Introduction and seeking advice/opinions

justinonemillion

justinonemillion

n3wb
Jan 2, 2017
10
1
I've been researching surveillance systems on and off for years and really picked up the pace the last few months. I've stumbled on many forum threads looking for information and an Amazon review I read pointed me here.

A little bit on me: I live in a small town about an hour north of Seattle, married, one kid and another on the way. I have an electrical and electronics background and work a technical blue collar trade. I live in a 100 year old 2 story house with a detached 500 sqft garage, alley access, corner lot on the intersection of two moderately busy streets.

I'm aiming to install a 4 camera POE system. My initial budget is in the $300-$600 range and I'm open to starting to with just one camera and installing the rest over a few months. I want to have high quality video saved to the hard drive, android and iOS access (Roku would be a plus also!), remote access from a browser, motion detected stills uploaded to FTP would be nice... I honestly don't know what features I want aside from what all of them do to varying degrees.

I can't seem to decide on going with a prepacked NVR system, purchasing NVR and cameras separate, or going the PC/Blue Iris route. At this moment I'm leaning Blue Iris but if you wait five minutes I could change my mind.

Assuming the $300-$600 price target, here's how I interpret each and please correct me if I'm wrong.

Prepackaged NVR System
Pros: Least expensive, easiest to integrate, this is what my wife prefers I do
Cons: Limited features, probably a bad mobile app, proprietary, difficult or impossible to expand, you get what you get, support could be an issue

Hand Selected NVR System
Pros: Hand selected components, ability to expand, better features
Cons: Compatibility issues possible, most difficult to configure, likely little support aside from forums

PC/Blue Iris
Pros: Hand selected components, ability to expand, best features, best mobile app, lots of flexibility, easiest to repair/replace, best support and resources
Cons: Most expensive, could be a little difficult to configure

Does that sound about right? Anybody have any comments or advice? Thanks!
 
Sticking with Dahua (because I'm a fan) Stay away from packages.
Low cost = Tribrid Recorder with sufficient channels for your purpose, then add HDCVI (HDCVI = megapixel over coax) cameras easy setup and full framerate at up to 2MP with on board motion detection at very reasonable prices. You can expand using IP cameras if you wish (because it's tribrid = IP or HDCVI or plain coax).
Moderate cost = NVR with IVS support and megapixel IP cameras to suit.
All above have good remote access, PC/Mac/Android etc and HDMI out.
PC NVR if you want a more hands on system, don't mind some head scratching (it can become a hobby) and no budget constraints.
 
MakoMillenium said:
Sticking with Dahua (because I'm a fan) Stay away from packages.
Low cost = Tribrid Recorder with sufficient channels for your purpose, then add HDCVI (HDCVI = megapixel over coax) cameras easy setup and full framerate at up to 2MP with on board motion detection at very reasonable prices. You can expand using IP cameras if you wish (because it's tribrid = IP or HDCVI or plain coax).
Moderate cost = NVR with IVS support and megapixel IP cameras to suit.
All above have good remote access, PC/Mac/Android etc and HDMI out.
PC NVR if you want a more hands on system, don't mind some head scratching (it can become a hobby) and no budget constraints.
Click to expand...

I've ruled out HDCVI for a few reasons; #1 is probably limited knowledge/first impressions, #2 I have to run a new UG 60A feeder to my detached garage and already planned on burying a few Cat5e and Cat6 cables for connectivity (and redundancy), with HDCVI I'd need to run 2-4 BNC cables also or add extra hardware, #3 simpler to not deal with the 12V requirements at all camera locations. I've thought this over considerably and about the only conclusion/decision I've made is that I'd rather have IP cameras even if the backend configuration is more difficult--maybe it's lack of knowledge but from my novice perspective it makes more sense to focus on an IP-based system. I think a PC NVR would be more hands ons but there seems to be more general support for Blue Iris than specific support for any of the NVRs. I'll take head scratching over head banging. I would think a PC NVR would only be slightly more expensive than a comparable NVR but provides more flexibility, features, easier to maintain overtime. Talk me out of this if I'm seeing it wrong.
 
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You are not. Stick with IP.
Stick with Dahua Cameras. I just started using BI, and it's awesome.
If you in a lightning prone area, don't forget surge protection on the lines to the garage.
Use Shielded Cat 6, price difference between it and cat 5e is minimal. Cat 6 is a little bigger gauge wire for less voltage drop. Helps shield against induced surges from lightning. Be sure to ground the shield properly. Use burial rated cable. Put it in PVC conduit along with a string. Then you can always pull another line if need be after the fact. Use bigger conduit then you think you need, makes it easier pulling wires, especially after the fact.

