horseflesh 0 Posted August 25, 2014 I want to build an 8-channel HD camera system for my home. Like a lot of people I have seen the bundled systems at Costco, but I know that you can get much better gear if you do some homework and buy individual components. I am very interested in a system that lets me use a variety of cameras, so that I can use the right camera for a particular spot. Most of the time a good 1080p wide-angle camera will do, but there are a couple of places where I might want to add some fixed optical zoom. I also have a bird feeder which would be fun to monitor with a 3 MP camera for better image quality. Cameras that use power over ethernet seem like the best bet as I don't have any legacy coax in place. Naturally, I want to be able to interact with the system remotely--I can punch a hole in my firewall easily enough. My total budget is $2,000, tops. That needs to cover the DVR, a drive, and hopefully 6 outdoor cameras with IR, at least one of which would be better than 1080p. I've just started my research and see that Hikvision and Dahua are popular around here, and Lorex, Swann, and Q-See are not. I would very very much appreciate some specific recorder and camera recommendations to kick start more research. I'm willing to buy from places like Aliexpress if that's the best value, but I do need the gear to be reliable--some of it will be hard to get to once installed. Thanks a million for any leads you can give me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bareitall 0 Posted September 10, 2014 Good luck!! I suggest pass on Lorex. I have never left a bad review but this time is an exception. My business customer wanted me to buy them a Lorex Edge 3 with 16 cameras, after contacting Lorex via the internet several times, this is my response to their support: "I have been trying to purchase for my customer this system with 16 cameras and dealing with sales via the internet. Other than the changing or bad part numbers, recursive links on the site, not being able to find in your store and now being told it is only available on Amazon and only one is left!. If you don't want to sell direct, that's fine....close your store. Not a happy camper, I'm telling my customer to pass...." -------------------------------------------- They really don't want a bad review, this is their guideline: Help other customers make decisions about this product... tell us what you think! You will be required to have an account with Lorex to provide a review... You can see your approved reviews in your "My Lorex Account" section. I want to build an 8-channel HD camera system for my home. Like a lot of people I have seen the bundled systems at Costco, but I know that you can get much better gear if you do some homework and buy individual components. I am very interested in a system that lets me use a variety of cameras, so that I can use the right camera for a particular spot. Most of the time a good 1080p wide-angle camera will do, but there are a couple of places where I might want to add some fixed optical zoom. I also have a bird feeder which would be fun to monitor with a 3 MP camera for better image quality. Cameras that use power over ethernet seem like the best bet as I don't have any legacy coax in place. Naturally, I want to be able to interact with the system remotely--I can punch a hole in my firewall easily enough. My total budget is $2,000, tops. That needs to cover the DVR, a drive, and hopefully 6 outdoor cameras with IR, at least one of which would be better than 1080p. I've just started my research and see that Hikvision and Dahua are popular around here, and Lorex, Swann, and Q-See are not. I would very very much appreciate some specific recorder and camera recommendations to kick start more research. I'm willing to buy from places like Aliexpress if that's the best value, but I do need the gear to be reliable--some of it will be hard to get to once installed. Thanks a million for any leads you can give me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
horseflesh 0 Posted September 10, 2014 I've been continuing to read since I posted and have basically eliminated Swann, Q-See, and Lorex. I think that the China-o-vision brands will suit me better. It is very hard figuring out exactly what to get, though. I do want POE on the DVR, so I have just one cable for each camera... and I want a unit that can support a variety of cameras. (some 1080p, some higher resolution, some narrow, some wide-angle.) Then, you have to factor in firmware hassles. Seems like some cameras come in Chinese and you have to download a tool to change the language... None of that scares me, but figuring out the details requires reverse-engineering things from forum posts. It takes time, and tips are welcome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chevydude333 0 Posted September 12, 2014 I have been doing business with a company initially called: Itellicam usa, but they have another website: http://www.g4direct.com/ and they have all you are looking for. I've installed numerous systems thru out the Dallas/Ft.Worth, Texas area using them and haven't had any serious problem. Just saying, something to look at. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shockwave199 0 Posted September 12, 2014 Buy a 4208-8p from Amazon. Buy two WD 3tb purple hard drives from Amazon. Buy your cat5e from Amazon. Buy seven hdw4300s cameras from Amazon. You should be right around or under budget. No need to buy from China really. It's all available in the states and there are fine sellers on Amazon to buy from. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
