turboturbo

hmm, it will be at either 15 or 30FPS audio for a few cameras Actions scenes? well, I really do not know. cus the around 20 of the cameras will be pointing a the plants, not sure if motion detection will work well as the plant grows through the night. around 9 hours will be in the night, completely dark. We don't necessary need streaming directly to the phone or other mobile devices, but would be great to have. I have check the bandwidth we have later. I really do not know what to expect to spend, but seems to me CCTV is very justifiable for security, labor management and insurance claims. Totally prefer something easy to set up. I was thinking split the set up to 4 computers (4 x 8port PoE switches).

So I decided to go with 23pcs of Hikvision DS-2CD2732F-I(S) Hardware setup for 26 CCTV recording @1080P @ 24hr/day. I would like to keep the record for 15days. What kind of hardware setup is recommend? i will need a switch suggestions too. thanks!

For the reference, 2cd2032 can be purchased for 93.50USD shipped to HK, while 2cd2732f is 138USD shipped. I believe Hik is a no brainer considering the quality and reputation is quite good. I will also have a bit more to spend on the PC, as well as a higher quality PoE switch.

I have heard mixed reviews on Vivotek, still researching on ACTi and Bricom. It is much easier for me to get DaHua or Hikvision at much lower so called US distribution prices. It will be using LED lights 50watts x 75pcs. Skipping solar this time due to restriction on the constructions.

and no, I won't keep the lights on.

I saw the video quality of both Hikvision and Dahua, and found the quality is actually pretty good. Furthermore, I am located in Hong Kong, it is likely I can obtain them at a decent price too. I think I will getting full set of Hik/Dahua first and, if I'm not satisfy with the quality, i will move to something more expensive, such as Axis. XProtect seems to be quite a decent choice to pair up with these cameras too.

I read your website for a few hours, and seems Hikvisions and Dahua for indoor might be better choices considering I do have a limited budget. And yes, are you going to review the ACTi any time soon? It doesn't have IR tho, which can be a major concern at night. Wish they have IR version, but can be a problem for such a wide lens.

So... I am completely new to this whole CCTV thing but this forum provides a lot of information and valuable insights, thanks for all the contributions! They are especially useful for newbies like me. Right now we are building a greenhouse (hydroponics) in some rural areas in Hong Kong. The size is around 61x44 meters (200x144ft), surround by 2 meter tall fence. Since we will be only working at the greenhouse only from 5am to 11am daily, it will empty most of the time. A reliable CCTV system is a must have for us. Some facts: - Inside the greenhouse, humidity will be over 90% through out the year - During the summer, the temperature goes up to 97F and down to 40F in Winter - It rains quite a lot during the summer. Here are some ideas regarding the set up: - 3 cameras on each side of farm, thus 12 cameras in total for outside. - probably another 12 cameras located inside the greenhouse to monitor labours/visitors, and the growth of vegetables. - 2 more cameras inside the container office. - All of them must be 1080P and have good IR There will be 26 cameras in total. And here are some questions... 1. PoE should be ok for powering any camera less than 100meters (330ft) from the switch, right? 2. Which PTZ outdoor cameras are recommended? I think I will be getting one Axis Q6035-C for the main entrance. (btw, there is only one entrance to the farm). Probably something cheaper for the rest. 3. Since there is a chance of water leakage from the roof, I prefer the cameras to be waterproof. 4. Any suggestions on PoE switches/routers? Software Requirement: 1. Motion detection as usual 2. notification / alerts / Push service to cell phone and email 3. able to view the CCTVs from phone apps (either iphone or android will be fine) I will be using a PC for the recording. My budget is 7K USD - is it relistic? Attached is the layout of the greenhouse. There will be two 20" container office at one of the sides of the office, where the PC will be stored.