[k2max6]

Originally Posted by black12rr

Excellent ,this came at right time . Thanks for putting it up .

Guys if you can also recommend the brands of the products used it will be better .

1. Can I just have video display without recording(recording HDD can be added later) ? . Just if some one opens the gate, I just switch the video input on remote of TV and the video of camera opens up on TV .

2.How costly at IR video cameras of good resolution compared to normal video cameras ?

Yes its possible.
You can buy any CCTV camera as per your budget and need to connect its video cable to the TV.The CCTV will continuously provide video to TV so whenever you select the input the feed would be available.
IR cameras are available as low as 800 bucks. You should get a decent one around 2.5k.

If you want high definition video then ip camera is the way to go.That would cost you atleast 6k with motorised pan and tilt.Would also provide you anywhere access.

[BuildUpGypsy]

Gurus, any recommended reliable free DDNS service? Static IP is not affordable.

[nkg77]

Originally Posted by BuildUpGypsy

Gurus, any recommended reliable free DDNS service? Static IP is not affordable.

https://account.dyn.com/
http://myq-see.com/
I am using the above 2 for sometime now without any issues.

[dutta_d1]

Just my 2 cents...

For people looking for a quick and cheap alternative (maybe temporary) for a surveillance system, can now use their android phones as a complete unit. There are various applications available from the Play Store like "Motion Detector" , "Surveillance", etc. which act like a complete motion sensing unit which can send mail and notification to another cell whenever it detects a motion.

I used such a setup using a cheap phone when I needed security for my car parked outside in the lawn by setting the phone on a window with the camera side to the car and it worked ok.

I guess it is worthwhile when going on a trip outside to have the app installed on your phone for car security.

[Behemoth]

Some recent updates / upgrades to my system in the past few days:
1) Upgraded my LCD monitor to a proper 15.6 Inch one from LG - E1642C , which I got from Flipkart at a good price of around 4700, now I can see all camera feeds with good clarity. Connected it with a VGA cable to the DVR unit

2) Also had an old Belkin Laptop Cooler unit lying around, kept it underneath the DVR, to keep the HDD cool, as the DVR unit did not have any inbuilt cooler fan and to keep it cool. It runs off the USB on the DVR. (Thanks to Sohail99 for suggesting that HDD cooling is required with small DVR units)

3) Added a fourth Cam in the front of our house 480TVL, with 40 M range and 48 IR Leds, which has decent night vision.

4) Got the Remote view finally working and am able to remotely view all my cameras from anywhere, both on my android phone and my Android Tab.
The client side software which I am using is Asee+, which works fine.
I also took a Dyndns (Paid) account as my Belkin router only supports Dynamic DNS only from Dyndns!
There were two vital settings which I had missed earlier, which I figured out now and have got it to be able to work.
My DVR actually needs three ports to be forwarded! One for server, one for HTTP and one for Mobile. Forwarded all these ports and was able to access it fine.
The other setting which I had missed earlier was on the user privileges for the remote login user, which needs to be enabled for "Remote view" which I had missed earlier as it was embedded in a dropdown menu.
The user guides which came with the DVR are not much help as they are typical English translations of the Chinese guides!

Overall the system is running fine and the new upgrades have made it more effective.

Regards,
Behemoth

[Jaguar]

We are planning to install a security system in our apartment complex. Though I would love to, DIY is not an option since I don't want to deal with the people in case of any hiccups .

The need is for a system that can support some 20 cameras including weather proof ones. Recording is needed. Web access is not mandatory. Can someone point me to any company/person in Bangalore who would be able to set this up? Any known brands I should be looking for in Cameras and DVR?

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

The need is for a system that can support some 20 cameras including weather proof ones. Recording is needed. Web access is not mandatory. Can someone point me to any company/person in Bangalore who would be able to set this up? Any known brands I should be looking for in Cameras and DVR?

You may need to buy a 24 channel DVR. Depending on the volume of data you want hold i.e to hold a week's or month's recording you need to choose your storage media.

2TB Hard disk drive would be the bare minimum in case you want to store the data in a decent resolution. Go for AV hard drives which are specifically designed to be run 24X7.

I have been using HIK vision, US based company. The equipment is pretty robust. And hard disk drive is Western Digital AV HDD.

Remote view (web access) is available across most models. Just that you need a static IP or some tweaks to enable it.

Have you've got a inhouse dedicated security team who can constantly do the video surveillance?

