Security Cameras

[MO_Soldier]

I just got involuntarily moved to an area with a crime rate much higher than I'm comfortable with. An AR is on the list, and I'm gonna have ADT installed hopefully. But I am considering security cameras. 2 I can move, and 4 that I cant. All on a DVR, and 600+ TVL.

It's the Lorex LH3361001. Any thoughts, tips, or things to consider in my research? I've never dealt with cameras before. Thanks guys!

[yqtszhj]

I installed a Q-see system from Costco online a year ago. Came with 8 cameras (none moveable though), DVR good for 14 days, cables and everything. Took me 2 days to install it but I paid less than $500 for everything, I have every window and door covered along with the whole driveway, and it is internet accessible. Very nice

[MO_Soldier]

This one comes with just 6 for $440. But two are moveable. One for the front, and one for my daughters room. Every room is covered. So I guess I am getting the same value. How do your's work in the dark? Are they IR cameras? What is the resolution?

My step dad got his motorcycle stolen on camera. The resolution wasn't good enough to solve the case though. I don't wasn't that to happen...

[Charlie98]

I just installed a 4 camera Swann system, it went in pretty well and is working good. Mine only has 4 stationary cameras, which is all I needed.

The IR is pretty decent, but right now, with the Christmas lights up, it's kind of faking the cameras out at night. I have one on the dark side of my house and it's doing fine in the dark, the others were fine before I put up the Christmas lights. I think the range on the IR is about 50' with mine, they cover my driveway and the front of my house, which is what I wanted.


I put 2 on each corner of the garage and two up high covering the other two, in case they try to disable them.


With the Swann, you are able to adjust the recording resolution... I pumped mine up to high, I want as much detail as I can get, particularly at night. Mine came with a 500GB hard drive, it's capable of recording about 30 days of 24 hour service at best detail... I suggest you do the same. My system can handle up to a 1GB drive, if I can find one on sale I'm going to pick it up and swap it in. Thankfully, the gave me a Western Digital AUDX green drive which is intended for 24 hour AV recording, if I were you I would check and see what they installed in your unit... the best cameras in the world won't do you any good if the hard drive pukes.


Looking at your system you mentioned, the video resolution isn't very high... they claim 352x240, my system records at 510x492. That's also a 16-channel unit, not necessary for what you have in mind and may be why the resolution is so low... because of all those channels.

...and that may be because it's a wireless system.

Also, I would not buy an all-in-one system (monitor and DVR all in one unit...) if the monitor takes a puke, you have to replace the entire system unless it's serviceable somehow.

[yqtszhj]

6 for $440 sounds good. If you need more storage space for video a lot of the DVR's have the place to add a extra hard drive. I would just check any reviews you can find. Mine are IR. The resolution is good to to about 30 feet too which covers my areas, best during the day but OK at night. I can't remember exactly what the resolution is. The picture resolution is better in a picture shot than what comes over the video. I can snapshot any frame in the video and it's pretty good.

I would say believe the IR/night distance is about 1/3 of what they advertise.

I like being able to go online and just look around when we're not at home. Check on the dog and stuff like that. There are Iphone Apps to do that too.

I had it set up to email me alerts (movement detected in some cameras) but every bug and bird set it off and gmail shut my account down.

I think I'm going to hook it to the doorbell so if someone rings the bell it takes a picture of them.

[MO_Soldier]

I didnt choose howany channels it has. I just picked it for the versatile camera package. I read it had 600TV Lines of resolution. I figured that would be close to 720p. They advertise them as super high resolution cameras. I never saw the aaaXbbb resolution rating like you found.

I wont be happy with that low resolution, if that is the case.
This one comes with a 1TB HDD, upgradeable to 2TB.

Time to find out more about their resolution...

[yqtszhj]

sounds like a good hard drive and decent cameras. The price is right. I'd go with it.

[MO_Soldier]

I hope its right! Itll probably be February before I can afford it though. That'll be good piece of mind. Lorex has an app for it too, so i can watch on my phone from anywhere.

[Charlie98]

Time to find out more about their resolution...

Mine is a hard wired system... it was a 'female dog' to run 2 of the 4 sets of wires, but it had to be done (in one case I had to put a 1X12 board down, get on my belly and scoot out to the end of my bay to run the wires out through the soffit... good thing I'm not closterphobic. ...AND I didn't fall through the celing.)

Most of the cameras themselves are actually made by Sony, maybe see what the resolution of the hard wired units they have are and compare...

Here is my Swann system (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=81-124-211&ParentOnly=1)... in fact, that's my review.

[muggsy]

I've found that cameras aren't a very good defense against criminals. I went with a Rottweiler. His bite is far worse than his bark which in itself is quite fearsome. Besides, a camera can't lick your face.

[MO_Soldier]

Me and my family aren't good with pets muggsy lol.

Plus, rotties arr banned here, AND my landlord doesnt allow pets.

[tek610]

When will these anti-dog folks get it?

Banned Rotties = higher crime rate.

:D

[OldLincoln]

I thought the 28th amendment allowed dogs!

[jocko]

I canonly speak from my happeningsin businessyears back. When the insurancecompany was doing an audit in my business where I had my guns room also, One of the questions in the audit, was what kindof security do u have for the business???

I said I have a yellow lab that I leave in the business at night and a sound system that goes to my home right next door. the agents comment was "get the dog out of the business". I could not believe what he said. I said OK, no problem and they left and the dog never left the business at night either. They would rather pay a loss claim than a bodily injury claim,I guess. I won';t say Insurance agents are bottom feeders, for I think they feed one level about attorney's, who are truly bottom feeders. Not all but enough to make me form my opinion.

Just sayin.

My daughter is an attorney in Florida, needless to say we don't talk alot of law or politics either. I know it is the fokking water in Florida that has warped her mind.