Best cheapest system?

[Nodon 0]

I'v got a samsung time lapse recorder and monitor. Cameras have the rj11e connectors that plug in the back of the monitor, they are obsolete now. What would be the cheapest best solution for a replacement if I go that route. I don't know anything about dvr but can learn. I wouldn't need over two cameras, might could get by with just one. Thanks for any info. The only thing I am interested in is recording not viewing from work or from vacation. If someone brakes down the door to my house, I want his picture and hopefully a picture of vehicle.

[rory 0]

All in one systems are never that great.

Best to get the DVR and cameras separate.

 

You would need to run RG59 Siamese or Cat5, the new cameras will have a BNC connection.

if you already have cat5 to the existing cameras just buy a balun for each end of the new cameras.

 

You will also need a power supply, multi-output fused boxes are nice but can be above budget, for only 2 cameras, depending on what you get, in most cases with basic 12VDC cameras you can get away with a single 1.5A plug in power supply (join wires together with wire nuts) - make sure to protect everything with Automatic Voltage Regulation though, for example an APC Voltage Regulator or an APC UPS with AVR.

 

Check out Dahua for a low cost full featured DVR.

For cameras, as you are upgrading from very cheap ones now perhaps look at something in a mid range pricing, lower than Samsung and Panasonic, but still decent and better than what you had - CNB.

[SecurityGeeks 0]

If you have a small house are want mediocre quality, go with a complete lorex system... for 4 cams... looking at about 300 bucks. Run your own wires with siamese, and you will be good to go.

[tomcctv 190]

If you have a small house are want mediocre quality, go with a complete lorex system... for 4 cams... looking at about 300 bucks. Run your own wires with siamese, and you will be good to go.

 

 

 

 

the only thing with lorex systems is they are the next step up from a pen and sketchpad. the recording quality is bad and thats the important part of any system.

[SecurityGeeks 0]

how could you say the recording is horrible.... my website is in my sig.... on home page there is 3 vids... thats with a lorex system. see my signature... maybe lorex has changed over the years. i think it is excellent for the money.

[mike_va 0]

FWIW, I've tried 3 different Lorex camera systems over the years and they are easily surpassed. Here's the latest one, including comparison to some more expensive cameras. One of the inexpensive Qsee cameras was not too bad.

 

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=26653

 

The one DVR I had of theirs since returned to Costco (this was a few years ago) was pretty marginal.

[Birdman Adam 0]

For the price, sure, they are great. But when your spending $300 - you cant expect much.

 

I would much rather spend 2-4 thousand and have a truly awesome 8-cam system.

[mike_va 0]

I would much rather spend 2-4 thousand and have a truly awesome 8-cam system.

Yep, that's what we've ended up doing. A few years back I realized I could not make out a license plate with the Lorex we had and we said what is the point. This forum has been invaluable, and Vlado's book also.

 

Thus began the journey and still a work in progress: 3x megapixel front of the house (Axis P3344, Arecont 3135, Pan 502), 2x Axis P1344 back and 11x analog (mostly Bosch 495's) into Axis 241/243 encoders...all crunched by Vitamin D on a quad core i7 (all that and still only ~20-25% processor at about 1A of draw). Pan 502 is also recorded at 3MP on a Synology, just do 640x480 on that with Vitamin D. No problem making out plates at 3MP. The i7 does an even better job than the Athlon quad core we started with at less power draw. At some point as an experiment I may try running some NVR software at the same time on the i7. I think we are still under your top number but have not added it up lately. Still waiting for a better low light IP camera though...

 

Anyway we just needed a decent bullet for the corner of the house where there wasn't a mounting spot (and I did not want a big camera or enclosure there). The DVR that came with the box system has been deployed as backup to the main rig if the computer dies (the Axis 241's have a buffered video out).

 

You know, if one wants an inexpensive system and can live w/ B&W buy some used Bosch LTC0355 for $5 ea on ebay, a few CNB MIR illuminators and a cheap DVR (there have been recommendations already on this forum).

 

Actually that Qsee camera I tested has a better picture during the day than the CNB (not hard, the CNB's DSP seems to get tricked sometimes if there is a large range of light and dark in the same picture). However, the CNB I at least felt was sturdy and had the potential of lasting longer (in addition to being reasonably priced and having good IR sensitivity). I do wish they would design in a little bit of soft start on their internal DCDC converters on those cameras though, huge inrush current. The Qsee longevity will remain to be seen, but Costco has a very good return policy on them.

