CCTV home security
Discussion
BIANCO said:
Just fitted a 16 camera system using the hikvision stuff. Mix feelings about it we mainly used the DS-2CD2132-I dome's which gave a good day image but because the IRs travel through the same glass has the image. The IR tends to leak around the glass so the night images are not the best. Also like other NVRs I've used as soon as you get near the Max number of camera's they start to struggle with the data load and become slow and glitchy.
Impressed with the data storage it was a 9 tera system and it gives very good record time the camera's are all 3MP and it gives a months recording at a good frame rate. Unlike another NVR I've fitted which had the same hard drive size with less number of lower resolution 2MP cameras which struggles to get half the record time at lower frame rates.
As for adjusting the cameras from the NVR it does allow you some control but you can't access the full camera menu. Which was a bit of a problem as I had to adjust the day night settings on a few of the cameras.
As for advice to OP on CCTV I would always go for HD stuff now either IP or hd sdi unless you are on a tight budget. Once you've used and see them almost every analogue camera image and recording you see you think there must be something wrong with it.
I had a slight IR leak issue on one of mine. I just pulled th e foam ring around the lens out a little, and made sure it was tight against the glass when I put the dome back on. Now perfect.Impressed with the data storage it was a 9 tera system and it gives very good record time the camera's are all 3MP and it gives a months recording at a good frame rate. Unlike another NVR I've fitted which had the same hard drive size with less number of lower resolution 2MP cameras which struggles to get half the record time at lower frame rates.
As for adjusting the cameras from the NVR it does allow you some control but you can't access the full camera menu. Which was a bit of a problem as I had to adjust the day night settings on a few of the cameras.
As for advice to OP on CCTV I would always go for HD stuff now either IP or hd sdi unless you are on a tight budget. Once you've used and see them almost every analogue camera image and recording you see you think there must be something wrong with it.
Sorry but CCTV is not the 'be all and end all' of home security. Go spend £5k on a system, then wonder why billy burglar wanders around in non-destinctive clothes wearing gloves and a baseball cap, never looking up, and is never caught. Thieves (some anyway) are not stupid, and will know about CCTV. Christ - they are intelligent enough to wear gloves to avoid DNA/fingerprints, so a cap/hood/hat which defeats any CCTV is not rocket science. Better off with a big dog and decent door locks, or a decent alarm with keyholder callout etc.
The most effective cameras fitted are often very long range (up to 50 metres) cameras which film people before they actually realise they are being filmed. They are caught off guard.
In some cases this requires a bit of a culture change and home owners actually talking to each other. Rather than concentrate on the little bit of space around your own property think about the road and / or pavement leading up to it. What it does mean of course is that you are doing the job for everyone else on your street or close. If a couple of people in the area think along the same lines you end up with a very effective network of cameras to call on in the event of an incident. Whether parking up en route to a job or walking to / from a job there is a chance you will get evidence to link people to the crime.
Obviously some locations lend themselves better to this approach than others but there are very few times when something is not possible.
To answer the next question, is it legal? The answer is a resounding yes. Ignore what your local police person or community helper might tell you. We have it straight from the horse's mouth, well the ICO, (information commissioners office) that a CCTV system fitted to a domestic property can film public spaces such as roads and pavements. Our equipment has been involved in a number of cases where identification / prosecutions have taken place following footage obtained on public space.
There is a scheme locally where a neighbourhood group pool resources, email members when something happens and ask them to check their CCTV. The results have been nothing short of miraculous with countless identifications and prosecutions for all manner of crimes but it does rely on members "giving a camera up" for the greater good and filming beyond their immediate house.
Henry
In some cases this requires a bit of a culture change and home owners actually talking to each other. Rather than concentrate on the little bit of space around your own property think about the road and / or pavement leading up to it. What it does mean of course is that you are doing the job for everyone else on your street or close. If a couple of people in the area think along the same lines you end up with a very effective network of cameras to call on in the event of an incident. Whether parking up en route to a job or walking to / from a job there is a chance you will get evidence to link people to the crime.
Obviously some locations lend themselves better to this approach than others but there are very few times when something is not possible.
To answer the next question, is it legal? The answer is a resounding yes. Ignore what your local police person or community helper might tell you. We have it straight from the horse's mouth, well the ICO, (information commissioners office) that a CCTV system fitted to a domestic property can film public spaces such as roads and pavements. Our equipment has been involved in a number of cases where identification / prosecutions have taken place following footage obtained on public space.
There is a scheme locally where a neighbourhood group pool resources, email members when something happens and ask them to check their CCTV. The results have been nothing short of miraculous with countless identifications and prosecutions for all manner of crimes but it does rely on members "giving a camera up" for the greater good and filming beyond their immediate house.
Henry
broken biscuit said:
Sorry but CCTV is not the 'be all and end all' of home security. Go spend £5k on a system, then wonder why billy burglar wanders around in non-destinctive clothes wearing gloves and a baseball cap, never looking up, and is never caught. Thieves (some anyway) are not stupid, and will know about CCTV. Christ - they are intelligent enough to wear gloves to avoid DNA/fingerprints, so a cap/hood/hat which defeats any CCTV is not rocket science. Better off with a big dog and decent door locks, or a decent alarm with keyholder callout etc.
CCTV is unlikely to cost anything like £5k. Ensuring CCTV is not your only focus has been mentioned several times in the thread.A big dog can indeed be effective but the problem is they are very much a lifestyle choice. You can't just get a dog and forget about it. Particularly a big dog.
The problem with alarms is always the fact that a good thief will be in and out quite quickly. Certainly faster than the police response by the time the alarm company has verified the trigger, caled the police and they have come round. If not disabled the noise is often ignored at first. People are more likely to complain to the police about the noise than they are to go round and see if everything is OK.
CCTV provides the potential for identification after the event as well as a deterrent. If you steal for a living you are always looking for the path of least resistance.
Henry
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