Self made or all in one

[dogo21]

Very interesting points for me to look into. The building my own system would save me money as Im sure it will cost less than $999 that the Costco system is, but it will mean I lose time getting firstly all the hardware and software set up.

All I really want to ability to do is be able to add more discreet cameras in the future.

My gut feeling is I would be happy with the Costco/Swann system as its already set up and ready to go, leading to less stress, yes more money but that might be worth the trade off with the stress and time.

What I will do though is look into the desktop option for the future as I havnt had a desktop computer for years and haven't needed one. So the computer I was going to use was a old i3 that I have laying around. I might upgrade or build a new unit for home and then look at the self made option, that way I can customize it for the future, hopefully something that can handle more resolution.

With the Swann/Costco unit, I wanted to buy a dome camera, whats the best way of making sure whatever I get can work with the unit? If I order off Amazon, and do a trial and error, it could add up.

 

[fenderman]

any hikvision dome would work...i would consider the 2332 turret as it has the benefits of a dome but not the downsides (ir reflections) and is also wall mountable (if you get a dome and want it wall mountable make sure its 3 axis like the 2532 or 2732..not the 2132 that is on two axis..

 

[Greyblack]

You can use hikvisions ivms (no webserver though) on a much weaker system because it uses the cameras own motion detection..blue iris does its own, which can be very beneficial..
If you want simplicity stick with the standalone NVR.

I saw this on Hikvision's website, does ivms have a webserver now?

---------------------------What's new in iVMS-4200 v2.0--------------------------

Embedded Web Server:
With the embedded web server, iVMS-4200 client can be accessed via the web browser. And it provides the functionalities of live view, playback, device management, account management, system configuration, etc.

User-friendly Wizard for Operation Guide:
iVMS-4200 client offers a user-friendly wizard and it introduces some basic operations of the software, such as adding device, importing device to group, configuring record schedule, etc.

Different View Modes:
Different view modes are supported in the live view or playback process. You can play the video in default view mode or in custom view mode. The custom view can be customized as desired.

Camera Linkage for Tampering Alarm/Video Loss Alarm:
Enable the alarm triggered pop-up image function. When tampering alarm or video loss alarm occurs, the image from the linked camera will pop up for notification.

Offline Device Adding:
The offline device can also be added to the client with the required information input. When the device comes online, the software will connect it automatically.

Alarm Output Control:
Manually turn on or off alarm output of the added device.

Alarm Input Hot Spot:
Not only the cameras, but also the alarm inputs can be added to the E-map as hot spots. The alarm input hot spots can detect the conditions of the surveillance scenario and give the alarm information.

 

[fenderman]

@Greyblack thanks for the tip..the webserver makes ivms more attractive and useful to folks with hikvision cameras...