We recently purchased a home with an existing (2009 Lorex) system with 16 channels and 8 cameras. As you can imagine it is seriously outdated. I've gotten a quote from a local installer that is just way more than we were hoping to spend ($2400 - our budget is about $1000). I've spent the couple of days researching different brands etc. only to become more confused the more I read. To be fair I was reading reviews online before I found this site and I wish I would have come here first!
We have a large open attic and my husband is pretty handy so the physical installation is not an issue and I'm in the IT field so with good documentation I should be able to handle setup. What I don't know is what we really need. Somethings I read said you don't really need such a large drive while others insisted on the sizes of these being enormous. Some said 720p is fine while others say the 2-4k are a must for longevity.
We have 4 acres, a long driveway and are not home at all during the day which is when we would want the most ability to playback etc. We aren't so worried about night vision although it would be nice.
Our current system is so difficult to maneuver and is not at all intuitive which has rendered it basically useless. We would very much like to be able to view remotely and from all I read the software included with many of the popular boxed systems is horrible so any suggestions for awesome ease of use would be much appreciated.
We are definitely looking for a wired system, not wi-fi. Not sure if we should go with IP cameras or not.
Again, any help would be greatly appreciated!
