MasterVal 0 Posted December 20, 2013 Hi all. I've been reading and searching CCTV Forum for weeks but still would like some help to nudge me in the right direction. Any help and info appreciated. I'm planning to setup security for my home. Two cameras up front and two in the back. CAT6e is already installed. I'm also going to use my home server (Windows Server 2012) as the hardware for NVR. What I need is help nudging me in the right direction for NVR software and cameras. All my cameras will be outside (Florida, no cold weather), three of the cameras exposed to elements, the forth one will be by the entrance door - still outside but no rain will fall on it. It would also be nice if the entrance door camera would be with IR I also need the NVR to be able to output to a secondary monitor that will always be on. I will store 30-60 days of footage. I'm planning to power the cameras with Unmanaged 802.3af PoE Gigabit Ethernet Switch (LPB1205A). I'm an IT professional and know my way around network, firewall, wires, ports, etc. but not so much for NVR and Cameras Initially I wanted to go with Geovision but the more I read the less I'm convinced. There is NUUO, ACTi, Milestone, Avigilon (seems the best, from what I read), plus many more. I want to have a quality reliable system so any recommendation would be greatly appreciated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
myiicu 0 Posted December 20, 2013 You need to set a budget for the outdoor cameras and software first as prices vary greatly. What is your night time lighting like? Do you have motion activated lighting or other ambient lighting to help? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MasterVal 0 Posted December 20, 2013 You need to set a budget for the outdoor cameras and software first as prices vary greatly. What is your night time lighting like? Do you have motion activated lighting or other ambient lighting to help? Budgetwise, I was planning to spend betweek 1-2K on cameras & software. On the front I will install motion activated lights, so it would greatly enhance the illumination in addition to street lights. The back area is pretty dark with the only lighting from a building about 130 feet away on the other side of a water canal. From my continuous self-eduction and reading lots of CCTV Form, I'm narrowing my decision for NVR to Milestone Essential or Avigilon. It seems that Milestone would require more effort to get setup than Avigilon, which is not a big deal for me (I'm an IT/programmer guy), but it (Milestone) support wider range of cameras. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VST_Man 1 Posted December 20, 2013 since you are in FL look at using Security Camera King equipment. They are based in FL. Equipment is rebranded Dahua. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
myiicu 0 Posted December 20, 2013 The server used to run your vms should be dedicated to that task only. Sharing your cpu and hd is not recommended if you want a reliable and robust system. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
myiicu 0 Posted December 20, 2013 Avigilon Core -Cost effective and expandable -Fastest search engine -Low storage requirements -Low CPU overhead -Reliable and Robust -No extra fees -Great customer support/service Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
51cent 8 Posted December 20, 2013 An IT guy should be having a spare comp around. You could save the nvr cost and use blue iris for those cameras. One time cost of about 50 bucks.It supports a lot of cameras, but is fairly cpu intensive. Unofficial support at cam-it dot org. In fla you might consider lightning protection. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buellwinkle 0 Posted December 20, 2013 ACTi makes a good bang for the buck camera and that's what I use at the front of my home which is the E32, a 3MP bullet or the D72/E72 3MP dome. The advantage of ACTi is their software is very good, feature competitive with lower end Milestone and Avigilon and it's free, has free smartphone apps. It uses very little CPU and you can use an inexpensive PC. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grege 0 Posted December 20, 2013 You might also want to check out http://www.sighthound.com/. I'm currently using Blue Iris but it uses a lot of CPU. I demo'd Sighthound and really liked it. It's motion detection was very good. I haven't had a lot of luck with the ACTi motion detection. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buellwinkle 0 Posted December 20, 2013 Sightsound, aka VitaminD, isn't that a huge burden on the CPU? I like the concept of analytics, especially in Florida where you can distinguish between a human and an alligator with clothes on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MasterVal 0 Posted December 20, 2013 I think my server should be fine handling NVR and some file sharing - I got a dual CPU (two quadcores Xeon 2.4 Ghz) with 48GB of RAM; I'll just create a RAID dedicated for recording (I got fast SAS 15000RPM 6Gb/s drives), so, I think the hardware is capable of handling NVR and not heavy file sharing for home. Are there any distributors on this forum for Milestone or Avigilon that I can talk to in order to determine which one to pick? I would also need some cam advice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ak357 0 Posted December 20, 2013 I think my server should be fine handling NVR and some file sharing - I got a dual CPU (two quadcores Xeon 2.4 Ghz) with 48GB of RAM; I'll just create a RAID dedicated for recording (I got fast SAS 15000RPM 6Gb/s drives), so, I think the hardware is capable of handling NVR and not heavy file sharing for home. Are there any distributors on this forum for Milestone or Avigilon that I can talk to in order to determine which one to pick? I would also need some cam advice. Check your PM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
