Spec me a CCTV System

Russinating · 24 Oct 2023 at 13:57

What are some recommended security camera systems? Usage is for an office but really that's no different to a home apart from quantity - one outdoor front, 3-5 inside, possible one outdoor rear. At the moment we just have two Nest cams inside which we're happy with but they've discontinued the wired outdoor ones unfortunately. Also as we add more cameras the cost goes up (and we're moving premises, hence the change).

We've got an Ajax alarm system already so would be good if it integrates with that (https://ajax.systems/how-to-connect-camera-to-ajax/). However video history is almost as important as live, which is why we like the Nest system atm for ease but appreciate that is way more on the home/consumer end of the spectrum. I'm fairly techy so happy to integrate any other system, but would want cloud rather than on-premises recording.

Oh and network system is UniFi.

Thanks in advance!

Hyburnate · 24 Oct 2023 at 14:05

Russinating said:
What are some recommended security camera systems? Usage is for an office but really that's no different to a home apart from quantity - one outdoor front, 3-5 inside, possible one outdoor rear. At the moment we just have two Nest cams inside which we're happy with but they've discontinued the wired outdoor ones unfortunately. Also as we add more cameras the cost goes up (and we're moving premises, hence the change).

We've got an Ajax alarm system already so would be good if it integrates with that (https://ajax.systems/how-to-connect-camera-to-ajax/). However video history is almost as important as live, which is why we like the Nest system atm for ease but appreciate that is way more on the home/consumer end of the spectrum. I'm fairly techy so happy to integrate any other system, but would want cloud rather than on-premises recording.

Oh and network system is UniFi.

Thanks in advance!

Ajax have just announced in the last few days their CCTV range. I'm a Dahua boy but I do know friends who have installed Reolink and been happy.

Ajax accepts anything with RTSP which most cameras support, so your options are open

Are you looking for a network video recorder or are you going to use something like Blue Iris?

UberTiger · 24 Oct 2023 at 14:22

Russinating said:
What are some recommended security camera systems? Usage is for an office but really that's no different to a home apart from quantity - one outdoor front, 3-5 inside, possible one outdoor rear. At the moment we just have two Nest cams inside which we're happy with but they've discontinued the wired outdoor ones unfortunately. Also as we add more cameras the cost goes up (and we're moving premises, hence the change).

We've got an Ajax alarm system already so would be good if it integrates with that (https://ajax.systems/how-to-connect-camera-to-ajax/). However video history is almost as important as live, which is why we like the Nest system atm for ease but appreciate that is way more on the home/consumer end of the spectrum. I'm fairly techy so happy to integrate any other system, but would want cloud rather than on-premises recording.

Oh and network system is UniFi.

Thanks in advance!

UberTiger said:
This is exciting - Ajax are releasing their own NVR that you can use with any cameras that have ONVIF.

This might be the perfect solution to bridge the gap between having to build a dedicated Blue Iris server or being locked into UniFi or some other system.

Ajax Special Event: Rule your space

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Jump to 1hr 7min 30sec

UberTiger said:
Looks like they're releasing their own line of Ukrainian made 3k and 4k cameras too!

I hope they're good.

Ajax Special Event: Rule your space

Watch Ajax Special Event to learn about Superior product line, LineSplit, LineSupply, Transmitter Fibra, MultiRelay, LineProtect, Case, KeyPad TouchScreen, F...

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1hr 14min 47sec

b0rn2sk8 · 24 Oct 2023 at 17:23

Russinating said:
Oh and network system is UniFi.

Ubiquiti Protect is the obvious plug and play solution into your existing ecosystem also.

ChrisD. · 24 Oct 2023 at 20:02

Protect is excellent, and subscription/cloud free.

Vidar · 25 Oct 2023 at 12:07

Have just moved into a bungalow and thinking about a basic security camera set up. I'd need 2 - 4 cameras as its detached and feels way less secure.

Can you guys recommend a simple wired solution with cheap operating costs but great image quality? That doesn't break the bank?

Rik1254 · 25 Oct 2023 at 12:23

Oh this thread is long and I’m oh so lazy. Maybe we can get the OP updated with a few of the most recommended options.

And now my ask:

What options are there available for cameras with local storage and a decent app? Ubiquiti seems to be the only one which offers something reasonable (at an absurd price). Most others either store directly on the camera with sucky apps or in a proprietary hub which also backs off to cloud.

