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Dometrius

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Hi everyone. New member from Dallas, TX. I have been spending the last few months researching the type of camera setup that will best fit my needs and my budget. I stumbled upon this forum a while back and have read through several posts. I still haven't finalized exactly what I plan to purchase for my home, but I think I am getting close. I have been pretty focused on some of the Lorex (FLIR) products. I know that some of the Dahua products are well recommended by members and that @EMPIRETECANDY sells them at a discount to members.

Is there a forum somewhere were people have listed their builds/set ups? I'd be curious to see a full set up from some folks and even possibly get recommendations on my planned set up when I get to that point - haven't found a specific thread for this.

I am sort of approaching my build from 2 different directions: purchasing a camera/NVR suite from a vendor and building on to it vs buying some NAS system or desktop to install BI on.

Since Lorex has a 60 day money back guarantee, I am leaning towards purchasing this kit: 8 Channel 2K Resolution (4 Megapixel) IP Camera System with 2 Color Night Vision Security Cameras . I plan to put those 2 bullet cameras on the sides of my home.

I also need cameras for the following places:
Alley/Driveway leading into my garage,
Above my back door which will also catch my back gate and 90% of my backyard
Above my front door
Last, if money allows, something to watch the front yard and street. This is only because of how my porch is set up- a camera above my front door not be able to see anything other than the porch.

I see several recommendations against using dome cameras outside which is disheartening, mostly because the cameras I want for my back door and garage would best suit me if they had ~120° FOV. I have been considering these cameras for this purpose: Audio HD IP 2K Dome Security Camera, 150ft night vision, wide angle lens

Above my front door I would like something that is going to provide very clear facial ID: 4K Ultra HD Resolution 8MP Outdoor IP Audio Dome Camera, 200ft Night Vision (2-pack) or 4K Ultra HD Resolution 8MP Motorized Varifocal Outdoor IP Audio Dome Camera Both are expensive cameras, however. Seems like the varifocal version may be the same as the dahua starlight? However since it is 8mp maybe it won't perform as well in total darkness? I can support it with an IR cannon if needed, or just leave my porch light on all night.

One downside to Lorex is that they don't have any LPR that I can find. It's not crucial but seems like being able to identify a license plate is almost as important as facial ID for tacking someone down.

Closing remarks: I am wondering if I can get a setup similar to what I am interested in from Lorex, from Andy but for less money - which will allow me to add some additional features. Last, the cameras above my back door and garage would be facing south and get some direct sunlight for ~45 minutes during sunset. Is this an issue for cameras? Thanks!
 

gwminor48

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Hello, welcome to the forum. I am in DFW area too. It depends some on what you want, for a lot of us on this forum ip cameras have evolved from security measures into a a hobby also (addicted, some would say). If you want a set it and forget it type system then a package like you are looking at might suit your needs. I have some 4mp cams (Hikvision) that are great during the day but I had to put up external IR illuminators to get images I was happy with at night. If you are concerned with night time vision then you will probably be happier with 2mp cams like @EMPIRETECANDY has. I bought 2 to replace other cheaper cams I had and I'm very happy with night time video and daytime. You may want to read on the forum about LPR, you need a camera dedicated for only that purpose to get good results.
 

Dometrius

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Thanks GW. I am an IT guy (I work in software development) so I can see this becoming a hobby also. Also why I would probably enjoy building the entire set up myself.

Is sunlight ever an issue for any of these cameras (irect exposure during sunset/sunrise?
 

gwminor48

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I haven't noticed it but all my cams are on the north and south sides of the house under the eaves. I'm sure others will chime in with their experience and opinions.
 

actran

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@looney2ns The last 2 links that @Dometrius listed in his initial post may be re-branded Dahua starlights? Anyway to confirm?

@Dometrius Is your soffit/trim white or color? I noticed that you referenced some cameras that are black. (If you have white soffit and want the cameras to "blend" in, obviously cameras with white paint would be better.)

Typically NVR with attached POE switch usually put all cameras behind a subnet. That means you can't access cameras directly. You have to do it via the NVR. That can be a pain in the butt sometimes. However, some NVRs can be configured to have camera pass-thru.

Personally, I prefer to have POE switch(es) separate from NVR.
 
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actran

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Thanks GW. I am an IT guy (I work in software development) so I can see this becoming a hobby also. Also why I would probably enjoy building the entire set up myself.

Is sunlight ever an issue for any of these cameras (irect exposure during sunset/sunrise?
@Dometrius Sunlight is not a problem for turrets. Just make sure to buy cameras designed to work outdoor.

Related, stay away from dome cameras for outdoor usage because the plastic dome can turn yellow over time, in addition to IR reflection.
 

Dometrius

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Thanks @looney2ns and @actran . I have read through both of those threads already. Yes my trim is currently a beige color but eventually I plan to paint it some shade of grey so I think black would match. But even if I get white cameras now, I think I can just paint the housing in the same grey color.

