Have the layout and specs, need some advice on hardware...

[vanonsmith 0]

Ok, I have figured out the layout for my first residential CCTV system, and I know what specs I will need for particular rooms. What I am not really familiar with is the technology. So let me list what I am looking for, and maybe you guys can let me know what hardware best fits the needs.

 

All the cameras should be small, I want to recess them so that only the lenses are visible, and I don't want huge glaring dark holes in the walls. They don't have to be super high quality, but I would like at least 720p. I would also like audio pickups, but if I have to do that seperately so be it. Battery backup would also be nice in case the power goes out. 2 in the living room (it is long and I want coverage from both ends), 1 in the entryway, 1 on the porch, 1 in the kitchen, 1 in the playroom, 1 at the side door, 1 in the basement, 1 in the stairway, 1 in each bedroom (2), and 1 in the bathroom. I will also need 4 outdoor models to cover the street, my yard, and the garage. I will also need a DVR that can record all feeds for about a week at a time. I would like it to be accessible online, but it is not required. Also some thoughts on wiring would be nice.

 

So the rundown is this:

12 Indoor Cameras: Small, 720p, audio pickups. Nightvision is fine, there are always some lights on so no need for IR.

4 Ourdoor Cameras: Small, 720p, IR out to 100 feet. Audio pickups would be nice, but not necessary.

DVR with ability to record all 16 feeds without stop for 7 days, automatically destroying old footage as it records new. I want it to give me a 7 day window to review footage in the case of an incident, and export video wthout interupting the feed.

Battery Backup for the whole system.

Wiring shouldn't extend more than 150 feet.

 

As you can see, price isn't that much of a concern, but honestly, it always is. I don't want crappy equipment or a half assed setup, but if there are any deals I would be interested in them. Just don't direct me to the bargain bin.

 

Thanks in advance for the advice, I look forward to hearing your input.

[Kawboy12R 0]

What's the budget per camera? Do you want IR in the home for use in darkness? The Axis 1214 family would be good in a home because they're easy to hide but don't work well in low light and can't see IR. They're under $500 each and would work fine during a break-in with lighting (motion or by hoping the burglar would turn something on) in each room. I might buy a sample and test it with your actual lighting before buying a bunch and finding out that the nightlights you hoped would work actually aren't bright enough.

 

ACTi is coming out with some inexpensive indoor domes with IR. I wouldn't consider mounting a bunch of them inside my home though. Maybe one per floor with a decent shot of the front door and hall/family room.

 

I'd NEVER mount a camera with 24/7/365 recording in my bedroom and none at all in a bathroom. Think about it. Then think some more. Then think about you visiting someone else's bathroom and seeing a camera in there and what you'd do. If you aren't a bachelor with no friends now you certainly will be shortly after mounting a camera in your bathroom.

[Kawboy12R 0]

Missed the "lights are always on" part for indoors and didn't really comment on the audio part. Most NVRs/DVRs have port for external microphones so it's not that important for each camera to do audio. If your home is empty you'd be surprised what you can hear through one or two microphones. If you want to record what's being said in each room near every camera then you'd probably want to skip the Axis 1214s. No audio. Recording audio is quite possibly illegal where you are anyway. I'd check local laws, but it's probably more of a grey area when recording inside your home. Company might object and the law might even preclude you from recording family as well.

[vanonsmith 0]

Thanks for the advice partner.

 

I guess that is something I forgot to mention when describing the layout. I am a bachelor who has very few friends, and I live out away from most everyone else. Those who do visit know of my paranoia, and they know they are being watched because right now I have a variety of handhelds set up in my home. There is also a large sign when you come onto my property that says "You are being recorded at all times - act accordingly" which my lawyer says is fair warning to anyone who doesn't know me. The bathroom may be a bit of a stretch, and I probably won't go that far, but I want coverage everywhere else.

 

I recently came into some money, and I want to redo my system right. I don't have a hard budget when it comes to cameras, but the price of the Axis 1214 seems about right. I actually looked at the 1214, but as you said, no sound. Also, I couldn't tell if they had any IR capability. As I said, my lights are always on, but for outdoors I want IR, at least out to 100 feet.

 

Lens size could go out to .5", maybe even more, as long as I can conceal the body. Do you know of any other cameras that might work well, or fit the specs?