I currently have Blink cameras, which seem to have gotten worse the older they get, but you can’t argue with £140 for 4 cameras and a hub with expandable, local storage. Range sucks and night quality is awful for anything over 2m away. The mic is oddly really good though?

I also have one ezviz for the long shots of the drive, brilliant camera, but no central local storage.

b0rn2sk8 · 25 Oct 2023 at 21:14

I wouldn't say Ubiquiti has an absurd price for what they offer. The standard POE cameras are ~£130 a piece and recorders start from ~£220 (which does more than support CCTV cameras).

For a non-Chinese, completely subscription free, quality product with a good app and reasonable support, that's not in any way expensive.

J and j · 25 Oct 2023 at 22:00

I just pulled the trigger to replace my cheap Amazon CCTV kit with unifi protect. I only have the doorbell in but my god is it good.

It's not cheap and there is a reason for that. It's just great quality.

Will be running a Dream Machine SE, 5 cams, 1 doorbell. With this setup you get a get great CCTV setup, plus all the other benefits of the Dream Machine.

Coxyis · 9 Nov 2023 at 12:02

richieboy said:
To the guys that are using Reolink kit - cams/NVRs etc, if you had the choice would you choose it again or would you look elsewhere? Still trying to decide whether to sink £500 in to 4x of their cams and an NVR.

I'm currently running 4 reolink cameras through their 8 channel NVR and haven't had any issues at all.

If I were to do it again, and I would, I'd buy the cameras separately and have the option to use them with a NAS for example. Rather than having them locked down to only using the Reolink NVR.

Having said that, they all work together nicely and I have person detection alerts set and it's worked flawlessly for the last couple of years. I'll be adding another couple of cameras to the system before Christmas too.

WJA96 · 9 Nov 2023 at 13:19

Coxyis said:
I'm currently running 4 reolink cameras through their 8 channel NVR and haven't had any issues at all.

If I were to do it again, and I would, I'd buy the cameras separately and have the option to use them with a NAS for example. Rather than having them locked down to only using the Reolink NVR.

Having said that, they all work together nicely and I have person detection alerts set and it's worked flawlessly for the last couple of years. I'll be adding another couple of cameras to the system before Christmas too.

Assuming you have IP cameras then they broadcast onto the network so as long as you know the camera passwords (usually the same as the NVR password) then you can record to any device simultaneously. It’s the recording device that does the recording, the camera is just streaming out the data.

I’ve yet to see a NAS based system that is as good as a dedicated NVR, especially the current generation of AI NVRs. Most people don’t invest enough in the NVR and tend to spend on cameras but a good NVR will find your images faster.

WJA96 · 9 Nov 2023 at 13:30

b0rn2sk8 said:
I wouldn't say Ubiquiti has an absurd price for what they offer. The standard POE cameras are ~£130 a piece and recorders start from ~£220 (which does more than support CCTV cameras).

For a non-Chinese, completely subscription free, quality product with a good app and reasonable support, that's not in any way expensive.

Spec for spec UniFi are more expensive than Axis. AXIS! Their latest idea is that you spend another £100 and tie up a PoE port instead of giving you a white illuminator in the camera for full colour images in the hours of darkness. It’s genius!

It’s simply not value for money. Even if you argue that they are higher quality (probably not) they’re just stupidly expensive spec for spec. And they give no guarantees about how long they will support Protect, which is the system they launched after they killed off UniFi Video. And you can’t use those cameras with any other system.

And don’t kid yourself that by avoiding cameras made in China you’re avoiding back doors. It’s just a 5-eyes back door rather than a Chinese one. Only with UniFi you can’t defeat the back door with a VPN because you are locked into their system, their hardware, their app.

WJA96 · 9 Nov 2023 at 13:34

Rik1254 said:
Oh this thread is long and I’m oh so lazy. Maybe we can get the OP updated with a few of the most recommended options.

And now my ask:

What options are there available for cameras with local storage and a decent app? Ubiquiti seems to be the only one which offers something reasonable (at an absurd price). Most others either store directly on the camera with sucky apps or in a proprietary hub which also backs off to cloud.

