The Annual CCTV at home thread.

[ferrisbueller]

I've been looking at this for a while now and read all the historic threads and online consumer reviews. It's clear the tech evolves quickly.

I'd like a system with minimum cable runs. I only need a couple of cameras so don't need mega storage or huge complexity.

Thinking along the lines of a couple of indoor IP cameras pointed out the windows.

Sensible budget, DIY install.

Looking at Dahua, Hikvision etc.

Any recommendations for an off the shelf plug and play system please?

[LocoBlade]

Unless you only want to monitor daytime activity, pointing indoor cameras through glass won't work as the Infrared LEDs for night vision will just reflect off the glass and you'll see nothing when its dark.

If you want something cheap but still reasonabe quality have a look at Reolink cameras, their £40-50 cameras aren't quite as good as Dahua and Hikvision but there's not a lot in it and the cameras are less than half the price. They also do an NVR thats meant to be be pretty good value but not used it myself, I've got a mix of Dahua and Reolink cameras connected to a home server PC running Blue Iris.

Edited by LocoBlade on Sunday 2nd May 13:30

[PT1984]

Hikvision IP. Good images. Stable and easy to setup. No cost for remote access. Yet.

[Blakeatron]

I have 3 nest iq outdoor cameras at home and another 2 iq outdoor cameras and 1 indoor camera at my workshops.

Nest was ideal for me as i can have multiple locations, the workshop is 1 mile from the house, but just one ap.

I also have the nest thermostats at home.

I am very happy with the cameras and the quality, video quality better on a computer rathe than the ap but still good enough to make out faces etc.

I also like the zone warnings, turned them off at home as birds etc were setting them off! But at work i have the indoor one and one of the outdoor ones to send me notifications when they sense movement- handy as they only point where no-one should be!

[snotrag]

Very, very happy with out Reolink POE system (bought after lots of reading on here and elsewhere).

Good website for working out your needs. App is great too and very configurable.

[ferrisbueller]

LocoBlade said:

Unless you only want to monitor daytime activity, pointing indoor cameras through glass won't work as the Infrared LEDs for night vision will just reflect off the glass and you'll see nothing when its dark.

If you want something cheap but still reasonabe quality have a look at Reolink cameras, their £40-50 cameras aren't quite as good as Dahua and Hikvision but there's not a lot in it and the cameras are less than half the price. They also do an NVR thats meant to be be pretty good value but not used it myself, I've got a mix of Dahua and Reolink cameras connected to a home server PC running Blue Iris.

Edited by LocoBlade on Sunday 2nd May 13:30

My local authorities have put in street lighting that necessitates blackout curtains which may negate the need for IR. Or I could put an IR lamp outside?

[LocoBlade]

Is there a reason you want the cameras inside? Exterior ones aren't any more expensive and if mounted indoors you'll have wiring etc to contend with around the window frame etc that you'll struggle to hide, as well as the camera itself obviously.

[Shnozz]

I have 4 Reolink and very happy with them. 3 solar powered and one hardwired in the garage. I also have 3 Neos indoor cameras which I’m happy enough with but less functionality than the Reolink.

[ferrisbueller]

LocoBlade said:

Is there a reason you want the cameras inside? Exterior ones aren't any more expensive and if mounted indoors you'll have wiring etc to contend with around the window frame etc that you'll struggle to hide, as well as the camera itself obviously.

Cable indoors around the window frame/down the wall to skirting level doesn't really bother me, nor does a small camera in the top corner of a window. Also easier to install and maintain.

[sjj84]

Just purchased a reolink camera and nvr after positive comments on the forums. Not fitted yet but had a little trial, seemed good for the money. Purchased via amazon for a fairly significant saving.

[Shnozz]

ferrisbueller said:

Cable indoors around the window frame/down the wall to skirting level doesn't really bother me, nor does a small camera in the top corner of a window. Also easier to install and maintain.

To be fair many of these cameras will last months on a charge so you could have them without wires and just give them a charge every so often. Before I had a nearby socket installed in my garage the Reolink in there lasted 2-3 months.

[ferrisbueller]

Shnozz said:

ferrisbueller said:

Cable indoors around the window frame/down the wall to skirting level doesn't really bother me, nor does a small camera in the top corner of a window. Also easier to install and maintain.

To be fair many of these cameras will last months on a charge so you could have them without wires and just give them a charge every so often. Before I had a nearby socket installed in my garage the Reolink in there lasted 2-3 months.

Ah, that's better than I thought. I will take a look. Thanks.

[david mcc]

Ive got a couple of the IeGeek 5MP cameras running on wifi, happy with the quality for the money and like the fact there is no ongoing subscription cost.

Worth a look

[LocoBlade]

ferrisbueller said:

LocoBlade said:

Is there a reason you want the cameras inside? Exterior ones aren't any more expensive and if mounted indoors you'll have wiring etc to contend with around the window frame etc that you'll struggle to hide, as well as the camera itself obviously.

Cable indoors around the window frame/down the wall to skirting level doesn't really bother me, nor does a small camera in the top corner of a window. Also easier to install and maintain.

A camera inside looking through a pane of glass is going to be a compromise, as well as the IR/night vision issues mentioned previously there will be reflections on the glass which will obscure in certain conditions, if you're going to fit an IR Illuminator outside anyway you might as well put the camera there with IR instead. Ideally you'd drop a cable from the eaves/loft space down the wall to where you want it but if you don't mind cabling inside just run it up the wall and drill through to the outside, if its a PoE device all it will need is a single Ethernet cable to both power it and transfer data.

[SlimJim16v]

For identification, cameras are better at head hight, so safer inside. They would need to be able to have the IR turned off though, then separate IR elsewhere.

[wjwren]

I have a swann system which I think is basically a rebranded hikvision. If I was going to have just one or two cameras I'd get nest as the quality is very good and simple to setup and use.

[PT1984]

wjwren said:

I have a swann system which I think is basically a rebranded hikvision. If I was going to have just one or two cameras I'd get nest as the quality is very good and simple to setup and use.

It certainly is not!

[wjwren]

The swann nvr and cameras look to be. I had hikvision before and the poe camera look identical. you can also flash the nvr with him software.

Edited by wjwren on Sunday 2nd May 20:18

[wjwren]

They were hik but now Raysharp. That website details hundreds of brands using hikvision kit oem.

[C n C]

I have a couple of questions for those with Reolink systems, as we're considering a small CCTV solution: 3 or 4 POE cameras used indoors mainly with perhaps one external.

Rather than the usual security reasons it will be for monitoring carers attending an elderly and vulnerable relative, not that the reason really matters, but a surprise visit revealed them not doing the job they were being paid for, and a previous care agency manager actually said that this is a problem with some care workers and recommended CCTV as "the only way to be sure they are doing their job", which I find apalling but if that's what it takes....

Reolink look good enough, and seem more readily available and straightforward than HikVision (who's suppliers all seem to be aimed at commercial installers, register for an account to get prices etc..). I'm happy installing it myself and have experience of Cat5e structured cable installation.

Anyway, questions are as follows:

1. If using constant recording on a camera, how easy is it to review footage at a particular time/date? Can you just put in the time and date on (say) the mobile app and it'll go there, then easy to forward/rewind from that point?

2. Is there an easy way to export recordings to (say) a USB drive plugged in to the NVR, or even to your local HDD if viewing over a web browser?

3. Can you have some cameras recording permanently, some between certain times, and others motion activated?

Thanks for any answers or info that you can provide.