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

We are planning to install a security system in our apartment complex. Though I would love to, DIY is not an option since I don't want to deal with the people in case of any hiccups .

The need is for a system that can support some 20 cameras including weather proof ones. Recording is needed. Web access is not mandatory. Can someone point me to any company/person in Bangalore who would be able to set this up? Any known brands I should be looking for in Cameras and DVR?

Some brands that you can consider based on your budgets:
Mid range: HikVision, Qsee, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic
Professional: Bosch, Honeywell, Pelco

Find a good local system integrator who can install the system professionally for you.

You will need at least 24 channels like warwithwheels also suggested. Also be sure to get a good high capacity Ups (I can recommend Apc) for the whole setup, to protect againt line surges and power changeover (assuming there is a generator backup). In case there is no generator backup, go for at least a 1.5 Kva pure sine wave UPS with 2*200Ah external batteries.

[bj96]

Inspired by this thread I have started a DIY project to install a surveillance system for my home. I am right now sourcing different components- have already purchased a 4-ch DVR and outdoor IR camera. I have a question regarding HDD for DVR.

How critical is to install a HDD geared for AV applications like WD AV-GP (Flipkart http://www.flipkart.com/wd-av-gp-2-t...c-24df8d77a1bb ) in the DVR or any normal Desktop SATA HDD is just fine?

Tia,
-BJ

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by bj96

Inspired by this thread I have started a DIY project to install a surveillance system for my home. I am right now sourcing different components- have already purchased a 4-ch DVR and outdoor IR camera. I have a question regarding HDD for DVR.

How critical is to install a HDD geared for AV applications like WD AV-GP (Flipkart http://www.flipkart.com/wd-av-gp-2-t...c-24df8d77a1bb ) in the DVR or any normal Desktop SATA HDD is just fine?

Tia,
-BJ

Good to know that you are setting up a system.
For the Hdd, it is better to get a higher duty cycle SATA drive as it will run 24 hrs and can get damaged if it is not suitable for 24 hr use. You can buy WD Blue if it is available. Also good to get some additional cooling for the Dvr.

[R2D2]

A very useful thread. I plan to install a similar system at home.

Thanks Behemoth!

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Some brands that you can consider based on your budgets:
Mid range: HikVision, Qsee, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic
Professional: Bosch, Honeywell, Pelco

Very usefull stuff and a nice write up, how ever just wanted to know did you think of getting an IP camera instead. how different ins the view from an ip camera compared to your setup.When you connect to the stream from the net to your DVR.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by abishek2222

Very usefull stuff and a nice write up, how ever just wanted to know did you think of getting an IP camera instead. how different ins the view from an ip camera compared to your setup.When you connect to the stream from the net to your DVR.

Thanks Abhishek,
In fact, before this setup, I did have a single IP camera which I was using for monitoring my home.
But a single IP camera setup has several disadvantages which this system overcomes:
1) An IP camera is typically standalone and cannot record (unless it has a built in SD card which too will have limited time recording due to small space)

2) If you have to keep a large number of angles in surveillance you will need multiple IP cameras, which will be a more costly arrangement compared to the setup.
But if you just need 1-2 angles, then IP cameras are ok. Only the recording part you will need a separate media server to record the feed if you would like to have recorded surveillance.

3) Technically IP cameras are digitally communicating versions of analog cameras with a built in Media streaming, for easy access. But they are downspec-ed in terms of the Image quality to make them cheap. Good IP cameras which are used in professional applications like city surveillance are really expensive and can exceed almost 80k per camera.

4) Also most commonly available IP cameras do not have Ingress Protection (for protection from rain/ dust) and also have very limited Nightvision capability

Regards,
Behemoth

[abishek2222]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Thanks Abhishek,
In fact, before this setup, I did have a single IP camera which I was using for monitoring my home.

what do you feel about this dvr
http://www.ebay.in/itm/4CH-Channel-C...#ht_2422wt_987

[venks]

Originally Posted by sohail99

I would recommend an acrylic dome for it if you're placing it outside to protect it from dust etc.
link - http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358048628&sr=8-1&keywords=foscam

I have it placed near my car and can talk through it to ward off miscreants! lol

Hi sohail99,

I am planning to buy foscam for outdoor monitoring. Did you buy it in India or US? do they provide support here? I checked Amazon.com review for Foscam outdoor camera and see lot of comments on reliability issues.

Thanks