 

Thanks again, I look forward to your reply.

[Kawboy12R 0]

I'm not a pro, just a hobbyist. I've bought and used quite a few different analog cams for my work and home installs but I've been doing quite a bit of reading lately for my jump to IP.

 

The 1214 family doesn't do IR. To do IR properly, a camera needs a mechanical IR cut filter to block IR during the day. That makes the camera bigger which doesn't work so well with "covert". To tell if a camera can see IR if it doesn't have IR LEDs built-in, look for something that says "true day/night", or TDN, or ICR, or "mechanical cut filter" or similar in the specs. If it doesn't, then the cam has either a lens that blocks IR all of the time (to give a good colour picture in the day), or the sensor inside is one that doesn't see IR at all.

 

For good 100' IR night vision, you'll need IR illuminators in addition to cameras that see and/or emit IR. I use a CMVision 940nm (the invisible kind of IR) illuminator, but 850nm ones put out more light with less power. Folks will see a red glow with the 850s but you'll get better results for less money. Here's the 850nm version of the one I have. Cheap but effective. Here's mine. It's easy to spend lots of money on fancier illuminators.

 

1/2" sensor outdoor cams are out of my price range, but Axis makes some good low light cams, especially their new ones with Lightfinder technology. You may have a hard time finding a good outdoor cam that's easily hidden though.

[vanonsmith 0]

I am not that worried about the outdoor cameras being concealed very well. It is the interior ones I want to be small and unobtrusive. I did know I would have to use external IR lamps for the range I wanted, and thank you for the advice on those. I just want to make sure that the red glow you described would be visible only from the elements themselves, and that I won't have a red glow surrounding my house.

 

What are your thoughts on the Y-cam Bullet HD shown here: http://www.y-cam.com/y-cam-bullet-hd/ ? I was thinking I could drill a 70mm hole through an exterior wall, recess the camera so it is flush, caulk it, and use that? Do you have any experience with that, or know anyone who does?

 

If I use the Axis 1214 on the interior, and the Y-cam Bullet HD on the exterior, will I have a problem with recording from both? And how big of a DVR system will I need to record all 16 feeds at once for a week?

 

Thanks for the help.

[Kawboy12R 0]

I haven't used the big 850nm floods but I would assume that they don't throw red light like a floodlight. If you can see it they ARE throwing it at least a tiny little bit of course, but I've never seen any red tinting at a distance by smaller ones unless I held something right up to it.

 

I haven't looked into the y-cams because most mentions of them on here seem to call them lower end. Not sure if all models are like that though. I wouldn't drill and flushmount a camera like you're thinking of though. Too hard to mount and aim properly. I'd go vandal domes because they're hard to spot and a lot harder to tamper with than bullets.

 

If money wasn't an object I'd stick with all one manufacturer. It's hard to mix and match IP cam brands and get an NVR or software to work well with all of them. Axis provides free software if you use all Axis cams. Same with some other manufacturers. As far as storage goes, it's not an easy question without knowing which cams, the number of cams, and whether or not motion detection recording is used.

[the toss 0]

Thanks for the advice partner.

 

I guess that is something I forgot to mention when describing the layout. I am a bachelor who has very few friends, and I live out away from most everyone else. Those who do visit know of my paranoia, and they know they are being watched because right now I have a variety of handhelds set up in my home. There is also a large sign when you come onto my property that says "You are being recorded at all times - act accordingly" which my lawyer says is fair warning to anyone who doesn't know me. The bathroom may be a bit of a stretch, and I probably won't go that far, but I want coverage everywhere else.

 

I recently came into some money, and I want to redo my system right. I don't have a hard budget when it comes to cameras, but the price of the Axis 1214 seems about right. I actually looked at the 1214, but as you said, no sound. Also, I couldn't tell if they had any IR capability. As I said, my lights are always on, but for outdoors I want IR, at least out to 100 feet.

 

Lens size could go out to .5", maybe even more, as long as I can conceal the body. Do you know of any other cameras that might work well, or fit the specs?

 

Thanks again, I look forward to your reply.

 

 

I mean to be helpful when I say this but - wouldn't it be better to spend your money on treating your paranoia rather than spending it on fuelling your paranoia. What/who is it you are worried about? I hope you don't have firearms. Paranoia & firearms are a BAD combination.