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Anyone install their own camera system?

7K views 40 replies 24 participants last post by  r.4oofer 
#1 ·
Has anyone installed their own camera system in their house? How hard was it? I am looking to do 5 cameras around the house outside, wired.

Thanks!!
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ohh god.... here we go.

Anybody looking at Costco or any other BOX store system, do yourself a favor. DONT BUY IT. They are 100% crap. Unless you are paying more then $500 per camera installed, you are paying for CRAP.

You are not going to walk away with a GOOD system that is CHEAP. Not going to happen.

If you REALLY want a camera system for your house find some local companies that can SHOW you demos of their installs. And ask to see NIGHT footage. Also look for systems that offer this

1) IP Based cameras (stay away from ANALOG cameras, which have limited resolutions, IP is the way to go)
2) When getting an IP, make sure your cameras are AT LEAST 1MP and can output at least 15-20FPS (you may only record at 10FPS but you want to ensure that camera can handle higher, it'll tell you it's a better camera). Also make sure the cameras either have a special nighttime setting (low lux, VERY low lux) or have built-in IR lights that turn on automatically at dusk.
3) Make sure whoever is installing the system has a NY State Alarm License (they'll have a license #)
4) Avoid any integrator that charges you a MONTHLY fee for your system. No such thing. Unless they are hosting your data in the cloud, you should never have to pay monthly for a CCTV system
5) Make sure you have ample storage. At least a 4TB hard drive (storage is cheap)
6) Make sure whoever sets it up sets it up for MOTION. You don't want it recording 24/7 (unless you REALLY do, my own system is set on very high motion sensitivity, makes it a pain to play stuff back, but I like not missing anything)
7) Make sure that there is separate software you can install on your computer to view the cameras/play footage back (all systems let you go to the NVR itself, but you should not HAVE to)
Again, find out about the cameras and the night settings. See demos!

I can't tell you how many time I see my friends/neighbors who put a costco or simialr system in and they get crappy results. They are happy because "hey my cameras have IR" and "hey it was really cheap" or "hey it has an iPhone app" and the system is just complete garbage.

I can't give you a list of people who do this, sorry. I work in the government/education market place and our systems start at around $2,000 and go up to about $4,000 per camera installed.

My own home system (and a GOOD system) will comprise of the following

1- NVR (Network Video Recorder)
1- PoE Network Switch (this provides a network connection AND power to the camera)
1- The camera itself (I actually use cheap 3MP dome cameras from HIK Vision, with built-in IR lights. They handle up to 20FPS - They go for about $130 each on amazon, expect a reseller to charge you about $190 each)

As to how hard is it to install, that depends. How comfortable are you with terminations? How knowledgeable are you with computers and networking? Now adays, since camera systems are IP based, they sit on your network.

Basically you install the NVR, run a network cable from the NVR to your switch. Then you run a network cable from the PoE switch (your NVR can plug into the same PoE switch, you don't need a separate one) to the camera. You need to put RJ45 jacks on each end, so if you've never done that, better call a pro (it's easy enough to learn, but requires a special tool). Then you have to program IP addresses on the cameras, align the camera, adjust the color settings, then program the NVR by adding the camera to the NVR, etc..

IT can be a bit tedious for anybody. My dad is a smart guy. He knows a bit about computers, but I still have to help him with his system. He's able to run his own wires, terminate them, but he always calls me to program the NVR.

Best to call a pro. The Analog systems you find at costco come with wires/pre-terminated plugs, but again, it's crap. I took one of these out of a friends house a year ago, he's never been happier with the new IP cameras. Keeps telling me he wants to add more. But I had to help him bigtime with it.
 
#12 ·
It really is not that difficult, But there is quite a bit to learn and you will need some tools to make your life easier. The box systems NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY are not complete systems, You will need a ton of extra stuff to the tune of $1500 above the cost of the box system period. My suggestion is unless you like a challenge or just have to do it yourself, hire a professional northforksportsman I'm sure will chime in and is who I would recommend
 
#16 ·
Ewww you ran Cat5 cables to your analog cameras? yeah that's a big NO NO. It was very popular in the day to do it, saved money, but I bet you hands down you have flickering lines on your feed... the 12VDC being carried right next and within the same jacket as the signal usually gives you some interference lines... big no no

Analog is not fine for the average household... you get crappy images and the video feeds are usually a waste of time because you can't make anything out. 640x480 resolution max (unless using HD which most people don't bother with). Horrible.