Purchase a factory refurbed Dell Optiplex I5-6500 for BI.

Keep the network cables at least a foot from any electrical wiring in the trench.

You will get a much better system by buying everything piecemeal vs a package.
 
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I'll chime in.
- IVS cams. For outside MD stinks. Tripwire and Intrusion of IVS minimize false alerts.
-gDMSS Plus. The push notifications are almost real time. Email alerts have varying arrival times, and sometimes the snapshot doesn't make it through.
- I 2nd looney2ns comment on conduit, and preparin for future.
- consider some extra wires for sensors at the garage. eg: indoor motion sense, door contact switch, etc. These could be wired back to the NVR's external alarm input, so you'd get a video clip pushed to your phone if someone is in your garage.
- "Hand Selected NVR system": you mentioned "compatibility issues possible". That won't be a risk if you stick with one vender. Avoid mix-n-match to avoid compatibility issues.
- Yes, start with one cam. The get up the learning curve before buying more.
- be thoughtful when picking the lens size. Use the on-line camera calculator.
- Another kids on the way? Maybe a "baby cam" in the baby's bedroom to check on the sleeping bundle of joy?

Have fun,
Fastb
 
No consensus. You have good analogies. I'll add one; apples vs oranges
Search the forum for a long & thoughtful pro-con by two knowledgeable advocates of BI vs NOR. Nayr and fenderman debated this from many perspectives
 
You said you had budget constraints. If you need a number of cameras upfront, don't underestimate HDCVI. It's quality video at full frame rate. Use poweraxe (coax with a twin core power line) cable and a single power supply at the head end. The recorder just keeps running unattended when you go away for days or weeks and restarts after any power outage, current consumption is low its easy to conceal preserving your recordings and you can log in from your normal workstation with PSS via your lan or link it to your router with a simple wireless bridge.
 
looney2ns said:
You are not. Stick with IP.
Stick with Dahua Cameras. I just started using BI, and it's awesome.
If you in a lightning prone area, don't forget surge protection on the lines to the garage.
Use Shielded Cat 6, price difference between it and cat 5e is minimal. Cat 6 is a little bigger gauge wire for less voltage drop. Helps shield against induced surges from lightning. Be sure to ground the shield properly. Use burial rated cable. Put it in PVC conduit along with a string. Then you can always pull another line if need be after the fact. Use bigger conduit then you think you need, makes it easier pulling wires, especially after the fact.

Purchase a factory refurbed Dell Optiplex I5-6500 for BI.

Keep the network cables at least a foot from any electrical wiring in the trench.

You will get a much better system by buying everything piecemeal vs a package.
Click to expand...

I actually went with a refurb dell xps i7 6700, glad I did. :)
 
Fastb said:
I'll chime in.
- IVS cams. For outside MD stinks. Tripwire and Intrusion of IVS minimize false alerts.
-gDMSS Plus. The push notifications are almost real time. Email alerts have varying arrival times, and sometimes the snapshot doesn't make it through.
- I 2nd looney2ns comment on conduit, and preparin for future.
- consider some extra wires for sensors at the garage. eg: indoor motion sense, door contact switch, etc. These could be wired back to the NVR's external alarm input, so you'd get a video clip pushed to your phone if someone is in your garage.
- "Hand Selected NVR system": you mentioned "compatibility issues possible". That won't be a risk if you stick with one vender. Avoid mix-n-match to avoid compatibility issues.
- Yes, start with one cam. The get up the learning curve before buying more.
- be thoughtful when picking the lens size. Use the on-line camera calculator.
- Another kids on the way? Maybe a "baby cam" in the baby's bedroom to check on the sleeping bundle of joy?

Have fun,
Fastb
Click to expand...

My two cents, go with blue iris then you don't have to worry about compatibility, it works with damn near anything and Ken certainly prioritizes the popular cameras, hell I've played around with an old cell phone as a security camera in blue iris with the ip webcam app. As for lens size, I would only go with varifocal cameras then you can tweak them and not worry about if you got the right lens. They used to be horrendously expensive but the price has come down so much I won't buy anything else, and do yourself a favor, get motorized varifocal like the popular dahua turret, manual varifocal is kind of a pain.
 
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