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Wireless Agreed. You'll be able to connect at first fine. The issues are: * staying connected * knowing quickly enough when you're disconnected * getting someone on site to reconnect Get a wifi-cam like Arlo, Dropcam, or one of the $40 Chinese versions. They all give similar performance. They all disconnect for whatever reason when you least expect it (and when you're away and not back on site for some time). The wifi-cams are fun though. Just not there yet to be a trusted tool. Motion Doable, even on lower end systems. The motion is configurable in a number of ways too. Recording motion only saves hard drive space and makes finding archived video segments easier too. Day/Night Many cameras do this, some better than others. We talk about Hikvision a lot on here, the Hik's do well with this. Audio There are cams out there that record audio, not all of them, ya just gotta dig through the specs. Warning: State-by-state - some states have laws against recording audio. Typically it might be if the person doesn't know they're being audio recorded or if you're not part of the conversation (states vary widely)...and yes...even if it's your own home or business. Storage Depends on camera resolution, number of cams, and if you're recording constant 24/7 or motion only. 4TB on motion recording for 6-8 cams is really good for weeks, even on a fairly high resolution Battery Cams use the juice. Some use up to about 7 watts. But others that I use a bunch sip just a little juice at 3 watts. Problem is...3 watts at 12 volts adds up on a 24/7 camera. We're talking larger than car batts here and even then you'll get like a...day? Solar - more math...but still big batts and a pretty big (and pricey$$$!) solar panel. I do 4 cams and lights on a portable solar/battery tower for construction sites with no power. The lights do take most of the juice, but we run 3x 225AH batts and a honkin' 280watt solar panel. $20 grand into these towers each and they take some tender battery care every few weeks. Battery tech just isn't there yet for cams. Those little wifi cams are often 5 volts at around 500 millamps. So one of those LiON USB battery packs can power one of those for like 6-12 hours on a 6000 mAH batt. (yeah...I've done that too...hehe). But again...they're more fun than work-tools. Easy The cabling generally takes the most time. It's not rocket-surgery, but the for the DIYer it can take time.

BNC This type of connection will lead you down two paths: a) Analog = this is crappy video by today's standards. Pretty much like TV was before high-definition came along with those giant-heavy-CRT TV's. b) High-def-analog = Labeled AHD, SDI, TVI, CVI, etc., these systems do give close to 1080P like a modern high-definition Blu-Ray player (with other factors worked out). But it's a stop-gap technology. I don't recommend it for a new system. I'd look to this if: * you already have a ton of coax cable installed and you're looking to save installation money for just a few more years * your cameras will be long distance (like 1000' away, etc.) Ethernet network cabling Cameras that use this are called IP Cameras. With these, you can go better than 1080P (which is about 2 megapixel). 3 and 4 megapixel cameras are in a really good price range right now. IP Cameras give several other advantages too, including the foreseeable future on upgrading later. Lens For only 15 feet of focal distance, you may be looking at a fairly wide view. Perhaps a 4mm lens or even a 2.8mm lens. Check out this "simulator" for some ideas (I'm not affiliated with them) http://polarisusa.com/lens-calculator Camera type Bullet-Dome-Turret (ball) Bullet cams are included in a lot of kits, probably because they are slightly faster to screw in. But if your cam is anywhere close to where people can reach it, then a vandal-resistant dome camera would be called for. Turret (ball) cams are also popular, I usually get them requested for indoors in professional offices. But they make outdoor-weatherproof types of all three types of cams Weatherproof You mentioned outdoors, so IP66 rating is a plus (though some off-cheapo brands might still say IP66...bleh...so sticking with nice brands is a plus here) Recording the action Many IP cameras will have a spot for an SD memory card and record right on the camera. Though not exactly secure, it is an option. A more robust setup is to have the camera hard-wired to a DVR (analog) or NVR (IP) recorder. I try to stay with the same brand when dealing with IP Cams...just less options for error along the way. There is a (kind of) "standard" called ONVIF. But it's not 100%. Many of my business customers like to record motion only...saves on hard drive space, makes it easier to find a specific video clip...but the motion is not perfect and will catch a leaf blowing by or such. But it's still most workable. Night If there's no visible light (or low light), then infrared (IR) is the technology that cams use. Most cams have them already. It's way better than it used to be, but you still lose some detail when compared to daytime. Hope that gives some ideas and keywords to focus on for ya

While it's not a direct comparison... I run security cameras at construction sites on solar/battery power... * 4 cams (1 is a PTZ) * motion sensors * motion lights (LED arrays) * some flashing warning lights (gotta keep the vandals away at night) * battery charging hardware * DVR/NVR * router (on a cell connection) Running 3 large (150lb) batts (I think 200AH each, I'd have to look...but not those rubbish $359 200AH batts on Amazon), it'll make it through the night fine. But give it a couple of cloudy days...and it'll go to sleep on the 3rd or 4th night. It'll wake back up the next sunny morning though. Oh..and this is in Arizona...so lotsa sunshine. It's doable. Just pricey. And heavy.

