Camera systems (Swann, Lorex, others)

[Viper98912]

Hello again,

I know that some on here have camera systems setup in their garages and homes. I previously ran a D-Link setup 5 years ago, which was mostly pieced together and figured out a way to make it work.

Looking around at the big box stores, it seems like Swann and Lorex are big names now in the consumer-grade DIY setups. I remember Swann from years ago as they were getting popular in the home security market.

Looking for a 4 camera system (min) with DVR, and a self-overwriting DVR function when the drive gets full (where you don't have to manually go delete old files/videos). I'd like wireless due to wiring ease, yet I realize that I'll still probably need 120v outlets anyway. Or at a minimum a camera with power over ethernet, so clearly the wiring won't be fun.

Regardless, any recommendations (or stay-away-from-this's) from the board?

 

[dave89iroc]

I'd like to know people's thoughts on this subject also

 

[jsherid1]

We have the Swann HD (720) system which is Cat5 and really like it--they did not require a second wire or dongles for power, just plug them into the back of the DVR and you are ready to go. The App for viewing the feed is a little clunky and non-intuitive but I've gotten used to it.

The basic 8-channel system was something like $900 including 4 cameras. Additional cameras are $100 for a basic unit and up for pan-tilt-zoom models. It is a little tricky to find the additional cameras at big box stores, I lucked out at Fry's and found the ones I needed. Most of what you'll find at the box stores is BNC stuff which I was steered away from by members of this forum and by my research. BNC cables limit you to a lower quality image apparently.

 

[slice]

My brother uses Lorex. Seems to work great. I can log in to his machine and see his cameras from 5 states away

 

[Beemer533]

I think the Swann cameras are actually Hikvision rebrands, which I like a lot.
Here is a previous post I made with some recommendations;

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4192168&postcount=28

A lot of info in that thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=259609

 

[Ilikeike]

I've got two of these DVRs an 8 and 16, real easy to set up and use on your smart phone.all you do is open the free app and scan the bar code on the monitor,done. Internet access.
Good how to video links on the site also.
Very stable,and user upgradable hard drives. Built in POE so no separate power adapters needed.
Type in code REPEAT for 15% off.

http://http://www.cctvsecuritypros.com/4invaindoips.html

 

[excavator]

I have the QSEE system and bought it from Costco. It self deletes older files as needed. It never stops recording even while reviewing video. Most newer systems do the same. I have one wireless cam and it is a bit jumpy but works. I have 16 cam capable and run 8 cams now at my home. I also have a PTZ (pan tilt zoom) cam on front of house up high and like it. I can veiw from smart phone and even operate the PTZ from phone. I can add any other make cam if wanted. At my place of business I also run a licence plate capture cam that pics up plates in pitch dark with thier headlights off or on.

 

[excavator]

A few more you will laugh at

 

[Kaizen]

I have 2 systems. one in my garage on its own dvr with like 6 cams on street, yard, and house. In the house I have 2 cards in my pc with 8 total cameras. for the money I would have liked them to have a better frames per second count. a camera in a lighted area is great up to 20 feet but the 200 dollar one I have on my driveway 60 feet away is not good enough to blow up to a plate or get a face. I can definitely see whats going on but not like you see on tv shows. Mine I have some set to record 24/7 and some on movement. the thing is movement includes wind blowing bushes and flags not just people.
I'd recommend going in cheap and just string some cables out and run it to see if its good enough for you. ptz cams are awesome but not cheap.
I have found all names in homeowner budget (50-150 per cam) to be about the same. haven't really found any that make me say wow. I get all of my stuff from tigerdirect

 

[Dakota00]

Stay away from Defender, had their 4 cam DVR system. It wasn't that great.
Bought a Q-See 8ch DVR analog system with 4 cams from Costco almost a year ago, for a steal. I have no complaints! Online viewing is a breeze. It's not the top of the line system, but still has a ton of options. Audio hook-up, PTZ connection, motion record, etc, etc. For a simple analog system, the picture quality is good enough for my needs.

Here's a couple of pics I just pulled live from 2 cams remotely.

