Ready to commit - point me in the right direction please

Gigapalooza

Gigapalooza

Getting the hang of it
Aug 30, 2018
52
29
Chattanooga, TN
Please bear with my ramblings and advise... These are all statements I'm hoping to get confirmation on how accurate my perceptions are -

I've read & re-read forums and the wiki here for months, if not years. Like many, I'm overwhelmed with the options, and fear overlooking more recent information.
I'm IT savvy, can build PCs, and do networking. I've even pre-ran CAT-5e cables in the attic to the house soffits.
I'll likely start with 4-5 cameras, and and likely won't add more than 1 or 2 beyond that. (most if not all outdoor).
I've leaned toward Dahua cameras and have narrowed down to Starlight with Varifocal 4MP (bullet and turret where appropriate).
Ideally, I'd start with an NVR, and migrate to Blue Iris later, but I don't see much 'love' for NVRs lately and only praise for BI.
But, if an NVR does the job and I can access easily via mobile App (iOS), then I'm fine with an NVR.

Andy Andy Andy - buy from Andy is very much agreed on. And, I plan to do that too - however, I've not seen consistency in stores stock, vs. what's being discussed. One post suggested he was only selling on AliExpress. That might be old info though.

So before I email Andy, I'd like some direction so as not to waste his time.

Any satisfied Dahua NVR owners out there? Size/model recommendations?

Much appreciated!
 
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Love my nvr, my gear and YouTube playlist in my signature. Can't speak to BI but many can. I've always been an nvr guy. Curmudgeon? Perhaps. But I'm not dissatisfied with my choices and purchases from Andy. Email him and buy direct from him on his side rather than the Amazon store, imo. Faster shipping and better fix on stock and gear you want.
 
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FYI - I went with the NVR5216-16P-4KS2 ... imho better to get the "pro" version, 2 HHDs, and more PoE ports than I wanted.

I do feel a business class PC and enterprise switch ( even if used ) will be more robust.. but I had limited time and space to set it up
 
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mat200 said:
FYI - I went with the NVR5216-16P-4KS2 ... imho better to get the "pro" version, 2 HHDs, and more PoE ports than I wanted.

I do feel a business class PC and enterprise switch ( even if used ) will be more robust.. but I had limited time and space to set it up
Click to expand...

Curious to know why a built-in PoE switch vs. a separate switch?
Are there any advantages?
 
Shockwave199 said:
Love my nvr, my gear and YouTube playlist in my signature. Can't speak to BI but many can. I've always been an nvr guy. Curmudgeon? Perhaps. But I'm not dissatisfied with my choices and purchases from Andy. Email him and buy direct from him on his side rather than the Amazon store, imo. Faster shipping and better fix on stock and gear you want.
Click to expand...
I too am a curmudgeon I guess. I already have too many PCs, NAS, and other things with blinky lights. The single purpose NVR would get me up an running the fastest - and I could take my time indulging/testing BI. Thank you.
 
Really do recommend starting with ONE varifocal cam first before buying the rest. I believe in fit-for-purpose cams. Picking the cam for the job intended. I currently have 21 cams spread out over 11 models. Each has a defined job to do so I picked the most appropriate cam for that job.

Take that one varifocal and put it on a test rig as described in the Cliff Notes. Make sure you are getting the coverage that you want. Look at it both day and night, with someone moving. Consider lighting and mounting height. Most newbie issues revolve around mounting the cam too high, using too wide a FOV, and not having enough light for color at night. An other issue is expecting a cam to do more than one job.

Andy's Amazon and Aliexpress stores are fine for trying to get an idea of what is current, but the best thing to do is email him directly and tell him you are a member of IPCAMTALK. You will get the best price that way. His email address is kingsecurity2014@163.com
 
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samplenhold said:
Really do recommend starting with ONE varifocal cam first before buying the rest. I believe in fit-for-purpose cams. Picking the cam for the job intended. I currently have 21 cams spread out over 11 models. Each has a defined job to do so I picked the most appropriate cam for that job.

Take that one varifocal and put it on a test rig as described in the Cliff Notes. Make sure you are getting the coverage that you want. Look at it both day and night, with someone moving. Consider lighting and mounting height. Most newbie issues revolve around mounting the cam too high, using too wide a FOV, and not having enough light for color at night. An other issue is expecting a cam to do more than one job.

Andy's Amazon and Aliexpress stores are fine for trying to get an idea of what is current, but the best thing to do is email him directly and tell him you are a member of IPCAMTALK. You will get the best price that way. His email address is kingsecurity2014@163.com
Click to expand...
Thank you - very good advice. And I don't think I'd stumbled onto his actual email before, so that's golden info!
 
Purchased a Dahua Loryta IPC-T2231T-ZS 2mp Starlight Varifocal, The Varifocal was really useful to get a good on-site look at focal lengths. The camera will still be 100% useful in my final layout, allowing me to dial in the best focal length for its final placement. Had a minor configuration issue and posted a thread in the new member section and got immediate feedback to get up and running.

One of the reasons I ultimately went with Andy/Dahua is the amount of available support among the Members here.
 
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