Need help picking a camera system...

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Hi, I need help picking a camera system.....


Last year I bought a new house and renovated the whole thing. While the walls were open I ran wires for cameras throughout the house to a location in the basement. I ran a cat6 and a coax Siamese cable to each location. I’m still trying to decide if I just want a cheap system that I can use the coax with. Or if I can come up with the money to do network cameras with the cat6. I have installed systems with coax Siamese cable before, but I have never done network cameras. I understand how to make up the cable ends and mount the cameras, but other than that I am pretty clueless. I am looking for a system that can handle about 40 cameras. About 8 of the cameras are in the interior of the house and will need to be covert types such as fake smoke detectors or fake motion sensors. The rest will be on the outside of the house. And of course all will need night vision.

Any recommendations on either systems? I don’t want to spend a ton of money on network so I’m looking for a bang for the buck kind of thing. But open to hear and learn any opinions on what’s worth doing and how much a good system will cost. Thanks so much for your time!
 

fenderman

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Hi, I need help picking a camera system.....


Last year I bought a new house and renovated the whole thing. While the walls were open I ran wires for cameras throughout the house to a location in the basement. I ran a cat6 and a coax Siamese cable to each location. I’m still trying to decide if I just want a cheap system that I can use the coax with. Or if I can come up with the money to do network cameras with the cat6. I have installed systems with coax Siamese cable before, but I have never done network cameras. I understand how to make up the cable ends and mount the cameras, but other than that I am pretty clueless. I am looking for a system that can handle about 40 cameras. About 8 of the cameras are in the interior of the house and will need to be covert types such as fake smoke detectors or fake motion sensors. The rest will be on the outside of the house. And of course all will need night vision.

Any recommendations on either systems? I don’t want to spend a ton of money on network so I’m looking for a bang for the buck kind of thing. But open to hear and learn any opinions on what’s worth doing and how much a good system will cost. Thanks so much for your time!
40 cameras for a home? I think you need to reconsider.
 
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It’s a decent size home and I have a lot on the inside. Three different levels. Maybe two on each side of the outside, some in the garage and on the outside of the garage. I ran a lot of cable because the walls were open just to have options. If I don’t end up using all of them no big deal. Or maybe some of them can be cheaper quality and the main positions be better quality. Not sure if the total count it was just an estimate but I wanted to have a system that can handle a lot.
 
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Right now I have 15 cameras total that I would want installed. In the future I want to add for the basement and the garage. So maybe a 30 channel would cover it. Or something that could be expanded
 

SouthernYankee

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Reolink pure overpriced crap.

Read the cliff notes.

Go with either dahua or hikvision. If you go with an NVR it is best if the NVR and cameras are the same manufacturer.
Use starlight or dark fighter cameras out side. Use only turret cameras outside. No wifi cameras.

Read study plan before wasting your money. Plan plan plan.
 

mat200

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Hi, I need help picking a camera system.....

Last year I bought a new house and renovated the whole thing. While the walls were open I ran wires for cameras throughout the house to a location in the basement. I ran a cat6 and a coax Siamese cable to each location.... I am looking for a system that can handle about 40 cameras. ..
Hi @Tommysupra13

Did you install that many drops already for security cameras? Both cat6 and siamese coax?

I agree with fenderman, you should probably want to review how many cameras you will actually need.
 
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Hi @Tommysupra13

Did you install that many drops already for security cameras? Both cat6 and siamese coax?

I agree with fenderman, you should probably want to review how many cameras you will actually need.
Yes because my walls were opened and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do at the time. I’m definitly hooking up at least the 15 cameras inside and outside the home.
 

mat200

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Yes because my walls were opened and I wasn’t sure what I was going to do at the time. I’m definitly hooking up at least the 15 cameras inside and outside the home.
Hi @Tommysupra13

I would suggest picking up a nice Dahua OEM 2MP starlight varifocal IP POE camera along with an affordable PoE switch or PoE injector and start testing the locations you've cabled up.
 
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Which type of NVR doesn’t require configuration for cameras? In other words you plug it in and it appears on the screen?
 

uniquename

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I guess I don't feel like my four shower cameras are overkill anymore. I never watch the footage, since I don't want to see myself in the shower, but still.
 
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I’m assuming the configuration you are talking about is to set up the motion targets and to link the system to an app for mobile viewing? Is there anything else? Thanks again for all of the information looney
 

looney2ns

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I’m assuming the configuration you are talking about is to set up the motion targets and to link the system to an app for mobile viewing? Is there anything else? Thanks again for all of the information looney
Yes, you will want to adjust the cameras settings for best picture, plus IVS or Motion detection settings.
Set the Network IP for the NVR, time settings, etc.
This may be a little out of date, but will give you an idea.
It's really not as daunting as it first appears. Baby steps.
Go here: https://www.dahuasecurity.com/asset/upload/product/20180525/Dahua-NVR-(10-11-2-4-5-and-7-series)-users-manual-v4_3_2-201805.pdf
 
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