View media item 51054View media item 51055

 

[excavator]

1 am this morning on my front porch
Lets all post some more security cam pics

 

[velillen01]

Stay away from Defender, had their 4 cam DVR system. It wasn't that great.

I'd only get defender if you got a killer deal. I own the 4 camera defender system and it is ok. Setup is super easy. Remote viewing I never got to work with my setup at home. I can view at home on my own network though which works great since the dvr is hidden. For basic 24/7 recording it's worked just fine, but if you want options go with someone else. The playback works just fi e and is easy enough to use.

As for cameras...remember placement is the most important part. Put them as close to where they need to see as you can. Also take into account angles. Having a camera that's 12 feet high on your porch isn't as good as the one at face level

 

[sixty4]

Love our Speco intensifier camera's.

 

[Kaizen]

1 am this morning on my front porch
Lets all post some more security cam pics

So after I put up my cameras I had this above view with nightvision but on my more then 15 foot ones it was garbage. I had to add 4 dual spotlights and 2 porch lights to cover my 1/2 acre property. just another thing to account for. oh and I got aggravated with them all on motion sensors on and off all night was like a dance club so i added dusk to dark sensors and pay more for electricity all month

 

[excavator]

these cams from QSEE have 60 foot night vision and work rather well.
I have other cams from Lorex at my work location that make it look like spot lights on. Here is a video of one lorex and after the 2 men get close to my cams then the spot light comes on and watch the before and after. You will think there was a light on but when spot light comes on I lost all distance

 

[nperkins]

look into ZModo.. I've got three systems, one at my wife's barber shop (4 Camera), one at home (4 Camera), and one at the dealership (8 camera)... They are great, and cheap. They aren't amazing quality, but they are all five years old now. I'll be buying a new one from ZModo with HD cameras for the garage this summer...

 

[Benjnr]

I think the Swann cameras are actually Hikvision rebrands, which I like a lot.
Here is a previous post I made with some recommendations;

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4192168&postcount=28

I have 3 Hikvision DS-2CD2032-I as well. Outstanding resolution of 3MP@20fps, good night vision. Power Over Ethernet, so a single cat-5 gets you wired up, or you can go with 12v power. A camera and a POE switch or injector gets you started, since the cam has its own web interface, inverting the dumb cam+coax+dvr setup. Hook it to a shared drive partition on one of your computers and you've got a surveillance system. As noted a bit more planning is needed for a multi-cam system, but nice to be able to start simply.

About a hunsky on amazon. I'd order from a supplier with az fullfillment. You don't want to get the chinese-market version.

I have had a blast catching the critters that stroll across my urban front yard nightly (and sometimes in broad daylight).

 

[ddurrett896]

I did the Swann and happy with it. Setup to record 24/7 and overwrites after about 9 days. The camera quality is a 7/10 during the day and 4/10 at night. My mentality is that I'm home at night and don't really care about the quality...my 12 gauge will help identify an intruder better than video footage.

I would recommend a camera with a TVL over 1,000. My buddy just upgrade his to those and it's worth the extra $.

 

[canuckian]

One of my systems is a Lorex and I have no complaints at all. Cams are 1080 resolution and all work on POE. The night vision works awesome as well. Setup was a joke (ready to go out of the box) and there are also a few tweaks you can make with the software to fit your needs. It has the auto-over write on the hard drive and has a remote backup function as well . It also has PTZ functionality which I plan to utilize soon.
I read reviews on the Swann and QSee systems and people seemed to like the Lorex ones better. That, and the system I got was the only one that checked all the boxes off on my requirements and came with the types of cameras I wanted.

 

[Dakota00]

Stay away from Defender, had their 4 cam DVR system. It wasn't that great.
Bought a Q-See 8ch DVR analog system with 4 cams from Costco almost a year ago, for a steal. I have no complaints! Online viewing is a breeze. It's not the top of the line system, but still has a ton of options. Audio hook-up, PTZ connection, motion record, etc, etc. For a simple analog system, the picture quality is good enough for my needs.

