which NVR for Dahua HFW5231E-Z5...HELP

[slarue]

I have been reading all these forums and have been trying to figure out what I wanted. I narrowed it down obviously by the title of post. I am hiring someone to install them however I am still a bit intimidated using blue iris so I decided I will use NVR for now . I am going to purchase 2 of these Dahua's and I just don't know after going through these post for 2 days which NVR should I use. Nothing fancy but just something that will do the job.

These installer's are just going to show up they said I need to have everything ($400 per camera install) to include cat 5 cable. I am really no type of techy so if someone could please provide a list I would greatly appreciate it. HELP Gentlemen please !!!! MY HEAD IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE trying to figure this out ...LOL

 

[fenderman]

I have been reading all these forums and have been trying to figure out what I wanted. I narrowed it down obviously by the title of post. I am hiring someone to install them however I am still a bit intimidated using blue iris so I decided I will use NVR for now . I am going to purchase 2 of these Dahua's and I just don't know after going through these post for 2 days which NVR should I use. Nothing fancy but just something that will do the job.

These installer's are just going to show up they said I need to have everything ($400 per camera install) to include cat 5 cable. I am really no type of techy so if someone could please provide a list I would greatly appreciate it. HELP Gentlemen please !!!! MY HEAD IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE trying to figure this out ...LOL

blue iris is no more complex than an NVR...
the are other packages as well like, sighthound, milestone and dw spectrum than have less options and function that you may find easier to use.
400 per camera just for running cable is a huge rippoff unless your house is made of concrete...someone is hosing you really bad.

 

[trucams]

Do you have a location planned for the NVR to end up at? Do you want installers to pull all wires there to connect to a poe NVR, or are you going to have an independent poe switch installed? If you are remotely considering BI in the future, no sense having a poe NVR. You will need a poe switch later to connect the cameras to and might as well start there now. If you are feeling overwhelmed and honestly don’t think you will do much more than very basic NVR functions, go with a a poe NVR and have them get you all set up and initialized before they leave. Try to reasonably future proof your hardware. If you think you may want more cameras and the cost is negligible between a 4 channel and 8 channel NVR, go larger. Figure out what you want and where you want all of the components, it will be easier to gauge steps/equipment needed to get you there.

 

[Barboots]

What options are available for accessing a camera's menu once installed and connected to a PoE NVR?

From reading, I've been left with the understanding that it requires the camera to be unplugged from the NVR, plugged into a computer (or network) and then powered either by an injector or directly via the power input on the camera. Is this the case, or are there workarounds?

If no reasonably elegant method is available, I'm sold on the concept of having a PoE switch between the NVR and cameras.

 

[trucams]

I chose a poe switch between cameras and NVR myself. Everyone’s situation can be different. There is a pinned thread at the top of the NVR/DVR/Computer section of hardware that gives great instructions on how to access cams via laptop on a poe NVR.

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

I have been reading all these forums and have been trying to figure out what I wanted. I narrowed it down obviously by the title of post. I am hiring someone to install them however I am still a bit intimidated using blue iris so I decided I will use NVR for now . I am going to purchase 2 of these Dahua's and I just don't know after going through these post for 2 days which NVR should I use. Nothing fancy but just something that will do the job.

These installer's are just going to show up they said I need to have everything ($400 per camera install) to include cat 5 cable. I am really no type of techy so if someone could please provide a list I would greatly appreciate it. HELP Gentlemen please !!!! MY HEAD IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE trying to figure this out ...LOL

oh my god, 400usd per camera!! Crazy high, i think most guys here can be good installers, lol...

 

[Barboots]

There is a pinned thread at the top of the NVR/DVR/Computer section of hardware that gives great instructions on how to access cams via laptop on a poe NVR.

Thank you sir.

That whole subforum was not showing via Tapatalk except for the "firmware" section, which I thought was odd. I'm actually finding a lot of content here missing with this forum viewer... I might post about it in the general section.

