New Hikvision Setup - Advice/Suggestions

vegas

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
106
Reaction score
5
So I bought the following:

(12) DS-2CS2032-I Multi-language V.5.2.5 3MP Cameras [DHGate] - Ordered 9/3
(1) 7716N-E4/16P NVR [DHGate] - Ordered 9/3
(12) Cat5e 100ft cables [Amazon]
(1) APC 330W 8 Outlet Battery Backup Surge [Amazon]
(1) 4TB WD Purple HDD [Amazon]

Total cost was $1550, which I think is a steal of a deal on 12 of these top notch cameras, NVR, cables, and battery backup. Considering the Lorex and Swann models which use the same camera limit them to 2MP and have only 8 cameras is $1500-2000.

I plan on using the 100ft cat5e cables to power and run the cameras from the NVR. I want to run each wire from the eave of the roof where I will mount the 8 cameras outside, to the NVR which will be near the center of the house. I plan on going up into attic from the eaves, and then down the wall to the NVR. Only issue is the roof slant makes it difficult to get into the edges where the eaves actually are. I can stand just fine in the middle of the attic, but its difficult as you go out. The other 4 cameras I want to place in our 2 kids rooms, the living room, and dining room. Before you guys say creepy....the dining room one watches the rear sliding doors (which we have 3 right next to each other), and the living room gets the front door area. So if someone makes it into the house we have coverage of it as well.

Questions I have:

1) Anyone have any experience with users 'comee' or 'allen-electronic'? They are where I bought both the cameras and NVR from on DH Gate. Both have good feedback scores and over 100 transactions on DH-Gate.
2) Is it possible to change the lens on the cameras from 4mm to lets say 6mm or 12mm later on? I asked for (11) 4mm and (1) 12mm, but we will see what I get.
3) What is the easiest way to run the wiring from the attic into the wall to the NVR?
4) What is the easiest way to run the wiring to the eaves in the attic?
5) How do I find the spots to go down into the ceiling for the inside cameras from the attic?
6) Anyone have this NVR? Is it easy to use, hard, etc? I believe it is only sold overseas but has English.....
7) Do the cameras themselves support FTP uploading or does the NVR? I want to upload to a FTP site any motion detection pictures taken.

Pictures would be a great help from guys/girls that have already installed theirs in a similar manner.

Any comments, suggestions, or questions you have, please fire away. I need as much help with this project as possible. I want a great system that will cover the whole house and is reliable. Besides the worries above, I just worry about running into black widows, scorpions, and falling through the ceiling while in the attic :sad2:. Thanks guys!
 

fenderman

Staff member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
36,897
Reaction score
21,250
@vegas Welcome to the forum. Be aware that these are china region cameras so dont try to update the firmware or they will brick. Honestly, for indoors, a mini-dome like the 2532 or even a full 2132 dome, would be a much better looking option.
Yes you can swap the lenses.
For what its worth (not sure if you order is finalized) this dahua rebranded kit can be had for 1299, full warranty and costco's unlimited return policy.
http://www.costco.com/Q-See-16-Channel-IP-NVR-with-3TB-HDD,-12-3MP-Cameras-with-100'-Night-Vision.product.100220054.html
 

vegas

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
106
Reaction score
5
Yea, I've looked into q-see already and other models of theirs got some very bad reviews. Also I want 3mp at 30fps, which that one only does 20fps. I looked networkcameracritic's YouTube channel and the hikvision 2032 seemed to beat even the newest cameras out there in terms of image quality and customizing the camera image. That is a very good deal however. But when you add the battery backup that I got, its only $100-120 cheaper.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

klasipca

Banned
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
750
Personally, if I would be setting up a new system, I would not be buying the 3MP cameras as it's over 2 year old now and night quality is subpar, newer 2MP or 4MP (0.01 lux vs 0.07 makes a big difference) which I recently got to compare show much better night time quality. I don't recommend mini domes, I have one and it's the worst of the bunch for night time due to lower sensitivity and only 10 IR lights. For indoor 2432 works much better and cheaper. I also just ordered the same NVR but 8 port, my first experience with it, so hopefully it doesn't disappoint. It was however the most cost effective option.
 

fenderman

Staff member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
36,897
Reaction score
21,250
Yea, I've looked into q-see already and they had bad reviews and we're not 3MP. I want 3mp at 30fps. I looked networkcameracritic's YouTube channel and the hikvision 2032 seemed to beat even the newest cameras out there in terms of image quality and customizing the camera image
The 2032 cannot do 30fps at 3mp..it can only do 30fps at 1080p and 20fps at 3mp..regardless, 30fps is WAY overkill. 15 is more than sufficient.
The qsee kit I linked to is 3mp. There is only one review. Its a rebranded dahua kit and very good. Also note that there is an almost imperceptible difference between 2mp and 3mp in terms of image quality (pixels per inch)...the 3mp simply adds more vertical viewing area)..3mp is not 1.5 times clearer than 1080p...
The 2032 reviews are old. They are the same internally as the domes...the mini domes simply as weaker IR, but the full dome would be the same. The 2332 turret or its new 4mp equivalent would be a better choice for outdoor use.
 

