I need a big new system! Any advice?

[SteveP]

Dear All

This is my first post here. I've joined this forum because I'm trying to find out which CCTV system is right for me. I've read hundreds of messages on here already in order to try and get up to speed on the subject, because I’m sure you must get the same questions from newbies over and over again!

In keeping with many other contributors here, I have a recent problem with vandalism to my property. I want to be able to film any future occurrences (featuring vision and sound) and then give a CD-R or DVD-R with the appropriate footage to the Police.

I want a set of about five or six good quality day/night/colour/infra-red cameras with onboard microphones, and a reliable DVR recording system to cover the exterior of a detached house: the front and back gardens, the driveway, and the areas around the front and back doors. I’ve read here that wireless is not the best option, so wired cameras with a single cable (that include power and signal) would be preferable in order to make the wiring simpler and neater.

I’m looking for a high frame-rate, as many TVLs as possible, and motion-detection that can be calibrated and setup so it’s just right.

The system also needs to be expandable, so I can add one or two more cameras (e.g. indoors) if the need arises, but I wouldn’t be having any more than eight cameras in total.

For night vision, the infrared illumination required is about 12 metres – that’s the distance from my front door to the edge of my property near the road. The back garden is a bit smaller.

I’m planning to put the DVR up in the loft. This is for two reasons: (1) the wiring will be a lot easier for me, given all the leads from at least five cameras have to converge on one place, and (2) I would imagine the DVR (complete with incriminating evidence) would be harder to steal by any future burglars who broke into my home if I’ve hidden the recorder in a dark attic.

I need the DVR to be able to connect into my existing home computer network, plugging into the back of my ADSL router via an RJ45 plug. It then appears on my local network. Monitoring the cameras would be done mainly on PC’s. I want to be able to ‘log in’ to the DVR quickly from any PC or laptop connected to the network, and be able to view the output from any of the cameras.

I’d also like to be able to do the same from elsewhere via the Internet – including from my Internet-connected mobile phone.

I’m very security conscious with my computer network, so I’m reluctant to have to use a DMZ on the router or (Heaven forbid) enable uPnP!! I guess a VPN solution would be the safest bet for remote access. I’ve used GoToMyPC and that kind of thing before, and it’s ideal.

The option of taking an output from the DVR into a TV would also be nice for one of the rooms that don’t have a PC.

Being able to retrieve important footage needs to be a straightforward process – I want to be able to make CDs or DVDs from captured footage. I’ve also read that a date & time stamp is vital if the video is to be accepted as evidence. A big hard drive and a sufficiently intelligent DVR whose firmware can help with any disk problems would also be a bonus.

With all that in mind, could someone recommend a good system that meets all the above criteria and that I can install myself? I want to do this job properly and I’m wary of buying cheap ‘n’ trashy stuff on the high street, so I thought I’d ask people in the know first.

All thoughts, opinions and recommendations would be much appreciated.

Many thanks for reading this.

Steve P

[iStorm]

Hi Steve, thank you for taking the time to do some of your home work on the forum, It sounds to me that your looking for a grade a system, your correct in thinking you need to have the video stamped with t&d, we as a company are STILL having difficulty getting magistrates or judges to accept audio though as it 'can' be edited over the video, Your going to need an 8 channel dvr as you are going to at some time have a total of 8 camera's, this dvr will do everything that your asking and is a great bit of kit at a great price: http://www.tsionline.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=DVR800DUAL&cat=14 , Also SystemQ have the Alien Dvr that comes with the software and firmware installed for remote viewing from a smart phone, sorry i cant provide you with a link an=s its Trade only but let me know if that option is a must and i'll see what i can do! Camera's.....If your looking at viewing images at 12m your going to need camera's with 30m infra-red, my rule of thumb is always double your distance and you will see what you want to see, how about this spec: Colour 550 TVL, 25 Metre IR & Varifocal Sony 1/3" , Mechanical IR Filter for True Day/Night, 2.8 to 11.0mm (26° to 92°) Varifocal Auto Iris Lens CCTV | Buy CCTV Cameras & Systems from Y3K > Colour 550 TVL, 25 Metre IR & Varifocal Sony 1/3" CCD Dome Camera , Let me knwo your idea's and where you are, have you thought about getting some quotes from local companys to get the work installed?

Regards Iain

[SteveP]

Iain, thank you for your very helpful reply. That has given me plenty of food for thought, so I'll be in touch when I've planned it in more detail.

Thanks again

Steve P

[securityman]

I would recommend you go for an 18 channel always good to have extra ports as I have in past had to replace DVR which r fine but just need extra Space and More ports,

And I would step away from Ebay But would recommend Amazon if you want go via that but TSI and Y3K are good also SystemQ if you have an Company that you own as you get it via Trade Counter.

[Henry]

I'm not sure I'd be rushing out and buying an 18 channel DVR recorder !

Consider the basics of what you need:

From a DVR recorder point of view make sure the recorder will record in what's called D1 resolution (704 x 576 pixels). If it doesn't then all the hard work you put into buying good cameras will be lost.

From a number of frames per second point of view then don't get too hung up on big numbers. Once again if everything else is right then 3 frames per second will be fine. Certainly if more frames per second comes at the expense of recording your footage in Field (1/2 D1) or CIF (352 x 288 pixels) then definitely concentrate on the higher resolution. A 16 channel recorder will almost certainly only record in CIF.

As has been said already make sure the time stamp is working and set correctly. All recorders are going to have this feature.

Network remote access is very popular these days and all good recorders should have it. Our basic £149.95 recorder even has it. Make sure who ever you purchase from can help you set it up properly. Many companies sell all singing and dancing DVR recorders but can't actually tell you how they work ! We offer a remote access set up service on our DVR recorders to help the less IT literate customer. We "screen share" and do all the settings on their router remotely for them.

Camera - wise I would suggest your single most important aim is to frame your chosen subject properly. Whilst I'm not suggesting you fit such a poor grade camera a 380TVL camera zoomed in properly on a person will actually have more pixels on that person than a 500TVL camera zoomed further out and the person only filling half the screen.

Understand the differences between wide and narrow angle cameras. Wide angle = wide field of view, poor detail level. Telephoto lens = narrow field of view, high detail level.

Your best bet is to buy a camera with a zoom lens which you can adjust whilst installing the camera to best frame the subject.

Infra-red. Pay little attention to quoted I/R range distances. Of far more importance is how low the camera will film down to in terms of lux levels. A 0.2lux camera with powerful I/R won't perform nearly as well as a less powerful camera capable of filming down to 0.01lux because the second camera can make better use of what light is available. Be aware of quoted figures such as 0.001 lux. They are just amplified signals which also amplify visual "noise" as well.

We have a guide on cctv which you might find useful. It covers cameras, recorders and accessories in detail and includes photos.

The guide is available here: CCTV 42 - CCTV Buying Guide. CCTV Security Cameras. CCTV DVR recorders. CCTV Accessories

There are also a series of videos which cover different aspects of setting up a cctv system here : CCTV 42 - CCTV Video advice. Cameras, Recorders, Setup, Remote access, etc.

I hope that all helps !!

All the best.

Henry