CCTV - What should I get?

[EddyP]

Currently I've got a couple of cheap IP cameras recording into a Synology NAS, whilst this works OK the motion detection isn't great so we get a lot of false alarms and more importantly it's eating HDD space and rewriting so often to the drives I'm concerned about their life, especially when they have all our photos/documents archived on there.

So ideally I'd like to go to a separate NVR with good motion detection and then also upgrade the cameras.
I've heard some good things about the Reolink stuff on Amazon, but some of their reviews are mixed, some say the motion detection isn't that good, their main downside is the fact their NVR will only work with Reolink cameras and not other NVIF cameras.

Lately it seems they do a decent deal on them every Wednesday, something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reolink-Se...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VCE3FB2NAYNRZ4V26JWZ

Or this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reolink-Se...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SP0F8Q2JPRVYC776TJ3H

I did try to look at some Hikvision stuff but it's hard to find online retailers for them that actually show prices.
I think a few guys on here work in CCTV, what would you recommend?

 

[gaz1]

buy another hard drive swap what you need over asap
photos docs that is

youve been really silly there

 

[Screwdriver]

I'm looking for a NAS so if you're replacing that Synology, I'd be interested. I recommend you keep it though and use Axis webcams with it. They are not cheap but they are robust, last forever and have a solid company backing them up with updates and free commercial quality software. Picture quality is excellent. I must have gone through half a dozen cheapo Chinese so called HD CCTV units, impossible to set up, riddled with badly written code, each unit is a proprietary unbranded item with no compatibility with commonly available drivers or softwares.

That was a hard won lesson for me. You should also take a look at the Nest system. It is excellent albeit subscription based. Their support is superb.

 

[sako243]

I did try to look at some Hikvision stuff but it's hard to find online retailers for them that actually show prices.
I think a few guys on here work in CCTV, what would you recommend?

cctvkits.co.uk shows prices for Hikvision stuff but...

I spent a substantial amount of money for a 3-camera setup from them with an NVR. Initial setup on the desk went smoothly and then things got in the way and a few weeks later forgot the password to get in (or rather I could remember it but wonder whether their thing had done the common thing of reverting back to an American keyboard). Regardless I couldn't log back in as an admin into the NVR, no problems - hard reset and start setting things up again. That's where the problems started, the NVR got set up correctly but then it couldn't talk to the cameras without the old password. So started hard resetting the cameras and nothing happened with them. There's a utility you can get for the PC that supposedly resets the cameras, downloaded it and plugged a PC into the same switch as the cameras, nothing. Then at some point during these attempts the PoE ports with the cameras decided to stop working.

For the price I paid to say I wasn't happy is an understatement so I've requested a return for a full refund and am still currently battling with them over this. They want the password I used to set up the device... Part of the problem is I want to do it all via emails so I've got a record of things...

 

[Screwdriver]

Hikvision is a Chinese state owned surveillance company.

I wouldn't want to install that in my business.

 

[EddyP]

buy another hard drive swap what you need over asap
photos docs that is

youve been really silly there

It’s a RAID setup so there’s already a clone within the Synology.

There’s nothing wrong with the Synology apart from the motion detection, I just don’t like the idea of a drive being rewritten so much when it has important documents on it.

If the motion detection in it worked ok I’d get another Synology out some WD red drives in it and use that. There must be better out there though.

 

[gaz1]

there is better depends on what you want and what you want to pay

the cameras only record a certain amount but ip cameras record better just use more hard drive space

so it depends on which cctv system you want vs cost

 

[duncans]

I've seen for my self how it can be hacked and you can even talk to them its funny actually as there looking all over from where the sounds coming from so don't be too confident as it can as I've actually seen it as stated you can see through every camera that you have installed

 

[Screwdriver]

It’s a RAID setup so there’s already a clone within the Synology.

There’s nothing wrong with the Synology apart from the motion detection, I just don’t like the idea of a drive being rewritten so much when it has important documents on it.

If the motion detection in it worked ok I’d get another Synology out some WD red drives in it and use that. There must be better out there though.

You don't have to use the built in Synology motion detection, use some commercial grade software that can write to the NAS or (one assumes) use whatever NVR setup you decide to go with for the motion detection. A lot of IP cameras also have their own motion detection built into the OS. That's why I recommend something like Axis because they are happy to sell the cameras at a premium (cheap s/h tho) and give away some really good software, all you need is a (free) account.

 

[brightspark]

Hikvision is a Chinese state owned surveillance company.

I wouldn't want to install that in my business.

hickvision is one of the the best and biggest . I have there cameras on my house I realy don't care where they are made its quality stuff with full guarantee . get my stuff from dynamic cctv but I don't think they sell to the public you could give them a ring

 

[onlymeagain]

I am looking to change my current old CCTV system to a more updated unit, as I lack clear definition, during the day and especially at night time. My system is a few years old and the cameras are only 900TVL, so this does not help.

The one I am looking at, is this and the cameras are EXIR, which for night time is great.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANNKE-Came...ywords=exir+cctv+system&qid=1591183341&sr=8-9
It is an 8 channel system, includes 8 cameras and a 2Gb hard drive.

Hope this helps you?

 

[gaz1]

I am looking to change my current old CCTV system to a more updated unit, as I lack clear definition, during the day and especially at night time. My system is a few years old and the cameras are only 900TVL, so this does not help.

The one I am looking at, is this and the cameras are EXIR, which for night time is great.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANNKE-Came...ywords=exir+cctv+system&qid=1591183341&sr=8-9
It is an 8 channel system, includes 8 cameras and a 2Gb hard drive.

Hope this helps you?

i dont want to upset your bubble but only ip cameras can provide clear cut evidense of the person thats clear

if they wear anything your system is a waste of time even with ip cameras

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/cctv-upgrade.79732/#post-1124601

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/surveillance-camera-at-work.93233/#post-1378992

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/home-outdoor-cctv-2016.67547/page-2#post-885351

 

[onlymeagain]

i dont want to upset your bubble but only ip cameras can provide clear cut evidense of the person thats clear

if they wear anything your system is a waste of time even with ip cameras

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/cctv-upgrade.79732/#post-1124601

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/surveillance-camera-at-work.93233/#post-1378992

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/home-outdoor-cctv-2016.67547/page-2#post-885351

You are not at all upsetting my bubble. I was giving my opinion on what I thought was the best option for me. Now that you have mentioned the IP cameras, I will take a look at these.

 

[Shox Dr]

Far better off using stand-alone PIRs. Much easier to mask off areas on the sensor if required, or just point down etc.
They can be fitted away from the camera for better detection and to stop interference with the camera. Most systems can also be setup so any PIR starts other cameras recording that may not be covered by the initial trigger.

 

[Screwdriver]

hickvision is one of the the best and biggest . I have there cameras on my house I realy don't care where they are made its quality stuff with full guarantee . get my stuff from dynamic cctv but I don't think they sell to the public you could give them a ring

I think on a house you'd be fine, I doubt that you will be monitored as an individual. When it comes to business use, I am less certain. I would be wary of having an internet based ONVIF camera linking to a remote website if I had any trade secrets to keep.

Sounds like paranoia but I got sick of having to wade through unfathomable websites so I had a look to see if the built in firmware and software could be hacked to become more user friendly. The first thing you discover is that most if not all of these cheap as chips IP cameras have a hidden admin account. It is commonplace in China to monitor citizens and they might just not bother removing that "back door" remote monitoring ability...