vegas

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
106
Reaction score
5
Personally, if I would be setting up a new system, I would not be buying the 3MP cameras as it's over 2 year old now and night quality is subpar, newer 2MP or 4MP (0.01 lux vs 0.07 makes a big difference) which I recently got to compare show much better night time quality. I don't recommend mini domes, I have one and it's the worst of the bunch for night time due to lower sensitivity and only 10 IR lights. For indoor 2432 works much better and cheaper. I also just ordered the same NVR but 8 port, my first experience with it, so hopefully it doesn't disappoint. It was however the most cost effective option.
And that is part of the reason why they are only $75/each. If I got the new 8MP (4K) ones, I'd be spending $400 per camera or more. Honestly, I just need a system that is very good image which I know the 2032 provides during the day. At night it can read license plates as Ive seen videos on it already (12mm lens). So this should work for me. Personally, Q-See doesn't have a good reputation. The cameras might be good but the NVR i think is subpar. Read reviews on Qsee NVR's and you see a lot of issues. Now Im not saying Hikvision's NVR's don't have issues, but I think they are less severe. What it comes down to is I needed a cheap enough option with good image quality, and thats I think what I got.

Anyone have any input to my other questions though?
 

fenderman

Staff member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
36,897
Reaction score
21,250
And that is part of the reason why they are only $75/each. If I got the new 8MP (4K) ones, I'd be spending $400 per camera or more. Honestly, I just need a system that is very good image which I know the 2032 provides during the day. At night it can read license plates as Ive seen videos on it already (12mm lens). So this should work for me. Personally, Q-See doesn't have a good reputation. The cameras might be good but the NVR i think is subpar. Read reviews on Qsee NVR's and you see a lot of issues. Now Im not saying Hikvision's NVR's don't have issues, but I think they are less severe. What it comes down to is I needed a cheap enough option with good image quality, and thats I think what I got.

Anyone have any input to my other questions though?
For clarification, qsee does not make anything. They slap their name on other manufactures equipment. In this case dahua.
Same with swann, they often rebrand hikvision. Reading a review of one qsee NVR does not reflect on the other. Dahua makes rock solid gear on par with hikvision in terms of reliability.
Also, klasipcawas referring to 2mp and 4mp cameras that are all under 109-140 dollars now (with 3 year warranty)..not 4k cameras.
You will need to dedicate the 12mm camera for license plate reading..
As far as your other questions
None can tell you how to run cable without seeing the house..
Also keep in mind that the NVR will be loud, so consider the location of the NVR first.
And, dont forget to never attempt to update the firmware or you will brick your cams.
There are lots of threads discussing setting up hikvision NVR's.
 

klasipca

Banned
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
750
More specifically ds-2cd2042wd-i bullet which is around $120, but still it's way more then $75 you are paying for yours. I guess you could always add external IR source which is around $15. Also currently contemplating how to run wires, whether to go through the attic or externally.
 

vegas

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
106
Reaction score
5
For clarification, qsee does not make anything. They slap their name on other manufactures equipment. In this case dahua.
Same with swann, they often rebrand hikvision. Reading a review of one qsee NVR does not reflect on the other. Dahua makes rock solid gear on par with hikvision in terms of reliability.
Also, klasipcawas referring to 2mp and 4mp cameras that are all under 109-140 dollars now (with 3 year warranty)..not 4k cameras.
You will need to dedicate the 12mm camera for license plate reading..
As far as your other questions
None can tell you how to run cable without seeing the house..
Also keep in mind that the NVR will be loud, so consider the location of the NVR first.
And, dont forget to never attempt to update the firmware or you will brick your cams.
There are lots of threads discussing setting up hikvision NVR's.
Are you sure Qsee doesn't make the NVR? I know they don't make the cameras but I thought they did their own NVR's. And I knew about Swann using Hikvision already. Honestly, I think Hikvision and Dahua cameras blow every other one out of the water for the price range we are looking at. And I agree they are both good reliability.

As for the 12mm camera, thats what I was planning. Having three cams on the edges of the garage (2 on one side and 1 on the other). The side with 2 will have the 12mm for reading plates coming down the road, then the other two cams will face opposite directions to capture the whole front yard area.

