CaptainCuddles

You're right on the money, good sir.

The outlet switch stuff that Kawboy posted is really what I was thinking. I just want to make sure killing power to cameras: 1) Won't hurt the hardware 2) Won't cause the config on them to 'reset' 3) Won't throw them out of alignment when they turn back on So far it seems these things are not an issue for the most part. But that is what I meant by that particular piece of criteria.

I'm pretty sure most of Hikvision cams can do what you want : HD : Yes, as least 1280x760 at 25FPS Notifies on motion detection (email - ftp) Can be checked from your smartphone through apps What do you mean by "can be easily turned on/off" ? records video on motion detection. Can record ON SITE or OFF SITE (just mount your Dropbox as NFS partition and you'll be able to record on it - but you should have a really good internet connection !) Good IR on these cams From $100 to $250 for good models Easily turned on/off means when I or my wife come home, we can press a button and turn them all off. Hardwired cameras running to an NVR in the basement would just be on all the time, and we don't want that. We want a tabletop camera that we can put on an outlet, with a little remote light switch, and just kill the power when we get home. The rest of the Hikvision line is domes & bullets mostly... I'm really looking for something to set on a table and plug into the wall. I feel like that's limited.

drocer, what makes you say it will be preferred? Have you used those phones? Never even heard of Alcatel. So, you would buy one of those illuminators, and plug in both devices, and prop them up somewhere side by side? And then find a special app for the phone that does all of the functions? (Recording, motion detection, emailing, etc) And is there an easy way to turn them on & off? I was thinking with a camera that I could cut the power to them when I wanted them off (with just a little remote light switch thing), but with a phone, they'll be battery-based.

Ok I call uncle. Is there a place to get those Hikvision cameras in the US, so I can have return/warranty options if there's a problem? I have not been able to find one.

mkkoskin, I'll check on the d-links. I saw them briefly but with mixed reviews. I think they use a cloud service from d-link too.. not sure if that has a subscription fee. steuk, I did see his site. Didn't see a lot of cameras like this, though. Only a couple tabletop cams from what I could find. I'll keep browsin' around at stuff. Axis seems to have the nice M10 series stuff, but I really can't afford $300 cameras.

Both good responses... neat concept on the sort of cobbled-together android setup. I'll certainly check out those cameras, too. A quick glace at the Q-See has some pretty poor reviews, but I hear good things about the Hikvision. I like that there's a 1.3MP version... could save some money over the 3MP version. (If I can actually find one to buy...)

Thanks to those that helped in a previous thread. I have another situation where I'd truly like to hook up 1 or 2 WiFi cams. Hoping someone can recommend some good cameras. - They do not need to be continuously recorded. - They need to notify (FTP/SMTP options, for instance) on detected movement. - Recording on movement would be a plus. - If there's a mobile app that can record the live feed from the camera, saving it on the mobile device, that is what is desired. - Some degree of night vision - Must be able to sit on a tabletop and plug into a regular outlet! No other wiring! I believe the ol' foscam 8910ws do this stuff (not sure about the Mobile App thing), but of course, quality and reliability is an issue. Willing to pay more for the cameras to get the quality and reliability needed. Suggestions?

steuk, well, yeah, kind of. It was a starting point. I realize that, since they aren't good, better ones will be more. $120 sounds reasonable.. about twice as much. But $300-$400 would be out of my range. CamB, if I could get some metrics on the WiFi performance of those things, I think I'd be more apt to look into a true WiFi setup inside. I have a pretty good setup, I think, as far as internet and internal network goes. The big issue with the dropcams is that, as far as I can tell, you're paying a lot for 'brand and marketing'... like "Apple tax." Also, I think I could set up my own offsite storage and not have to pay their big fees for cloud services.

Yes, I posted my inquiry on two completely separate camera discussion websites. My apologies if that offends you.

Hey all! I am so overwhelmed. This security cam world is just enormous. I've been looking at camera stuff for days. And at the end of a 2-hour run of wading through piles of videos, ads, and Chinese pages, I'll stumble onto something that basically tells me everything I just looked at was crap. Sigh... I need help! We recently had some folks at home that, well, weren't supposed to be here! And for peace of mind, I'd like to get some cameras on the property to keep an eye on the place while we aren't here. There are just so many options out there. So many systems, terms, cameras, wiring jobs, wireless options--it's very difficult to feel comfortable making decisions. I'm a technical guy, and generally can set up things on that side of the fence with no problems. Reading about port forwarding doesn't bother me. But, I'm not a handy guy, and I don't particularly enjoy projects around the house, drilling holes, or being in my scary attic. So, when I stumbled onto this "wifi IP cam" stuff, I got excited. Maybe not the best quality, but just plug 'em in and put them on a table? Wow! First I saw those 'dropcams,' but the price on them seemed outrageous for what they were. Then I got led to Foscam, which turned out to be shunned by people and plagued with firmware and security problems. And now I'm reading that most of these cameras are garbage, can't run a framerate worth a darn, kill your internet, and suck over Wifi. I need help. I need guidance. Here's my ideal situation--maybe you guys can point me in a direction: - A good starting point would be 4 cameras for me, all INSIDE. One near each entryway (front, garage, back), and one in master bedroom, where all the theives love to be - Doesn't have to be mega-HD, but a blurry mess won't cut it, and 5FPS on video just sucks. - Something that will notify me with photo/video when there is motion detected (and preferably not just the cat). - Something that can be checked on remotely (smartphone) - Something that can be easily turned on/off - Something that records video, especially if there's movement. And I would really prefer an option to copy that footage OFF SITE. Dropbox or something? It'll just get stolen onsite. - Something that'll work with the lights off - And of course... all this, but that won't break the bank I mean, I've been looking at $65 Foscams, so my stomach isn't going to handle $300 cameras. So, help! Give me some suggestions, re-set my expectations, and I will be eternally grateful! Thank you!