Going crazy trying to decide on a security camera system for my shop... UGH!

Garry Dean

Garry Dean

Garry Dean Quality!
I recently had ADT install a security system in my shop and now its time for cameras!





I only require 2 indoor cameras with night vision...



I believe I want a pc based system versus a stand alone dvr so that I can access the cameras from anywhere at anytime.



I am not opposed to wireless, but I don't mind running wires myself.



I used to install security cameras for a living when I had my in home computer and security business back in the day so the labor should be no issue...



I do not want to pay Verizon the ridiculous money they are asking for a static IP so I will need to call in someone to run dyndns for me as I have no clue how to make it work.



I used to use a system called PC Witness that I liked quite a bit so I may call those people to see what their suggestions are.



Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?



Does anyone know anything about or have any experience with the Logitech Master Security system? Or maybe the Dlink?
 
You probably won't even need to worry about dyndns all that much then; most reports I've read say that your IP won't change unless the router gets rebooted. Not that you shouldn't set it up (which, incidentally, is no big deal) but it's not per se critical.



Did you price ADT's own video security solution? Video Surveillance, Remote Video Security - ADT Security Services



Might be the most cost effective solution for making sure it does everything you want it to do. Pushes the content to a remote server instead of you having to worry about pulling it from a PC or just a camera system in the shop.
 
i've been searching the web for reviews of the same thing, and + 90% of the reviews have stated the night vision cameras are overly hyped.



for the indoor use, you might want to check for a logitech USB HD webcam. I'm not sure of the distance from PC to camera you plan though, but its to be considered.

chris<pixelmonkey>:D
 
finalizing my camera and storage system...



Cameras

2 indoor Foscam FI9820W

2 outdoor Foscam FI9801W not available yet, but in speaking with the company, these should be out after the start of 2013



Router

Belkin 8 port



Video storage

Motion sensor recording for some, so the recorded video will be uploaded to 2 sources.

LAN hard drive

FTP to remote location



The alerts will be sent to my e-mail so i can view the video from my phone or remote computer.

I will also be able to view the cameras live via DNS setup *instructions included with the cameras*



Camera Alert system

Vitamin D



here is a link to some helpful videos on youtube that have most of the same setup



some good extra insurance.

chris<pixelmonkey>:D
 
Garry Dean said:
I believe I want a pc based system versus a stand alone dvr so that I can access the cameras from anywhere at anytime.
Click to expand...



Stand alone DVR is totally the way to go. You can access it anywhere anytime and don't have to worry about crashes, updates, reboots etc. The stand alone will also pay for itself vs a PC in power usage.



I'm currently on my 4th generation CCTV system. I started out with a PC and some webcams. As you can imagine, that was pretty rough, reliability certainly was as was image quality. I stepped it up to some Trend Micro wireless cameras with Zoneminder, a Linux based video monitoring solution. That was a step up in both reliability and IQ. I certainly could see what was going on during the day, but night was terrible. I stepped up to some Foscam with built in IR. A bit better but daytime quality suffered, colors were completely off, my grass was pink! As it turns out the cheaper cameras either have an IR cut filter or don't, turns out the more expensive cameras have one that moves in and out as I'd later learn. Frustrated with the Foscams, I stepped up to some well reviewed Panasonic "PetCams" I ended up running that setup for almost two years. It did well but the motion detection was nearly impossible to dial in perfectly. I saw a deal on a NightOwl 8 channel system with 4 "Sony" IR cameras. I got the system, colors were all whacked out like the Foscams, frustrated I joined a couple of CCTV forums and did my homework.



Some things I learned along the way:

-Specs aren't worth the paper they are written on, rampant lying goes on. For the real deal watch youtube samples of day and night footage.

-Wireless is worthless, wire with Cat5/6, you can run analog video over it+power and then upgrade to digital when prices come down.

-Good image quality at night is very hard to get, you need a camera with a real DSP. You'll need to spend at least $75 each to get that, and that's looking hard. Typically $125+ is normal.

-Infra-red illumination is a double edge sword, bugs love IR, and you'll get hours of bug footage. The solution to that problem is a TDN camera (True Day Night) that has no IR. $150+ for analog, digital... probably north of $400.

-Dedicated recording hardware is the way to go, you have to have a powerhouse of a PC to get good motion detection, you'll save more on electricity over the life of the dedicated box vs running a PC anyway

-There are two main companies that make DVRs, Dahua and TFT,both have similar quality at the same price point, Dahua based units have much better software, more open apps, and are more flexible. TFT are easier to configure (read less advanced options). Dahua has a Mac and Linux app, TFT has a crappy Mac plugin.

-Analog is the sweet spot now, good Digital systems are still very pricey if you want good night performance, which is when the bad stuff happens.

-Stuff from the big box stores is ok if you want to find out what's going on, but you won't get good footage to id people, never mind license plates.

-Spend about 50% more than the big box combo packs and you can get a really nice system. Typically a decent 8 channel DVR can be had for about $150 (but you need to add your own drive) and cameras about $75-150 and you will have a great system that will last for years with minimal fuss.



I've had great dealings with Nelly's Surplus, Sean is a great guy to work with. He sells Dahua based DVRs, has a ton of docs on how to do just about everything, and CNB and Qvis cameras, top choices.
 
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