HELP NEEDED -- Dahua camera selection

[rf9000]

Thanks all. The home has been thoroughly thought out and planned. We are actually using Cat6a FTP for all cameras. There is a huge audio and video distribution, and to comment on earlier message, we are actually running two CAT6a plenum to the door location. Whole home will be Control4 automated. We are not novices at this, just about security cams. I live in an area where security isn’t used as intensely as in other regions. This is why we are not looking to overkill here and have every square inch of the property covered, just the crucial areas. Please forgive me for asking questions, as some responses have been “do your research”. I’m trying, and I thought these are what the forums are for. To ask questions and suggestions from others? Thanks to all the good advice given this far.

I’m strongly considering the 5442 cameras with a Pro AI NVR. Just had some questions on the LED version vs. the non LED. We also have one area by front door where ascetically it would be best to have a flush mount camera. So looking for good suggestion there

 

[Sybertiger]

Attaboy....ask specific questions about specific locations.

You originally stated "I'm looking to put 8-10 Dahua cameras around the perimeter of a home and looking for your best model number suggestion and best DVR/NVR model number suggestion"...thus no clue about your situation.

It would help if you post pics of your house and locations. Visible light LED is going to be a spot light all night long. IR LED will be invisible.

 

[wittaj]

Thanks all. The home has been thoroughly thought out and planned. We are actually using Cat6a FTP for all cameras. There is a huge audio and video distribution, and to comment on earlier message, we are actually running two CAT6a plenum to the door location. Whole home will be Control4 automated. We are not novices at this, just about security cams. I live in an area where security isn’t used as intensely as in other regions. This is why we are not looking to overkill here and have every square inch of the property covered, just the crucial areas. Please forgive me for asking questions, as some responses have been “do your research”. I’m trying, and I thought these are what the forums are for. To ask questions and suggestions from others? Thanks to all the good advice given this far.

I’m strongly considering the 5442 cameras with a Pro AI NVR. Just had some questions on the LED version vs. the non LED. We also have one area by front door where ascetically it would be best to have a flush mount camera. So looking for good suggestion there

If you plan on having outside lighting on the front of the house on during night hours (and they are bright versus ambiance lighting), you can probably get by without the LED version, especially if you have Starlight lens.

The sides and back if they will be dark and no motion lighting, the LED might be a good choice. If you do have motion lighting, suggest you get cameras with the Starlight lens and then dial the kick in time from IR to color way down so that they turn to color as soon as the motion light turns on. You still may miss a moment of the action as it changes, but if you run it default time the suspicious person would be out of site before it kicks to color.

Or you run it color 24/7 and realize that the picture will be useless until the motion light kicks on. I have one of mine in that mode where I have an overlap coverage with an IR camera.

 

[Sybertiger]

For example...at the front door...

Direct sun all day long, no sun at anytime in the cam area. Lighting around the property at night...yes, no, don't know.

You stated: "Please forgive me for asking questions, as some responses have been “do your research”. I’m trying, and I thought these are what the forums are for. To ask questions and suggestions from others?"

Don't get flustered...we are trying to understand...do you want the right or wrong answer? Makes a difference on what you are trying to accomplish, location, lighting, etc. Help us help you.

 

[mat200]

Thanks all. The home has been thoroughly thought out and planned. We are actually using Cat6a FTP for all cameras. There is a huge audio and video distribution, and to comment on earlier message, we are actually running two CAT6a plenum to the door location. Whole home will be Control4 automated. We are not novices at this, just about security cams. I live in an area where security isn’t used as intensely as in other regions. This is why we are not looking to overkill here and have every square inch of the property covered, just the crucial areas. Please forgive me for asking questions, as some responses have been “do your research”. I’m trying, and I thought these are what the forums are for. To ask questions and suggestions from others? Thanks to all the good advice given this far.

I’m strongly considering the 5442 cameras with a Pro AI NVR. Just had some questions on the LED version vs. the non LED. We also have one area by front door where ascetically it would be best to have a flush mount camera. So looking for good suggestion there

Good to have you here @rf9000

Here's the basics for you imho:
1) Mount cameras 6-8 feet high.
2) Run N+1 cables to each location. ( i.e. over cable by one.. )
3) For each outside door - camera at face level.
4) For front door - 2 lines to the door bell location ( for "smart bells / intercom" ) ( also need the line to camera at face level in #3 )
5) For front porch - need a camera to watch package drop area.
6) For garage - 2 cameras - one on each side of the garage door.
7) ....

and more...

bottom line, you need good placements of the cameras.

You can always update the hardware / cameras and nvr / pc w/vms ... getting the locations good during the build out is more important than having the perfect camera at this time.

 

[rf9000]

Front door will have a camera in front door as part of the native automation system, but would anted an extra mounted above the entrance. Then when doorbell is pressed the touchscreens in the house will display a split screen of the native doorbell cam and the cam mounted above. This above camera would be nicest looking if it was flush or had very little protrusion. So a dome or turret would not work here. Most of the perimeter of home will have LED landscape lighting shining up at house walls, trees, and the pool will also be lighted, but nothing extremely bright. I would not want the camera LEDS on all night, right? Would that look odd? Do most on this forum have video constantly on and record 24/7? Or do most just record when motion is detected and the LEDS come on when that happens?

