timb

Hello all. I am new to the video surveillance world. I had my house wired up for video surveillance when I had it built. Three years later the company I was going to have install the surveillance system went out of business. I am more than capable of installing the system myself seeing that all the power and video cables are already installed. My issues are selecting the right system. 1. First problem\Biggest problem is operating temps: average temps are 14F to 100F although we do get some Canadian cold fronts that drop the temp down in the winter to -10F to -20F. All the ratings I see from decent cameras are rated around 14F for the low operating temp. We also get snow and fog. 2. Second problem is lighting: The camera will get full sun light first half of the day and next to no light in the night time. What I was thinking, was to use a separate IR lighting source and a good cctv camera. The camera will be located outside in a dark backyard with a not so bright street light about 120 feet or so from the location of the camera. 3. Last but not least we need a 8 to 16 channel DVR. We plan on using Android devices to remotely monitor the system. I do not need high end equipment yet I did read about your do not buy low end equipment. I was considering Lorex until I came across you form. I thought starting with the camera and working my way down to the DVR was a good start. So as you can see I need help finding the right system for my budget. I need one good camera for outside and one inside for starters. I need an 8 to 16 channel DVR with Smartphone access. Ideas please, because I am researching so much that I think I am learning more then I need to and I don’t want to access information that does not pertain to my needs.

I never looked at it that way....Thanks! Now all I have to do is find a good analog camera that will work well in cold temps. It has been in the single digits all week with negative wind chill temps. We live in Ohio and we get Alberta clippers from Canada all the time so we need a camera that can endure the cold temps. Audio would be nice but I might just run a independent mic for audio.

Sorry I meant to say, "My question is there any noticeable difference between 30 fps, 200+ fps, or 400+ fps?"

I am leaning towards a Dahua 8 Channel Full D1 Standalone DVR with Full D1 recording, 8 channel video inputs, and 8 channel audio inputs : My question is there any noticeable difference between 30 fpm, 200+ fpm, or 400+ fpm? What are the pros and cons of using IR or true day/night? I am also tech savvy, yet I want to stay away from wireless and IP cams. They are out of my price range. The Dahua 20xPTZ was nice…I found this video on youtube