I currently have Blink cameras, which seem to have gotten worse the older they get, but you can’t argue with £140 for 4 cameras and a hub with expandable, local storage. Range sucks and night quality is awful for anything over 2m away. The mic is oddly really good though?

I also have one ezviz for the long shots of the drive, brilliant camera, but no central local storage.

If they’re IP cameras then you can stream the data to any recorder using RTSP or, if the cameras are right, ONVIF. All the apps are a bit sucky. Even UBNTs falls over every now and again.

Diggsy · 9 Nov 2023 at 20:41

Coxyis said:
I'm currently running 4 reolink cameras through their 8 channel NVR and haven't had any issues at all.

If I were to do it again, and I would, I'd buy the cameras separately and have the option to use them with a NAS for example. Rather than having them locked down to only using the Reolink NVR.

Having said that, they all work together nicely and I have person detection alerts set and it's worked flawlessly for the last couple of years. I'll be adding another couple of cameras to the system before Christmas too.

Which ones do you have? They have that many models, it’s something of a minefield…

Megahackerd · 10 Nov 2023 at 17:06

Diggsy said:
Which ones do you have? They have that many models, it’s something of a minefield…

They are soon to release a new one. Someone posted a review of it before it should have been announced on Reddit

WJA96 · 10 Nov 2023 at 19:17

Megahackerd said:
They are soon to release a new one. Someone posted a review of it before it should have been announced on Reddit

They’re always releasing a new one. And they’re not always an improvement even though they’re more expensive. Just pick a kit with the features you want and get it when it’s on special offer (they’re always on special offer basically).

DXP55 · 10 Nov 2023 at 20:43

I need a Hikvision guru with this one.

A while back I posted that I had messed up my Hikvision system - One of the HD failed so bought another - Then went into menu -shutdown -turned off then unplugged all connections (labeled each one)-changed HD -plugged it all back in and switched on -Easy - No it wasn't I lost 2 out of 5 cameras and messing about lost another camera. So 2 left out of 5.
Not knowing what to do (fitting was easy but fault finding is over my head) I looked around for someone to fix it -It took 3 months to persuade someone to come and look and a promise to buy two cameras.
All done but pictures were crap -seems my NVR is so old it couldn't cope with two new cameras so bloke dropped pixals and something else so all 5 cameras showed on one screen.

Fed up with rubbish pictures I got someone in to see if he could sort it -He did a quick bunk and found he had two cameras on same IP address so now they swop from camera to camera. I also asked him to change passwords on cameras and NVR if he could. Soon found out the menu wanted a password and I tried his but I am sure it's the one the first bloke put in and he wont tell me what it is.

So I have been looking around at new NVRs - Mine is a DS-7608NI-E2/A at least 10 yrs old -bought it 6 months before Hikvision stopped selling to public.
So if I bought a new NVR possibly the I series with plug and play (if there is any about) then put in password of bloke who came and messed up - Would the existing cameras auto connect without going into SADP or put in numbers I have no idea what they are..

This has been so frustrating it's unbelievable - As it stand at moment I am even willing to have someone in again who could supply and fit a NVR and pay whatever the price is. :mad:

The cheerfull news is my car insurance renewal is only £298 fully comp.

Megahackerd · 10 Nov 2023 at 22:22

WJA96 said:
They’re always releasing a new one. And they’re not always an improvement even though they’re more expensive. Just pick a kit with the features you want and get it when it’s on special offer (they’re always on special offer basically).

Can't deny what you said, however the new one has true colour night vision like cx410, which would go against hikvision colourful or dahua darkfigter

Scream · 10 Nov 2023 at 23:46

Has anyone rigged up a 4G camera system powered by solar for remote jobs? I need a system that I can set in a field and view remotely for several hours and then lift it and take it home again till the next outing. I have loads of Hik cameras here which I can use but not sure what’s needed for the solar end.

WJA96 · 12 Nov 2023 at 06:06

Megahackerd said:
Can't deny what you said, however the new one has true colour night vision like cx410, which would go against hikvision colourful or dahua darkfigter

Reolink have had full colour 4K night vision cameras for at least 2 years (RLC-811A). There is nothing significant in their roadmap that should make anyone delay a purchase.

The way the surveillance market works is that whichever company comes up with something new all the others have it within a couple of weeks. Sometimes Reolink has it before Hikvision or Dahua actually get volume product to their distributors. It can be quite irksome.