Thoughts on CCTV systems please

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pgh13

Specialist Contributor
My Satellite Setup
XTrend ET8000, Dr HD 15, PC/twinhan combination. 80cm dish. GBPVR with 2 DTTV cards +hauppauge Media MVP +Raspberry Pi running XBMC
My Location
Midlands UK
Looking to put in some CCTV for the M-i-L. I know there are a lot of kits around the £250 mark, but could use some advice on brands etc. I'm sure a lot of them have the same kit inside and it's just badge engineering.

Reading around, I can see that a 1/3" CCD is considered better than the more common 1/4" and I can see the sense in that.

Also, a wired system is preferable to wireless - OK so it's more work but you still have to run power to a wireless camera.

There's a Sunluxy kit on t'Bay which claims to have 1/3" cameras but then I saw someone else saying they're susceptible to supply interference.

Swann seems to be another common brand - I see even S***fix sell that and Ar**s sell CnM.

I've got a spare HDD so that'll reduce the outlay

Any thoughts?

Thanks
 
I have an aversion to these kits, particularly the ones with ready made leads supplied. You can buy some very good infrared dome cameras 520+ TV lines and a reasonable 4 camera DVR with internet capabilities for not very much money, run CAT5e or CAT6 cable and use baluns with power pass for powering the cameras. Below is some kit I've actually seen in action and been quite impressed with.

www.satelliteandaerialsupplies.com/product/Default.aspx?s=4-channel-cctv-stand-alone-dvr-with-500gb-hdd-and-usb-back-up-iphone-ready
www.satelliteandaerialsupplies.com/product/?s=sac-se9003-700-tvl-effio-e-cctv-colour-camera-ir-night-vision-13-sony-ccd-image-sensor
www.satelliteandaerialsupplies.com/product/?s=pair-of-video-audio-power-baluns-for-cctv-over-cat5e-cable
 
rolfw said:
I have an aversion to these kits, particularly the ones with ready made leads supplied. You can buy some very good infrared dome cameras 520+ TV lines and a reasonable 4 camera DVR with internet capabilities for not very much money, run CAT5e or CAT6 cable and use baluns with power pass for powering the cameras. Below is some kit I've actually seen in action and been quite impressed with.

www.satelliteandaerialsupplies.com/product/Default.aspx?s=4-channel-cctv-stand-alone-dvr-with-500gb-hdd-and-usb-back-up-iphone-ready
www.satelliteandaerialsupplies.com/product/?s=sac-se9003-700-tvl-effio-e-cctv-colour-camera-ir-night-vision-13-sony-ccd-image-sensor
www.satelliteandaerialsupplies.com/product/?s=pair-of-video-audio-power-baluns-for-cctv-over-cat5e-cable
Click to expand...
A 4 port BNC DVR PCI card is £4.99 on the bay (from China), I run one in my PC here at casa del Smoggy (mine was £30 from maplin but the exact same ones are on the bay, albeit clones)
 
Got one of those, but it requires the PC to be left on 24/7/365, most people don't like that, plus if you want to access it from the net, it requires opening up a port to your PC, which is not particularly secure..
 
rolfw said:
Got one of those, but it requires the PC to be left on 24/7/365, most people don't like that, plus if you want to access it from the net, it requires opening up a port to your PC, which is not particularly secure..
Click to expand...
That`s the only downfall really, the need to have the computer running 24/7

On the plus side I can login anywhere in the world and view the cams live, look back over the past recordings and have a snapshot emailed to me when the motion detector is triggered

I`ve been looking at these on the bay, might well invest when I have the funds

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHEAPEST-Waterproof-Outdoor-CCTV-IR-Camera-CMOS-420TVL-12-Months-Warranty-/150849691642?pt=UK_CCTV&var=&hash=item231f579ffa

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Fashion-CCTV-IR-CMOS-Dome-Surveillance-Audio-Camera-White-48-LED-Color-/120980296441?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item1c2afcd2f9
 
rolfw said:
Got one of those, but it requires the PC to be left on 24/7/365, most people don't like that, plus if you want to access it from the net, it requires opening up a port to your PC, which is not particularly secure..
Click to expand...
If you built a dedicated system for it then it wouldn't be so much of a problem as it'd be no worse than leaving a DVR on that's hooked up to a display, and these days you can get relatively low-power computers for not much which have plenty of oomph to run a software DVR, and I'm sure could be run under Linux so you don't suffer the insecurities and loopholes of Windows... :)
 
