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Recommendations on security camera systems

cutting42

cutting42

Arrived at B4 Hacker Ergo
Hello to the pfm massive

We have been considering getting a security camera system for internal and external monitoring of our house. I would like remote access to view and cloud storage of the data.

Anyone gone down this route and have any recommendations.

Thanks

Gareth
 
Canary used to be quite good but they’re screwing their customers with separate annual charges for each camera and no worthwhile functionality on their free access
 
I've just installed a three camera and one door cam system, all of the cameras (5MP) and the recorder are Aspect and the door cam is a Hik-Vision 2 MP door cam, all POE ie not wireless.


I don't have cloud storage just local in the recorder which is 1TB HDD it just over writes when full.

I have remote access though but being honest you really need a monitor in the house, I bought a cheap 17" monitor on Ebay for £45 and can access all of the cameras on my iPad via the Aspect viewer app or the door cam via the Hik Vision app or the Aspect app too and obviously the monitor.

I would highly recommend a professional installer BTW.

I installed everything myself but the network thing ie IP address stuff is a total nightmare if you don't know what you're doing.

I spent about £600 on the gear and probably about 40 hours on the install, well worth it though.
 
I have a professionally installed 8 camera system at work, cost a fortune and the self installed ring system I have just additionally added, is better.
 
Low budget option here...
Couple of Yi Home 1080P IP cameras with (easily) hacked firmware (Allwinner on Github). The hack allows saving RTSP streams to local drive on home server (and Onedrive in the cloud) using Contacam (free CCTV software).
Cameras are mounted outside but out of the weather and have been rock solid so far.
 
Rug Doc said:
I have a professionally installed 8 camera system at work, cost a fortune and the self installed ring system I have just additionally added, is better.
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I looked at Ring and Nest especially for doorbell cams but those are wireless and the reviews are terrible so I went with POE ie power over Ethernet but there’s very little choice with POE, two doorbell cams available I think HiK vision @ £110 and a really expensive competitor which is over £300, Door-bird, I think.
 
Rug Doc said:
I have a professionally installed 8 camera system at work, cost a fortune and the self installed ring system I have just additionally added, is better.
Click to expand...
Ditto, paid a good chunk years back for a pro install analogue CCTV with DVR and remote server at the office, cameras started playing up so put Ring in as a stop gap during Covid until I could get the guy back to fit a new system, Ring does the job so well I got him to take the old system out and gave it to him to use as spares elsewhere.
 
twotone said:
I looked at Ring and Nest especially for doorbell cams but those are wireless and the reviews are terrible so I went with POE ie power over Ethernet but there’s very little choice with POE, two doorbell cams available I think HiK vision @ £110 and a really expensive competitor which is over £300, Door-bird, I think.
Click to expand...

our Ring wireless cams are brilliant, great pics, 100% reliable. Most are run powered but the doorbell is WiFi and battery powered- couldn't ask for better - rock solid
 
It’s just how the ring app works is so easy.. I use mine as a security system rather than a doorbell and the way you can just see the notifications for people within a zone is fabulous.
 
We installed a Eufy system with 3 outdoor and 3 indoor cameras at very reasonable cost. Software is easy to use, quality is good enough and support when one camera had a problem was very efficient.

pm me if interested as users get a discount code.
 
Professional installation can be great with dvr box . Only today I was watching the pitb guys who keep dumping cars in our road from local garage. Increasingly useful .
 
hc25036 said:
We installed a Eufy system with 3 outdoor and 3 indoor cameras at very reasonable cost. Software is easy to use, quality is good enough and support when one camera had a problem was very efficient.

pm me if interested as users get a discount code.
Click to expand...
Another Eufy user here. No monthly fee, videos stored locally, will send you notifications if you choose and can live view from anywhere using my phone.
 
We have three main brands here.
Watashi, nasty stuff with awful app on both mobile and computer.
HiLook, decent kit, mobile app OK but flaky computer programme.
Dhua, good value, stable and long lasting.

Then there are the more specialist brands including Ubiquiti but these are very pricey.( their WiFi kit is very good though )

Definitely go POE and choose cameras that best suit the job for each area.
A monitor is not just desirable, it's essential for your sanity when any changes, updates or playback is required.
Not to mention being an open statement in a public area....we are watching you!
 
Amber Audio said:
Ditto, paid a good chunk years back for a pro install analogue CCTV with DVR and remote server at the office, cameras started playing up so put Ring in as a stop gap during Covid until I could get the guy back to fit a new system, Ring does the job so well I got him to take the old system out and gave it to him to use as spares elsewhere.
Click to expand...
I think that’s what we’re going with next. Did you buy a package with door/ window sensors, siren etc? We already have the pro doorbell to fit first.

There is a downside to cameras of course and that is having to wade through lots of footage and they can in themselves be as anxiety provoking as the threat of burglary itself! In our last house in 22 years we had one successful break in and two or three attempted break ins. The guy who got in was seen legging it by a neighbour who’d been alerted by the alarm, was caught half a mile away and went to prison. In the three years latterly with Canary cameras we only spotted one suspicious individual- more often is was foxes and deer
 
go online - dont need monitors. We have 3 Ring Cameras, and 6 Hikvision and 1 Axis camera. The latter are run through my NAS with offsite storage and online access. All have been rock solid. Most of my Hikvision cams run on PoE. Some are set up to announce motion - and see me an email, with an image. A quick glance at the email is enough to check. All setup and installed by me.

I have to say the Ring Cameras are excellent and have proved very reliable, although their functionality is limited (limited PTZ for example). I think if and when some of the Hikvision cams expire we might replace them with Ring.

My recordings have led to 2 people being caught - one by the police and one by the post office.
 
TheDecameron said:
I think that’s what we’re going with next. Did you buy a package with door/ window sensors, siren etc? We already have the pro doorbell to fit first.

There is a downside to cameras of course and that is having to wade through lots of footage and they can in themselves be as anxiety provoking as the threat of burglary itself! In our last house in 22 years we had one successful break in and two or three attempted break ins. The guy who got in was seen legging it by a neighbour who’d been alerted by the alarm, was caught half a mile away and went to prison. In the three years latterly with Canary cameras we only spotted one suspicious individual- more often is was foxes and deer
Click to expand...
At work it's just Ring Cameras now - I have all the proper signs and have signed up on the relevant Gov websites for businesses storing CCTV footage, we're in a Retail Park rented unit.

At home I bought a full system with monitoring etc from an Aberdeen outfit as my Insurance Broker Hanson Robertson insisted - total disaster, won't bore you - got it removed and full refund. At moment I have front/rear doorbells and cams from Ring. It'll depend what Nationwide or Hiscox want next month when the insurance is due, may have to go for a full Ring Alarm as I think it's more of an accepted option now, a couple years back it wasn't enough for the companies I spoke to. Ring is good as alerts and snaps appear on all the iDevices.
 
Amber Audio said:
may have to go for a full Ring Alarm as I think it's more of an accepted option now, a couple years back it wasn't enough for the companies I spoke to. Ring is good as alerts and snaps appear on all the iDevices.
Click to expand...

Our Ring Alarm is accepted by my insurance company.
 
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