Camera placement strategy for alerts

[justFred]

I am just starting camera placement with LTS CMIP8242W cameras. (If my google-fu is correct, I believe this is a rebranded Hikvision DS-2CD2042WD-I camera.)

I currently have just one camera up and mounted and I've been toying with line-crossing alerts and motion detection alerts. I've found the motion alerts give way too many false alarms... and the line crossing alerts seem to not alert.

I've played with moving the areas around... and sensitivity... and keep getting the same results. Is there some strategy I am missing? Or is this just something this model of camera isn't very good at?

 

[justFred]

This is my view... and I'm already considering either moving this cam or putting a second up that has better facial line-of-sight. (I didn't really want to look at them, esthetically... but if I'm not looking at them, no one else is either.) I have the motion detection sensitivity at zero and still get some alerts. I have the line crossing sensitivity at 100 and still miss alerts. I believe the column is probably interfering with the line crossing some.

 

[RBW]

I’ve played around with these settings for hours and eventually came to the conclusion that motion detection is for indoors only.
The changing weather changes the pixel colours which then triggers a false alarm. That said the area you are trying to cover is small so I would use just one red square of motion set at 20% but then it may not trigger at night. You need outdoor pirs to get this working efficiently.

 

[dgwasw]

Is there some strategy I am missing?

Have you set the recording schedule to event?
Try moving the line back about a yard behind the pillar and I would add an intrusion zone, start with sensitivity set high for both.
Assume you have enable line crossing and trigger channel settings check boxes.

 

[justFred]

Have you set the recording schedule to event?
Try moving the line back about a yard behind the pillar and I would add an intrusion zone, start with sensitivity set high for both.
Assume you have enable line crossing and trigger channel settings check boxes.

Yes, I have both a line crossing and an intrusion zone. The intrusion zone is set as low as I can get it (and still gets false alarms). The line crossing is set super high. I am now getting triggers on that with the line where it is ... but the photos are a little late. For example, I will get a photo where a package suddenly appears on the step (with no lead in of UPS man walking up.) I really think I am going to have to add a second camera by the door looking down the sidewalk.

I originally tried having the line a yard to the left of the pillar... but was having difficulty with that due to the vegetation/wind next to the sidewalk. And... this is winter. The wife will have that bed full of stuff when spring arrives.

 

[justFred]

Followup to my own thread with what I've managed to learn so far for alert strategy. I'm new at this, so this may apply to my own equipment and may not generalize.

* the camera software does better at alerts than the NVR software -- even though they are written by the same company and have pretty much the same interfaces. Sending line-cross alerts from the camera just works better for me. In my case the camera also has a couple of additional options: minimum and maximum size of the object crossing the line.
* for some very strange reason, LTS/Hikvision seems to have sensitivity coded backwards of what I would consider "normal." A large number for sensitivity (for line crossing) is LESS sensitive. A small number is more sensitive. This was causing me fits until I found this in the help file. Sensitivity is, effectively, the percentage of the object that has to cross a line.
* I finally had to get semi-scientific on this and keep notes for each camera, starting at mid values and moving them around. That way I could refer back and remember that a 1cm square "minimum size" object with a sensitivity of 50 would be tripped by a bird on the sidewalk.
* I really couldn't find anything that would do the sort of alerts I was looking for. I just could never get the "notify surveillance center" to work reliably. And I could find no real documentation on the notification protocol. I had planned on reverse engineering it... but it was so unreliable that I just gave up. I ended up having all notifications go via email to a local email server that could use procmail to parse things out and do various notifications.

 

[normel]

Why dont u guys just buy a simple Active IR detector beams. and connect them to the alarm input of the camera, or nvr ? way better then trusting line crossing..
20-30usd..

 

[htiwatchmaker]

This is an important issue. My needs may not relate to yours. But here is my strategy and thinking. I have a service shop in my house. I need good coverage. I also have local customers who visit.

OK. I have one camera covering a use in common drive. Unique reason (bad neighbor), but I do. At the beginning of the coverage for that camera I have posted a video surveillance sign. I have one mounted on the garage point at the pad/driveway. This captures license plates. There is also a notice posted in the garage door window.

The pad camera uses a doorbell file to alert me when someone is on the pad. This helps me meet the delivery people or guests.

The signs and visible cameras are intended to keep unwanted folk off the property. Best security is the one that prevents attempts at breaching the security int he first place.

As an aside, we have a dead end use in common drive that intrigues people (tourists). Since then the tourist trade has dropped 90% and I get no more visits from gypsies. For the 7th Day Adventists, I have decided that next time I will greet them as their god intended. Even will invite them in for a cup of coffee.

And my neighbor has stopped threatening me with his car when I am on my tractor.

I have one mounted indoors in the family room which covers 2/3 of the downstairs and the weakest points of entry.

I have one in a "chimney" in the hallway that leads to the private areas of the house. I have another that covers my shop area.

During the day, all cameras record by motion. This is to CMA in case of false liability claims.

When the property is vacant, the the indoor cameras send alerts and emails with the local precinct phone number.

The idea is I really do not CARE about stolen property; it is all insured. But I first want the evidence of the breakin. I also have a note on my server that it is too late, everything has been uploaded to a secure cloud.

The alerts allow me to determine in real time if it is adult family members who have a key, or if it is a stranger in the house. If the latter, I call the police.

But, I have their vehicle make model and license plate, evidence of them actually entering the building, good shots of faces and the alerts.

I always have the system up on a second screen in the shop area. Visitors can see for themselves select cameras.

Ken, I thank you very much for Blue Iris. I originally had that bulky program fro Aver something that required a card and just was unreliable. I have used this program since version 3 (2?) and other than wishing Ken kept a public archive of previous versions so we can easily downgrade when upgrades go astray, I am extremely happy and relaxed with what Ken has made happen. He is putting ADT out of business.