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Tunbridge

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Not sure if this is the right place to ask but somebody on here might have a system installed.

I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a home CCTV system mainly as a deterrent to anyone breaking in my house. I already have a decent alarm system, good security lighting but short of getting a dog I see CCTV as the next step.
I’ve searched the web and just confused myself.
From what I can see the future is IP camaera’s, however I’ve not really seen many that are the dome type (which is what I want to be reasonably discrete) at sensible costs. Most of the cheapish IP camera like the foscams don’t look great or very professional and I’ve read mixed reviews. Plus I’m not sure I want them running through my mac all day every day.
The alternative seems to be an old style analogue set-up. You seem to be able to get a DVR and 4 cameras for about £300 and I’m handy enough to do the installation myself. I suspect I’d need 3 cameras to get decent coverage (front of the house, side door and the back of the property) The question is whether its worth the effort.
I guess its one of those things, you might install it and then never see a thing, I suspect if I had a DVR I would only ever review footage if something happened, I ain’t sitting there every night going through it. I know some of the IP cameras have auto detection zones you can program but I suspect the neighbours cats would trigger them far more than any suspect activity so receiving e-mail alerts all the time is likely to drive me nuts to.
Am I wasting my time / money? Does anyone have a set up or
experience using cameras?
 
It's the software that has the detection zones usually. I have three wireless ip cameras running through the router so I can access them from pc/laptop/tablet/phone. Two are Foscam types, and the other is a Loftek external dome. On the PC/Laptop I use H264Webcam (not sure if it's available for Mac) and you can set up areas in the cameras view for motion activation via it. It's by far the cheapest way to get a set up working, if you don't want to go the computer route I think you'll need to spend some serious cash to get kit that's worth having.
 
Steep said:
It's the software that has the detection zones usually. I have three wireless ip cameras running through the router so I can access them from pc/laptop/tablet/phone. Two are Foscam types, and the other is a Loftek external dome. On the PC/Laptop I use H264Webcam (not sure if it's available for Mac) and you can set up areas in the cameras view for motion activation via it. It's by far the cheapest way to get a set up working, if you don't want to go the computer route I think you'll need to spend some serious cash to get kit that's worth having.
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Cheers, do you find you get many false alarms? Does your system upload to a remote server or does the PC need to be running all the time?
 
I don't use any of the online features although it's quite possible to set it up to email alerts etc. The motion activated recording works well and I can't remember ever getting a false recording. With H264 you set up the detection areas using small square blocks so you can cover or ignore areas as it suits you.
 
I have used security spy and a dlink ip camera for many years. Switched to a Foscam when the dlink died. Foscam are ok but you need the later one with the ir cut filter or colours are weird. I have the earlier one. Night vision only works well if its not indoors. Foscams are cheap and they do work without much fuss.

Security spy is pretty good. It sits and runs 24/7. I have it set to record movies of movement and then it uploads each days worth at night. You can set it to do separate movies or stills or upload as it goes.
 
srichards said:
I have used security spy and a dlink ip camera for many years. Switched to a Foscam when the dlink died. Foscam are ok but you need the later one with the ir cut filter or colours are weird. I have the earlier one. Night vision only works well if its not indoors. Foscams are cheap and they do work without much fuss.

Security spy is pretty good. It sits and runs 24/7. I have it set to record movies of movement and then it uploads each days worth at night. You can set it to do separate movies or stills or upload as it goes.
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Thanks I'll give that a look.
 
I rather like the Wansview IPcams from under £50, but they keep changing specs without telling the ebay sellers.
They used to come with a really nice 4mm lens which was excellent for my original use as an indoor calving camera as well as covering a yard not easily seen from the house, however the last one I bought claimed to be 4mm but was narrower field of view more like 6mm I thought.
The movement detection you get with them is poor, I have found BlueIris greatly improves things, and you can mask out areas giving false warnings.

Mine runs (via blueiris) on a netbook which is on all the time for a weather station already.
It records continuously, overwriting after about 10 days, and emails a .jpg plus creates a clip if there is any movement.
 
Dedicated DVR and I/R static domes would fit the bill but make sure the domes have Smart I/R or if anything come close enough to identify, the I/R will cause 'white-out' and make identification very difficult - mind you an alarm would probably be a better deterrent than CCTV on its own.
 
gramps said:
Dedicated DVR and I/R static domes would fit the bill but make sure the domes have Smart I/R or if anything come close enough to identify, the I/R will cause 'white-out' and make identification very difficult - mind you an alarm would probably be a better deterrent than CCTV on its own.
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I'm thinking you could be right. I've already got a decent alarm but I tend to think people just ignore them these days.
 
Tunbridge said:
I'm thinking you could be right. I've already got a decent alarm but I tend to think people just ignore them these days.
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If you have the alarm then the CCTV will be a good addition.
 
That's what I'm thinking. As noted above a dog is the ultimate deterrent however the CCTV would be there as the second best option. I was tempted to just put dummy cameras up but I don't know how good they are.
 
Tunbridge said:
As noted above a dog is the ultimate deterrent
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Many years ago, when a young DC, a house on my patch was burgled and amongst the things they nicked ... an Alsatian guard-dog ... I kid you not - it made its way home several months later!
 
Tunbridge said:
That's what I'm thinking. As noted above a dog is the ultimate deterrent however the CCTV would be there as the second best option. I was tempted to just put dummy cameras up but I don't know how good they are.
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Just by some 2nd hand pro gear of ebay. You don't have to connect them up but they'll look better than dummies
 
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