[mike_va 0]

I'v got a samsung time lapse recorder and monitor. Cameras have the rj11e connectors that plug in the back of the monitor, they are obsolete now.

Someone can probably get you the pinout for that assuming you are happy with the DVR so that you can use other cameras.

[Nodon 0]

Thanks for the reply's, I am going to take it slow and check around and do some reading. I would like to upgrade to something newer if I could afford it. I gonna check out the video footage mentioned thanks.

[shockwave199 0]

All in one systems are never that great.

Best to get the DVR and cameras separate.

That is the single best advice to give anyone at the starting line, imo. And it's the single best piece of advice to heed, as the newbie. It's just this simple- do a search here in the appropriate forums to find the dvr's that are favored. Luckily, the patience is very good for this group of people in the know, and they make suggestions time and time again. Do the same for cameras. Check signature links to help aid your desicion. Talk is talk, but examples of picture and video are very helpful too. There are examples here from budget systems, right on up to great systems. Understand what YOUR needs are and balance that with the levels of quality you'll find here. Buy the dvr that suits your needs. Buy the cameras that suits your needs- and the cables. Keep two things in mind in the end- set your budget a bit past what you wanted to spend because most all newbies want to spend the least we can, but the quality just won't be good enough to be useful doing that. You can't buck the system- cheap out too much and you'll know it almost immediatley after killing yourself installing it all. And I can tell you- that is a depressing moment my friend! And if you can, invest in an eight channel dvr. You'll be glad you have the extra channels, I can promise you.

 

Good luck to you.

 

Dan

[groovyman 0]

how could you say the recording is horrible.... my website is in my sig.... on home page there is 3 vids... thats with a lorex system. see my signature... maybe lorex has changed over the years. i think it is excellent for the money.

I personally haven't used any Lorex systems, but I think your videos are pretty decent. I've read many times on this forum "you're not making a movie, you're capturing events." The inexpensive systems can do a pretty good job of capturing those events with very decent video quality.

 

The technology has come down in price incredibly over the last few years. I don't think some of the low cost surveillance equipment can be called junk or toys anymore. They can do a pretty good job and think they deserve a second look by both professionals and novices alike. You may be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

[rory 0]

how could you say the recording is horrible.... my website is in my sig.... on home page there is 3 vids... thats with a lorex system. see my signature... maybe lorex has changed over the years. i think it is excellent for the money.

This was captured from the lorex youtube video

there appears to be some street lighting

 

 

just to compare, the following were also captured from youtube videos..

 

This is a very cheap color IR from an unknown chinese brand - pitch dark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOQSO8N3YLc

 

Varifocal cheap color IR from another brand - pitch dark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtcfFCdywhk

 

This is a TDN from another brand - pitch dark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9w_KYky3BI

 

and this is what the above area looks like without the IR

[SecurityGeeks 0]

THERE IS NO WAY IN THE WORLD THIS IS A "CHEAP"(20-40$) CAMERA... come on...thats like comparing a neanderthal to king kong!

[rory 0]

THERE IS NO WAY IN THE WORLD THIS IS A "CHEAP"(20-40$) CAMERA... come on...thats like comparing a neanderthal to king kong!

 

LOL which one? The one I said is the very cheap one, really is a very cheap one

 

I called it an unknown chinese brand as I dont know the real manufacturer, but you can get that same exact model right from a South Florida distributor or a similar model from one of our forum partners

[SecurityGeeks 0]

ASI carries this???? you are kidding me...? good quality... how do the cameras hold up to the whether?

[rory 0]

ASI carries this???? you are kidding me...? good quality... how do the cameras hold up to the whether?

 

No idea about ASI ... in FL its XTS ... even eclipse have a model but theirs costs more.

AS for weather? Well lasted through all the storms this year, and its been raining alot.

 

Im NOT saying go get it for an outside app though, unless the client is really broke ...

I would suggest something like the CNB VBM or VCM-24VF for outside but that costs triple, still cheaper than Samsung and Eclipse though.

 

The cheap color IR does work fine for small areas though.