@actran not sure I follow what you mean re: "NVR with attached POE switch"? My understanding is that if I have the cameras directly connected to the NVR, I can't ping them individually; I would have to go through the NVR UI unless the NVR has a pass through. Using a switch allows me to ping each individual camera. Another added benefit of the switch would be to have only 1 cable running from my NVR through the wall and into the attic to connect to the switch, which then routes to all the cameras. Did I miss something or are we saying the same thing in a different way?
 

actran

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Thanks @looney2ns and @actran . I have read through both of those threads already. Yes my trim is currently a beige color but eventually I plan to paint it some shade of grey so I think black would match. But even if I get white cameras now, I think I can just paint the housing in the same grey color.

@actran not sure I follow what you mean re: "NVR with attached POE switch"? My understanding is that if I have the cameras directly connected to the NVR, I can't ping them individually; I would have to go through the NVR UI unless the NVR has a pass through. Using a switch allows me to ping each individual camera. Another added benefit of the switch would be to have only 1 cable running from my NVR through the wall and into the attic to connect to the switch, which then routes to all the cameras. Did I miss something or are we saying the same thing in a different way?
@Dometrius Your understanding is correct. I should have said the NVR has built-in POE switch instead of "attached".
 

mat200

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Hi everyone. New member from Dallas, TX. ..
Since Lorex has a 60 day money back guarantee, I am leaning towards purchasing this kit: 8 Channel 2K Resolution (4 Megapixel) IP Camera System with 2 Color Night Vision Security Cameras .
Thanks!
Welcome Dometrius,

If you are considering that Lorex kit, I highly recommend considering this one instead ( it's only a bit more, but has 16 PoE ports and 4K bullet cameras )
4K Ultra HD IP 16-Ch NVR System w/ 6 Outdoor 8MP Cameras $799 + Free Shipping

It's a very good deal, and since this Lorex kit is a Dahua OEM - you can augment it with some Starlight cameras from Andy.
Throw in a few starlights and you've got a nice setup.

Happy New Year!
 

Dometrius

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Thanks @mat200 I saw the same set up on the Lorex site with that promo code. I think a couple of bullet cameras would work for my home but I need a wider FOV for many of the places I plan to put my cams.
 
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Dometrius

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Have others confirmed the compatibility between a Lorex system and say the Dahua Starlight Varifocal cameras?
 

looney2ns

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I believe that @mat200 has used the Dahua Starlights with his Lorex.

It's a high chance that the Lorex cams in those link's are Dahuas, they --might--have some features removed that the Dahua versions would have.

Understand, those 4k cams will have a much worse night vision than the 2mp Starlights, unless your willing to add a lot of additional light.
 

Dometrius

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@mat200 got me pretty interested in that 6x4MP camera package; even though I don't think I can utilize that many bullet cameras, I may be able to sell them to some friends/family. I did go ahead and order 2 of the 2mp Starlights from @EMPIRETECANDY . I haven't purchased this (lorex-4k-ultra-hd-ip-16-channel-nvr-system-with-6-outdoor-4k-8mp-ip-cameras) kit yet, but I think I will. It's a helluva deal esp if I can sell off a few of the cameras. I think I am also going to use 2k-nocturnal-ip-audio-dome-security-camera-/LND4750ABW-1-p for above the front door.

I do have landscape lighting around a majority of my house along with some motion activated lights. I have lots of extras too so I can always place some more lighting wherever I need it or supplement with IR illumination as well.
 

actran

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@mat200 got me pretty interested in that 6x4MP camera package; even though I don't think I can utilize that many bullet cameras, I may be able to sell them to some friends/family. I did go ahead and order 2 of the 2mp Starlights from @EMPIRETECANDY . I haven't purchased this (lorex-4k-ultra-hd-ip-16-channel-nvr-system-with-6-outdoor-4k-8mp-ip-cameras) kit yet, but I think I will. It's a helluva deal esp if I can sell off a few of the cameras. I think I am also going to use 2k-nocturnal-ip-audio-dome-security-camera-/LND4750ABW-1-p for above the front door.

I do have landscape lighting around a majority of my house along with some motion activated lights. I have lots of extras too so I can always place some more lighting wherever I need it or supplement with IR illumination as well.
@Domentrius Your last link above looks alot like this Starlight: IPC-HDBW4231F-AS | Dahua Technology - Dahua Technology

Perhaps you can get the above cheaper from @EMPIRETECANDY

I've seen a few people here use it for their front porche.
 

Dometrius

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I already emailed Andy about it today, @actran , haha. But the starlight is the 2MP and the Lorex I listed is 4MP. Also I am not sure if the Dahuas have Audio like the Lorex - I already asked Andy about it.
 

actran

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I already emailed Andy about it today, @actran , haha. But the starlight is the 2MP and the Lorex I listed is 4MP. Also I am not sure if the Dahuas have Audio like the Lorex - I already asked Andy about it.
@Dometrius If your front porch has enough lighting, then your 4MP should be good at night. If you don't have enough lighting, it's easy to change the light itself. That is what I did.

Perhaps, your 4MP is this Dahua: IPC-HDBW4431F-AS | Dahua Technology - Dahua Technology

BTW, the 2MP Starlight version has audio. It's listed on the spec web page.

In any case, you'll need to figure what is best lens size for the size of your front porch.
 
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