Help for a newB please - Which Cameras & DVR vs NVR

[CCTV_Nut 0]

Hi everyone, my first post here, looking for someone with patience to help please.

 

I need CCTV for a shop selling services on expensive kit. The property is alarmed etc but the CCTV will be indicated on the front door and a monitor/TV hanging high on the rear wall where even passers by will be able to see it. So it will be mostly a visual deterrent, but I fear that one day it will be necessary for evidence. I also want to be able to logon remotely and see “what’s happening.â€

[Thomas 0]

2. Ability to constantly upload to my web server (or any other machine over the internet – so long as it’s off-site) (unassisted off-site storage Absolutely conditionally necessary)

 

Why do you think you need this, and what kind of internet connection is at the shop? Do you have an SLA agreement for it?

[Soundy 1]

DVR / NVR

 

I’m not going to need 16 channels or more, but 4 will not be enough, so despite previously mentioned budget restraints I will be going for an 8 channel DVR or NVR if I can afford it.

 

An NVR by definition works only with IP cameras ("NETWORK Video Recorder"), so the first thing you need to do is figure out if you're willing to shell out for all IP cameras; if you're wanting some IP and some analog, or all analog, then you need a DVR or DVR/NVR hybrid.

 

And NVR by itself will probably be cheaper (because there's no capture hardware required), but the cameras will tend to cost more, so you need to balance those requirements. Also, NVRs are not limited by hardware when it come to expansion - you get an eight-channel DVR, and load all eight inputs with cameras, and you won't be able to add another camera without a significant hardware upgrade.

 

NVRs are entirely software-based (well, not including the machine they're built on, but they don't require specialized video hardware), and if anything are simply limited by license - need more cameras, upgrade your license. Need to go from eight to ten cameras, you just add two more to the license, rather than needing to bump up to 16-channel hardware.

 

2. Ability to constantly upload to my web server (or any other machine over the internet – so long as it’s off-site) (unassisted off-site storage Absolutely conditionally necessary)

 

Thomas has a good question here - is this ABSOLUTELY necessary, and what is your internet connection like? Doing this can chew up a TON of bandwidth and very likely wouldn't be able to happen in realtime. If, for example, you have a DSL connection with a 128kbit upstream, you'd be lucky to be able to upload a couple of images per minute (PERIOD, not per camera!), forget about live full-motion video.

 

5. Ability to control which channels appear on the monitor in the shop would be good- I don’t want customers checking out the store room.

 

Pretty much all of them will do this. Some will only allow you one camera at a time, with a sequence switching between your specified cameras; others will give a multiplexed, split-screen output (at additional cost, usually), but any of them should allow you to select which cameras are and aren't displayed. Some will also allow you to "hide" cameras on your office monitor as well (in case you don't want employees seeing that covert camera you have over the safe, for example).

 

Also, I read somewhere on one of these machines that it had the ability to send an email when one of the alarms was tripped… can they send an SMS (Mobile phone text message) too? If not, I could setup an individual email address for the alarm to email, then maybe if I could find a method of forwarding all emails to an sms… Any ideas on that?

 

I have yet to run across one that SPECIFICALLY supports sending an SMS, but most wireless carriers will let you email an SMS to a phone - usually it's in the format of @... for example, for me, you can email 6045551212@text.telus.net (not my actual number, of course) and it gets delivered to my phone as an SMS. Check with your wireless provider for details.

 

A by-question - Can most DVR’s / NVR’s output a signal to a PC Monitor instead of a TV?

 

Yes. A very few (very cheap) standalone DVRs I've dealt with only output composite video, but the vast majority have VGA output available. Computer-based DVRs, of course, always use VGA as their main output.

 

Also, if the TV or Monitor is widescreen, do the DVR’s have a setting for this, or are the pictures stretched?

 

That would depend on the machine... none of the VGA-capable standalone units I've seen support widescreen properly. All of the CURRENT PC-based ones I work with do, since it's dependent on the video driver more than the DVR/NVR software (a few older ones are more rigid - some only work at 1024x768 resolution, for example, but those are largely obsolete anyway).

 

Cameras

 

I’d like to know, what camera has a good amount of degrees vertically as well as horizontally? I know you can get “fish eyeâ€

[banny_1982 0]

You could use appro LC-7222(E) box cameras for the inside around 200-300 euros each plus the lens and appro LC-7233H IP dome-type outdoor IR cameras for the outside roughly 300 euros apiece (these don't need lenses). you just need a router or switch and you don't need the recorder on-site, you can install the recording software on any computer in the world and you're rolling. Also you You don't even need a top of the line computer a quality P4 will do, just have plenty of storage. IP is very flexible, easy to set up and you can easily do it yourself if you have basic computer skills. All these support PoE so you can get a network switch with PoE. This will lead to a "clean" install, and they will do a great job for the price. I am in no way affiliated with appro but the price/quality is just unbeatable. You can also consider Ganz for very slightly higher quality @ slightly higher price. Just make sure you get COMPUTAR lenses.

 

PS the recording/monitoring software comes free with each camera.

[CCTV_Nut 0]

Thanks for the feedback, to everyone!

 

I eventually bought second hand gear. After much research I chose to go for a Dedicated Micros solution.

 

I bought a BX2, since it does everything I consider that I need and then some! It is a reconditioned unit, but for the bargain price of £300 even if it only lasts for a year or two I will be happy. I got some second hand Sanyo cameras, the guy I bought them from was very kind, he helped me out snce I'm starting a new business on a very tight (almost nothing) shoe string budget. When I get more flush with beer tokens I will buy more cameras from him and give him some proper money. I've also offered to build a computer for him at cost - which will be nice for him since he's into serious kit for his gaming.

 

I got a Vista housing, very nice, but unfortunately I might not be able to use it - long story about space reequirements vs glass.

 

Once again, thanks to all for your help.

 

Nick

[banny_1982 0]

what is your budget? I left a reply in your previous post suggesting a pretty cost effective setup, maybe if I had your exact budget I could be of more help.