That's the descriptor that tells you what you'd be getting into. CVI is one of the stop-gap technologies. It's analog. It's high-def analog, but still analog. There's a few other of these stop-gap technologies too...TVI, SDI, AHD. If you have a need for a really long distance (like 1000'+) then one of these may be a consideration. If you already have a whole bunch of coax cable installed and you're on a budget so you want to reuse a whole lot of coax...then these may be a consideration. If neither of those two "if's" are the case, then I would not recommend the high-def analog's. Especially if you're starting a new system, then go with an IP system that uses CAT5e/CAT6 network cabling. Even if you go with a low cost 1.3 or 2.0 megapixel system now, you can easily upgrade to 3 or 4 megapixel (or higher) later.

Basic networking 101 A switch at the remote location, then connect however many network devices you want. 2 or 102...that's the very design of the switch and it only comes down to throughput/performance. It does sound like a terrible idea to use the CAT6 for something that is not its design...divvying up the 4 pairs for solely 2 network connections. Especially when a simple $6 switch at the remote location is the obvious answer. No mess with crosstalk and no issues when somebody else has to look at it later to figure out what happened. Seems like making extra work for yourself now and also down the road.

1) Yes, the cams, NVR, monitor are the start. A POE switch if you're running power using that method (some NVR's have POE plugs right on them). 2) Probably simplest and cheapest to run an NVR at each store 3) If you capture continuous video 24/7, at your specs, that's 11.5TB per store (of 8 cams). Tidbit 1 - back off to 15fps, still totally viewable Tidbit 2 - some businessses (ok, many...and especially retail)...are good with recording motion only (ie...recording "activities"). Then you'd be good for about 4TB of storage for a month...even at 1080P (2 megapixel). Tidbit 3 - 1080P - 2 megapixel...they'll really like the picture quality (3 or 4MP they can zoom in the picture better to see what a person has in their hand, better facial recognition, etc.). 4) Depends on your business model * store NVR - local storage 1 or 2 of the 4TB drives, they keep it. In this scenario, you make money on the equipment and install as well as possibly some type of service going forward. * All video hosted by you Whether you do 24/7 (11.5TB x 30 stores) or motion only (say 4TB)...figure on doubling that as since you're taking on the responsiblity of keeping the data safe yourself as a paid service, it'll likely be expected that you'll have backups in case a drive goes bad (and they do sometimes). So 8TB - 24TB per store. And methods for: - regular uploads of the video to you from each store - your servers automatically backup the video (not difficult, but added expense and effort) In this scenario, you'll make money off the monthly (or whatever) periodic fees for storing/hosting the video. Plus a method for you to retrieve the right video when asked (if they're recording continuous 24/7, then it'll be more...eh...time consuming for you). A hybrid business model might be to have the video stored locally at each store, but a mid-range monthly fee for you to fully service whatever they need such as video retrieval, periodic checkups, etc.

Jeff King's on the site! ok...just kidding Analog The linked system is analog. Doing an analog system pretty much means 1-cable per camera (and buying lotsa cable!). So 8 cams on one building then running 8 cables through the tiny conduit to the other building? I'm guessing there's power available in the kennel building as you mentioned the DVR. IP System I'd prefer to go IP. One approach might be to have your 16 port NVR in the main building and do however many cameras you need there using CAT5e/6 cable. Then run one single CAT5e/6 through the conduit to a switch in the kennel building (under 300' is within spec). Ideally, that would be a POE switch if your cams are POE (easy install). Then in the kennel building, you'd connect up any cameras in that building to that switch. The cams, NVR, etc. just all need to be connected to your local network somehow. Quick-n-dirty-diagram with some sample cameras shown as arrows thrown in Two DVRs/NVRs This is doable. 8ch in each building...cams go to their respective building's DVR/NVR. Then run a single CAT5e/6 from the kennel building back to the main building to connect that DVR into your network. Then you'd look at one DVR at a time (though they'd still record). I did meet Jeff like 20 years ago and at the time he trained between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

So harsh environment, like maybe where dump trucks unload dirt/slurry all the time? The replaceable film needs regular replacing, so a little pricey on that, and also means somebody tending to it on a schedule. So probably not for the average dentist office. So some place where there's a lot of airborne muck/dirt and also where there's enough money being made. NASCAR pit area? Gold/Silver/Diamond mines? Adult film studios? Presidential political debates?

