Spec me a CCTV System

Man of Honour
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thats pretty much where i ended up
+ more storage (and in raid) on the Diskstation
+ switch/injectors
+ the extra camera license
+ the lack of notification
= buying a DS-7604NI-K1 - although its a bit noisey, seriously considering getting a small pc case for it so i can fit some bigger, slower, fans
 
Associate
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I've been reading around, and SS doesn't support the smart detection features of Hik cameras, plus I would need to buy a POE switch to power them.
Which feature specifically did you want to use? I can see an issue if you are away from home a lot and need email alerts, if not then it really does work just as well without them. (I run 3 Hikvision cameras)
 
Associate
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We currently use the "Blink" system. Takes 2 lithium AA batteries and can last for up to 2 years. They lasted us 8 months in the end, but they were quite heavily used.
Here is some footage from last week of someone getting a bit too close to our house, police were great, actually caught them doing other mischief, but our footage helped they said.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0KZBofcL-ccVJH_Skb4-upT3w
 
Soldato
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Is that the limit to the recording, or does it continue to record after all movement for a while?

I looked up reviews of the blink system and some of the complaints seem to be lag in the recording system, not kicking in quick enough and just catching the ends of movement.

Do you find this or is it different?
 
Associate
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Right, figure this is the place to ask. I live in a first floor flat in a small complex so first thing to note is external cameras are obviously not going to work.

I have a suspicion that someone is deliberately tampering with my properly outside (car, had 4 screws in the tyres in the last 6 months, apparently neighbours have had issues too) in the car park of which my windows look over. I want a camera that looks down over the car park and detects movement, but obviously the caveat being it has to be behind the glass.

Now, the Logitech Circle 2 plus window mount seem to be ideal, any suggestions of alternatives? It's quite well lit with 2 permanent lights and 2 security lights that trigger when anyone enters the car park so night vision isn't a real necessity.

I dont expect miracles or the ability to see faces, I know thats unrealistic. What I do want is the ability to set my car as a 'trigger zone' so any movement near it is captured and saved so that I can review.
 
Soldato
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FYI not vouching for it but Aldi have a £179.99 CCTV system in store on 14th March.

May or may not be of use for anyone considering a budget off the shelf solution from the likes of Swann

https://www.aldi.co.uk/1080p-4-hd-camera-home-cctv-kit/p/011860271175400

Contents
  • 2 x 1080P Dome camera
  • 2 x 1080P Bullet camera
  • 1 x Mouse
  • 2 x Adaptor
  • 1 x DVR
  • 1 x HDMI Cable
  • 1 x Ethernet cable
  • 1 x Power splitter
  • 18m Video/power cables
  • 4 x Warning stickers
  • Free downloadable mobile application
  • In-App playback
  • Pre-installed ITB hard drive
  • Weatherproof and water resistant
Features
  • 2 Bullet & 2 dome 1080P cameras
  • Set & Forget recording, record continuously for up to 20 days on a 1TB Hard Drive
  • View remotely from a compatible smartphone/tablet
  • Peace of mind when you're away from home, live viewing on 3G/4G enabled smartphones via IOS/Android app
  • Custom detection zone
  • Intelligent search
  • Water resistant
  • Smartphone notification
  • Powerful night vision, 24 infra red lens allows the cameras to record in low light conditions at a distance of up to 24m (approx.)
  • Stream live video footage
 
Soldato
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I want a camera that looks down over the car park and detects movement, but obviously the caveat being it has to be behind the glass.

EDIT - Saw that you have security lighting.

Is there street lighting or security lighting on the car park? You won't be able to shine an IR beam from a night vision camera through the window so you're reliant on what light you already have available.

Are you looking to purchase something as a permenant solution? If it's just temporary until you can work out what's going on then you might get away with just a standard web cam and some motion capture software on a laptop or desktop. That way you might not need to spend out on anything new. There are also apps to allow you to use an old mobile phone as a motion capture security camera which again is something you might have lying around without needing to spend anything.

Another option might be to put a dash cam or one of the IOT battery wifi cameras in your car itself.
 
Associate
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EDIT - Saw that you have security lighting.

Is there street lighting or security lighting on the car park? You won't be able to shine an IR beam from a night vision camera through the window so you're reliant on what light you already have available.

