Do i really need an NVR?

I am planning to buy around 4 IP cameras (POE) for my home. The cameras will be having built-in micro SD for recording short clips. Should i just buy a POE switch, connect all the cameras to it and then connect the POE Switch to my router so i can access these cameras via my PC or Phone? i don't wan't these cameras to record 24/7 but only when motion is detected. Can i do good without NVR if i use builtin mircoSD for storage? these cameras are likely to be 3.0 mega pixel so a 32/64GB microSD will be good for a week's recording? please advise.

Yes, you do not need an NVR. For 4 cameras, it is reasonable to not have a central system. If you have more cameras than that it could be inconvenient to have everything dispersed. You can always add an NVR later. Since each camera will probably use the same port, you will need to understand how to setup port forwarding on the router to target each camera separately.

great.. Since there is 64gb storage limit for microsd card, what are the recommended settings for recording? should i go with full 1080p with 25fps recording or 5fps should be fine? b.w what is average recording time per day for motion detection videos only? (there is not much activity around my house)

Always record at max resolution. I like 10 fps. You aren't making movies, so 30 fps just wastes storage. I can't predict how long it will take to fill the cards, but I've never needed a video older than about 4 days.

I have one camera running standalone with a micro SD card for recordings. It works well!

It is a Hikvision DS-2CD2432F-IW, set to 3 megapixel resolution, 6 FPS, bit rate 4096 Kbps, I Frame Interval 25. I gave it a 16 GB card (14.84 GB capacity reported by the camera) and let it do its thing. The camera decided to allocate 11 GB for video recordings which is good for about one week of motion detection recordings in my kitchen which sees maybe an hour or two of motion per day. When it is full (which is all the time) it just deletes the oldest clips as necessary to make space.

It is worth noting that I use the PIR sensor that is only available on the 2432 camera, and it records no false alarms whatsoever. It can be an entirely different story if you use outdoor cameras with software-based motion detection that can be triggered by tree shadows and lighting changes, or if you motion detect on a busy road or something.

Note that bit rate is the only video encoding control that matters when it comes to storage space. Variable bit rate is usually best because that allows the video to use lower bit rates than you've assigned, when it won't affect the video quality significantly to do so. So don't expect to get 3 times the recording time by changing frame rate from 30 to 10. All that will do is increase image quality because a larger piece of the bit rate pie is available to each frame.

Thanks for the detailed response. That really was helpful. I've ordered a Hikvision DS-2CD2132F-IS last week and will test it before ordering more.

classna said:

Thanks for the detailed response. That really was helpful. I've ordered a Hikvision DS-2CD2132F-IS last week and will test it before ordering more.

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What has been your experience with the Hikvision 2132F-IS? I'm looking to buy it. Did you setup the audio? Where did you purchase it and at what price?

ender77 said:

What has been your experience with the Hikvision 2132F-IS? I'm looking to buy it. Did you setup the audio? Where did you purchase it and at what price?

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I received it last week but i haven't installed it yet as my house is currently being built. You need to have a POE switch or 12v power adapter as it does not come with any. I tested the camera and had some issues viewing the live feed initially but it works fine now. I need to test all the features before i can share my experience but so far so good. I bought mine of ebay for $85 with free shipping. I just ordered 3 more of these

So I've finally bought some cameras & waiting for them to be delivered....
Can you access IP cameras still via VPN, my router supports VPN server&client, & not port forwarding if there's no NVR, &/or does NVR/NVRPC just make this easier/harder? Thanks.

EDIT: still in process of buying PoE switch for my home network, if that makes any difference.

I was thinking you weren't going to get a response since the thread is 3 years old but I see that bp is still an active moderator. I can't afford to buy an NVR, cables, tools, quality cameras all at once so this idea has crossed my mind. I believe the forum is pretty anti-port forwarding due to security concerns however setting up a VPN and figuring out how to access it and make it all work...looks very complicated. There's a post about VPN for noobs but that starts off with a survey and a bunch of links. Not exactly a simple process.

I want to start with two cameras , one aimed at the porch, second aimed at the side gate which is the path utilized by 90% of the break-ins in our area.

Adamsdaddy said:

I was thinking you weren't going to get a response since the thread is 3 years old but I see that bp is still an active moderator. I can't afford to buy an NVR, cables, tools, quality cameras all at once so this idea has crossed my mind. I believe the forum is pretty anti-port forwarding due to security concerns however setting up a VPN and figuring out how to access it and make it all work...looks very complicated. There's a post about VPN for noobs but that starts off with a survey and a bunch of links. Not exactly a simple process.

I want to start with two cameras , one aimed at the porch, second aimed at the side gate which is the path utilized by 90% of the break-ins in our area.

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With the proper Asus router, VPN is not hard to setup at all.
There is an education process that comes with everything that you want done correctly.
This forum is the text books on this subject, study it.

xtropodx said:

So I've finally bought some cameras & waiting for them to be delivered....
Can you access IP cameras still via VPN, my router supports VPN server&client, & not port forwarding if there's no NVR, &/or does NVR/NVRPC just make this easier/harder? Thanks.

EDIT: still in process of buying PoE switch for my home network, if that makes any difference.

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Yes. NVR has no bearing.

looking for information on what i need to set up a system on my acreage
have a drive through driveway..coming in from west and exiting on the north side- this is usually the way that unwanted vehicles are going throu the yard..
wishing to set up a system that will warn me whensomeone does this or stops in yard - as the area is getting hit hard with theft.. not me yet
no yard light and house is dark at night
thinking two cameras.. one outdoor camera facing down driveway..located on post on house deck looking westerly down driveway..about 14ft in air
second one located inside at window that has east and north view on house
wanting good night vision.. and fairly far distance.. within reasonable cost..
no nvr as they are coming in to homes and stealing them.. so phone alert or computer and sdcards..
poe for the west one.. about a 70ft run to router.. atthe one spot or 45ft on another post..
the other camera either poe or powered what ever is cheaper
am on apretty tight budget.. but need to feel more secure
what do i need.. hard to deal with local companies as they are real buzy..and dont want to give a detail listing of what need..
have wireless internet in home.. with router
any info needed please ask

You want to be able to know who did it, not just what happened.
14ft is rather high, unless it is zoomed out some distance to lower the perspective.
When done properly, NVR's can be hidden.
Get familiar with this: IPVM Camera Calculator V3 keeping PPF>100 this will help determine what lens you need.
Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KJTZYK/ref=dra_a_rv_lb_hn_xx_P320_100?tag=ipctk-20&th=1
Dahua Ultra Starlight Varifocal Bullet (IPC-HFW8232E-Z)

Read attached as well.

looney2ns said:

You want to be able to know who did it, not just what happened.
14ft is rather high, unless it is zoomed out some distance to lower the perspective.
When done properly, NVR's can be hidden.
Get familiar with this: IPVM Camera Calculator V3 keeping PPF>100 this will help determine what lens you need.
Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KJTZYK/ref=dra_a_rv_lb_hn_xx_P320_100?tag=ipctk-20&th=1
Dahua Ultra Starlight Varifocal Bullet (IPC-HFW8232E-Z)

Read attached as well.

Click to expand...

thank you ..off to read