sven86 0 Posted October 27, 2015 Hello. I'm planning to set up a 4-8 camera CCTV system at my parent's retirement home in Jamaica. At least 4 cameras will be outside, and the rest will be inside. I have never done this before so this is very new to me. I have a spare computer, it's an AMD quad core, and I would like to use ZoneMinder on it, is it a good software? Will it run fine on an Ubuntu guest virtual machine with 2GB of available memory? As for the outdoor cameras, what should I get? IP cameras or analog? Any camera model/brand suggestions? How much should I spend on a good camera? Is wireless IP cameras good enough? Also, keep in mind that this is Jamaica, and it's very wet and very hot. The area is full of night bugs, especially moths, so I heard that it's better to get an IR illuminator than to use a camera's own IR? Also, is there any other way to reduce insect interference? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I want to make sure that I got this done right, since my parents will be living in another country where access is limited. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boogieman 1 Posted October 28, 2015 Hello. I'm planning to set up a 4-8 camera CCTV system at my parent's retirement home in Jamaica. At least 4 cameras will be outside, and the rest will be inside. I have never done this before so this is very new to me. I have a spare computer, it's an AMD quad core, and I would like to use ZoneMinder on it, is it a good software? Will it run fine on an Ubuntu guest virtual machine with 2GB of available memory? As for the outdoor cameras, what should I get? IP cameras or analog? Any camera model/brand suggestions? How much should I spend on a good camera? Is wireless IP cameras good enough? Also, keep in mind that this is Jamaica, and it's very wet and very hot. The area is full of night bugs, especially moths, so I heard that it's better to get an IR illuminator than to use a camera's own IR? Also, is there any other way to reduce insect interference? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I want to make sure that I got this done right, since my parents will be living in another country where access is limited. are you going to have access to that pc when you are away? if not dont use it...use a standalone NVR... There are lots of threads discussing various options...go with IP, 1080 minimum...look at dahua or hikvision. best bang for your buck...are you going to purchase the cams in the US? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sven86 0 Posted October 28, 2015 Hello. I'm planning to set up a 4-8 camera CCTV system at my parent's retirement home in Jamaica. At least 4 cameras will be outside, and the rest will be inside. I have never done this before so this is very new to me. I have a spare computer, it's an AMD quad core, and I would like to use ZoneMinder on it, is it a good software? Will it run fine on an Ubuntu guest virtual machine with 2GB of available memory? As for the outdoor cameras, what should I get? IP cameras or analog? Any camera model/brand suggestions? How much should I spend on a good camera? Is wireless IP cameras good enough? Also, keep in mind that this is Jamaica, and it's very wet and very hot. The area is full of night bugs, especially moths, so I heard that it's better to get an IR illuminator than to use a camera's own IR? Also, is there any other way to reduce insect interference? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I want to make sure that I got this done right, since my parents will be living in another country where access is limited. are you going to have access to that pc when you are away? if not dont use it...use a standalone NVR... There are lots of threads discussing various options...go with IP, 1080 minimum...look at dahua or hikvision. best bang for your buck...are you going to purchase the cams in the US? Yes, I will have access to it remotely, via x2go or some other remote desktop software. I will buy the cameras here in the states. Why 1080 the minimum? Isn't the type of lens and how well it sees in the night more important? Also, what about having an IR illuminator? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jrmymllr 0 Posted October 28, 2015 Yes, I will have access to it remotely, via x2go or some other remote desktop software. I will buy the cameras here in the states. Why 1080 the minimum? Isn't the type of lens and how well it sees in the night more important? Also, what about having an IR illuminator? It depends on what you want, but a good lens and good night vision won't do much good if the resolution is low. The other reason is a good 1080 camera is so cheap there's really no excuse not to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wonderlands 0 Posted October 29, 2015 Hello. I'm planning to set up a 4-8 camera CCTV system at my parent's retirement home in Jamaica. At least 4 cameras will be outside, and the rest will be inside. I have never done this before so this is very new to me. I have a spare computer, it's an AMD quad core, and I would like to use ZoneMinder on it, is it a good software? Will it run fine on an Ubuntu guest virtual machine with 2GB of available memory? As for the outdoor cameras, what should I get? IP cameras or analog? Any camera model/brand suggestions? How much should I spend on a good camera? Is wireless IP cameras good enough? Also, keep in mind that this is Jamaica, and it's very wet and very hot. The area is full of night bugs, especially moths, so I heard that it's better to get an IR illuminator than to use a camera's own IR? Also, is there any other way to reduce insect interference? Sorry for asking so many questions, but I want to make sure that I got this done right, since my parents will be living in another country where access is limited. Actually, there are an number of good cctv security systems available that would fit your requirements. As for your query IMO get the best cameras you can afford for your budget. I'm using floureon 8ch 960h nvr with 4 1000 tvl ir-cut ip cameras and have no issues so far with clear footage even at night. I installed one of my cameras underneath a plastic flower pot I have made by cutting a piece and bought a hdd for the recording and after internet settings I can view it from my iPhone and laptop. One thing I want to point out that resolution is important when comes to the recording of details. You know that resolution is measured in TV Lines in CCTV cameras. A higher number of TVL means that a camera will be able to render images with more detail generally speaking. Weatherproof. You mentioned outdoors so IP66 is a must and most cameras have this feature already. But for outdoor installations, you are recommended to not have so many issues with the weather affecting your cameras to be positioned in a sheltered location even if they are weather resistant. IP or Analog. Analog camera can be more stable than IP camera since it's connected via lots of cables but the resolution can be restricted. IP camera. With Ethernet network cabling, you can go better than 1080P (which is about 2 megapixel). But IP security cam requires network bandwidth to transmit and store images, video and data. The higher the resolution of your camera, the greater your bandwidth requirements. So it depends on your situation. IR-CUT. Camera's own IR is needed whether or not you would buy a IR illuminator. IR illuminator plays a supplementary role in insufficient light recording. Budgets wary from brand to brand. You can go $400 or more to buy high-end cctv kits if you can afford. But if you just wanna buy a quite good bargain, then approximate 200 USD is enough. Hope that gives some ideas to focus on for ya. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
