Residential Setup - input?

[tomas21]

We bought a home that we now want to add surveillance. We live in the mountains and bears/bobcats are around. We also have some increase of theft in our area so anything to deter / capture activity is good.

I've been in IT for many years and am capable of doing the entire setup (wiring poe, network, mounting, config, etc). I'm now trying to determine what setup to go with checking out cctvforum, this forum, and the various setups at Costco (i know don't laugh). Options are widespread but I think I definitely want a NVR system with POE.

I gather Hiki & Dahua are affordable and most big box stores re-brand their products.

What kind of cams (indoor & outdoor) + nvr do you suggest for an good system to record activity and view real-time remotely (iPhone, etc)? I may want to place up to 8 cams outside and potentially some inside the house & garage.

Some thoughts are going with ...

NVR:
NVR5216 or NVR4408/16

CAMS:
3.6mm IPC-HDW4300C (front door / porch)
3.6mm IPC-HDW4300S (Garage fascia view of driveway / frontyard)

As for an alarm system I was looking at the low budget Simplisafe setup which would be completely separate and independent of the cam / nvr system.

Your thoughts and input are greatly appreciated.

-Tom

 

[fenderman]

The cams and NVR are a good choice, although only one user has tested the IPC-HDW4300C....there was a condensation issue, but it is most likely an anomaly. Generally dahua cameras have been very reliable. You cannot go wrong with a dahua or hikvision setup. If you want a longer warranty (3 years) go with a costco swann rebranded hikvsion, or LTS rebranded hikvision (from @milkisbad)...

 

[tomas21]

What is the main difference between Dahua & Hikvision since people tend to like one or the other?

Quality, specs, frequency of firmware updates...

While Costco is nice bundled you don't have the luxury of selecting the cams you want for specific locations.

 

[fenderman]

In terms of image quality, they are very close, with dahua having a bit less noise in the night image….You can compare the general quality from samples at www.networkcameracritic.com
With respect to firmware, dahua does not post its firmware online and you are dependent on your reseller to provide it…Hikvision makes their new firmware readily available online.
If you are looking for cameras that have built in sd cards or varifocal , then its cheaper to buy the hikvisions from aliexpress than the dahuas that are SD card capable or varifocal.
The distinction is almost like Toyota vs Honda …..

 

[tomas21]

So I guess I'll need to determine what mfg I want to invest in based on everyone's experience and influence. Fenderman which camp are you in?

 

[fenderman]

I have many systems ive set up and installed. I have both dahua and hikvision. You really cannot go wrong with either. Both the Hikvision's and Dahua's ive installed run without hiccups, never needing a reboot, EVER. (I did have several early dahua mini domes that had stuck ir lenses, but that issue has been resolved in their current lineup. I had an issue with a dahua 2mp mini dome that was ghosting in blue iris only when recording to the SD card, but i resolved that by changing the record format to h.264B vs h.264) Most of my dahuas are the older 1.3mp cams, no sd no mic. I like the price and design of the new 3mp dahua turret http://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/ipc-hdw4300c-620.html
as well as non nightvision mini dome http://www.dahuasecurity.com/products/ipc-hdb4300c-382.html
I will be getting a hdw4300c for testing... There are a few other members who should be able to review that model soon.
@vector18 has installed many dahua's (im guessing over 100) and has said he has never had a failure. Member @Razer has installed over 100 hikvisions with no issues. (i may not have the numbers right, but the both installed lots of cams....they have posts somewhere on this board with more info)

 

[nayr]

forget a NVR w/POE if your thinking about that many cameras; just get a switch that is already capable.. Port for Port its cheaper and more feature rich to go with a good managed switch.. Plus you can use any extra ports for PoE WiFi or VoIP Phones.

I am in the Dahua camp for my residential install, primarily because I am using a couple PTZ's and they are known for good quality in this aspect; when dealing with moving parts in harsh environments I went with the most trusted.. they also seem to have an edge on the nighttime quality as well; but the Hik's have a more broad product range with more bells and whistles, plus I am not keen on Dahua's firmware policy but I also am not keen on Hik's Regional locking. Cant really go wrong with either from what I've been researching, I think the Dahua NVR's are better specced for the price however.. I think if you want to go cheap as possible then Hikvision will probably be a better result; if your looking for mid tier products/prices with better specs, Dahua probably gets the edge, barely.

Eventually I will get a Hikvision 1.3MP Pinhole camera for my living room (unless they come out with a 2MP-3MP version before then); simply because Dahua does not have any good options for a very discrete indoor setup.. I just hope it plays nice with a Dahua NVR.

