New Member - Canada

[orangetang]

Hoping to find some information here to guide me in the right direction for security cam and nvr upgrades for my phone. I've been using a Night Owl PVR system for since around 2016 and it's due for replacement. If any recommendations, please let me know. I'm not opposed to dedicating an old computer to host Blue Iris, but would like to with an NVR / IP cam system this time around for sure.

I'd like to stick under ~$250 USD / cam, with reasonable night performance WITHOUT visible light LEDS. We have a tenant that is outside a lot to smoke, and that would be quite annoying for her to have visible LEDs turning on and off all the time when she's outside.

Looks like 4K 1/1.2 CMOS sensors are what I would be looking for. Perhaps from Dahua / EmpireTech, but it's hard for me to determine if the youtube reviews are setting up other cams like the NC800 to fail, and the IPC-Color4K-T to excel in specific tests, to push that brand, or if they're actually good cameras for the $$$. Again, those seem to utilize visible vs IR, which I wouldn't necessarily want to have.

 

[bigredfish]

There are:
White light LEDs and IR LEDs -

The 1/1.2” sensors can’t see IR and don’t have onboard IR, thus they only have white light LEDs. Unless you have a lot of light, you’ll have to use them. They are very obvious, like a cellphone flashlight

Many other cameras (like the most popular 5442 series for example) utilize red IR LEDs at night. These are quite discreet, are on all the time at night, and you use them to run the camera in black and white with IR illumination. Unless you’re looking at the camera straight in you won’t notice them.

 

[orangetang]

There are:
White light LEDs and IR LEDs -

The 1/1.2” sensors can’t see IR and don’t have onboard IR, thus they only have white light LEDs. Unless you have a lot of light, you’ll have to use them. They are very obvious, like a cellphone flashlight

Many other cameras (like the most popular 5442 series for example) utilize red IR LEDs at night. These are quite discreet, are on all the time at night, and you use them to run the camera in black and white with IR illumination. Unless you’re looking at the camera straight in you won’t notice them.

Thanks for the info. I didn't realize the 1/1.2 sensors do not see IR.

I have done a lot of reading on the topic and think I'll be moving ahead with the IPC-T54IR-ZE-S3 cams.

Now to determine what NVR to use, or build.