Looking for a Full Security Camera System for Under 1K

[Sibz 0]

Hello Everyone,

 

Basically, I just purchased a home and I'm doing renovations. I recently had a hybrid solar attic fan installed in the garage to help with the heat, after a few weeks I noticed the vent wasn't turning while it was sunny so I went outside and saw that my solar panel was missing. Now I don't know if it was one of the workers from my contractor who stole it, a previous contractor that I ended with on bad terms due to him trying to up charge me and I wasn't having any of it so I fired him, or someone random from the street since my house is a 1 story and a corner lot. Now the area that I'm in is one of the best ones in Southern California but my property is still a corner lot and very close to a main street / apartment buildings. The neighbor on the corner lot across me actually has 2 cameras pointing at the corner lot side street so it got me thinking that I should get one as well now due to the theft.

 

 

I'm thinking about 6 camera's should be enough for me and I have been doing a bit of research and have stumbled upon the Costco bundle that includes 7 cameras that are 650TVL and it comes with a 1terabyte DVR so I would only need to buy a few monitors to view the cameras.

 

Would you guys recommend I go with the Costco bundle or can something with a better image quality be built for under 1k?

 

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11753010&search=security+camera&Sp=S&Mo=20&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=security+camera&Ntt=security+camera&No=3&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

 

thanks,

Jeff

[camera-newbie 0]

I think you'll find that most people on this forum will say "good luck" and leave it at that -- hence the lack of responses. If you search the forum here for things like "q-see" or similar you'll see a pattern -- all of these pre-built systems are generally garbage.. To better define what you want out of your security/camera system, you need to provide more information.. Namely, are you looking to have something that will provide good enough images to provide to the local police dept or something more like -- "ooh a burglar taking my TV while I'm not home.. Too bad my camera can't make out the guys face! Oh well.. Off to Best Buy to get another.."? None of those packaged systems are going to give you anything that will allow you to see the perps face -- unless they stick their face right into the camera filling the entire frame.. Yes, I'm exaggerating a bit but you probably get the gist. Anyway, you need to think about what you want before you just go buy something..

[ronp 0]

Sibz –

 

You need to explain what you want out of a security camera system before people can offer their opinions on what system would be best for you. If this was a car forum it would be difficult to recommend a car if all we had was “I need a car to get to-from work for under $15k.”

 

That being said, the specs for this system look okay. It will record 16 channels of D1 resolution at 30 frames/second. It has 1TB of storage (that’s a lot). The software has motion sensing record, H.264 compression, lots of time-based alarms, etc. Six of the cameras are 1/3” Sony Effio CCD with 650 lines of resolution and 100’ of night vision (that’s probably overstated so assume 50’ of good night vision). Three of them are fixed wide-angle view and three are zoom. The one camera is Pan/Tilt/Zoom (meaning you can control where it points) but it is less resolution.

 

You do need to have a little bit of technical skill (mechanical, electrical, and computer) to install and use it.

 

All-in-all it’s a decent basic system. It’s definitely not “garbage” through many CCTV-elitists will dis it as such without even a glance. Hey, there's nothing wrong with a Ford Taurus if that's what works for you and the millions of others who drive them.

 

Will you be able to see burglar’s face well enough to give a photo to the police. Probably not. Will you capture a license plate. Doubtful. Will you be able to zoom in and see details like they do on CSI. Nope. To do all that means lots more $$.

 

You get what you pay for so tell us that you want to get...How far, how detailed, zoom or wide-angle, night/day, ambient light only, cell phone access, etc?

[Sibz 0]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. I guess I would love to be able to see a face or license plate frame but if the camera's are going to cost 300-500$ each to do that then it would be over my budget.

 

I had someone else tell me I should get these cameras

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056NV7TE/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk

 

Would those be able to see a license plate or face better? I could get 6 of those and then a 500gb DVR and still be around my 1k budget.

[ronp 0]

The camera you pointed to at Amazon is an *indoor* camera. It *might* work under a porch roof (not eave) where it is 100% protected from the elements but it also might die the first foggy/hot/cold day. There's no manufacturer name and there's no buyer feedback. Those are red-flags to me.

 

Without knowing your particular requirements it's impossible to suggest a system or recommend something or even speculate if it's possible for under $1000.

 

FYI - All that stuff on CSI where they take a fuzzy (cheap) security camera image and "enhance it" to clearly see a face or license plate is total fiction.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Guest

[Birdman Adam 0]

Under 1k is easy if you choose good analog cams, a decent DVR and do it ALL yourself.

 

I would buy a D1 Qvis 8-channel (I have the Zeus) with 1TB HDD, up to 8 CNB Monalisas (VCM-24VF outside) (maybe DBM-24VF inside). For wiring go cat5 + baluns. Power supply, get some old wall-warts that are up to the job. Maybe get a UPS.

 

Pepole say this stuff is expensive, but when you're not paying someone else to do it, its not. BUT the crucial part is that you properly mimic the professional by following good practice and installation to get the most out of your 1k.

[ronp 0]

To give you a reference point, here's a pic taken from a 650TVL camera similar in specs to what's included in the q-see system you're considering. It's mounted under the eave of a garage roof. It's approx 60' to the guy walking on the street. The sign by the tree is about 2x the size of a license plate.

 

There's a good discussion here (viewtopic.php?f=19&t=16732&start=0) on what you need for facial and license plate recognition. The consensus is an absolute minimum of 40-50 pixels/foot (although lots of other factors contribute, too). Doing some quick math, with a 650TVL and 4.3mm lens camera a face or license plate would need to be under 30' away for recognition - add in movement, bright sun, dark night, etc and in reality it's probably much less. Think about the images you see on the news of convenience store robbers. Often the person is barely recognizable and those cameras are mounted behind the clerks less than 10' away from the subject. That's why you'll see people on this forum recommending higher $$ megapixel IP camera systems vs. standard CCTV camera systems for IDing people and plates.

 

In my opinion, that $1000 system you referenced in your OP will definitely record people coming and going from your property with quality similar to the image, below. If you have a couple cameras mounted so that a thief might unknowingly approach one face on (like over a door) you'll get a good face shot when they're less than 20' away. It's a Ford Taurus. It sells well, is functional, reliable, has lots of convenience features, and will do a solid, basic, job - just have your expectations set for what it can and can't do.

[toomaslepp 0]

You might want to also check out the android app "homealert" if your on a budget. Comes quite handy if you have an android youre not using. We used to have this useless Logitech solution that required for the computer to run at all times, but now we're just using the "modern" solutio. When ever there's movement, it just sends us photos or a video on via email and even instant SMS...altough i must admit lately it has become more of a nanny cam for the wife