jaygen 0 Posted February 22, 2018 Hey guys, sorta a newbie to cctv, Im looking at getting a 8 channel 4 camera system to start. I was looking at the Swann SWDVK-8HD5MP4-US 8 Channel 5MP Security System Kit with 2TB DVR Digital Video on Amazon for $399. Is this a decent system? My budget is around $400-$500. Or should I build my own? My main concerns are ability to read a license plate from about 25 feet if possible and clear night vision. (I live close to Detroit). Also ability to view and zoom from mobile devices are important. I would like to eventually add a PTZ camera. House is wired with analog BNC cable already so installation should be easy? I hope so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeromephone 6 Posted February 22, 2018 Whatever system you choose do your research on LPR technology. There are a lot of post on these forums and of course on other sites. It usually requires special software and a camera specific to the task. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 190 Posted February 22, 2018 Hi. The Swann is only a AHD system 1 format Buy from Swann if that's the system you want ...... Same price as on Amazon ..... But you will at least get backup Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaygen 0 Posted February 24, 2018 Thanks guys, after doing some research, it seems building your own system is this way to go. Looking for a recommendation on a 8 ch dvr with no hard drive. I have a 4 tb laying around. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeromephone 6 Posted February 24, 2018 you may want to look into survalliance grade harddrives the smaller ones are pretty cheap. A used or older harddrive may not be a great choice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seagate_surfer 0 Posted March 29, 2018 Hi jaygen, using a drive that is not designed to work in a surveillance system is not recommended, it can affect the performance of the drive and will not provide you with security. It is very important to use the right drive for the right job. Therefore, we recommend you to use a drive that is optimized for surveillance systems, as our SkyHawk. This drive is designed to work 24/7, has a excellent performance and reliability. Besides that, it is compatible with DVRs and NVRs and comes with a 3 year warranty. Check out the drive, on the link below : https://www.seagate.com/internal-hard-drives/hdd/skyhawk/ Seagate Technology | Official Forums Team IronWolf Drives for NAS Applications SkyHawk Drives for Surveillance Applications BarraCuda Drives for PC and Gaming Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
