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Cctv basics.


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Hi chaps,

 

Im finally resigned to consider cctv on my old miners cottage due to prolonged sneaky ( & disgusting ) n'bour behaviour. One suggestion, himself having similar problems, has been a Swann cctv system. Great starting point for me, as I'm a fish out of water in this whole new area of hardware.

 

Would anyone have a basic 2 camera system, they could explain some fundamentals to me? 
 

I have read all I can, waiting for Swann to call (...) but Im still a step behind understanding the very basics.

 

Thanks, zoot

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There are a few changes underway in the CCTV market at present but buying into the leading edge will mean spending more than those entry level Swann packages.

 

Windows PC based AI image interpretation is now viable and will reduce the tedium of trawling through video recordings looking for a significant incursion. The AI software will distinguish between common objects such as cats, people and vehicles. Another feature is the ability to blank off areas of the camera's field of view to prevent false alarms and also comply with your obligations re. privacy laws..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLH9GEcdb9Y

 

The other trend is POE (power over ethernet) which allows the camera to both receive electrical power from a LAN cable and also stream a digital video back to a server. This is more relevant for new builds where the marginal cost of running POE CAT-6 lan cable is small compared to retrofitting once the house is finished.

 

In your position I would also check out the Amazon/Ring video doorbell system that can be augmented with extra cameras. 

 

Edited by epsilonGreedy
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2 issues we found

Mains supply is a pain for retrofit outdoors.

Haven't found a decent system that records continuously without having interconnected cables.

We do have D-link cameras in and out doors, and they beep on our phones when there is movement or sound, but that includes insects and moving branches. That isnt great in the middle of the night on holiday. but might work for you. About £120 each, but needs electric cable.

I looked at other systems but the star ratings from users seemed usually to be low.

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17 minutes ago, James Newport said:

Check out this guy:

https://www.cctv42.co.uk/

 

I emailed him with some questions and he got back to me straight away. 


Thanks, I will email him.. the videos I cannot access/ ipad or line trouble I don't know.

 

Just now, epsilonGreedy said:

There are a few changes underway in the CCTV market at present but buying into the leading edge will mean spending more than those entry level Swann packages.

 

Windows PC based AI image interpretation is now viable and will reduce the tedium of trawling through video recordings looking for a significant incursion. The AI software will distinguish between common objects such as cats, people and vehicles. Another feature is the ability to blank off areas of the camera's field of view to prevent false alarms and also comply with your obligations re. privacy laws..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLH9GEcdb9Y

 

The other trend is POE (power over ethernet) which allows the camera to both receive electrical power from a LAN cable and also stream a digital image back to a server. This is more relevant for new builds where the marginal cost of running POE CAT-6 lan cable is small compared to retrofitting once the house is finished.

 


Hi epsilonG.. thanks for this, but its pretty advanced for me to understand! Im at a stage so basic, & can only afford a very lowly system, that I  am just trying to understand how I might view a camera image for now.

 

Ive just got more info, that being i can connect to the recorder box, with my ipad. I think. Wirelessly too, via the www. Great if so.

 

I think its a case of having the recorder box, hardwired to cameras I understand this, connected to my bt internet hub, in order to then use the ipad as my monitor. Im just getting head around this idea you see/ need to pause!

 

Thanks, zh
 

 

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Hi zoot. I have got POE 8 cameras. Basically a recorder box. I think mine is 4 terrebites (or whatever they call them) 8 wires go from the recorder to each of the cameras to both power the cameras, and to bring pictures back from the cameras. (Routing these can obviously be a pain in the butt. The recorder is plugged into the t.v on its own source, Ie; so the tvchannel is source 1 the dvd source 2 etc. This allows me to look at the cameras on the t.v. The recorder box is also wired into the internet, and an app allows me to look at my cameras when i am not at home using my phone, or laptop, or i-pad. The internet connection would also allow me to store what is recorded on the cloud so if somebody nicks the recorder box, i will still be able to view the cameras. The systems are actually very easy to use. They must be because i am completly rubbish with computers of any kind.

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1 hour ago, zoothorn said:

waiting for Swann to call (...) but Im still a step behind understanding the very basics.


Swann is absolute bottom of the pile and it may look cheap (until an installer adds ££££) but they are not good. Self install of a wireless system with power from

the nearest socket may be best for you. 