Here's a couple of pics I just pulled live from 2 cams remotely.

View media item 51054View media item 51055

I just took these pics to show the night vision in total darkness.

View media item 51060View media item 51061

 

[noluck24/7]

I just took these pics to show the night vision in total darkness.

Thinking about looking into this set up. Which Q-See system is this exactly? 960H? Thanks.

 

[zable9]

I think the Swann cameras are actually Hikvision rebrands, which I like a lot.
Here is a previous post I made with some recommendations;

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4192168&postcount=28

A lot of info in that thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=259609

Thx for the info

 

[Dakota00]

Thinking about looking into this set up. Which Q-See system is this exactly? 960H? Thanks.

This is the system I have... It was too good of a deal to pass up when it was on sale, paid only $250(cdn)!!! Bought 2 more cams for $110(cdn).
http://www.costco.com/Q-See-8-Chann...D-and-4-900TVL-Cameras.product.100128939.html

Watch for deals at Costco. If you can, go at least 720p with an 8ch system.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

The better DVR's allow you to display a matrix on the screen, and mark the areas where you don't want the device to record on motion, then turn off the matrix.

For example, you can program it so a flag is in the field of view, but the motion of it doesn't cause the images to be saved if nothing else is moving.




.

 

[Ilikeike]

The better DVR's allow you to display a matrix on the screen, and mark the areas where you don't want the device to record on motion, then turn off the matrix.

For example, you can program it so a flag is in the field of view, but the motion of it doesn't cause the images to be saved if nothing else is moving.




.

Thats how mine are, block out trees that move in the wind,cars in certain areas... saves time when searching motion alarms.

 

[jgorm]

I have a 8 camera swann wired system and a IP camera system. I tried the wireless cameras and they sucked so bad I returned them. If you go wireless, it has to be wifi IP stuff or it doesn't work. I've had mine for about 5 years and it's starting to act up and drop cameras. I'm going to reflash the firmware. It's worked great until now. The software and the app could use a bit of improvement, but it does the job.

 

[Viper98912]

Purchased a Swann 8 camera BNC system from their website for $300 (from original $700, I'm guessing it's a model they're probably going to replace soon?). Wasn't too sure about POE vs BNC, and no matter which way I'll go I'll have to do some wiring. So the POE wasn't worth the price increase.

 

[CadillacJack]

It's analog (BNC/coax) vs. digital (IP/ethernet). POE = Power Over Ethernet. Digital allows for higher resolution via megapixel cams, typically 720p ~ 1080p. Analog is measured in TV Lines (TVL). There are some analog systems that deliver HD over coax, but they can be pricey & proprietary.

You wanna go digital if at all possible.

One manuf. in my line:

 

[Viper98912]

Right, what I'm getting at is that for what I'm doing it wasn't worth the price increase

 

[jeffmoss26]

I've done some basic analog systems - mostly Everfocus with various dome cameras, indoor and outdoor. A buddy of mine has a Ubiquiti system which is full IP cameras with an NVR, he really likes it. I just helped run the wire and mount cameras, he did all the programming.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

I have interfaced to 5 HiKVision cameras across two properties. At my property I have them wired to a POE-supported router. The other (my parents) are installed with a 12v wall wart.

The cameras are really nice for the money, but as someone mentioned above beware of the Chinese import versions.

I believe at least some of these are re-branded to Lorex.

The manufacturer offers free DVR software, which isn't too bad and works pretty well as long as you use their cameras. So, in this case, you could use your computer or a dedicated server/computer for the DVR.

The mfg also offers free mobile app to hit the cameras remotely. This works well, as long as you are not behind a firewall where your employer blocks the various network ports.

The cameras themselves offer a web/http portal to get to configuration, live view, etc. etc. if you so desire. The camera firmware is pretty sophisticated in that you can setup various event triggers, detection schemes, etc. to send automated notifications.

In my case, I didn't want to have to depend on the app or DVR software to be able to access the camera (I want to be able to use any device to access). I setup/host my own HTTP server which I can hit from any browser, desktop, mobile, etc. and view the cameras. This obviously requires some knowledge, but allows me to get to the cameras without worrying about network firewalls (i.e. everything works over port 80/http).