Anyway, thanks again for highlighting a very simple option.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[slarue]

blue iris is no more complex than an NVR...
the are other packages as well like, sighthound, milestone and dw spectrum than have less options and function that you may find easier to use.
400 per camera just for running cable is a huge rippoff unless your house is made of concrete...someone is hosing you really bad.

not going with the $400 install rather I am going to educate myself and get a handyman or someone to drill the holes and mount camera for me.....so if you have time any advice I get I am soaking up everything. (house pic attached) with the camera I have chosen where would You put the cameras just for the front of house and garage
My household is all apple....from my understanding Bi is not compatible...however I do notice in the apple store on my phone I could download BI so I now I am more confused....

AT the end of the day all I want is....*drumroll**** cameras running 24/7, view cameras from my cell phone, look at stored video (7 days worth is fine with me), so if I do go with BI (buy a windows cpu just for this) will I still be able to view it on the apple cpu's at home and iPhone???

 

[slarue]

oh my god, 400usd per camera!! Crazy high, i think most guys here can be good installers, lol...

well anybody in here from southern california that can recommend somebody.... I am all ears...

If I do go with NVR which would you recommend for my 2 cameras, possibly adding 2 more at a later date....I will get a poe switch separately.

 

[fenderman]

not going with the $400 install rather I am going to educate myself and get a handyman or someone to drill the holes and mount camera for me.....so if you have time any advice I get I am soaking up everything. (house pic attached) with the camera I have chosen where would You put the cameras just for the front of house and garage
My household is all apple....from my understanding Bi is not compatible...however I do notice in the apple store on my phone I could download BI so I now I am more confused....

AT the end of the day all I want is....*drumroll**** cameras running 24/7, view cameras from my cell phone, look at stored video (7 days worth is fine with me), so if I do go with BI (buy a windows cpu just for this) will I still be able to view it on the apple cpu's at home and iPhone???
View attachment 27557

Look for a low voltage cable installer, the guys who do telephone systems and wired alarms (not the jokers who "install" wireless adt systems)...are experts at fishing cable.
Blue iris requires a windows pc - cost 100-500 depending on your load requirements...the ios app is for the mobile client.

 

[slarue]

Do you have a location planned for the NVR to end up at? Do you want installers to pull all wires there to connect to a poe NVR, or are you going to have an independent poe switch installed? If you are remotely considering BI in the future, no sense having a poe NVR. You will need a poe switch later to connect the cameras to and might as well start there now. If you are feeling overwhelmed and honestly don’t think you will do much more than very basic NVR functions, go with a a poe NVR and have them get you all set up and initialized before they leave. Try to reasonably future proof your hardware. If you think you may want more cameras and the cost is negligible between a 4 channel and 8 channel NVR, go larger. Figure out what you want and where you want all of the components, it will be easier to gauge steps/equipment needed to get you there.

I added a picture of home after reading your reply I don't want to lock myself into just a poe nvr thinking I may go blue iris in future...to be honest I am still on the fence which route to go....I am going with 2 cameras for now but will not have more than 4 in the future if I add more. I really appreciated your reply and I am soaking it all in...looks like I need to REALLY educate myself a lot more....I am just trying to figure out what each component goes with what...

BI- needs windows cpu however if I go this route will I still be able to view footage on my phone and apple cpu at home (7 days worth)
POE NVR- I would need a monitor, separate mouse, ...ect ... and again would this limit me to only viewing from home.... still a little lost but I will continue to work through it until I understand...

 

[fenderman]

I added a picture of home after reading your reply I don't want to lock myself into just a poe nvr thinking I may go blue iris in future...to be honest I am still on the fence which route to go....I am going with 2 cameras for now but will not have more than 4 in the future if I add more. I really appreciated your reply and I am soaking it all in...looks like I need to REALLY educate myself a lot more....I am just trying to figure out what each component goes with what...

BI- needs windows cpu however if I go this route will I still be able to view footage on my phone and apple cpu at home (7 days worth)
POE NVR- I would need a monitor, separate mouse, ...ect ... and again would this limit me to only viewing from home.... still a little lost but I will continue to work through it until I understand...

you can view remotely using an nvr or blue iris.
blue iris is light years ahead of any nvr.