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Zoot, don't go for the shotgun. I have just read that a surprising amount of neighbours actually kill each other over disputes. I don't want to be a party to a death. Hide in a bush, jump out, and custard pie the offender. While catching them on a wildlife cam. A woman near me, beat her neighbour to death over the position of a fence.

Edited by Big Jimbo
missed abit
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@zoothorn here you go - wireless and a solar  panel and a decent brand tbh for £80 (£60 with voucher) so you could start here. 
 

Reolink CCTV Solar Security Camera Outdoor with Rechargeable Battery, Wireless WiFi IP Camera, 1080p Time Lapse, PIR Motion Detection, 2-Way Audio, SD Card Storage, Argus Eco with Solar Panel https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QQNRWK2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_62M1WAH060PV26PJG5YB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

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Like Dash Cam, home security cameras will also pick up your own bad behaviour.

Today, while enjoying a coffee, the shopping centre security man went to the lavatory. I noticed he had a Vest Cam.

Hope he turned it off.

Edited by SteamyTea
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We have a procom  system, 6 cameras around the house, recording box in the loft and I view it from an app on my phone.two of the cameras have tripwires and I’m alerted if anyone crosses that area, I also have an alarm that I can set to go off if anyone enters into the area covered by the tripwire . Very interesting viewing when you pay a pet sitter to stay with your pets while you have a few days away, I told myself that I wasn’t going to look at it, she had been advised that it was there but when you come home to the chaos that I did ( cat that ended up having to spend 3 days in the vets because he hadn’t been given his medication, washing machine broken, cupboards raided of everything edible as well as items hidden away for Xmas time) you just have to have a look and then you discover she wasn’t here when she was supposed to be and you also played host( in your absence) to someone else, you discover how handy these little cameras are!

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Excuse me guys !

This is going to be a long thread - yes ?

 

So !

my recommendation is some cloud based recording ( like Mangocam ) as it’s relatively cheap ( though yearly cost ) . Some basic outdoor poe camera’s . Swann is like the smart car of cctv . Hikvision are good and have a broad range of products at different prices .

 

Failing all that - for its *simplicity * an analogue camera and a Betamax video recorder .

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46 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Like Dash Cam, home security cameras will also pick up your own bad behaviour.

Today, while enjoying a coffee, the shopping centre security man went to the lavatory. I noticed he had a Vest Cam.

Hope he turned it off.

Probably show you the footage later ( boom boom )

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2 hours ago, epsilonGreedy said:

@zoothornIf you are just trying to catch a few examples of bad behavior and deliver evidence to the police I wonder if you need a permanent multi year wired solution? I think you need to get installation quotes before making a final choice.

Absolutely the best idea. Except I cannot afford it.

 

I should have said the bottom of the pile, is all I can afford sorry if I've wasted anyone's time. I didn't actually know a £150 2 camera  swann system was bottom of the pile tbh. But this is all i can afford ( work pollaxed by brexit & covid ).

 

Its really the basics, irrespective of the quality at this juncture, Im trying to figure out. If i can use an ipad for eg (swann lovely phillipino girl on phone said yes.. but I don't see iOS mentioned as compatible ). How the recorder box works: does it record everything/ is that basically the principle with these? So you can dip in to 11.30 am yesterday for a 10 minute view?

 

It might not be that my q's are easily answered on here, if its purely one ' recording ' set up is completely different from another. Thx zh

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53 minutes ago, TonyT said:

What’s the budget?


Well I hadn't considered one TonyT, yet, having only just entertained the whole idea ( finally resigned to it ) yesterday.

 

A better angle is perhaps, "this is what I got my eye on" (as it seems fine value for money, & a known brand afaict)..

 

https://www.toolstation.com/swann-1080p-cctv-system/p88773?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=s_dc&pcrid=515847200351&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=CjwKCAjwzOqKBhAWEiwArQGwaJIEFkiSbcu8Vhea-l0boZCjmRBxIjd3EMios_p2fdlO2Aeg0Y9aXBoC54EQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#reviewTab

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Just get anything that records 1080p

Basic systems are fine.

 

I have a basic system at home and use an expensive system at work, they have different requirements.

 

the home unit from amazon- sansco ticks the boxes, easy to navigate, easy to record,easy to view, at your budget you don’t need fancy nice haves, just to record imagery.

 

Or get a WiFi Netvue cctv and turn the infra red off and point out the window for under£40.

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