Looking for outdoor camera system advice.

[atikovi 0]

i want to monitor the street for 150 feet or so in front of the house where I park. I live near the dead end of a residential street and have had people scraping my cars when they turn around. Want a system that records 24/7 and of course night vision is a must. I can mount a camera on the mailbox which is on the street and would give a good view of the parked cars. I assume wireless is out. Can the camera cable from the mailbox going to the house be buried in the ground? It's about 60 feet. I see DVR systems record the video. How long do they record on a 1TB drive? How do I connect the DVR to my computer? Do DVR's have wi-fi or must I run a cable to the computer? Is it USB or coax? Are there systems that bypass the DVR and connect directly to the computer and store the images on the computer's hard drive?

[51cent 8]

For recording/controlling your IP/network cameras on a computer, look at Blue Iris, cost is about $60. You won't need a DVR with Blue Iris.

Research POE, power over ethernet to power your cameras, you will need POE capable cameras. You can make cat5 or cat6 (ethernet) runs of about 300 feet. There are burial grades.

[atikovi 0]

OK thanks. So with Blue Iris software I just need an IP camera and a cat5 cable from the camera to the computer?

[atikovi 0]

Ordered this Reolink camera https://flash.newegg.com/product/9SIAGU17HA6815 to get started. Have some cable so I can plug it in to see if it will work.

[51cent 8]

If using poe you will need a poe switch or injector.

Be aware that bullet style cameras with the ring of IR lights attract spiders/webs, it will drive you crazy. I have to go clear mine 2-3 times a week. Turret/eyeball style is much better. Dome style sometimes have ir reflection issues.