At first I was fully intending to do a Hikvision install, planned it for a long time.. then I ran across my Dahua 2MP PTZ and calculated for just a small amount of money more I could end up with a much better performing system, if I accepted the more narrow range of suitable products... I am quite smitten with the Hik micro domes, IR, 3axis, Alarm IO and such a nice price.. really comes down to your engineering capabilities... I would try to stick it out with one or the other tho so you standardize the UI's, features and avoid any weird compat problems.

 

[Razer]

I am in the Hikvision camp as @fenderman mentioned, but I'm not against the Dahua cameras at all, the Hikvision cameras worked well when I tried them and I try to standardize as much as possible with this many cameras running about. I am still installing them non stop, I have installed 16 more this last week or so and just ordered another 30 Hik cameras last evening as I was running low again.

I have yet to replace one, though I'm sure my time is coming as the odds have to eventually catch up with me. Not one dead out of the box, I've not managed to break one with firmware, and my guys have not managed to break one while installing either! Amazing! I had a guy drop one from 25 feet in the air onto the decorative rocks below and he managed to crack the black plastic on the front edge of the bullet but it was otherwise fine. Yes, lucky, but still I'm happy.

I also use some PIR sensors from Optex with my DVR systems and use the DVR like a security system really, so if a beam gets a hit I'll get an email. I have most set to only email at night so someone can take a look as days are not usually issues. You may be able to get some security features in the DVR depending on what you are looking for in the end. Cameras that should almost never get motion can be set to email on motion, or set to email at night only as needed. I even have door sensors wired up to my DVR to get alerts if doors are opened in some places. I do not have dedicated security alarms at most of my locations, but I'm getting the features I need anyway in the DVR for free which is perfect for my uses anyway.

 

[tomas21]

Here is what I'm thinking now just need to find a reference to buy from.. Any referrals on places to buy this setup?

NVR - NVR5216
Driveway/Front House Cam - 3.8mm HFW4300S - camera to try out for the wider FOV
Front door Cam – 2.8mm IPC-HDW4300C
Pathway side – 6mm HFW4300S (4-6mm cam to get a good id from a distance)

 

[nayr]

be weary of the HDB4300F; you need a flat roof to mount it on and good lighting at night; its basically a fixed camera with the option to PTZ manually every once and a while... see the thread on "Two cameras I'd like to see" It is very small and I ended up putting it right above the door frame.

 

[tomas21]

If the flat roof isn't an option what is the next best option in your opinion...?

 

[nayr]

I am starting to really like the images coming out of all the 4300x models; they are almost as good as my PTZ; in some ways better (3MP).. so any of the other 2 models, mini dome or bullet.. whatever you prefer.. just dont let the audio on the dome be the selling factor because it dont work

 

[Shockwave199]

I'm a fan of dahua stuff, which I think is pretty obvious lol. I prefer dedicated separate recorders such as DVR and NVR. Dahua nvr's are reasonable and they are full featured with alarm hookups as well. You may want to integrate your alarm system into the nvr, so be sure whatever you choose has alarm in/out. I have a siren hooked up to mine and it's nice to have. You could use it to scare off the occasion bear or mountain lion, lol! As for cameras, it seems to make the most sense to get 3mp now. Good prices, be it bullets or domes. Budget in max hard drive capacity. It kinda hurts to spend as much or more on the hard drives than the actual nvr, but you are well advised to do so. If the nvr can take 8tb, bite the bullet and do so. You'll be glad you did.

 

[tomas21]

With all that being said.... I'm struggling to find a place to buy equipment from for Dahua (OEM or rebranded)... I'm looking for a place that has reasonable prices. Also has does one cross reference a Dahua part number to the rebranded products?

 

[nayr]

Dont forget Wrightwood; the've been really good to me: http://wrightwoodsurveillance.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_16&zenid=e8f3e3091d9d3d14caf374ff127c2fb8

 

[tomas21]

Thanks.. I'll start pricing my setup out with these vendors.

 

[tomas21]

Front door cam debate...

IPC-HDW4300C vs IPC-HDB4300C vs. IPC-HDB4300F-PT

View attachment Dahua_Product_Selection.pdf

 

[nayr]

if you need IR there is only one choice, the other two are basically the same except one is Pan/Tilt and the other has more lens options and manual focus.

also the HDB4300C has an SD Slot and the same 2052x1536 resolution. both are incorrect on your comparison sheet.

The Pan/Tilt on the front door is nice for looking at the ground for packages; other than that its best left focused on your door.

Dont forget the 4300S; its image is stunning day or night and is very flexible for mounting.

 

[tomas21]

Which models can't be wall mounted for my front door / porch area?

I'm planning to go with a couple 4300S for viewing the driveway / front yard / side yard but the porch is the challenge now.

 

[nayr]

all 3 could be mounted on a wall I believe; the Pan/Tilt would be awkward on a wall as the directional buttons would not correspond.