Newbie to Security Camera

[erchi 0]

Greetings. I am shopping around for a camera system with a budget of $1,500 (dvr, cameras, power box, etc.) The outdoor system needs to provide feeds to an HAI OmniTouch Video hub and encoder for the OmniTouch 5.7 touchscreens (via Omni Pro II controller)and all the tv's throughout the house will access the video feeds via multiplexer.

 

I have found the following system but am trying to figure out if this is a good system for $1250. Specs are: 8CH Triplex Network DVR with USB Port Backup + CDRW Drive Backup + 160GB Hard drive (DVR6128TN-USB-CDRW), 8 x Sony UC9590, 8 x all in one PNP Cables, and Power Distribution Box.

 

I am new to camera systems and would like to find realiable, rugged, outdoor cctv solution. The following specs are for a "standalone" system. Should I go for pc rather than a non-pc based system? IR or not? If IR, LED #?

Your recommendation(s) are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[v2comp 0]

The system you have found sounds like a great deal. I am just little concern about quality; after all you do get what you pay for. You should stick to non-pc based DVR and make sure it uses MPEG-4 compression. I have checked the part number for the camera, and it is not really Sony camera. Whoever advertises it as Sony camera is actually misleading potential costumers to lure them into buying no-name cameras as brand name ones.

Since the cables are PNP make sure you get the right lengths and test each cable before installation.

If your budget is limited than the bullet IR cameras are your best bet.

[RickA 0]

UC9590 IS ADVERTISED AS A SONY CHIPSET

[scorpion 0]

With the price range you are speaking of I would say you are cutting yourself short pricewise.

 

This is doable, but then you will have to do your own installation, and you will have to provide your own tech support.

 

You may want to contract with a CCTV company, and have them provide their entry level equipment, installation, and tech support.

 

The product that you listed should do you OK as long as you understand the limitations of your product verses the limitations of your site design.

 

I believe more "do it yourselfers" crash and burn on camera/lens selection more so than DVR selection.

[Scruit 0]

I believe more "do it yourselfers" crash and burn on camera/lens selection more so than DVR selection.

 

Agreed. My DIY home system was originally built with budget as the deciding factor on all component purchase. This resulted in "ok" results but often when I needed the video the framerate/resolution/lighting or angle/zoom was just not good enough.

 

OP: If you have something you NEED to protect the contract out to a company as suggested. Professionally installed entyr-level features are gonna be betetr and more reliable than DIY-installed anything.

 

After 5 years of tweaking my system and upgrading cameras etc I finally have a pretty effective and reliable system but I'm STILL tweaking some stuff. If you count up all the hours I've spent on it, plus the money wasted on a series of incrementally better cameras (rather than going right for the good stuff), I'm sure I could have have a professional system a couple times over.

 

 

Mind you, I'm a tinkerer and I like learning about it - something you wouldn't have if you got a professional solution dropped in your lap. So it's just a question of what's important to you. If someone breaks into my house and my video is useless then all I'm out is the cost of the camera system - about $2000 all told - and a hundred or so hours of tweaking. If I had a business that was a higher theft risk then I would hand off that to a professional.

 

 

 

My biggest lesson learned is that a homebrew *might* do what a professional system can do, but it takes much more monitoring, intervention and adjustment than just buying the professional system. That, and you'll think the picture quality on an ebay camera is great - right up until you see the picture quality on a brand-name camera. Especially in varied light conditions where the brand-names will do a MUCH better job that the feature-sparse no-name ebay cameras.

 

The cameras are your eyes. If you cut corners here then the whole rest of your system is doomed.

[Ubon94 0]

I agree with above you get what u paid for.

Most stand alone are craps and hard to use

[CollinR 0]

The outdoor system needs to provide feeds to an HAI OmniTouch Video hub and encoder for the OmniTouch 5.7 touchscreens (via Omni Pro II controller)and all the tv's throughout the house will access the video feeds via multiplexer.

 

I have done many of these so much so I have a flat rate to integrate. I can tell you with pretty good certainty that DVR will not work for your application.

 

I can also tell you that my DVR that will, will take your entire budget.

 

However you may look around for the people in the automation communities that have used me in the past. Homeseer, Cocoontech, AVSForums, CharmedQuark, HTPCnews... I have helped a quite a few get these going as you desire but there are multiple variables at play that must be carefully considered.

 

Also mine has an integrated multifeed multiplex and quad support, so no need to add one if you get it in the DVR in the first place. Also bidirectional support.

 

You didn't buy the OmniLT or Vista15 so you shouldn't buy the cheapest solutions here either.