Seeking advice from surveillance gurus on how to determine the best hardware to provide 360-degree security and surveillance for our home.
Approach: I'm pulling Cat6 cable for PoE connections to a central server running Blue Iris and would like to avoid reliance on third-party services, such as those used by popular video doorbells. From the research I've done so far, it seems like the best approach may be to purchase fixed focal length bullet cameras for general coverage and a couple high-end PTZ cameras (ie. DH-SD8A840WA-HNF) that can respond to movement alerts for tracking, identification, and improved low-light imagery. Our budget is flexible and I'd rather pay a bit more for a better quality solution so long as we're not throwing thousands of dollars at unnecessary equipment or features which could be better addressed through planning and AI/automation.
Note: I've tinkered with the free versions of IPVM Calculator and JVSG IP Video System Design Tool to visualize how some of the recommended cameras would provide coverage, but am not sure how to determine ideal FOV and focal length using this approach.
Key Areas: I figured the best way to provide an overview of the property would be to take photos of the house from each area to be monitored, illustrating what camera locations could provide coverage.
1. Driveway: Deliveries and visitors enter from the driveway and this is the most critical area to have high-resolution coverage for identification. My tentative plan is to replace the old Reolink camera currently mounted under the eaves at the closest corner of the house with PTZ like the DH-SD8A840WA-HNF for both vehicle/plate identification and visitor tracking.
This first photo was taken at approximately 150' away from the house at an elevation drop of about 20'. There's also a separate workshop building to the left of this photo which is somewhat obscured from the house by trees, but currently only has weak wireless signal from the house. The second driveway photo is from the pull off where visitors usually park, approximately 50' from the house and an elevation drop of around 5'. The third driveway photo is from the top in front of our garage where delivery drivers usually park, less than 20' from the house.
2. Front Entrance: Since most visitors come to the front door, it seems wise to ensure sufficient quality facial images for identification. A video doorbell seems like a perfect solution except that the ones I'm familiar with rely on third-party services rather than standard protocols like ONVIF. I previously attempted mounting another Reolink beside the front door, but realize that both the hardware and location limit it's effectiveness.
3. Front and Side Yard: It's unlikely any intruders would approach from these directions besides a neighbor or utility workers, but these areas are worth monitoring for unexpected visitors up to around 75' from the house. I figured a wide FOV camera at the front-left corner eaves would provide motion detection for triggering tracking by a PTZ.
4. Basement Entrance: We've never had a stranger approach our basement entrance, but we plan on renovating it for guests and should at least be able to monitor anyone lurking or trying to break in. A camera mounted at the rear corner of the house could monitor this area without being obstructed by the balcony, but it would be ~30' up only providing an overhead view so I'm considering another wall-mounted PTZ/dome for identification.
5: Deck and Playground: While it's extremely unlikely any visitors would reach this point without passing through previous areas, this is where our young children play and we'd want the ability to monitor them. It's possible much of this area could be visible by the high-quality PTZ overlooking the driveway, but we'd be less concerned with identifying intruders in this area than keeping an eye on the kids as they play and determining where they went if they wander off. It might also be a good idea to have a view of the back sliding doors, but any potential intruders should have already been identified before they get to this point so I'm not sure it's worth investing in a camera with such a limited view.
Approach: I'm pulling Cat6 cable for PoE connections to a central server running Blue Iris and would like to avoid reliance on third-party services, such as those used by popular video doorbells. From the research I've done so far, it seems like the best approach may be to purchase fixed focal length bullet cameras for general coverage and a couple high-end PTZ cameras (ie. DH-SD8A840WA-HNF) that can respond to movement alerts for tracking, identification, and improved low-light imagery. Our budget is flexible and I'd rather pay a bit more for a better quality solution so long as we're not throwing thousands of dollars at unnecessary equipment or features which could be better addressed through planning and AI/automation.
Note: I've tinkered with the free versions of IPVM Calculator and JVSG IP Video System Design Tool to visualize how some of the recommended cameras would provide coverage, but am not sure how to determine ideal FOV and focal length using this approach.
Key Areas: I figured the best way to provide an overview of the property would be to take photos of the house from each area to be monitored, illustrating what camera locations could provide coverage.
1. Driveway: Deliveries and visitors enter from the driveway and this is the most critical area to have high-resolution coverage for identification. My tentative plan is to replace the old Reolink camera currently mounted under the eaves at the closest corner of the house with PTZ like the DH-SD8A840WA-HNF for both vehicle/plate identification and visitor tracking.
This first photo was taken at approximately 150' away from the house at an elevation drop of about 20'. There's also a separate workshop building to the left of this photo which is somewhat obscured from the house by trees, but currently only has weak wireless signal from the house. The second driveway photo is from the pull off where visitors usually park, approximately 50' from the house and an elevation drop of around 5'. The third driveway photo is from the top in front of our garage where delivery drivers usually park, less than 20' from the house.
2. Front Entrance: Since most visitors come to the front door, it seems wise to ensure sufficient quality facial images for identification. A video doorbell seems like a perfect solution except that the ones I'm familiar with rely on third-party services rather than standard protocols like ONVIF. I previously attempted mounting another Reolink beside the front door, but realize that both the hardware and location limit it's effectiveness.
3. Front and Side Yard: It's unlikely any intruders would approach from these directions besides a neighbor or utility workers, but these areas are worth monitoring for unexpected visitors up to around 75' from the house. I figured a wide FOV camera at the front-left corner eaves would provide motion detection for triggering tracking by a PTZ.
4. Basement Entrance: We've never had a stranger approach our basement entrance, but we plan on renovating it for guests and should at least be able to monitor anyone lurking or trying to break in. A camera mounted at the rear corner of the house could monitor this area without being obstructed by the balcony, but it would be ~30' up only providing an overhead view so I'm considering another wall-mounted PTZ/dome for identification.
5: Deck and Playground: While it's extremely unlikely any visitors would reach this point without passing through previous areas, this is where our young children play and we'd want the ability to monitor them. It's possible much of this area could be visible by the high-quality PTZ overlooking the driveway, but we'd be less concerned with identifying intruders in this area than keeping an eye on the kids as they play and determining where they went if they wander off. It might also be a good idea to have a view of the back sliding doors, but any potential intruders should have already been identified before they get to this point so I'm not sure it's worth investing in a camera with such a limited view.
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