You've hit on the negatives, plus add to that a USB cable has a limit typically around 15 feet. To capture cheating, I would think a nice 2MP-4MP camera would be the way to go to capture small details. It does cost money though, the cams, the NVR, then installing the wiring. But it would be the highest quality choice. For quick-n-dirty, a 1.0 MP wifi camera. DropCam and Nest go for like $200, but there's some good versions from China that do great. They aren't commercial quality, but they record a good picture, you can monitor on your smartphone/tablet or from a browser window, and some will record to a micro-SD card. Way cheap...kinda fun to use..but not something to rely on 24/7 like a security camera system.

Goal To read a license plate at 80 feet including at night, it can be done. So the final result should be able to focus in on an area about 10 feet wide for a vehicle entrance/exit. Lens At 80 feet, this means about a 38mm-42mm lens on the camera for a 10 foot wide view. Going to a 20 foot wide view means about an 18mm-20m lens. But those higher zoom lens cost monayyy! Two sites to play with (I'm not affiliated with either one): Simple field of view calculator: https://www.pelco.com/partners/tools-calculators/camera-lens-field-of-view-calculator-fov Another calculator, but with a "simulator." This one has a "Vehicle Entrance" example...choose that, then change the "Viewable Dimensions" setting down below to 10, 20, or 30 feet to get a general idea of the field of view (but not necessarily the resolution). http://polarisusa.com/pvi4 So a camera such as the Hikvision's DS-2CD2T42WD with a 12mm lens, it's within the price range, but even getting a 12mm lens on it, you're looking at a view that is about 30 feet wide...that's like 3-4 cars lined up next to each other...good enough for reading a license plate? Maybe at 4MP...maybe...in the daytime. As mentioned above, a varifocal camera that has 12-50mm lens would let you choose the exact field of view you wanted. Resolution/high-def Most of the cameras for everyday use are typically 2.8mm-4.0mm. Going to a higher resultion camera such as 3 or 4 megapixel will help quite a bit...but not enough for an 80foot shot of reading the plate number. Night time Not making this easy on the cam, are we...hehe. IR does work, but range is limited. And even then, we simply don't get as good of detail when compared to daytime. Such is the technology in 2015. But we only need it to read the plate numbers. Many times the camera will say it has an IR range of 100 or 160 feet. Typically in real-world use, I find about half their claimed distance is more usable.

Your Pics (the disclaimer portion) While your pics give a pic of the mounting choices, choosing the best locations mean somebody going up to the window and looking out of them to see if that's the view you want. Hik 3MP The Hik 3MP's are nice and give a great video feed! The 4MP's are even better (and better with their nighttime image too). Vandalism Yeah, for the cams that are within people-height, vandals seem to try to smack them with a stick. Not so much throw rocks. So when possible, I move them up if the view is getting what the customer wants. They don't seem to try to go after the vandal-dome-cams as much...people are learning. But I do replace a number of the cheaper-Costco-kit cameras that are usually bullet cams. I like bullet cams, but they're sitting ducks for vandals down low. Higher View Getting higher simply gives a better view in some situations. Supervisors want to see the factory floor, etc. So many times, a higher cam is not so much for vandalism, but for the view. Of course, for people's faces, a camera can be too high to catch that. Front Door Speaking of faces, when the doorbell rings (or you hear a baseball bat banging on the front door), it's popular to have a camera set up to tell you what's going on at the front porch. A lower cam, even if it gets taken out, will have already recorded the best view of the vandal before they smacked the cam. Plus it's common for burglars to check out a place ahead of time, so the NVR can sometimes catch the "casing" being done. Plus...go with a vandal-resistant dome if you can (convince the Mrs. that it looks stylish and all too ) Roof Cam If you want to see far, it'll be a great view. But maybe you don't want every camera way up there. Perhaps an "overview" cam (or two) up under the rooftop, but another cam (or two) mounted under the 2nd floor window (to watch the scooter...of course ). Again...depending all on the view you want to cover.

