Recommendation for outdoor camera with alarm I/O port

[kouroubel 0]

I need some help in deciding which outdoor IP cameras to buy.

 

Application:

I would like to connect the cameras to PIR detectors in the perimeter of my house and receive video alerts to my HTC smartphone every time the detectors trigger the alarm (just like Avtech's push video).

 

Vandal-proof housing, PoE and SD card storage features (while not a must) are certainly welcomed.

 

Budget is 250$/piece.

[buellwinkle 0]

Not sure AVTech makes a vandal dome. The 3MP Dahua vandal dome, the IPC-HDB3300 will be under $250 (FOB China) and have alarm i/o, sd card slot and their pay Smartphone apps have similar capability to AVTech Eageleyes app.

[tomcctv 190]

hi. aver cameras are in your price range. with auto setup and good software for upto 32ip cameras (can be other brands)

[kouroubel 0]

Thanks for the answers.

 

How about Vivotek's MD7530 or even 7560 (I know the latter is a little bit over my budget)? Are they considered reliable?

[buellwinkle 0]

Personally, I would not get Vivotek even though they make awesome brochures. But the plan was to have AVTech like alerts on your smartphone and pretty sure Vivotek's app which is rated 2 stars on iTunes can't do what you want. Is that no longer a requirement? Also, the MD7530 is obsolete and no longer on Vivotek's product listing, leaves you with the MD7560 which runs about $325, not a bad price for a 2MP camera but no push video.

 

There are other choices if you don't need the immediate alert. Most cameras will send you an email alert which you can get as email or as a text message. When the AVTech alerts you within seconds of an event, if you tap on the event it starts playing the recorded event video immediately and you have the option of live viewing the camera at that point with 2 way audio. Which is very different than getting a text or email a few minutes later.

[kouroubel 0]

Avtech style push video is definitely a requirement (I don't care so much about recording).

 

The reason I asked about Vivotek is that a salesman recommended it after I described to him my application.

 

You are right of course that email with video attachment is not the same as direct push video on your smart phone but....

 

Since at the same instant the PIR detector detects something I am going to get a voice call by the alarm's dialer and an email with a video attachment from the camera, we are talking about a 20-30 second delay (not a few minutes), right? Am I missing something?

 

On a side note, the MD7530 may not be on Vivotek's product listing but it is still sold by certain retailers for a very attractive price.

 

On another side note it would be interesting if someone(I wonder who?) would test Dahua's push video feature. After all, there are only 2 brands (as far as I know) that offer push video but only one of them has focused its marketing strategy around it.

[buellwinkle 0]

Very few cameras will email video, most only do pictures. I don't know of any brands that do.

 

How long it takes to email pictures depends on how many pictures you want, what resolution they are, how fast the internet connection. Receiving them depends on if you have a POP3 mail that your phone picks up once every 10-20 minutes or pushed email like MS Exchange. So yes, it can take 30 seconds or 10 minutes. Imagine if you emailed video, several MB at least, that may take several minutes to generate, mail and received. I have my Axis camera at one location email me 4 pictures, VGA resolution and depending on when my phone checks email, it can take as little as one minute as much as 5 minutes, never 30 seconds.

 

If your house alarm notifies you of an intruder and you went straight to the phone to see live video, the subject may have already passed from view.

[kouroubel 0]

Yeah, you have a point, I forgot about video generation and send mail delay.

 

Check mail delay is probably not an issue because when the house alarm notifies you, instead of going to the live view, you force an email-check and (hopefully) get the mail with the video attachment within 30 seconds (or a little longer).

 

Knowing all this now, I have to ask the obvious question:

 

How the heck does Avtech manage to push the video in 5 seconds?

[Kawboy12R 0]

Push the notification and a link to the live stream rather than waiting for the event to end and emailing 5-10 minutes (or whatever) at a time?

[Razer_SE 0]

Personally, I would not get Vivotek even though they make awesome brochures.

 

I know you review a lot of cameras, but I have to say that while I do not consider Vivotek to be top shelf by any means, I use a few of their cameras with great results. I had a few early 8332 bullet cameras die, but they were replaced quickly and I've had no issues since. Picture quality is amazingly good, better than comparable ACTi in many cases. I just got in 8 more Vivotek domes as I cannot get an ACTi to preform well at all at night no matter the setting where the Vivotek works perfectly, in in color no less! I tried 4 different ACTi domes to no avail, so I now have all ACTi cameras usually except for Vivotek domes. I have yet to have one fail too which is fine with me.

 

Comparing side by side the Vivotek picture quality is better than my ACTi's, I'm hoping the new line of cameras they are making with the new chip they made will improve the overall image quality, I get artifacts that should just not be there currently.

[buellwinkle 0]

If there's a Vivotek camera that expemplifies the brand, please let me know and I'll work on getting one to review.

[JF1980 0]

Hi,

 

try EyesOn247 they offer could quality cameras at a afforable price the eye 6 and 3 are really good.

 

I dont see any mention of I/O ports to connect a PIR or other external trigger on the EYE6.

 

Also do you work for EYESON247? Because you've recently registered and made 4 posts recommending them (I'm sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick).