Need advice on which network camera or DVR should I use

rickroll

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View attachment 18420 Hello,

I am looking for an advice on buying network cameras. I work for a company that gives treatment for people with personal injuries. Company has 28 offices around few states. A year a go I was told to buy video cameras with the budget of $150-$200 that will record the sound as well. I got a package deal from Lorex DVR LH030400 and wireless camera LW2287-C. I installed them in all 28 offices. First of all I never knew I would run in so many issues with wireless cameras such as video freezing, loss of a sound, loss of a signal and so on. I should've done a better research before going with wirelss but oh well. I have UPS battery back up but it still gives me issues on a weekly basis. I check cameras through DDNS every Monday to make sure everything is up and records. At least 6-8 cameras every 2 weeks I need to manually reset. The offices are not that big only 2 offices exceed the length of 100ft between DVR and cameras location. Some offices have camera and DVR 5 feet away from each other. I am a network admin and this stuff became pain the butt for me to always check up on. I even considered buying IP switches to reset them remotely but it still not right. So, i talked to the management and we decided to replace them.

Now, the reason why it is so important for my company about these cameras and particularly the sound recording is that many times patients argue or lie about some stuff, and company has to sort things out through lawyers, insurance companies and so on. The sound recording became a huge help to avoid lots of problems and stuff.

My main question is what can you guys suggest in the budget of $200-$250 to buy. I only need 1 DVR and 1 camera per office for the front desk. I know I am going only with wired setup now, no wireless stuff. I also would like to know what works with 3rd party software like Elsy Hunter, ISPY, IP Camera Viewer and so on. I would like to in the future all those cameras to record into one place somewhere in the main Head Quarters location, like setting up a tower on a dedicated IP with a bunch of HDDs and it would record each location worth of 2 weeks recordings. The cloud service is not an option, company doesn't like to spend money. They prefer to pay one time and that's it.

Thank you!

P.S. Apologies for my English mistakes.
 
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whoslooking

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Take a look at the Hikvision Cube Camera ( 4MP, DS-2CD2442FWD-IW) if it's one per office. forget the NVR and fit
good quality micro SD card to each camera 64gb class 10.

It's a POE camera as well as wireless giving you both options.

You can then view all cameras at once using ivms-4200, live and recorded images with Audio.

unfortunately your original purchase was not quite upto the job this kit can do.
 

rickroll

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Take a look at the Hikvision Cube Camera ( 4MP, DS-2CD2442FWD-IW) if it's one per office. forget the NVR and fit
good quality micro SD card to each camera 64gb class 10.

It's a POE camera as well as wireless giving you both options.

You can then view all cameras at once using ivms-4200, live and recorded images with Audio.

unfortunately your original purchase was not quite upto the job this kit can do.
Thanks for reading and replying to my post, much appreciated.
Will this calculated scenario work on this camera with 64GB SD card to record 2 weeks worth of video/audio 24h per day:Capture.PNG
The video quality of course is not something I was expecting to be honest.
Would you suggest anything else? While i like these this cube HIK camera but the storage is very limited in them for SD card, so I am forced to record only in CIF resolution.
 

Kawboy12R

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Don't use SD cards as your only or primary means of storage. They're better used as a backup in case someone steals the NVR or it dies at a bad time. Also, domes or turrets are a bit more tamperproof and less prone to accidental readjustment than cubes. Nelly's, Wrightwood Surveillance, or a number of other places can hook you up with audio recording solutions with support and a warranty. If you're talking medical issues and recording, bargain basement isn't where you want to be shopping. Even recommending DIY and online purchasing isn't exactly high end...
 

rickroll

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Don't use SD cards as your only or primary means of storage. They're better used as a backup in case someone steals the NVR or it dies at a bad time. Also, domes or turrets are a bit more tamperproof and less prone to accidental readjustment than cubes. Nelly's, Wrightwood Surveillance, or a number of other places can hook you up with audio recording solutions with support and a warranty. If you're talking medical issues and recording, bargain basement isn't where you want to be shopping. Even recommending DIY and online purchasing isn't exactly high end...
That my management doesn't understand, but what did you mean by "DIY and online purchasing isn't exactly high end..."? My English is 2nd language
 

whoslooking

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Quality branded SD cards can perform as well as hard drives and the cube is perfect for an office environments for 14 days worth of 24/7 you would need a 128 SD card and an NVR would work out cheaper

Domes and turrets are external use by design and most come without audio recording unless you pushing higher end products with the audio inputs adding more equipment / work and cost.

Hikvision products have never been described as bargain basement, and the 2-4mp with audio is the area you need to be looking, Nelly's should be able to sort you out a good deal on a large quantities.
 

Kawboy12R

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DIY = Do It Yourself
Bargain basement = cheap or low end equipment

Hik and Dahua are currently a step above bargain basement.

I don't trust SD cards for 24/7 recording. Some work great, some don't.
 

whoslooking

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As a professional installer of High Level Security System which include Embassies Banks Airports Railway Stations and the like.

Hikvision on Build quality and reliability are up the Top in the professional installation list above Axis, Honeywell, Avigalon, Panasonic, Sony.

Just because they have a cheaperror domestic / small use range does not put them anywhere close to the DIY market like Foscam.
They don't become the world's largest security supplier and manufacturer with products on the self.
but personal choice on what you call quality normally lies on what has a large price tag, In this industry I find most of the biggest thieves are not the ones recorded by the camera's but the so called security companies selling them with 300% markup on the trade price to the end users.

moaning over lol
 
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