Baby monitor thoughts.

[jasauders]

Hi friends. I'm looking to upgrade/replace one (maybe both) of the current cameras I have for my two daughters (8 mos and 2 yrs). Currently I have a Foscam 8910 and 9821. The 9821 I just bought a few days ago. It's... fine. I mean, it operates well and hasn't given me any issues. That said, the 8910 makes me want to flip tables and light things on fire. Likewise, I had to spin up a Windows system on a spare laptop *just* to configure the thing, as it seems heavily bound to proprietary IE plugins to even log in to the web UI (all I have in the house are Linux machines). While the 9821 has been fine for the very limited time I've had it, the 8910 is starting to show its age with its quirks, so here I am looking around while I A) want to replace the 8910

The Amcrest brand caught my eye, but another thing that caught my eye were search results on this forum, suggesting Amcrest actually is Foscam. Since this was new information to me I figured I'd just come straight here for any further questions or ideas.

The 9821 was 75 bucks and I've only had it for a few days. I can easily return that in favor of something else via Amazon if need be, though my focus is largely on replacing the 8910. Some discussions on here lead me to the Hikvision 3mpx cube indoor wireless camera. Is this still a slam dunk go-to? By the time I return the 9821 and pick up two Hikvisions I'll be in the neighborhood of 175. Or I could just get another 9821 (or whatever in that range) and spend 100 less...

Wireless is a must. Don't get me wrong, I don't exactly love wireless cameras, but here's the thing. These cameras won't be permanent. As the girls get older the cameras will be removed, and from there on placed in the kitchen, living room, etc when we are gone for extended periods of time with an empty house. For my permanent outdoor cameras, I pulled CAT6 specifically for them.

I'm only looking to push about 5 FPS through them. They'll be interfacing with ZoneMinder, which is running on my home server in the basement.

I also just took notice of this camera:
Hikvision DS-2CD3410FD-IW - It may be 1mpx, but I think that'd be fine. Heck I'm working with 640x480 as it is in my 2 year olds room...

The other thing that kind of troubles me is the fact that the Hikvision seller(s) on Amazon seem to be third party and as such are not covered under warranty. I've also read from a number of sources that flashing these cameras with a newer firmware can brick them. This makes me feel like if I'm ordering from Amazon, I'm getting a cheaper price but basically up front accepting I have no warranty to work with, or the alternative, pay significantly more from an authorized seller. While I know Foscam has had their issues and their customer support is trash, it just makes me wonder if an Amazon Foscam is that different from an Amazon Hikvision. Can I really expect to get a significantly higher quality product via Amazon+Hikvision?

EDIT - I guess hitting the "32 new from..." link and selecting a seller that guarantees a US version is the important factor. With that said, perhaps this above paragraph can be ignored. Even still I'm finding a very limited pool of Hikvision US cameras that would fit the bill for what I'm after, unless I want to really ramp up my budget quite a bit. This tempts me to just get another 9821... I mean, the current 9821 I have is working and hasn't given me issue... maybe Foscam improved on their firmware since the circa 8910?

EDIT V2 - Since posting I've stumbled across a seller that stuck out to me "POEDEPOT" on Amazon with good ratings (this is for the 3mpx Hikvision cube wifi camera). They notate "NEW - USA version in red/white retail packaging, includes 1A DC12V power adapter." Hmm... tempting... price is in the red zone of my budget BUT I can't help but to feel compelled...

Thanks for any suggestions, folks. Have a good one!

 

[Kawboy12R]

Looks like you found a good one. I've never regretted buying something a bit better than I thought I needed but have lots of regrets about things I bought that were low end.

 

[nayr]

If your a linux user check out Dahua also, I went with them because I too do not have a windows PC in the house (but I do have a few hackintosh's)

Baby cams are kinda a tough one IMHO, you kinda want a wide angle and really high resolution so you can still digitally zoom in on them sleeping and not have a junk image.. you also need protection because as they become toddlers a camera sitting on the shelf or edge of the bed wont cut it.. just this weekend's easter get together with a few kids in the room I saw balls and toys bouncing off the camera as the kids got a lil out of hand.

