Camera Security Systems???

[Sysop]

Yeah, I run their gear for all my network stuff here, professional quality gear at prosumer prices. As far as I know they're also the only ones to offer mobile app access without a monthly subscription since all their stuff uses WebRTC for p2p connections (at least on the unifi side).

I ended up not going with them since they didn't do monitoring as well but they were a serious consideration.

Vivotek's cameras have a free app for iPhone and android devices.

 

[vvanders]

Vivotek's cameras have a free app for iPhone and android devices.

From their website for VAST(which I assume is their central management software) states:

"Web Access via Internet Explorer"

Which doesn't give me a whole lot of confidence .

 

[Sysop]

Actually, there are many cameras that only work in IE primarily because the Windows Media Player plugin only works in Internet Explorer. To use anything else requires users to learn to install codecs, plugins, or other addons.

If a user is going to install anything, they should install the VAST software, which is some of the best software available for any system.

The server side of VAST stores all the video from all the cameras in a SQL database, making searches super simple and fast. I can do a search on my cameras and tell you how many people have been in and out of my driveway over the course of a week and the search takes about five minutes.

Check it out:

100% free (with the purchase of a camera) and no limits on the number of cameras. iViewer for Android and iPhone are very nice (and free) as well.

 

[tjkubota93]

I have the amcrest 960h from amazon. Works good. Had it for more than 2 years. The way my house is designed, it was an absolute ***** to run the bnc and power cords.

What sysop is talking about sounds better.

 

[goeduck]

From all of the different brands mentioned it seems like there is no consumer market leader?

 

[Diggin It]

I don't think the self installed consumer market is big enough to have a clear leader given the number of contenders.

Three of mine are Pan-Tilt-Zoom so I can look around when I want to. Most of the ones mentioned above are probably fixed view, but posters haven't mentioned that. Mine were meant for indoors, so I had to modify the housings. Outdoor PTZs are common now, but cost more, generally over $100 each.

 

[Motorboatin]

I installed cameras at my shop. I had multiple companies quote the job and pricing was all over the place so I looked at DIY systems and ended up buying a from SCW

Link was supposed to go here


I have no complaints. I had trouble setting up a few cameras that needed to be powered through a remote switch but their tech people walked me through it. One camera had issues and they sent out a replacement

 

[kcflhrc]

I have an 8 camera 1080p Lorex System with a DVR and a 1tb hard drive. I can monitor and play back right on my phone. Don't get anything less than 1080p cameras because the video sucks. These are wired cameras with BNC Cables. This system will also send you e-mail alerts when motion is detected. But that could be a bunny in the back yard. Lorex has their own app called FLIR, doesn't use a web browser and works great.

 

[Sysop]

Bunnies, HA! Motion detection on cameras mostly sucks in outdoor environments. A cloud passing over the sun or the wind rustling the grass will trigger motion alerts. If you have time, patience, and your camera has the options, sometimes you can set a specific part of the field of view and the sensitivity levels to minimize false alerts (the Vivotek cameras I recommended have such settings).

 

[kcflhrc]

Bunnies, HA! Motion detection on cameras mostly sucks in outdoor environments. A cloud passing over the sun or the wind rustling the grass will trigger motion alerts. If you have time, patience, and your camera has the options, sometimes you can set a specific part of the field of view and the sensitivity levels to minimize false alerts (the Vivotek cameras I recommended have such settings).

Yep, you change change the sensitivity and field of movement with Lorex also