First Post - Advice needed - I'm lost PLEASE HELP :)

[fyford 0]

Hi guys,

 

hopefully you experts can give me a bit of advice. I've spend 2 days on the net trying to make sense of CMOS and CCD and NVL and BNC and DVR and NVR and SDI and TVL and 720p and 1080p and and and... and forums saying to rather go with better recorders and others saying it is better to go with better cameras and conflicting info on what is really really bad quality and what not, outdated info also doesn't help... some say Lorex and Swann are really good (did they just get better over time?? 2014 models vs 2012), others say they are utter rubbish....so now my head is spinning!

 

I'll ask my questions first and then some background if you are interested:

1) do you get a 'recorder' that will connect to more than one monitor (different rooms)

2) do you get a 'recorder' that will only switch on a monitor when it detects motion

2.1) if not do you get one that will make a sound / other alert when it detects motion

3) can you mix different resolution cameras on the same 'recorder'? 600, 650, 700, 720, 900, 1080? Ah and can you mix BNC and SDI?

4) can you connect different brand cameras to the same 'recorder' ?

5) is it better to go with the newer network cable cameras or the old push and twist ones

6) it seems the newest cameras connect wirelessly to some tablet like device does anybody have any experience with that? Are these any good, can you carry them along etc? How far is the range on them? (The tablet, monitory thingy)

 

Ok I guess this is a bit futile, but I'll give it a shot;

7) Advice on any systems / brands I should avoid? (african sun is harsh etc...)

Advice on any systems / brands in the medium-ish price / quality range which you can recommend?

 

9) I wasn't planning on spending much over £500 for an 8 channel receiver with 4 cameras to start with. Am I dreaming!?

10) for a really big garden, can you connect an extra IR light to any camera to light it all up?

 

 

11) If you actually read all the rest below and have any other clever ideas, PLEASE SHARE! (Uhm no! Landmines don't count!)

 

Thank you ever so much!

 

 

Ok so here is my situation kind of in short (skip to 'WHAT I NEED' if you are not interested):

System is for my 'semi elderly' tech averse mom who lives in a nice neighbourhood in South Africa. She just had an attempted break in, but by fluke saw the security lights come on just as they smashed it whilst another was trying to break open the back door! She managed to hit the panic button, and they left before security arrived! This is quite serious as for those of you that don't know, old people in South Africa are targeted and most often gang raped, tortured for days with boiling water, irons and what not and then murdered. (just Google 'boer genocide' if you want more info). Very often nothing is taken, sometimes all that for a mobile phone.

 

Ok so with that out of the way; I have the following INSIDE the house:

5x DLINK IP cameras (almost all different models, some HD, some tilt and twist) so I can monitor what's going on (quite often phone lines are down etc. and it helps to just see she's fine) - all the way from the UK and they've been 95% perfect for that, but also so she can see if there's anybody hiding in the house if she's been out.

 

Up and until now they have been recording to a GMAIL account, but I've just ordered 3x more indoor cams and a DLINK DVR, which I will install when I am flying out next. I have also just organised a VOICE ALERT system to be installed for alarming her if there is a trespasser outside, giving her time to react. (Voice Alert is a US system - basically just PIRs that wirelessly connect to a speaker in the house telling you about locations of any movement).

 

So here's WHAT I NEED:

- Some kind of outdoor surveillance system which she can view when the VoiceAlarm trips.

- Ideally higher res is better (always is I guess), so the cops can ID whomever they need to ID.

- Ideally something that she can view from more than one monitor (one in bedroom one elsewhere) or movable tablet / ipad if no lag?

- A system that will ideally switch on one / more monitor when it detects movement and blanks when not.

- A system that will record full time and overwrite (Think they all do that?)

- Remote viewing will be nice so she / I can check the outside when she's not about but not overly crucial.

 

I am not considering the DLINK outdoor cameras purely on cost, paying £500 plus per camera is just too much after spending over a grand on extra security measures (otuside beams and the Voice Alert system today)

[Numb-nuts 1]

Thats a BIG ask for £500.00

Hope this news isn't bursting any bubbles for you.

[fyford 0]

Thanks for the reply, so you are telling me no Maplin units such as Swann then?

 

So I was thinking maybe the Dahua stuff like their

8CH Vertical Network Video Recorder NVR32xxV for £200 which leaves £300 for some cameras.... there seems to be a lot of talk around Dahua here...

 

Still pretty much in the dark with my 10 questions though...

[Numb-nuts 1]

I have to say that Maplins end user technical support is by far the best and most consistent I have seen anywhere.

 

Swan has had a poor value for money rep in the past and to be fair and objective, I haven't looked at their spec and prices recently so I couldn't honestly say they still aren't a good buy now! I just don't know. It's hard to shake a bad rep once you get one.

 

Speak to a few people that have bought recently, thats honestly the best way see how satisfied they are with what they bought.

 

MY personal recommendation id look at QVIS and Hikvision but be careful who you buy from. After sales support is everything if you are fairly new to the technology. I am trying to be objective rather than biased one way or the other but frankly I believe a local independant installer is by far your best route to CCTV. At least explore that route.

 

Best of luck

 

PS most QVIS is Dahua with a different badge on it.