IP System suggestions

[seancctv 0]

Hi,

I know my way around CCTV systems, DVR's Camera resolutions etc.. I have little experience with IP Camera's, The reason I want to

set up a system using one now is the superior image quality and how we'll they preform with motion detection wirelessly, i.e no analogue signal to transmit and to incur interference.

 

A car in my front drive has been recently damaged (a few times!) so I want to catch whatever kids are kicking wing mirrors off mine and the neighbors cars.

 

Would I be correct in thinking I could buy an outdoor wireless IP camera and connect it to my home router allowing access to it on the network and better still if I set up port forwarding I could remotely log into it?, I just need one IP Camera for now so don't want to purchase a NVR so for recording I was thinking I could just use a normal PC.

 

Any suggestions or products would be much appreciated,

 

Sean.

[Soundy 1]

I have little experience with IP Camera's, The reason I want to

set up a system using one now is the superior image quality

Just to clarify: you want a *megapixel* camera for higher resolution. IP is just a different transport mechanism; many cheap IP cameras are only VGA resolution (640x480) and won't give you any better picture than an analog camera. Be sure to check the resolution specs when shopping!

 

Would I be correct in thinking I could buy an outdoor wireless IP camera and connect it to my home router allowing access to it on the network and better still if I set up port forwarding I could remotely log into it?

That is correct. However, you'll still need to record it somehow, which would normally mean some kind of software on your PC. Also, remember that no camera is TRULY wireless - you still have to get power to it.

[seancctv 0]

Thanks Soundy,

Sorry my use of terminology was not correct, yes I'm aware that IP is a protocol what I ment was I'd be looking to

go down the IP route as it allows allows for better image resolution i.e Megapixel, yes I'm going to run power to it from Attic but getting connected to the router might be a problem, for this i'm thinking of using two existing home plugs I have as this could be a cheaper option,

 

Would you suggest any camera's in particular? make?, I see so much crap on ebay.

[tomcctv 190]

.e Megapixel,

 

 

the problem is wireless. the loacation you are installing has power is this on the same power as your house i.e same ring ???

 

you may want to look into the netgear network over power plugs. this will allow you to have a better camera.

[benf 0]

Get ready for a lot of reading, learning, and trial/error. I was in the same boat a couple months ago, have an analog based system and wanted to move to IP based for various reasons. I'm technically very proficient with computers and networks but still find myself scratching my head. I much prefer the ease and "universality" of analog based systems but gotta say I love the picture quality and clarity of my IP cam, on which I've finally hit a good combination of quality vs bandwidth usage. This forum has been an excellent resource for me, lots of good information.

 

My advice, for what it's worth with very limited IP cam experience: Stick with name brand (don't waste your time on the ebay junk), and go PoE if possible... much easier to setup and configure. Personally I bought a Vivotek IP8332, a good combination of performance, quality, and reasonable price. Having some IR halo issues (big thread on that) but otherwise really like the features and picture.

[WilsonJ 0]

ACTi, Vivotek, or Messoa are some reliable mid range IP camera manufacturers that you can take a look. For recording, I would recommend you to use a stand alone recorder such as Qnap's stand alone NVR. It provides a lot of features and is really affordable.

[MagnumVP 0]

@benf

 

I'm where you were months ago. I'm moving from my analog system to a IP based for better quality. I was happy at first with my analog system, but then once my truck was broken into and then months later my house was tagged the videos doesn't do any good if you can't see their faces.

 

Police told me that it's nice to have video, but without facial features they can't do much. So I'm upgrading and making sure that I can see their face at night.

[MaxIcon 0]

Same here - upgrading from good analog gear to mid-range megapixel IP (with a few VGA in the mix). I miss the long-term stability of a good analog DVR, that's for sure.

 

I'll echo the recommendations to stick with good, well-supported name brands (check the web site to see that the software is regularly updated and multiple versions of firmware are available), and keep to the same brand, if possible. I've got software that works with some cams and not others, and vice-versa, so it's been tricky to find something that supports my whole zoo of cams.

 

My Vivotek 1MP IP8332s are great in the daytime - clear and sharp, with good facial recognition if they're close enough to get enough pixels. At night, the sharpness drops dramatically and noise increases, and it's back to looking like old analog views, even with IR (which washes out their features if they get too close).

 

Best bet is to have sufficient security lighting if nighttime recognition is important. I like the IR capability, but performance is best with good area lighting. Most of these mid-range cams have 1/4" or 1/3" sensors with high pixel density, and low-light performance is mediocre.

 

More MP are better, but can drop the frame rate, require lots more bandwidth and storage, and tax older PCs to their limits.

 

I've got 2 Vivotek IP8332 and one FD8134 1MP, all with IR, and I like them a lot, but would love to have the 2MP versions. I also have several 5MP Areconts without IR and a Messoa 2MP NCR870 outdoor cam with IR, and while higher resolution is great, none of them are as stable and user-friendly as the Vivoteks, which have been close to bulletproof, with mature, solid, flexible, friendly firmware. They're the only ones of the lot that I can count on to run for weeks at a time without hiccups, and have worked with a wide variety of software, either through native support or as ONVIF cams.

 

All 3 of my Vivoteks (bought used on ebay) arrived with the IR not working, but reseating the board fixed it up on all 3. I also like the extras - power supply (though I use POE), decent mount (if not industrial grade), and spare cable seal so I could switch to a direct connect net cable. The Messoa setup (also bought used) isn't nearly as nice, with a less flexible mount, no way to replace the bundle of cables hanging out the back, and it runs a good bit warmer than the Vivoteks (though I haven't measured the power draw). The Messoa software's not as mature, and it has a hard time with all sorts of software.

 

For $300, it's hard to beat the Vivoteks. If your budget's bigger, there are a lot more choices.

 

ETA:

I disabled the wireless on my 2 Y-cams, as it was very unreliable. I'd recommend trying for a wired solution if possible. Also, with SD cards, you can record on-board and not need an NVR, but if someone steals your camera, the recording's gone too! Blue Iris provides a good software NVR for $50, if the one that comes with your cams isn't up to snuff.