Are you looking to purchase something as a permenant solution? If it's just temporary until you can work out what's going on then you might get away with just a standard web cam and some motion capture software on a laptop or desktop. That way you might not need to spend out on anything new. There are also apps to allow you to use an old mobile phone as a motion capture security camera which again is something you might have lying around without needing to spend anything.

Another option might be to put a dash cam or one of the IOT battery wifi cameras in your car itself.

Thanks for this. Honestly I'd say permanent is more what I'm after. I'm really looking for something web connected so I can review in the morning say, while having breakfast to save me having to crawl around checking under the wheels for anything.
 
Soldato
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Thanks for this. Honestly I'd say permanent is more what I'm after. I'm really looking for something web connected so I can review in the morning say, while having breakfast to save me having to crawl around checking under the wheels for anything.

Sounds like the best solution is a single indoor camera from one of the main IOT providers. They will all come with motion detection recording and apps that work both inside and outside of the home. Some will charge extra for cloud storage.

Have a look at these....

Nest
https://store.nest.com/uk/product/camera/NC1102GB

Arlo Pro 2
https://www.arlo.com/uk/products/arlo-pro-2/default.aspx

Netatmo
https://www.netatmo.com/en-gb/security/cam-indoor

Ring
https://en-uk.ring.com/products/stick-up-cam-wired

Blink
https://blinkforhome.co.uk/collections/products

Hive
https://www.hivehome.com/products/hive-camera

What I'm not sure about is which ones do and do not have IR beams and whether any ones that do can be turned off or not. You'll have to look in to that. Obviously you don't want an IR beam reflecting back from the window, you'll see nothing.

Arlo are also bringing out a camera with a zoom soon in case you think you'll need a longer focal length to see your car from your window depending on height and distance.
 
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Man of Honour
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You may be able to mount it just outside the window without doing any real damage, or even on the outside of the window with a suction mounth which would give a better image. If you can't then plan to build a box around the camera to keep it isolated from internal lights otherwise you'll just get reflections on the image all the time.
 
Caporegime
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Leafy outskirts of London
Which feature specifically did you want to use? I can see an issue if you are away from home a lot and need email alerts, if not then it really does work just as well without them. (I run 3 Hikvision cameras)

I've seen quite a bit of talk about the detection of SS being a bit poor and triggering lots of false positives, whereas the advanced settings in the Hik cameras are much better at movement zones and triggering.

I did toy with the idea of using some old computer parts to make a homemade DVR of sorts, but I'm sure a 2700k system will draw more power than the Hik DVR.
 
Associate
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Sounds like the best solution is a single indoor camera from one of the main IOT providers. They will all come with motion detection recording and apps that work both inside and outside of the home. Some will charge extra for cloud storage.

Have a look at these....

Nest
https://store.nest.com/uk/product/camera/NC1102GB

Arlo Pro 2
https://www.arlo.com/uk/products/arlo-pro-2/default.aspx

Netatmo
https://www.netatmo.com/en-gb/security/cam-indoor

Ring
https://en-uk.ring.com/products/stick-up-cam-wired

Blink
https://blinkforhome.co.uk/collections/products

Hive
https://www.hivehome.com/products/hive-camera

What I'm not sure about is which ones do and do not have IR beams and whether any ones that do can be turned off or not. You'll have to look in to that. Obviously you don't want an IR beam reflecting back from the window, you'll see nothing.

Arlo are also bringing out a camera with a zoom soon in case you think you'll need a longer focal length to see your car from your window depending on height and distance.

You may be able to mount it just outside the window without doing any real damage, or even on the outside of the window with a suction mounth which would give a better image. If you can't then plan to build a box around the camera to keep it isolated from internal lights otherwise you'll just get reflections on the image all the time.

Cheers both.

I've been looking and in terms of mounts, the Logo Circle seems to have a specifically designed window mount with appropriate camera settings, and 24h recording review for free. Reckon I'll give it a go from Amazon anyway and see, if it doesn't do what I require I'll investigate alternatives.
 
Associate
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Location
Tewkesbury, UK
Is that the limit to the recording, or does it continue to record after all movement for a while?

I looked up reviews of the blink system and some of the complaints seem to be lag in the recording system, not kicking in quick enough and just catching the ends of movement.

Do you find this or is it different?

Sorry didn't see you had asked something, when it detects movement it starts recording for a pre set amount of time, or until the movement stops. I have increased the time mine will record now to 30 seconds.
I find they work brilliantly, and as simple as 1 screw to put up and then you are away.
 
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