[NBLUG/talk] Request for info on video cams for protection against burglary

Bob Blick bobblick at ftml.net
Thu Jul 25 12:43:24 PDT 2013


There are IP cameras that have ethernet/WIFI and some also have SD cards
for local storage. Otherwise they use FTP to your server, or no storage
at all. Can email you if motion is sensed. Have pan and tilt. 640x480
resolution. MJPEG so frame rate depends on your bandwidth. Tenvis is a
brand. Start at about $40 each. Not weatherproof at that price. If you
use WIFI be prepared to reboot the cameras every day or two.

There are CCTV DVR systems for wired NTSC cameras and a control box for
multiple cameras with hard drive and ethernet. MPEG or h.264
compression. 720x480 resolution up to about 8fps, or 30fps at lower
resolution. Zmodo is a brand. Start at about $150 for a full system with
four cameras and 500GB drive. Email/remote viewing/alarms etc.
Weatherproof. Come with 50 ft cables, for anything longer use CAT5 cable
and CCTV video and power baluns(cheap).

These are all the super low end but quality is acceptable. I suggest
multi camera setup so you have some cameras providing coverage and some
for detail. eBay/Amazon/AliExpress/DX.com etc

These I've mentioned all have IR illumination at night. Color
performance is compromised because of the IR sensitivity and lack of
IR-cut filters. You can get very expensive cameras that have a
mechanical IR-cut filter that moves in during daylight for color
accuracy. But anything good quality is 4 to 10X the price.

Bob

On Thu, Jul 25, 2013, at 11:54 AM, Roger House wrote:
> My neighbor's home was burglarized yesterday.  He's the third or fourth 
> burglary victim in our semi-rural area in the last month or so.  The 
> burglars seem to be fairly professional, using sophisticated equipment 
> to go right through deadbolts.  They also shut the power off to my 
> neighbor's house, presumably to defeat any alarm system.  Needless to 
> say, this has got me worried.
> 
> So, I've been thinking about video cams.  I saw a sign recently on a 
> nearby road with a happy face on it saying "Smile, you're on camera."  
> I've been composing a similar sign saying something like, "If you can 
> read this, your face is already on the Internet."  But, I'd like to back 
> it up with something real.  I know next to nothing about video cams, so 
> I'm requesting ideas and recommendations.

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