2cvbloke said:
If you built a dedicated system for it then it wouldn't be so much of a problem as it'd be no worse than leaving a DVR on that's hooked up to a display, and these days you can get relatively low-power computers for not much which have plenty of oomph to run a software DVR, and I'm sure could be run under Linux so you don't suffer the insecurities and loopholes of Windows... :)
Click to expand...
I might get a camera and try with a laptop. I found a tutorial on setting up Ubuntu to do this
 
Depends how complex you want to make it, can't see the M-in-L wanting anything other than "easy to operate" and without too much mucking around, a low cost good quality 500GB DVR at around £200, can be viewed and controlled from a smart phone and easily modulated for display on the TV system or connected direct via VGA or HDMI, very few people have a stand alone monitor connected these days.
 
rolfw said:
www.satelliteandaerialsupplies.com/product/?s=pair-of-video-audio-power-baluns-for-cctv-over-cat5e-cable
Click to expand...
Not seen that before, what a good idea!
 
Yes, use them on all but speed dome (motorised) installations which require more power.
 
I agree that a DVR potentially will be a lot easier to run than a dedicated PC also a lot quieter, but which ever one you go for to access through a smart phone will require a port to be opened on your router so potentially they both give the same risks
 
pgh13 said:
Looking to put in some CCTV for the M-i-L. I know there are a lot of kits around the £250 mark, but could use some advice on brands etc. I'm sure a lot of them have the same kit inside and it's just badge engineering.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Will the cameras be internal, external or both ?

Maximum distance of furthest camera from house ?

What exactly do you want from the system, are you looking to catch someody in the act of something ?
 
digi247 said:
I agree that a DVR potentially will be a lot easier to run than a dedicated PC also a lot quieter, but which ever one you go for to access through a smart phone will require a port to be opened on your router so potentially they both give the same risks
Click to expand...
I'd rather have a single port open to a standalone DVR than a port to a 24/7 powered up PC, much more potential for harm, particularly if the PC is used for anything other than a DVR. In fact as a last resort on some crappy routers, I've been forced to put the DVR in a demilitarised zone, something i wouldn't consider on a PC.
 
rolfw said:
I'd rather have a single port open to a standalone DVR than a port to a 24/7 powered up PC, much more potential for harm, particularly if the PC is used for anything other than a DVR. In fact as a last resort on some crappy routers, I've been forced to put the DVR in a demilitarised zone, something i wouldn't consider on a PC.
Click to expand...

I would never install a non dedicated CCTV PC card if the person wanted to use it for normal web browsing i would advise against it, At the end of the day though whether PC or DVR with open ports you still run the same risk
 
rolfw said:
Depends how complex you want to make it, can't see the M-in-L wanting anything other than "easy to operate" and without too much mucking around,
Click to expand...
It needs to be totally hands off where she's concerned. :-)
 
Channel Hopper said:
Will the cameras be internal, external or both ?

Maximum distance of furthest camera from house ?

What exactly do you want from the system, are you looking to catch someody in the act of something ?
Click to expand...
Probably external but attached to the house. Trying to gain evidence against whomever tried to set fire to the bird feeders, breaks the glass in the greenhouse and occasionally opens her locked kitchen door while she's out
 
Ah, quite serious already.

I trust the police have already been notified and you have received a crime number.

I would advise changing the lock in the kitchen as a priority (and a set of deadlocks top and bottom). No point in you having the DVR nicked along with any recordings.
 
A stand alone DVR sounds like the way to go, just for simpleness

Maplin normally have a DVR with camera set on offer, get the specs from one of their kits that best suits your needs and make your own kit up to the same specs using ebay for half the cost

You "should" be able to build something like this for around the £150 to £200 range
maplin.co.uk/8-channel-500gb-network-dvr-with-4x-night-vision-cameras-and-smart-phone-access-632880
 
Channel Hopper said:
No point in you having the DVR nicked along with any recordings.
Click to expand...
If I were installing one, I'd be fitting it somewhere out of the way which isn't easy to access for someone trying to so a quick in & out job, so they wouldn't have much time to hunt it down and pull the unit out and sell it at well-known high street pawn shops before the owner knows it's gone... :)

Places like the attic, the airing cupboard (low down so it doesn't get slow-roasted!!!), understairs cupboards (behind a false panel maybe), basically anywhere concealed where the average burglar wouldn't go to because of it being too much hassle to get to... :)
 
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