I'll chime in. I have a new affinity for the thermals. Love them. Have three TPC-DF1241-T-S8's. The -T version allows temperature alarms to be set, along with Fire Detection, Cold & Hot Spot Trace, Human & Vehicle Classification, Smoking Detection and Call Detection (on a thermal?). As I install all Andy's cameras for a living, I will be incorporating thermals in to higher end systems, as they cannot be tricked for intrusion events, temperature events and the like. It's like a FLIR on an Apache gunship. No hiding, unless you cover yourself in mud! I would conservatively say I have over 200 cams in service throughout Upstate NY, with over 25 customers. Low end to high end. From the original low light destroyer, the Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret IPC-HDW5231R-Z, to the ultimate SD8C845FG-HNF AI PTZ. Zero problems with any of them in the last 8 years. I plan to put the thermal on my pool. I love to know the temp of the water at a glance. These cameras shine when you need fire detection with high ceilings. Real world situation would be the JMA Wireless Dome that Syracuse University plays in. With a 165' roof above the playing field, smoke detectors are not viable for detecting trouble. These cameras in milliseconds detect fire and sound the alarm. Another real world use of the -T series is temperature alarms. Imagine your local Waste Management has a bunch of conveyor belts with serviceable bearings. A properly greased bearing runs at 140-150F. A roller bearing needing greasing runs about 180-190F. A "shot" bearing needing replacing runs hotter than that. For the corporate world, the cost is trivial, and one camera can save millions (it's true, there was an incident). Incorporate a thermal with any AI PTZ and AI NVR, and you have casino like detection, deterrence and observation. Granted they are not for everyone as the price point is above a pro-sumer levels, but they are awesome for what they can do. With that said, it is so hard to beat the value of the IPC-HDW5442TM-ASE-S3. They are the new standard for low light situations, price point and consumer level systems. They are the bulk of my installs since they came out. The Color 4K and the 4K-180T are gaining traction as well for their capabilities, but it's hard to beat those 5442's. Rock on party people.
... *detect