and then you get to the fact that they like to hide and freak you out when you dont seem on camera.. I think the best would probably be a fisheye camera on the roof above the bed, with IR for night time.. I didnt think IR would be all that important in the kids room until my kid got an Epilepsy diagnosis and then I wanted to know if he was having seizures in his sleep and that needs pretty good quality to pull off.. luckilly most kids dont want to sleep in a completely dark room so a well placed nightlight might be adequate (it is for me, but I still would like better)

 

[jasauders]

Thanks guys. I ordered the two Hikvisions a little bit ago. Given the seller location vs my house, 1 day shipping wasn't too bad, so I went with that (oddly enough, the free shipping was ETA'ing 2 weeks out... no thanks). I should have them tomorrow night before 8 PM -- which happens to be the girls' bedtime. Daddy should have some fun configuring their new cameras with ZM!

nayr - Thanks for the Dahua suggestion. I did look into them but I felt Hikvision's cube just had a little bit more offering for what I was after. I do keep a Windows laptop in the house (which is a new thing for me as of... 4 days ago). It's only purpose going forward is to print coupons for my wife (because of Windows-specific "virtual printer" nonsense from coupon web sites) and configuring IPCams until the market stops this horrific fetish with activex.

I'm hoping my little i3 proc in my server can handle the ZM load... 2x 1280x800 5 FPS + 2x 3mpx 5 FPS... full time record + motion detection. Hmm...

 

[nayr]

someone posted a link a while back, sure helped me: https://dev.windows.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/linux/

 

[jasauders]

someone posted a link a while back, sure helped me: https://dev.windows.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/linux/

LOL? Wow. I need to check this out. Thanks dude!

 

[vector18]

I've been using these lately for indoor monitoring or baby monitors. They are absolutely fantastic. The image is super clear, they have IR's for night vision, they have TWO way audio, and they
work with Dahua NVR's!

http://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-ProHD-Wireless-Security-Camera/dp/B0145OQTPG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

 

[spencnor]

I've been using these lately for indoor monitoring or baby monitors. They are absolutely fantastic. The image is super clear, they have IR's for night vision, they have TWO way audio, and they
work with Dahua NVR's!

http://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-ProHD-Wireless-Security-Camera/dp/B0145OQTPG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

Thank you vector18 for this suggestion. This appears to be an upgrade to other consumer friendly cams by Nest, Dropcam, and Foscam. My niece is a new single mom, and I'm going to recommend she look at this Amcrest. She's been considering a home security camera system, but is somewhat overwhelmed by the choices and technical aspects of systems and equipment available, let alone deciding on an installer. This looks like a good first camera for her to start with until she decides on a complete system. I note this camera seems to have a decent Sony sensor is compatible with Blue Iris and meets the ONVIF standard.

May I ask do you get decent performance connecting this cam via wifi?

 

[klasipca]

I've been using these lately for indoor monitoring or baby monitors. They are absolutely fantastic. The image is super clear, they have IR's for night vision, they have TWO way audio, and they
work with Dahua NVR's!

http://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-ProHD-Wireless-Security-Camera/dp/B0145OQTPG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

Aren't those Foscams in a blanket? Doesn't seem right with the anti Foscam vibe here.


Personally, I've been using Hikvision 2432s with 2.8mm lens for over two years now as baby cams throughout home, wireless has been rock solid and their performance overall.

 

[jasauders]

Aren't those Foscams in a blanket? Doesn't seem right with the anti Foscam vibe here.


Personally, I've been using Hikvision 2432s with 2.8mm lens for over two years now as baby cams throughout home, wireless has been rock solid and their performance overall.

Good to know! I literally just received two 2432's, also 2.8mm lens. I work close to home, so I went home for lunch and got them unboxed and hooked into the network. ZoneMinder picked them up just fine. The only thing left to do is figure out where I want to angle them and mount them accordingly. From my initial impression though I'm pretty happy with them.

We'll see how they do, but as of now I'm eyeing up some Hikvisions for the outside to upgrade my two Vivoteks. Only show stopper there is I need to get some new server parts first. A low wattage i3 with 4GB of RAM only goes so far.

