Multi-brand surveillance system

[dewhee]

Hi there!

I'm new in the world of IP cam, so I apologize in advance for any stupid sentence I could write

I would like to monitor my house with some cameras. In the beginning, I was thinking to put just some wi-fi IP cam and monitoring them with their own mobile app. Then I read they are not advised since the wi-fi signal can be easily altered in order to stop the cameras from doing their job. Also (I don't know if it's true) they are more vulnerable to hacking.

So I then shifted to the idea of creating a system with an NVR that connects all the cameras via PoE. I found a lot of ready-to-use kits on the internet, but I don't really like the idea to have everything from the same brand. I read about the ONVIF protocol, but I also read that there are a lot of limitations.

For example, I would like to have human detection capability in order to trigger events only if people are detected. So I was looking for an NVR capable to do that because I thought that this functionality is provided by the NVR (the camera captures the image, sends the image to the NVR, and the NVR does all the AI processing). But I saw a video on youtube stating that actually, this kind of functionality must be also in the IP camera. So, if the IP camera it's a simple and cheap camera connected to NVR via ONVIF, you cannot detect humans and vehicles.
Is that true? do you think is it possible to create a truly and fully functional system with NVR from one brand and the cameras from different brands?

Thank you!

 

[sebastiantombs]

You may not like the idea of all the same brand for cameras and the NVR but it is the best way to get full functionality from both the cameras and the NVR. If you buy a Hikvision NVR use Hikvision cameras with it. If you buy a Dauhua NVR us Dahua cameras with it. Yes, Hikvision will work with Dahua and vice versa using ONVIF but you can lose to many key features that way.

 

[mat200]

Hi there!

I'm new in the world of IP cam, so I apologize in advance for any stupid sentence I could write

I would like to monitor my house with some cameras. In the beginning, I was thinking to put just some wi-fi IP cam and monitoring them with their own mobile app. Then I read they are not advised since the wi-fi signal can be easily altered in order to stop the cameras from doing their job. Also (I don't know if it's true) they are more vulnerable to hacking.

So I then shifted to the idea of creating a system with an NVR that connects all the cameras via PoE. I found a lot of ready-to-use kits on the internet, but I don't really like the idea to have everything from the same brand. I read about the ONVIF protocol, but I also read that there are a lot of limitations.

For example, I would like to have human detection capability in order to trigger events only if people are detected. So I was looking for an NVR capable to do that because I thought that this functionality is provided by the NVR (the camera captures the image, sends the image to the NVR, and the NVR does all the AI processing). But I saw a video on youtube stating that actually, this kind of functionality must be also in the IP camera. So, if the IP camera it's a simple and cheap camera connected to NVR via ONVIF, you cannot detect humans and vehicles.
Is that true? do you think is it possible to create a truly and fully functional system with NVR from one brand and the cameras from different brands?

Thank you!

Welcome @dewhee

Yes, in general most of us prefer to avoid WiFI cameras and get a wired IP POE camera instead.

Many here also like to use Blue Iris on a Windows PC as the NVR .. do check out the cliff notes, and look at a few threads ..

 

[Gargoile]

Also (I don't know if it's true) they are more vulnerable to hacking.

It is true. Interfering with just the Camera's Wi-Fi signal defeats the purpose of what the camera is used for. Hacked the camera to not be used. There is really no skill involved to do this.

 

[dewhee]

Thank you everyone for your precious answers! I understand that I have only benefits from having everything under the same brand.the cliff notes are a gold mine!

One last question (I'm just curious to understand how it works): I thought the NVR was the "brain" of the entire system: cameras just record video and send it to NVR, then it's the NVR that checks if something moved, if what was moving was a person...etc... Instead, if I understood, some of this logics still rely on the camera, right? I mean: it's the camera that must have also the capability to recognize a person.

#EDIT
I add one question: I also want to check my cameras with a mobile app. In case (for example) I buy NVR from Hikvision, I'll be able to use their app Hikconnect. In general a setting like this, how does it work? The NVR will always transmit data to Hikvision server? Or the NVR will transmit data only when I open the mobile app or an event is triggered? Thanks!

 

[sebastiantombs]

Cameras today have built-in AI. It can range from nothing at all to basic object detection, like vehicle or human, and can go as far as license plate reading and even some basic, somewhat inaccurate, facial recognition. That is done inside the camera and sent to the NVR. Higher end NVRs also have built-in AI that will work with the AI of the cameras to help reduce falses and increase accuracy.

Hikvision and Dahua do not normally stream to a cloud service. Their apps are just an outside portal to your NVR. That said, it is safer to use a VPN to connect to your local LAN because their apps open a port on your router for that communication. That port, being open, presents a security risk/hole that hackers can atke advantage of to gain access to your LAN and everything on it. A VPN, not the type that hides your traffic when you're surfing the internet, provides a secure and encrypted method to connect back to your local LAN. It allows your device to behave and access things on your local LAN as if you were directly connected to it while at home.

If you're really worried about having everything from one manufacturer you should look at a VMS system like Blue Iris. It will run on a refurbished business class PC and is far more flexible and powerful than most NVRs. It will work with almost any camera brand available but that doesn't mean you can get great performance from bottom of the barrel cameras. Overall the cost is similar to or even less than a higher end NVR with much better flexibility and a superior feature set.