8 Cams, 3MP, 30fps...that's close to 80Mbps bandwidth for some medium quality settings. The linked NVR doesn't list it's bandwidth/throughput capability, but unlikely that it's 80Mbps. Even a nice Hikvision NVR...some of them are 50Mbps...some are 100Mbps. A no-name NVR I played with the other day had a 36Mbps bandwidth cap. Might I suggest checking out YouTube vids on the difference between 15fps and 30fps. Certainly it'll depend on your goals/needs for your video. For many security needs, 15fps is plenty, but if you're going to turn it into a feature Hollywood film or reality show you may need more. Also, mixing Brand A/B...the ONVIF does help. Helps a lot. But even ONVIF-labeled devices don't always play 100% with each other. When I'm doing a new-ground-up system, I try to stay with a single brand. Helps on compatibility. Helps in case I need to work with the company (tech support, RMA-returns, etc.). When there's 2+ companies, they have a tendency to blame each other. But when it's only one company, it's more common to get the device fixed/replaced.

The underlying technologies of those analog setups won't give you a good resolution anything like people expect in 2015. Staying in analog will be staying in a crappy image. Two routes: Ethernet (IP) This is da-bomb! A 3 or 4 megapixel setup, and it's better than Blu-Ray. Some brands vary a little, as they always do, but the IP technology simply allows the video to go way beyond what analog did. This would mean new cabling to CAT5e/CAT6 (there is a way to do it over coax, but it's an exception and kinda pricey) High Definition Analog (CVI, TVI, AHD, SDI, etc.) These acronyms do allow for about a 2 megapixel image. They do look good and in my eyes seem just under Blu-Ray quality. The plus side is you can use your existing coax if it's in good shape. The down side is that you can't mix technologies at this time. If you go with...say...SDI...then it's SDI cams and DVR. It's not a bad stop-gap technology if you're not up to recabling at this time.

Night Owl makes a few DVR products, so if you have a model #, that'll probably answer that part of it right away. If your existing DVR is analog. * It probably has BNC jacks on the back that look like this: * This type of DVR would not connect to any IP (and wifi) camera * This means purchasing an NVR** for your wifi camera to connect & record If your existing DVR is actually an NVR: * It looks more like this kind of thing with network jacks instead of those round BNC's: * For an NVR, then you could connect a wifi camera (or any** IP camera) to it. If you're already at the maximum number of cameras for your NVR, then it means disconnecting an existing camera and then connecting to the new wifi camera. ----- Note** For IP cameras and NVR's, sometimes mixing brands can mean: a) works great, no problems b) connects and works, but some reduced functionality c) won't connect at all If both NVR and IP camera are "ONVIF" compatible, then we see more of a) and b) in those situations. But in the IP camera (and wifi camera) world, it's not like it used to be with analog cameras where just about anything and everything connected. I do patchwork Brand A/B mixing on existing systems (especially at home while playing around with the latest gizmo)...but when I'm doing a new install from the ground up, I typically go with a single brand for the install. Note #2 There are a few (very few) hybrid DVR/NVR's out there that do both analog and IP cameras, but I'm not sure NightOwl even makes one of those.

Thinking on this one again...how about a free cloud-based logic process. Such as IFTT? *quick Google* Like maybe a variation off of this recipe? https://ifttt.com/recipes/58148-send-notification-on-website-down-when-server-is-not-reachable