 

[vector18]

These may look like foscams, but they are far superior. The image is crisp, and the two way audio works great. The digital zoom acts as an optical zoom cause it stays so clear. I'm guessing it might even have 3x optical? The beauty of these over the hik cube is you can move them around. The night vision is just as good as any IP camera for indoor, and the wifi has been rock solid. In my customers home, his fios router is upstairs and the Amcrest ptz is in the basement. In the web GUI, they actually show you signal strength. Again, I recommend these little guys and for 100 bucks, you can't beat it.

 

[fenderman]

Aren't those Foscams in a blanket? Doesn't seem right with the anti Foscam vibe here.


Personally, I've been using Hikvision 2432s with 2.8mm lens for over two years now as baby cams throughout home, wireless has been rock solid and their performance overall.

They are imported by the same folks who import and resell foscam out of Houston but they that are different cameras. They run dahua firmware but I dont know who actually manufactures the cameras.

 

[klasipca]

Good to know. I just thought someone said they were rebranded Foscams. Btw, looked at the specs and they are using the same S2LM Chipset and Sony IMX322 as Huisun v2 PTZ. Amcrest though doesn't have optical zoom but based on my experience with digital zoom in Huisun I am not surprised that you thought it was great.

 

[jasauders]

I got the cameras hooked up in their permanent location tonight. Just to recap, these are Hikvision 3mpx cube cameras (DS-2CD2432F-IW). At first I thought 3mpx would be overkill, but having seen it in person, oh my gosh is it nice. I can zoom in without sacrificing too much quality in the process. I suppose this is thanks to the 2.8mm lens, but I can see far more of their rooms than I anticipated.

They interface fine with ZoneMinder, which accompany two outdoor Vivotek 1mpx cameras. I had to dust off a Windows laptop to deal with the proprietary IE plugin nonsense just to log in and configure the cameras, but whatever. Got that taken care of and over with.

Overall, very happy with them. Also worth noting: I couldn't find a seller on Amazon selling these I recognized from the threads here, but I ordered from POEDepot, which noted that they sell US versions in the red/white box. That's just what I got.

Pending these gizmos continue onward without too much fuss I may look into sticking with Hikvision when it comes time to upgrade my Vivoteks. I would love nothing more than to get three or four 3-4mpx outdoor cameras, but I'd likely have to upgrade the processor in my home server/ZoneMinder box/NAS first. The olde low wattage i3 works great as it stands, but if I go from:

Two wired outdoor 1mpx cams + Two wireless indoor 3mpx cams
to:
Two wireless indoor 3mpx cams + Four wired outdoor 3-4mpx cams
I think I may be pushing it a bit far...

I initially built this server just to be a not-totally-weak home backup/rsync/file/video/music/centrally stored data server, so I wanted something higher powered than a raspberry Pi yet at the time couldn't justify the cost of an i7. ZoneMinder came later, and as we all know, CCTV software is a bit heavier in requirements than a simple SMB/CIFS file sharing protocol. Happy it works as well as it does now, but a server upgrade will be due by the next camera upgrade.

Anyway, some pictures:
http://s6.postimg.org/6jcmzmfwf/zm_montage1.png
http://s6.postimg.org/clk9q44cf/zm_stella1.png

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

 

[CountZero]

I've been using these lately for indoor monitoring or baby monitors. They are absolutely fantastic. The image is super clear, they have IR's for night vision, they have TWO way audio, and they
work with Dahua NVR's!

You mentioned that these work with Dahua NVR's. Can you access all the settings through the NVR or direct via IP like a dahua cam? I'm really not interested in having to mess with an Amcrest account and their app just to set the thing up for one cam.

 

[vector18]

It's not a big deal. You use the amcrest app to connect it to your wifi and assign it a static IP address. Than you add that IP to the NVR. If you want to change any settings, than just open explorer and log into the PTZ, just as you would with any Dahua IP camera anyway. The ONLY negative is the mic does not work in IDMSS and if you zoom in or out, it doesn't stop. I use the Amcrest app to access the PTZ if I want to use the 2 way audio.

 

[CountZero]

Cool deal. Thanks so much. Looks like a good option.

I'm not super concerned with 2 way audio, so that's not a big deal for me. And I don't use IDMSS or GDMSS either for that matter. GDMSS was chewing up a ton of data and battery life, even if I didn't have it open on my phone. I'm on TinyCam Monitor Pro which works well, and is much easier on my phone. I'll have to see if the zoom issue is there on TinyCam.

Thanks again!