP address. Or you can use some remote view software for PCs to see the camera(s). I'm unclear as to whether you want or need to record the video. It sounds like you don't need to record. Typically you choose frame rate based on recording, not live view. Im not sure how, but I imagine there are ways to get the camera feed onto your smart TVs.