CCTV

[Witchfinder]

I imagine this has been done before, but indulge me please. After last year's "incident", and a more recent fracas with an unpleasant person living fairly close to me, I am considering installing a CCTV system to watch over my home.

I've seen a number of "cheap" systems - wireless nightvision cameras for about £100, with extra cameras coming in at about 60 notes. Are these systems any good, or is it a case of "you get what you pay for"?

Are cheap systems OK, or is it worth spending the extra and buying something a little higher quality? Is wireless any good?

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[Mikey G]

Dont know much about CCTV systems but i saw a few advertised in a magazine which looked like PC based systems or to connect to a PC and looked really good value and well equiped.

On another note though, is there legal requirements needed to inform people they are being filmed?

Mike

[parrot of doom]

Mikey G said:

On another note though, is there legal requirements needed to inform people they are being filmed?

No. On public land, you can film what you like, when you like, for however long you like, with complete impunity.

[2 Smokin Barrels]

parrot of doom said:

Mikey G said: On another note though, is there legal requirements needed to inform people they are being filmed? No. On public land, you can film what you like, when you like, for however long you like, with complete impunity.

Sure about that?

[MikeyT]

I'd have thought that should have said private land, but PoD is is the business ...

As an aside PoD, where di you buy your TT from to get it for £10,800?

Shurely Shome Mhistake?

[Deltafox]

If youre going to get a camera you need to look at the spec.

What youre after is ideally one with a good resolution. This is determined by the number of "tv lines" its capable of displaying, with 380 being ok-ish up to about 520 for a better one giving a sharper picture.
Then your choice is either black and white or colour.
Personally id go black and white everytime for surveillance stuff as its easier to get one that functions at low light levels.
The better ones have a lower light "lux" rating than crappier ones...so a 0.5 is crap but a 0.005 lux is a good one. A 0.0002 lux would be much better still.
I have a 0.002 lux capability one with 480 tv lines that is more than adequate for night time use and was purchased from maplin electronics.
Oh yes, just one other thing. Theres also CCD an CMOS sensor types used to capture the scene in a camera...ignore the CMOS ones theyre usually inferior to a good quality CCD sensor.

HTH.

[sparkythecat]

2 Smokin Barrels said:

parrot of doom said: Mikey G said: On another note though, is there legal requirements needed to inform people they are being filmed? No. On public land, you can film what you like, when you like, for however long you like, with complete impunity. Sure about that?

I'm fairly sure POD is right.

Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights states.

Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.

Filming on private land is therefore subject to regulation. In order to comply with this convention you must put up signs on private property telling people that they being filmed. (You must have seen those yellow signs with camera silhouettes on)

Recording in a public place is generally ok, but there is an offence of voyeurism.

This is to prevent people filming for sexual gratification and applies equally to filming in public places. Read more Here

>> Edited by sparkythecat on Thursday 3rd March 21:41

[2 Smokin Barrels]

Okeydokes

[Mikey G]

So what your saying is that its ok to film anywhere else apart from your OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY without informing the objective that they are being filmed?

So i can film anything in the street without there consent but some scum trys to nick my garden furniture i have to tell them they are on camera..

Stupid country.....

[sparkythecat]

You must remember that cctv cameras will not prevent your garden furniture being stolen. Even if you are lucky enough to capture any thieves on film. You will probably only end up with pictures of people wearing baseball caps and/or 'hoodies' who no one will be able to positively identify.

CCTV with pictures that can be enhanced like those on the first Misssion Impossible movie is not available.

Unless of course you have a budget like that of NASA or the CIA.


In which case you probably wouldn't give a about the loss of a few hundred quids worth of B&Q's best, would you ?

[ultimasimon]

Witchfinder said:

I imagine this has been done before, but indulge me please. After last year's "incident", and a more recent fracas with an unpleasant person living fairly close to me, I am considering installing a CCTV system to watch over my home. I've seen a number of "cheap" systems - wireless nightvision cameras for about £100, with extra cameras coming in at about 60 notes. Are these systems any good, or is it a case of "you get what you pay for"? Are cheap systems OK, or is it worth spending the extra and buying something a little higher quality? Is wireless any good? Thanks in advance for any comments.

I have a trade account for all things security and can give you advice. As the nature of this topic is security it is not prudent to post my recommendations here

If you need anything mail me PM.

Simon

[sparkythecat]

ultimasimon said:

I have a trade account for all things security and can give you advice. As the nature of this topic is security it is not prudent to post my recommendations here If you need anything mail me PM. Simon

Sounds like he's got some sinister ex special forces men on his books, who'll do yer chav suspects over and frighten them off.

I'd be wary. Any of these 'security experts' worth their salt are currently in Iraq earning megabucks.

Be careful you don't end up paying top dollar for Dad's Army.

[ultimasimon]

sparkythecat said:

ultimasimon said: I have a trade account for all things security and can give you advice. As the nature of this topic is security it is not prudent to post my recommendations here If you need anything mail me PM. Simon Sounds like he's got some sinister ex special forces men on his books, who'll do yer chav suspects over and frighten them off. I'd be wary. Any of these 'security experts' worth their salt are currently in Iraq earning megabucks. Be careful you don't end up paying top dollar for Dad's Army.

Nothing quite that drastic, we have 160 fulltime doormen, 17 temps, 6 floating head-doormen, over 80 temp barstaff (very unreliable when on an agency as they pick up and shag everything and don't come into work), 5 registered PI's, 6 general CCTV engineers, 2 network and dome specialists, 11 nacoss engineers, 1 ex sp opps manager, and a partridge in a pear tree (me)

Special ops man often 'disapears' but I honestly have no idea where he goes

[Witchfinder]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Ultimasimon, YHM.

[s2rr kitty]

We put up a really good system (available from Maplins) due to the antisocial activity of some nasty little chavsters on our estate. Think it cost about £150 in all & that included a small monitor screen that uses wireless to pick up from the 2 cameras (you can put up to 3 on this system) - definately go for Infra Red otherwise you won't see fekk all at night. The two cams react to activity & switch between themselves.... we stick it on 10hr long play VHS tapes (great to find a use for that redundant VCR).

It was relatively easy to fit too
For best results make sure cams are well hidden! and just beyond arms reach! - we disguised ours behind a small timber bracket. Works a treat!

[RossMac]

Gazboy said:

I'm staying at my parents while my house has no bathroom, last night someone wrote "cock" on the bonnet of my car in the heavy frost/light snow. Rewound tape, shows paperboy autographing my car, and next doors, in hi res. I was pretty pissed off, but my mum thought it was quite funny, and thought me getting worked up was even funnier.

better he wrote it in the snow than a spray can

maybe he likes you