 

[rf9000]

Good to have you here @rf9000

Here's the basics for you imho:
1) Mount cameras 6-8 feet high.
2) Run N+1 cables to each location. ( i.e. over cable by one.. )
3) For each outside door - camera at face level.
4) For front door - 2 lines to the door bell location ( for "smart bells / intercom" ) ( also need the line to camera at face level in #3 )
5) For front porch - need a camera to watch package drop area.
6) For garage - 2 cameras - one on each side of the garage door.
7) ....

and more...

bottom line, you need good placements of the cameras.

You can always update the hardware / cameras and nvr / pc w/vms ... getting the locations good during the build out is more important than having the perfect camera at this time.

sorry, what is N + 1 cable? We were planning to run two Cat6a FTP to each camera location

 

[rf9000]

Also, it was recommended to me to get a non POE NVR. Then just connect all cameras directly to the POE network switch along with connected the non POE NVR directly to the network switch. What do you think?

 

[bigredfish]

Most Record 24/7 as well as motion. Motion alone tends to miss important details, many times the most important.

This allows you easily to see events on a timeline as well as search for them while still capturing the overall scene before and after.

 

[rf9000]

Most Record 24/7 as well as Motion alone tends to miss important details, many times the most important.

This allows you easily to see events on a timeline as well as search for them while still capturing the overall scene before and after.

Dang. That means the LEDS would be on 24/7 then. Hmmmm. I’m guessing if I get the non-led Starlight version the night vision is still pretty good?

 

[bigredfish]

Also, it was recommended to me to get a non POE NVR. Then just connect all cameras directly to the POE network switch along with connected the non POE NVR directly to the network switch. What do you think?

Preference. I have installed both and have no problem with either. There are benefits to both. Built in PoE is a bit simpler, and ads a layer of security as the NVR switch assigns the cameras to their own subnet - still easily accessed for remote viewing etc.

I suppose many here prefer the non PoE which allows simpler cabling as you don’t have to homerun all of the camera cables to the NVR ....

 

[bigredfish]

Dang. That means the LEDS would be on 24/7 then. Hmmmm. I’m guessing if I get the non-led Starlight version the night vision is still pretty good?

Yep and with enough ambient light you may still be able to run some of them in color. Leave your porch light on and likely the front door camera can stay in color

 

[rf9000]

Preference. I have installed both and have no problem with either. There are benefits to both. Built in PoE is a bit simpler, and ads a layer of security as the NVR switch assigns the cameras to their own subnet - still easily accessed for remote viewing etc.

I suppose many here prefer the non PoE which allows simpler cabling as you don’t have to homerun all of the camera cables to the NVR ....

But would still have to homerun to network switch anyways

 

[SouthernYankee]

if you are interested in International Dahua cameras, a forum member sells dahua (and some Hikvision) and ships world wide. You can read some of the members recommendations on his service. He also provides cameras to other forum member for evaluation and reviews.
you can email him for a quote, or purchase from his Aliexpress store or his Amazon store. The cameras are fully up-gradable, he posts upgrade software when available.

Store choice may be a little low do to the Coronavirus. You can email him with specific items request.


Andy
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[mat200]

sorry, what is N + 1 cable? We were planning to run two Cat6a FTP to each camera location

Hi @rf9000

"2) Run N+1 cables to each location. ( i.e. over cable by one.. ) "

N = number of cables you think you will need for cameras / other.
+1 = run at least one more cable to that location.

( thus why I recommend running 2 cables to the door bell area for example... )

 

[Sybertiger]

Also, it was recommended to me to get a non POE NVR. Then just connect all cameras directly to the POE network switch along with connected the non POE NVR directly to the network switch. What do you think?

On a new home under construction I just assume run Cat6 point-to-point. You never know what the future holds. And, I would make sure that if the technology changes to CatX then you can easily pull out the old and pull in the new. Sometimes that involves running something like flexible PVC down the walls. And for two-story or homes with basement have PVC in the right places to get easily go from the attic to the second floor, second floor to the first floor or first floor to the basement. Installing a single long haul from a POE (upstairs to the basement) to the NVR would probably be the choice for people with existing homes where running point-to-point multiple lines would be a major headache.

 

[Sybertiger]

Front door will have a camera in front door as part of the native automation system, but would anted an extra mounted above the entrance. Then when doorbell is pressed the touchscreens in the house will display a split screen of the native doorbell cam and the cam mounted above. This above camera would be nicest looking if it was flush or had very little protrusion. So a dome or turret would not work here. Most of the perimeter of home will have LED landscape lighting shining up at house walls, trees, and the pool will also be lighted, but nothing extremely bright. I would not want the camera LEDS on all night, right? Would that look odd? Do most on this forum have video constantly on and record 24/7? Or do most just record when motion is detected and the LEDS come on when that happens?

"Uplighting" can and will cause problems depending on the location of the light relative to the camera. Also, dome cams are going to be more susceptible to uplighting. That's why I said it'd help if you posted pic of the exterior of the house and the proposed locations for the cams....may as well provide location of your uplighting.

 

[Sybertiger]

Front door will have a camera in front door as part of the native automation system, but would anted an extra mounted above the entrance. Then when doorbell is pressed the touchscreens in the house will display a split screen of the native doorbell cam and the cam mounted above. This above camera would be nicest looking if it was flush or had very little protrusion. So a dome or turret would not work here. Most of the perimeter of home will have LED landscape lighting shining up at house walls, trees, and the pool will also be lighted, but nothing extremely bright. I would not want the camera LEDS on all night, right? Would that look odd? Do most on this forum have video constantly on and record 24/7? Or do most just record when motion is detected and the LEDS come on when that happens?

Have you looked into one of the Dahua Villa Cam/Intercoms that are flush mount?