Additionally, and FWIW, the streams out of the camera use the RTSP (defacto protocol for IP camera streaming) protocol, which uses port 554. This works fine again as long as your network is not restricted. On my HTTP server, I am transcribing this feed realtime to an HTTP feed from the H.264 codec from the camera to WEBM which has slightly better network and processor utilization.

Again, the above is a little over the top, but something I wanted to do for hobby and a more useful experience without having to depend on a proprietary app/software to view my camera feeds.

 

[zable9]

F.y.i. Awesome (IMO) website of cameras and system testing. Unfortunately and sadly the author recently passed away. There was a recent post by the family saying the blog will continue....great tests, reviews and pictures....

http://www.networkcameracritic.com/

 

[Beemer533]

Yeah, I was really surprised when I went over to networkcameracritic a couple weeks ago and read that post.. That was the first place I went to for info..

This post edited by the NSA

 

[Jeeper75]

Bumping the thread. Question for you guys. On these Swann security systems do you have to hook the NVR to a computer to program? Or can I just hook the NVR to the TV via HDMI and plug a mouse into the USB port to control? Not really interested to hook it up to the internet at this point. Also do most of these systems overwrite old footage? Thanks

 

[Beemer533]

I haven't used the Swann stuff specifically, but while you should be able to set the NVR up locally, I personally find it way easier to just hook up the NVR to the network and just use pretty much any web browser to set everything up. This does not require Internet access.

The Hikvision NVR I use allow mouse control or use of the included remote. For initial setup they both **** since typing anything longer than a couple characters (like an IP or email) involves scrolling around an onscreen keyboard.

Once everything is setup, there isn't much if any interaction required, so the mouse would probably be ok.

All NVR will overwrite, how long it takes depends on the HDD size, recording resolution and whether or not you record all the time or only with motion.

This post edited by the NSA

 

[cbracer]

On the Swann product, I have their 720 HD system and it's best to hook the NVR directly up via HDMI cable and use the existing usb port for the mouse. I can view everything on my phone but not play back recorded video. I can view everything and play back recorded video on my computer but the scrolling ability you get with direct HDMI and mouse is far better than through a PC interface. I wish they had better software but you could probably say that about any system. Out of my 4 cameras 2 were junk. One DOA and the other about a week later. Both replaced under warranty.

 

[thool]

We use a Zmodo setup with 8 cameras and a 500 GB drive. Night vision is pretty good, but the cameras give off a faint red glow at night, which kind of gives them away. They are coaxial BNC with the voltage line integrated, sometimes referred to as siamese cable. The cables that come with the system are thinner than the cable connected to your mouse...and that carries both signal and power! So it makes sense to buy a spool of siamese with rg-59, the terminators, and make your own custom length cables.

 

[noluck24/7]

This is the system I have... It was too good of a deal to pass up when it was on sale, paid only $250(cdn)!!! Bought 2 more cams for $110(cdn).
http://www.costco.com/Q-See-8-Chann...D-and-4-900TVL-Cameras.product.100128939.html

Watch for deals at Costco. If you can, go at least 720p with an 8ch system.

I was hoping to buy this one for the cheap buy in but it's now showing that it's unavailable. I'll have to try on of the others listed in this thread.

 

[ersatzs2]

I just got a canary http://canary.is/?gclid=CLPU5Pn31sYCFYsWHwodwNANjQ
Installed it last night, really excited about this. $250, incredibly easy to install. automatic event alerts, knows when you're in or out (senses your phone) records motion. Works in the dark etc. This is going to replace thousands of dollars in custom setups...

 

[Beemer533]

Those are cool, but they will only really work if all you need is a single interior shot. If you need more than that, $250 a pop is not cheap.

Not to mention, these can't go outside so they are sort of useless for the type of installation that most people need.

Out of 6 cameras I only have one installed indoors.

Now if something like this had cheaper addon cameras, then that would start to make more sense..

This post edited by the NSA