No prob...one can tell when I'm procrastinating doing laundry or something...lol 1) I do more bullets outdoors on poles. Probably because businesses do the pole thing and businesses like cams that scare off would-be-supervillians…er…vandals. Weatherwise, the Hiks do great in the Arizona sun (and summer wet monsoon...holy crap that was a lot of wind, water, and lightning!) without a box around them. (some clients reported their NVR recording some sideways rain on their cams, but no camera problems ) Axis cams do great..they really do. 15+ years ago, they were the cam that lasted out in the weather. Simply put, in the past 5+ years, the Chinese have learned out to do it and do it for way less money. With any camera, you’re not charging cost+5% as you account for any electronic device having a failure rate (whether the camera’s fault or the cam-got-bumped-into-by-a-truck-but-you-can’t-prove-it), so the markup will be up there according to your business model. If you’re Nordstrom, Dillon Precision, or Bently, or , your markup is 138%+ and you do post-sale service with the biggest smile ever that the clients love. (ok, I don’t know about Bently…outta my pay grade…but Dillon’s return/service is tops). If your service estimate is somewhat below Nordstrom, then maybe 22% or 48%...it'll depend on your business model heavily. 2) For brackets on poles, I usually use one that will result in a flat panel to mount the camera on. Wiring for outdoors (in the Arizona sun) is most always through conduit or inside the pole…and for the few inches/feet from the cam for the cable to get into the conduit, I’ll use “liquid” or flex conduit. Yeah, the cam part is easier than the cable sometimes…heh. 3) POE max is typically about 100m. But a time or two at about 80m I’ve had to add a passive POE extender (for outdoors, an Owltech weather-resistant one and even then, seal it up better inside a box out of the water). Making your own ends gets easier with practice...but I really spoil myself with a nicer (pricier) ratcheting crimper that cuts off the wires as I crimp. Not cheap though...$70 instead of $7, but cuts mistakes (and troubleshooting) way down. 3a) The Hikvision water-resistant plug cover…thread and pics here: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=40612 It just doesn’t fit over the RJ45 plug…but as people said…tape works great too. 5a) If you have…say…several cameras grouped far away (and there’s electric power out there)…you can have that far-away-group wired to a POE switch (8-port, 16, etc.). Then run a single Ethernet cable back to your NVR saving you running a bunch of long range cables. 7) For my crews, if we’re wiring up…say…a Subway sandwich shop…we put on paper an hour per camera and an hour for the basic NVR setup. Depending on the crew, they either undercut it, or newbies go longer than that. For high-up cams, expect longer. If you can’t use a hydraulic lift and you’re laddering up/down every 7 feet horizontally…then longer. If you have long cable runs, then longer. There’s a lot of customization to estimating. For devices you haven’t done much of (lock access, or whatever) figure longer. 10) If the client wants 24/7 continuous recording, then of course set it up for them. I usually explain the benefits of each and ask. For example, motion recording does record “actions”…heh. But if they want to spend the time to sift through 24/7 continuous recording to find an event, that’s totally up to them. 11) Most every NVR these days gives full remote access. View live, download recordings, set-up new user id’s, etc. About the only thing you can’t do remotely is if the NVR can’t connect to the internet.

Hardware kits from Costco, etc. They’re typically just fine for residential. For businesses (especially more industrial), I seem to replace them now and then with more rubust ones. But for a house….should be great. For the Arizona sun, I’m finding that I’m replacing some of the store-bought cameras (the larger Hikvision bullets do well in the heat). But few places in the world have 118 degrees in the shade. Other natural predators to cameras are water and icy-cold. For the water, look for “IP66” rating on the camera. Kit – cables They’ll give you a few bundles of cables (such as eight 100’ cables for eight cams). This will mean your cams near your NVR will have extra and for your far-away cams, you’ll buy a little more cable. But that’s simply the nature of the kit. IP vs analog vs high-def-analog For new installs in 2015, definitely go with IP The 3MP systems looks fantastic! The 2MP systems look nice, but I’ve been doing 3MP for most everybody this year (and this month everybody’s talking 4MP) Who you buy from Well, Costco really can’t be beat. It don’t work (or you don’t like it)…return it. On the down side, if one part of it goes out, it means either working with the manufacturer to get the single part replaced, or take the whole system down and take it back to the store. POE The power over Ethernet really simplifies the install and I go with POE when I can. Boogieman’s post (linked above) +1

