Newbie999

I have a 4 camera Samsung DVR system in my home. It was installed professionally. It's working well, but I'd like to find a forum where I can ask questions instead of bothering the installers or digging through the complicated manual that came with the system. Not sure if there is such a forum? My system I THINK is SDS-P3042. For instance, my DVD has (I think) 3 TB of storage.....at my current settings that's enough for just less than 2 month's of video recording, according to the "Record" option on the DVR's menu. I wonder if I can add a USB hard drive to expand my recording time? I also have questions about the recording "quality", CIF and other terms that I do not totally understand. I am fine-tuning the "sensitivity" settings this week trying to avoid getting an email Motion Alert each time a moth flies by at night for instance. If someone can point me to a suitable forum it'd be appreciated. Thanks

This is a very basic question from a nearly totally ignorant poster in the USA. I am having a house built, but it's not mine until I close. Thus I cannot string my own video/alarm/etc cables until the sheetrock is up. However, the builder uses a Security Firm sub-contractor who will install a 4 or 8 camera system (Samsung like the SDS-P5101 uses "BNC/Power extension cables") for $2k or $4k respectively, USD. That's a lot of money. These are "wired" not WiFi (wireless?) cameras. He could, however, install just the cables (now, before the sheetrock goes up) for about $100 per camera. I am thinking that's a better option, money-flow wise. I meet with the subcontractor next week to discuss details. My Questions: 1. Is there any sort of standard for video cables? 2. What are "BNC/Power extension cables" - is THAT the standard...or a standard? 3. Assuming those are standard cables, what cameras and NVRs might be "better" than Samsung? I do not need anything special in the camera other than quality...the functionality of the Samsung cameras in the kit above is fine. 4. If the ones Samsung uses are not standard, what other cameras and NVRs (etc?) will function properly with the Samsung cables? Thanks!

Thanks so much for all the help. But we have decided to wait until we've moved into the house to rig the surveillance system. If your house is being built and the walls are open, it is very foolish to wait...run the cable now.. Yeah, IF I can the money now! The cost between installation now and after the build is not significant, nor is the difference in the "cosmetics" of the installation.

Thanks so much for all the help. But we have decided to wait until we've moved into the house to rig the surveillance system.

Is it proper to call CAT* cable "Ethernet" cable and vice versa? Really appreciate all this information as I meet with the contractor in a couple of days. I am convinced I need to run CAT cable as your help.....now tell me if there is anything special about the cameras or NVR/DVR that I'd need for that cabling? Thanks so much!

Thanks for the replies. I am learning, and this has helped. Am I correct that CAT* is the newer cables, and carries audio, power and video? BNC only does power and video? Can cameras that use BNC use CAT* cables and vice versa? Which cable type is the more common for the typical residential installation? Thanks!