hello all.
Been lurking for a couple weeks... trying to study up. But it seems that my head is about to explode from the sheer quantity (and sometimes conflicting) information.... so here goes:
My parents have asked me to add cctv to their house. Seems a simple statement. I'm fairly technical and can solve most challenges when i have the time and patience... both of which i have at this moment for this task.... although the more i delve into this subject it seems that EXPERIENCE is the most needed qualification... unless I'm overestimating the challenge.
THE BASICS:
6 cameras - all outdoor - all IR... 2 need to see at most 15-20'... 1 needs to see about 8'.... 2 about 40'... and 1 around 100'.
DVR - embedded - or pc based. this seems to be a question i cannot answer. i'd rather be able to purchase something that's turnkey, be able to operate with an IR remote (although keyboard and mouse is possible), and above all it has to be friendly.... after all if THEY cannot operate it, then the system is useless. I have already resigned myself to not being able to remotely operate/manage it remotely as none of us use pc's... all mac users (and none can use parallels or other vm software to use xp as that requires a new intel mac.... all our Mac's are PPC based systems.... why doesn't anyone use java instead of active-x - but i digress)
i'd prefer a system that has a name behind it and a warranty... as soon as i get them up and running - i'll more than likely be leaving the area. Which leads me to another question: should i just hire someone locally to do everything? if so, how do i scrutinize their bids and their equipment?
The things that scare me the most is knowing what exactly to buy... a couple weeks ago, i poked around the net, found a retailer, purchased cameras and a DVR, and i returned everything because out of the box one camera was dark and the IR remote for the dvr didn't work. Needless to say, I wasn't left with a warm fuzzy feeling. So I'm a tad nervous about buying off the net without being able to see a picture from a camera or being able to see an interface.
So I'm stuck. Thanks for hearing me out.