TheHulk

Hi All, I have been browsing for weeks reading up on some older threads but I am just as confused and torn as ever and would appreciate some advice. I have no existing camera system and am in need of an 8 camera system for the exterior of my home. I was recently the victim of some vandalism and would like to be able to catch them in the act in the future (with good facial recognition) as well as the cameras acting as a possible deterrent. I did a lot of research and had decided on choosing an IP camera system. However, I have talked to 3 different installers with good yelp reviews in my area and they ALL advised against IP cameras and recommended "HD" cameras instead. They said there are a lot of problems with the IP systems and the HD cameras are more reliable. It seems the consensus on these forums is that IP is the preferred way to go. Why would the installers say otherwise? I am technically inclined but want a good quality, RELIABLE system that requires minimal maintenance. I am having a lot of trouble finding an SDI or TVI system with any kind of reviews. My gut says to go with IP but I also value the opinions of the professionals who deal with them every day. I have had my eyes on the following two IP based systems but would appreciate any advice you can give. I have seen differing opinions here on Swann devices and have not found any opinions on LaView (other than on Amazon). I have been looking for a month and am losing faith. The LaView has been out of stock for weeks but there are a few currently available but the Swann is on sale. Or if you prefer SDI or TVI, is there anything you would recommend under $2k? 16 channel 8 camera option- LaView http://www.amazon.com/LaView-LV-KN988P86A4-T2-Premium-Channel-Security/dp/B00KXB496M/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1418850604&sr=1-2&keywords=8+channel+nvr+poe 16 channel 8 camera Swann http://www.costco.com/.product.100144938.html Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

Thanks for the responses. I ended up purchasing the Swann unit from Costco since their return policy is very good. If somebody recommends something better, I can return it as well. I will also tinker with it before installing the cameras to see what I am getting myself into. Does anyone have experience with this particular unit? How loud is the NVR? Would it be any louder than a typical 4 drive NAS, for instance? Also, one installer I spoke with said IP cameras can bog down your network by using a lot of bandwidth. After I thought about it, it didn't make sense to me. The way I see it, it shouldn't affect my internal network because the cameras communicate directly with the NVR and the cameras should only affect my external network when streaming remotely (which any system would do), right? What am I missing? A lot of iPad and Xbox usage occurs at my home so I wouldn't want to interfere with my internet connection.