Here is a shot from my backyard. Completely dark, no lights on at all:


And here is one during the day (today). Much higher image resolution. These are the 3MP cameras I was talking about (cost me maybe $105 at the time):

 
#21 ·
I don't know man, I am very pleased with my system and the corresponding images, no flickering, yes I ran cat5e rather than use the enclosed wiring that came with the system. it everything works as I need it to. But then again, Im not a technical guru who needs everything the latest and the greatest, If Analog was fine 5 years ago, it is still fine today, its just that there is better technology available today. Also the reason I ran the cat5e was so i did have the ability to later upgrade the cameras when I needed. As far as the Cat 5 being a big no no, I was advised by a well respected professional that knows his stuff and who would not steer me wrong.
 
#23 ·
I install security systems for a living.Analog is not dead technology.Cat5e is better than RG59(coax)&with an active(powered Balun) can more than double the distance your video signal can travel.RG59 is good for 1500 ft-cat5e can go 4000ft.IP networks go down when the network goes down.They take up too much bandwidth slowing down everything & should be on their own seperate network or at least partitioned.Analog cameras are much more dependable & the higher end cameras are full HD.The biggest difference is storage.IP cameras require alot of storage(multiple hard drives) .The initial cost of buying & setting up the hard drives can be extensive.They also need maintenance.Analog cameras can be looped out of the DVR & into an Encoder.The Encoder then converts the video in to a digital signal .The Encoder is hooked up to a network switch & you can view all cameras online.If the network goes down you still have all of your video saved.Analog DVRS (higher end) can also be hooked up to a network directly with a network patchcord & a static IP address.IR cameras only give you a clear picture in total darkness.Any light will make your shot grainy.If you have any lights outside a low light camera will give you a clearer picture.It will cost you more$.
 
#25 ·
May I advise you to find a new career? You seriously cannot work as a professional security integrator and tell me analog is better. IP cameras do use more storage but unless you are recording in MJPG, you probably will never notice, especially with how cheap storage is. If you are using MJPG then you are using the wrong CODEC. Nobody uses MJPEG when recording with IP cameras, that's just crazy talk. H.264 all the way or even the new Axis zipstreams, half what H.264 is (if your in the analog world you probably have no clue what i'm talking about).

IP cameras are far more reliable actually then IP. They are managed/monitored devices, where you can do a LOT more. The image sensors are far superior then that of analog caneras. Even when an HD analog camera, you are still maxed out.

And who says IP can't go far (btw the number you are looking for, is 100m, or 328' which is industry standard for data transmission over a cat5 cable). You can use boosters to get that signal out to the thousands of feed if you need to.

Why would you waste your time/money installing an analog camera and an encoder? That is completely pointless. If you are going to bring your analog cameras onto the IP network, then just install IP. And please tell me you are not selling your cameras as "hybrid digital" cameras when you use an encoder, that is TRICKERY and we frown upon that in the industry. If you sell an analog camera, market it as such, don't trick customers because you ENCODED it. Shame on you! Be honest.

Now adays, networks don't go down. I have 12V power supplies for analog cameras that go down more than networks. And that's the truth. I spent 6 years in the analog world, and the past 4 years in the IP world. I'm an IT technician by trade, turned security guru. I can honestly say I've had more CCTV power supplies fail then network switches, honest to god truth.

I said it once, i'll say it again, you GET what you PAY for. I have a cheap $160 8 port PoE switch at my house. It's failed once... but that's fine by me, I GOT WHAT I PAID FOR. The switches I sell at work, cost my customers $1,500 on up. But they are fully managed switches, they don't go down. We offer redundant power supplies in the switches even (and our servers). Want a cisco switch, double that price then. But we're not using cheap-o switches that go down.

Don't scare customers with scary "ip is hard to setup and it's expensive" talk... YES IP cameras DO COST more money.

I love Digital Watchdog Analog cameras (for analog cameras that is). A good DWG analog camera will cost about $150. Which is expensive for analog. But AWESOME nighttime viewing, too bad limited resolution/etc..

