Hi! New member from Italy

[cdf1982]

Hi!

I am Cesare, a software developer from Italy with a passion for IP cameras that's growing to somewhat unhealthy levels...

Full disclosure: I found the forum while searching the name of my app on Google and saw it mentioned it here, but I am not here to self-promote it (but if anyone needs help with it, I obviously am available). Please let me know if even mentioning this is against the forum rules and it won't happen again, I know that online communities abide rigorously and rightfully to their code, and I am not here to disrespect them.

I instead hope to learn a lot from you! These days I mostly use Hikvision and Foscams, but I'm also having fun with TP-Link Tapos because they're very inexpensive. I don't have a NVR, because I'm only interested in realtime streaming.

 

[Old Timer]

Welcome to IPT

There is a ton of information on this site.
A bunch of good guys, and a few true nuts.
It's up to you to find us nuts.

 

[cdf1982]

Thank you!
It takes a nut to know a nut, I guess. I have the passion, but from a few posts I've read not nearly the experience of many of you... but I can learn, and become nuttier!

 

[rahhazar]

The nuttier the better

 

[Old Timer]

You don't have to be crazy to be on here, but it sure helps.

 

[cdf1982]

Most certainly, I can already see this is a very welcoming community!

 

[sebastiantombs]

Welcome to the enchanted land of video surveillance lunatics, good guys, nut jobs and miscreants (yes, I fit into at least three categories). There are a lot of knowledgeable people on here and knowledge and experience are shared constantly. That's how I got to be a lunatic (already a nut job and miscreant).

Start out by looking in the WiKi in the blue bar at the top of the page. There's a ton of very useful information in there and it needs to be viewed on a computer, not a phone or tablet. The Cliff Notes will be of particular interest although the camera models listed there are a generation old at this point. The best way to determine what kind of camera you need in each location and where each location should really be is to buy one varifocal camera first and set up a test stand for it that can be easily moved around. Test using that, viewing using the web interface of the camera, during the day and at night. Have someone walk around behaving like a miscreant and see if you can identify them. There is also information for choosing hardware and securing the system along with a whole bunch of other good stuff.

 

[cdf1982]

Thank you @sebastiantombs for your warm welcome and helpful links and suggestion! I'm loving it here already, but there's a lot I don't know about cameras... I've done more on the software and protocols side, and must confess I'm quite ignorant on hardware. I appreciate the path you've traced in your reply, and will try to follow it!

 

[gwminor48]

Hello Cesare, welcome to the forum.

 

[cdf1982]

Thank you so much @gwminor48!