 

[slarue]

Look for a low voltage cable installer, they guys who do telephone systems and wired alarms (not the jokers who "install" wireless adt systems)...are experts at fishing cable.
Blue iris requires a windows pc - cost 100-500 depending on your load requirements...the ios app is for the mobile client.

ahh TY for that piece of advice (installers).....yes unfortunately I know all about that adt...... how do I determine my load requirements.....
what is a mobile client....

 

[fenderman]

ahh TY for that piece of advice (installers).....yes unfortunately I know all about that adt...... how do I determine my load requirements.....
what is a mobile client....

see the wiki above..
its the mobile app

 

[slarue]

see the wiki above..
its the mobile app

wiki is helping a great deal... next adventure... IT man..... then I should be ready.....that wiki is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[c hris527]

Here in NY, Cable installers usually get $100 a hour all Day. I have used a guy who is retired from Verizon, he charges me $60 a hour(CASH) and can make QUICK work of the installs, well worth it for me because Im older and hate crawling in stinky crawl spaces and dusty attics and try to avoid ladders as much as possible. The only residential stuff I do is for friends and family.

 

[trucams]

rather I am going to educate myself and get a handyman or someone to drill the holes and mount camera for me.....so if you have time any advice I get I am soaking up everything. (house pic attached) with the camera I have chosen where would You put the cameras just for the front of house and garage

With limited experience, I'd have to say that two cameras likely will not adequately cover the front of the house and the garage... seems like the off-set garage and in-set front door will cause you fits. If you put a cam on the (facing) right side of the house, it will be too far to be of any real value for I.D. purpose at the garage and likely with a blind spot on the (facing) left side of the driveway. Same thing for the garage off-set. If you put it on the left side to try to cover the walkway to back yard, it will miss the front of the house. BUT, anything is better than nothing... Thats why people are here.

Try the camera calculator at IPVM Camera Calculator V3. You do not need to register or sign up to use it for one camera at a time. Use the change location link at the top and put in your address. Then click add a camera. Find the camera you are looking at purchasing and move it to where you are thinking of installing. See what the coverage looks like. Remember the overlay will go through buildings but in reality you have to extrapolate out the blind areas.

Your inset door is going to be difficult with no space on the sides. Nice thing is the door sits up higher with steps to it. You may actually be able to put a mini-wedge starlight cam ceiling mounted and angled down the steps for "some" facial recognition as people walk up the stairs. Particularly if it is put in corridor orientation.

The horizontal trim across the front of the provides a reasonable concealment line if you wanted to have conduit installed and then paint it to match rather than fishing lines through walls. As a DIY'er this is what I likely would do. Conduit across the face with drops to weather-proof dahua pfa junction boxes on the left (cam to be added later) and right of the house and then into the garage. Maybe something for the mini-wedge in the door inset. One additional junction box and conduit on the left side of the garage door running into the garage as well. Put the poe switch in the garage, then figure out how to get an ethernet cable to the router in the house. Any electrician could run the EMT conduit and mount the boxes for you. Pull your own wire (or have them do it too). Terminate the cable ends and mount the cameras yourself. It really is not that difficult and the tools are reasonably priced.

There are many options. Having wires fished through the walls is another option as discussed. You really need to figure out what your end game is and where you want all cameras. Then figure out if BI is really were you want to end up. Everything has a learning curve. Do you want to struggle through it multiple times or once. IF you want to go BI, invest in it and take the time to learn it. IF you want to go NVR for just the basics of 24/7 recording, take the time to learn that. Why spend funds on an NVR if you are going to replace it later with a PC. Or, why get overwhelmed with intaking too much info is BI will be more than you ever need or want to take on?

 

[looney2ns]

Here is some reading for you: IPCamTalk Cliff Notes 2018-03.docx

Everything you want done correctly is a learning experience, this place is the text book for that.