An IP camera in that range, similar features... I charge customers between $200-$250 for. Well hey now, that's not much a difference is it? 5 years ago, that same IP camera would have cost my customer $500 but man have prices dropped.

I don't want to start a war with you. I'm sure you are either an old school electrician or new to the business working for a security company who claims they are the best... but let me tell you, i work with the best in the industry and i've done award winning, city-wide installations. My jobs usually cost around $400-$1mil... so yeah... no mickey mouse home systems for me... with that said, you don't need to break the bank and take out a new mortage for a decent systme.

Just STAY AWAY from analog, believe me, it's completely not worth it. Would you spend $500 on an AR15 that constantly jams and does not work. Or would you spend $1000 on an AR15 that shoots every single time.

"Do you want a real surveillance system or the ILLUSION of a surveillance system" (that's my quote btw)
 
#24 · (Edited by Moderator)
A (side) customer of mine decided to have me install a system that she picked up at one of the big-box stores. 4 cameras and a dvr made by Lorex if I remember correctly. Her house is a ranch so it was very easy to run the wires. Setup of the dvr was quite easy. Picture at night is decent to. Not bad for 300-400 bucks.

I myself am starting to look into a system of my own. I would like to setup starting with 2 cameras useing power over ethernet (POE) cameras but have not found any smaller than a small nerf football. They are all quite large probably due to the integrated internal power supply. Ultimately I would like to use a netbook to run the dvr software and use a usb external HD for storage. If I find something that I like I will post it up.
 
#26 ·
Don't use the netbook, it won't have any processing power. If you want a small camera, that is inexpensive, give these a look:

http://www.axis.com/us/en/products/axis-m3004-v

Things are cute as a button, real tiny, PoE... 1MP, outdoor rated even.

Honestly, with 2 cameras you COULD use the netbook, but you may have issues trying to record high FPS. But for 2 1MP cameras, set it to 10FPS, you might be all right...

Use H.264 compression with whatever NVR software you use.

In fact, Milestone (who is I believe the #1 system out there... not that I like them the best, they just happen to be the top VMS manufacturer) will give you free NVR software for your home. You are limited to features/cameras but for a few cameras it might work great for you.

https://www.milestonesys.com/our-products/xprotect-free-trial-download/

Grab the "XProtect Go"

You can only retain footage for 5 days but hey, it's free
 
#30 · (Edited by Moderator)
I haven't done "my own " but I've done a few for others- not NEARLY as many as Northforksportsman, if you want a great installation he's probably the guy to get advice from.

That said, the HIKvision cameras that Vycor mentioned are not bad, I got them on eBay for about $80 per from China- you have the option of POE (which you can get an injector for at microcenter for less than $20) or running an 18/2 power cable for.

When running wires, remember the attic, the basement, joist bays above your finished ceiling(s), and vinyl siding are all your "friends". It's all low voltage, so no need for nailing plates, just dont run it behind where somebody is going to put up crown molding or something.

You can save a few bucks getting a NVR "bare" (no storage media) and adding your own TB or more driver (microcenter again). I don't know why they charge so much more for a NVR with a drive, it takes about 15 minutes to put it in.

Good luck.

I am not a big fan of attics for computers- they are typically very hot, dusty, and prone to bugs and the potential for a water leak or if you really want mayhem, have a new roof put on and your gear filled up with roofing debris through the top vent holes. Attics are OK for distribution panels, a better place for the NVR is in a "security closet" or other locked or hidden location- remember if your system does not push via SMS or internet (cloud) connection, the only copy will be what's on the HDD, and if the unit is destroyed, there goes the evidence.

If you are pushing to the internet (provided the thieves don't kill your connection first, which in the case of FIOS can be as simple as bending the cable) then you don't have to worry about securing the DVR. I think being able to recognize a face is pretty important, so I'd go with the better cameras- but in thew case of Axis, which makes very high end PTZ cameras, you are paying for the brand name. Think of Axis kind of like Tag Heuer- nobody is calling them junk, but there are better bargains out there if you shop specs rather than brand.
 
#31 ·
Hey guys, not to derail this thread but I've installed the Qsee and Lorex cameras. They are good for what I need them to do but I do have a question. The RG cable has crapped out on me twice. One in one area, and another in a different area of the house. Are these cables really weatherproof? I've tucked the connectors inside the siding so no water gets into it.
 
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