Cams The Vivo’s you mention work fine, but they’re a little 2009….er…..or were they 2006? 2MP will look good, but for new installs, I’m usually on 3MP, though this month everyone’s excited about 4MP given the new pricepoint (that’s still well below those Vivo’s). Vivotek is simply midprice-range, but not the price-per-performance I’m seeing with some other brands in 2015. But those 2MP Vivo’s will work fine, do their job, and look good. See the IP/Megapixel folder for the various opinions on current cams: viewforum.php?f=19 Also, I tend to use POE cameras when I can to simplify cabling. Though using a POE splitter at the cam can be done and still run the single network cable to the camera. PC If the PC isn’t doing any other duties, the bandwidth of the 8 cameras is well below that of a single hard drive. So going with one HDD will fit performance-wise. But if you’ve got extra money and want an extra drive, I’d probably suggest a 2nd spindle simple to mirror the data in case one HDD buys the farm prematurely…but even then, if you reallllllly need to have the data in case a HDD dies. PC#2 If the client is set on the PC solution, then they’re set. If you’re (or somebody) is up to supporting the PC as things go along, then so be it. For most of my small business customers, they go with with a dedicated NVR for so few cameras as the NVR does everything they want and it’s a near fire-and-forget device that they almost never have to trouble with. Which they like as they want to spend their business-time working on their welding/orangutan-training/widget-making/etc. As for the purple drives: * I’ve been through a lot of drives over the years * From my limited one-sighted experience, I haven’t noticed a difference in using the “surveillance-labeled” drives * I still buy them though and use them anyway Network With the dual-NIC, again, all 8 cams are doing about 20Mbps combined, so it depends on what else you’ve got going on your network traffic. But for most small businesses and residential, it still leaves plenty of bandwidth for Netflix, Facebook, smartphones, and more for several users…and that’s on 10/100 Fast Ethernet. (though if you have a Linux/Torrent-minded person…well, you’re on Gigabit anyway, right? ) OS Win7 will mean you can turn off forced-updates/reboots so that the cameras can do their thing and you just do the updates on your schedule and not Microsoft’s. Looks like a fun system though...have fun with it and hope the 15 other sites work out great too!

Especially when so many of the DVR/NVR's are running on a Linux platform as it is! The IE dependency really needs to go away.

A semi-ouch on the new build ending up with coax, but it happens. Doing IP cams over coax is pricey using baluns (basically little-mini-modems on each end of the coax...after all, that's how cable internet is done). But a +1 to ak357 The high-def analogs do a good 1080P (about 2MP) and it does look good. Whichever version you go with (CVI, AHD, TVI, SDI etc.), it means (at least as of this year) you'll stay with that same technology as you can't mix them. So like all TVI or all AHD. When I have customers with a lot of existing coax that want to go to high definition (without recabling to network cable), I've been doing TVI. And not only because of quality (SDI looks just as good to me on the screen), but simply because it's easier at the shop to focus on one of them.

Almost always, the power is 12v...like just about...always. But in this case, that camera seems to be an oddball if it's anything like these two 9v cameras: http://www.amazon.com/Globalebuy-Security-Camera-Infrared-Vision/dp/B00BTVIT34 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XQVJUW (that one says in the Q&A about 9v) So yeah...9v...weird indeed! That is if your camera is like those in the above links. And 1amp usually does great for just 6' of cable (the camera probably pulls around 100ma). And even those two Amazon cams above talk about 1amp. But if you run...say...100 or 150 feet of cable to the camera, then you'll want about 2amps as the long cable run you'll lose some juice. But it is handy to have your power supply back by your DVR and then simply run a single siamese cable of both video + power out to the camera.

It will depend on your goals Definition/clear picture 720P is 1 megapixel 1080P is 2 megapixel 3 & 4 megapixel systems are common now and really look great. Yes, cost goes up for the higher resolutions. HDMI Most any of the systems have HDMI output now, it's very common. Night time So much stuff happens at night. So if you have that goal, then night time capability is key. Having capable IR is one. Also the higher end cameras simply do better in the low light anyway. Even Hikvision's 4MP cams appear to do much better over 3MP cams. Brand While mixing Brand A/B typically works (with the ONVIF protocol), it's not exact (plus having the 2 company tech support depts blame each other if something does work). When doing a system from scratch, I simply avoid Brand A/B issues and stay with one brand.

I'm not sure I entire follow what you're asking. Are you referring maybe a camera that shows a whole aisle of store product and if somebody comes and grabs a bottle of vitamins off the shelf, you want the system to just show you a video of a close up of the vitamin area?

+1 The install is a significant part and depending on distances, heights, building layout, building materials, a good installer would want to give you an accurate estimate. The $2,500-$8,000 range does seem wide, but for a pro-install of a commercial quality system, that's a fair range.

+1 to the wireguys As the camera lacks the capability to tell you once the wire is cut, it means another device or process to do it. The only out of the box solution I'm aware of at a lower cost is an NVR. Other solutions are more enterprise-based hardware or VMS solutions or homegrown-PC on your network running a process. Of the out-of-the-box NAS boxes (WD/Seagate/Buffalo/etc.) I'm not aware of any that do this.