I understand about not knowing about the house. I was hoping someone had some tips on how to get to the edges easily and guide the wire out or how to figure out where to drill the holes.

I've heard this whole NVR being loud thing off and on now. How loud are we talking? I was going to put it near my desk. And yes, I won't be touching the firmware as I know of the issues already.

Does anyone know if you can not use the IR's on some of the cams and just use color mode at night? I have some good lighting on the front side of my house from lamps on the home itself and lamp in the yard.
 

vegas

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
106
Reaction score
5
More specifically ds-2cd2042wd-i bullet which is around $120, but still it's way more then $75 you are paying for yours. I guess you could always add external IR source which is around $15. Also currently contemplating how to run wires, whether to go through the attic or externally.
Yea, I just looked at a video of that model. Although it appears to have slightly better video, it isn't worth the extra $45 per camera ($540). Since the NVR I bought supports up to 6MP according to the spec sheet, I can always upgrade cameras as I see fit in the future.

I would definitely go through the attic. I went externally the first time around and it looks horrible and easier to disable for thieves.
 

fenderman

Staff member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
36,897
Reaction score
21,250
Yes, dahua makes the NVR's as well.
As far as fishing wire, one of the problems you have is that you are using premade cable that makes it harder...
The NVR will be loud enough that it will disturb you near your desk. Plan a different location, or modify the NVR and fans...
You can run the cams in day mode...
 

klasipca

Banned
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
750
Yea, I just looked at a video of that model. Although it appears to have slightly better video, it isn't worth the extra $45 per camera ($540). Since the NVR I bought supports up to 6MP according to the spec sheet, I can always upgrade cameras as I see fit in the future.

I would definitely go through the attic. I went externally the first time around and it looks horrible and easier to disable for thieves.
There is no direct comparison of the models, but newer -WD cameras are much better at night:

 

vegas

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
106
Reaction score
5
Alright, you guys got to me. I ended up putting in a cancellation request for the 12 cams I have on order with DH-Gate. We shall see if they seller actually approves it. If not, I'll just sell them on eBay when they get here. I ended up buying the following cams:

(4) DS-2CD2032-I 3MP Bullet Cams (Same as before just less of them)
(4) DS-2CD2135F-IS Dome Cams (For inside - better looking)
(4) DS-2CD2042WD 4MP Bullet Cams

Keeping the same NVR even though it has only 160MBPS incoming bandwidth. I'll have to mess with the cams to see what combination I can do to get under that. This change puts the total cost up to $1950 however..... On the bright side I'm selling my 4 Dropcam/Nestcam's so I should get about $600 from that, meaning I'm only investing about $1350 total new.
 

fenderman

Staff member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
36,897
Reaction score
21,250
Careful where you order from, there have been reports of 4mp cameras from China with video flashing issues... You need to spend more time researching before jumping in and buying from random sellers...

Sent via Taptalk
 

vegas

Getting the hang of it
Joined
Sep 3, 2015
Messages
106
Reaction score
5
Bought all them from the same seller with hundreds of transactions and great feedback on AliExpress.....just waiting on AliExpress to verify my payment.
 

fenderman

Staff member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
36,897
Reaction score
21,250
Bought all them from the same seller with hundreds of transactions and great feedback on AliExpress.....just waiting on AliExpress to verify my payment.
Install the cameras before you leave positive feedback or approve the transaction, so that you are covered.
 
Joined
Jul 27, 2015
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Hey Vegas. We're in the midst of a similar job, and I have a few suggestions that (might) help:

- For installing on the eaves (soffits, probably) you could either work inside-out or outside-in. You'll need to match the location on the outside where you want to mount the camera to somewhere you can easily access from within the attic. I have no idea how high up you're mounting, but if you can have one person on the outside where you want to mount and one person inside the attic, you should be able to figure out where you can make accessible connections. Just need to work patiently and carefully. The worst is to drill some holes and realize that you're directly below a beam or some structural member that you can't work around...

- Dropping down the wall cavity to the NVR: assuming you're in a standard light timber frame home, you may need to get a very long drill bit in order to make holes through cross-braces in the wall cavity. And watch out for existing conduits, etc.

- Sometimes it's worth it to find a local handyman-type who has experience with pulling wires or working around existing framing. They know the little tricks from experience.

- 100' of cable can run out surprisingly quickly... especially if you're going around any obstacles, dropping more than one story, etc. It's not all that hard to buy a big spool of Cat5 or 6 and make your own terminations, though. If you're handy and have the time- watch a few youtube videos, do some tests on scrap cable, and you can punchdown your own keystones, then terminate with short runs of pre-made cable. Just a thought...

Good luck with your install!
 
Top