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Thread: What CCTV system to buy ASAP

  1. #1
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    What CCTV system to buy ASAP

    I want to get a CCTV system for the house ASAP

    My needs are as follows:
    1. 5-8 cameras outside IR cameras. (I don't want cameras inside)
    2. Two of the cameras need to look up and down the street to monitor vagrants and suspicious cars.
    3. The cameras must be in rugged housings (Cape Town weather gets to be quite nasty and of course this kinda stuff gets vandalized)
    4. Really decent resolution.
    5. Preferably IP so that I can get to it on the move.
    6. DVR.
    7. Dedicated screen (I use my PC for real work)
    8. The setup needs to go on a VPN (I don't want the entire world on my cameras but I will give the security company access)
    9. I am not looking for cheap $h1T - I want good reliable quality at a fair price.

    I got some quotes but of course each supplier touts his own brand so its hard for me to make sense of the information. Some companies just wipe their butts and email me their monthly special.

    I bet IANS will have some insight into what I should buy.

  2. #2
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    1/ i agree no cameras inside the house.

    2/ Vandal proof ...you get cameras which are specific for this type of application... high resolution.

    3/ it might pay to use a vandal proof dome type camera...most cameras do have an outdoor IP rating.

    4/ the last time i checked you can get an 8 meg camera ...the downside side is viewing from remote locations and storage ...both bandwidth and data.

    5/ I would use IP ...however i have noticed the ip cameras tend to respond slower ...but have many other good features.

    6/ NVR suitable for your system ... things to consider when choosing ...system integration ... for example the Dahua link to the IDS alarm system ...risco apparently also use danhua ...but it complicated...make sure your NVR is of the highest capability ...for 2 reasons... one the tech is moving at such a fast pace and secondly ... as i have made a mistake in the past ...i got a 1080 XVR ...which is useless with an 8 meg camera... rather spec your NVR to the highest....even if the cameras are on 1080 p.

    7/ Get a high resolution big screen...once again it doesnt help having a 1080 p screen if you have 8 meg cameras... get the best you can afford... cameras are getting cheaper by the day and if the system is installed correctly ...it is easy to upgrade to better cameras.

    8/ VPN is a good idea ...however ...i am sure Dahua have means to access your system no matter how secure you try make it ...they design the system and the P2P and you go via their servers etc... a quick hack the people in the know accessed 160 000 cctv systems without even trying... (dont have cameras inside your house ...especially not the kids bedrooms)... there are some sick people out there.

    9/ Dahua ...hikvision and the like are pretty much fair priced entry level stuff ...the reare commercial grade systems but you gona pay commercial pricing.

    in bold because this is the most important part of the cctv system and if not done correctly will just keep costing more and more money... GET THE INSTALLATION DONT RIGHT...ie : use sealed weather proof boxes for the terminations... make sure they install the seal which comes with the camera... inside the weather proof box ... i promise you these connection are the biggest downfall in the entire system... as soon as they start corroding no matter if you have an 8 meg camera ...your system will get worse over time.

    Make sure the correct cabling is used ... UV protected ...etc etc.

    I see it all the time people lay out good money to install quality stuff then pay a clown R50 to install it..... you might as well pi$$ the maoney against the wall.

    CCTV is merely a tool used to assist ...but will not prevent crime.

    by the way most of the newer cameras have facial recognition and starlight etc... but at the end of the day your lighting will always determine your picture quality... bright sunlight will destroy your pic and so will lights facing the camera ... it is important to take all this into consideration prior to the camera installation.

    Lastly something we are all aware of is load shedding ... no matter what you choose ...without a backup ...the entire system is useless... get an inverter with lithium batteries specked to keep the router ...the NR ...the screen ... and any other essential services up and running.

    It is not a bad idea to install a PTZ camera with optical zoom at the highest point on your property or located in a place where you can view specific items.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  3. #3
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    Thank you so much for all your help. You've given me a lot to think about.

    Can one control a PTZ camera through the POE cable without adding more cabling?
    I suppose one would have to purchase a PTZ controller - how does the controller connect to the network? Does it speak to each camera via its Mac Address?

    Do you think that these devices are suitable?
    https://www.topcctv.co.za/product/dh-nvr4108hs-8p-4ks2/
    https://www.topcctv.co.za/product/dh-ipc-hfw4830ep-s/


    What what you recommend on that website for my purposes?

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    Personally ...i would find a person who pays attention to detail... organise a site visit and sit down with him to discuss your vision ... let him point out the best options so you can decide if that is what you require.

    for example ...

    NVR/XVR : you might not enjoy the latency of IP cameras ...so as in my case i have an XVR with both analog and IP cameras for specific functions and i use a POE switch to power my IP cameras.

    Screen ... Best quality or at least to the highest camera resolution (trust me you will upgrade)... if you have it in your office and glance at the screen while working ...it doesnt help if your screen resolution is only 1080P and you have 8 meg cameras... however you might have a big really good quality TV which can be linked to the NVR to search and view main stream content...or view via a tablet ...phone ...office PC etc.

    Camera selection: now this is something you need to pay attention ... installing 8 meg cameras might not be the best option for specific applications... as in my case i have a 4 meg camera with with optical zoom... which I can zoom in and identify a person at my gate using the lens.

    then i have a few 720P cameras which only cost me R200 ...all they do is allow me to view the side of my house if the dogs are barking... then i have better quality cameras across a vacant piece of ground.

    This is why it is important to plan the installation ...make sure the the installation is done correctly ...making it easy to undo 4 screws ...unplug the camera and upgrade to a better one if you wish...so you can fit a 16 channel with 12 cheap cameras and upgrade as you choose.

    the problem with most installations i come across ...the initial installation is so crap that you first have fix it ...then only upgrade.

    Then last but not least ... night light ... if you want to view cameras at night ...bugs bugs and more bugs around the lens ... this is why in some cases it is better to use external lighting to reduce the bugs.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  5. #5
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    The PTZ can be controlled via the cat 5 cable...no additional cabling required.

    I have never installed or used one ...but i want to install one at the highest point of my house.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

  6. #6
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    A few other points to consider:

    Cameras dont deter criminals anymore ... in fact many site which have been robbed ...they look up at the camera... some use a cap and tilt their head slightly down while in view of the cameras and other wear hoodies ..the darker the complexion the more difficult it is to identify the face.

    I am not a huge fan of displaying my cameras for the world to see ...i prefer them to blend into the surrounds... to a point that i have been spray painting them a slightly darker colour ...so that they are not these huge white objects on the wall which stick out like a sore thumb.

    camera height ... I prefer to hide the camera and mount it as low as possible... for better view of the object on the ground... unless the camera is specifically mounted high just to view a large area for movement.

    Selecting the NVR/XVR ...make sure you take not of the features of the unit ... for example you did mention cars and vehicles ...note the learning algorithms which target humans and vehicles.

    It all boils down to what you expect from the system...if you just want to view the property around the house a cheap basic system bought in kit form is the way to go ... however as i have learnt the hard way ...this is never the case ... only when determining the price.

    As soon and the shyte hits the fan ...suddenly you the installer ripped the customer off because they paid thousands (R2000) to install a system and now suddenly the system cannot do facial recognition and you ripped them off... i got burnt like this during the lockdown ...i am still in shock at the rude abusive messages sent to me after the property was robbed ...when you can see clear video footage and snapshots ... but just cant identify the criminal from 30 m away.
    Comments are based on opinion...not always facts....that's why people use an alias.

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