CCTV

[BillyGoat]

Isn't it a sad world when you have to consider CCTV on your HOME.

Aside from the added expense and hassle of doing it, I think it makes houses look like:

a) they are hiding something
b) it's a bad area that you have to HAVE it there
c) the owners are paranoid

There must have been a scutty family that have moved in up the road, round the corner. Now each weekend a hoard of teenagers come back at 10pm pissed as farts and end up screaming on the road and usually sitting on peoples cars. Not near their own bloody houses. Then after a couple of hours of fighting amongst each other and screaming, they go home and do the same next night/week.

Could go out and say something, but it's not fair on the missis if they come back while I'm away - also, neighbour had his brand new Q7 scratched down the side, the week after he went out.

Gets on your tits.....

*hrumph*

Suppose I better see what cameras are available and get pricing (have a SystemQ account to use, so not all bad).

BG

[Wes]

It's very sad BG..

My last house, I had for 12 years, end terrace. The entire time I was there, had 4 break in's and absolutely endless damage done to the place. Caught them loads of times smashing windows, gates, even setting fires for themselves in my garage. Once had a neighbours car torched right outside the house. Absolute nightmare! Key thing I think is never to take it personally, unless you're getting direct threats.

If you're in that type of neighbourhood, it's generally due to boredom, weak parenting/bad influences or both. There's an endless conversation regards political policies, soft government, past and present culture.

I hate cctv with a passion, but we had a big revamp on the road with lots of work being done for a few months, cctv was put up to protect tools etc and what a dramatic difference it made to the kids behaviour. Then it was taken down after the work was finished and it all started again!

I feel for you BG, when I was going through all that, it kinda takes over your life. Coming home wondering what's next, forever looking out your window to see what there doing. Thinking if I go out and challenge them, all it takes is one of them to stick a knife in your side or you could become a direct target for years. Police can't be their 24/7 and half of them aren't bothered anyway once the police are gone. They're generally kids so giving them a slap's going to cook up a loads of sh*t

Eventually moved...and left that place behind

[Someone-Else]

I have CCTV, I look at it best to have it before anything happens than to have something happen and you wish you had installed it.

Cameras are fairly on obtrusive. You could even paint the housing to match your house. (No, I am not joking)

I have ones that look like

[BillyGoat]

to be fair, the place I live is REALLY quiet. Mostly older families and old people. Not really a young area at all. It's only recently that ONE family has moved around the corner somewhere and now this starts to happen.

Thankfully, it's nothing like you describe Wes....I don't think I could deal with that on a daily basis!!

This one family have had the police to the street twice, fighting in the street, smashing a taxi, screaming when they pass pissed each weekend/night, sitting on cars.

SE, I'm aware camera housings can be painted....never needed too yet thankfully.

Trouble I've got, is that I live on a corner with an odd shaped house - looking at around 5 cameras to cover round the house and one at the front door - so not cheap. I'd be wanting to record at 4 CIF/D1 for some of them on motion/alarm events so it's not cheap when you start pricing it all up.

Need an 8Ch DVR. Trouble with domes and outdoors is the range - even with the right lense or varifocals, it's never going to come close to dedicated housings with the right bodies in :( there lies the problem - they are fugly and big (there is a distance to cover from where the camera - it's not a short shot without pointing at peoples heads and being useless).

what DVR are you using yourself?

Last two I've setup recently were the AlienDVR range from said shop - both set and forget once all the masking and events were configured correctly. Happy to see quality/pictures from yours if you don't mind sharing?

BG

[Someone-Else]

I always wondered what would happen if you have an 8 channel DVR and it fails (for what ever reason) so I have more than one 4 channel DVR
Mine are set to record 24/7 I found that movement detection is too slow. I can also copy direct to a memory stick if required.

Yes it can be expensive, but I look at it as a good investment. I also never brought everything all at once.

[BillyGoat]

what make/model you got?

If a DVR fails, it fails - don't think I'd want two. If you think about it, probably wouldn't offer you fail safe anyhow - be covering different areas.

The models of DVRs I mentioned above have a buffer - if it detects motion, then it can be configured to include upto 5 minutes of footage before hand, depending on the camera. Also offer all the masking/motion spots by default. They also have multiple drive bays, so HDD failure isn't an issue.

If you record all the time, how do you know something has happened? The newer models, although a bit out my price range for now do something called sentry. Select an area and it produces an index with all the activity and allows playback from ALL cameras at the same time - lets you find WHERE something happened by selection (broken window/mirror/etc) and then see the events around as it unfolds.

BG

[kellys_eye]

You could do it on the cheap BG using webcams (HD resolution are cheap) and a 'spare' PC. There's lots of software out there that do motion sensitive recording.

Mount the cameras indoors looking out - use wi-fi webcams if you have the moolah and hate cabling.....

Another option is multi-channel PCI adapter cards for CCTV inputs. I have a four channel card courtesy eBay from many years ago, yours to play with if you want it???

[BillyGoat]

Heya KE,

Good suggestion, but I'm going standalone kit if I'm doing it. This is one place that I don't think cheap works - webcams would reduce the distance from the PC and I don't want the reliance of a machine being on all the time for this purpose. I've used IP cameras like these: http://www.pixmania.ie/ie/uk/9001178/ar ... aster.html

and was totally underwhelmed. Gave a full set (two outdoors, one indoor and a covert clock) to a mate for free. They use the powerlines for cabling and can be remotely accessed too.

I once met one of Logitech team and pointed out some of the more glaring errors with them, like the moulded plug for the outdoor units. He didn't see the problem, until I said you instantly invalidate the warranty installing them unless you either:

a) cut the plug off to install it
or
b) core a plug sized hole through your house to keep the product in tact

I tried DVR cards with multi inputs, but the software is ALWAYS really poor/buggy. Saying that, http://www.zoneminder.com/ is a cracking solution for those, but again needs a box to run on.

Appreciate the offer though, very kind!

[transitboy]

sorry to hear that mate, but look on the bright side a lease you don't have to have security bars fitted to your window as in some areas in London

[root]

its amazing how much one family screw up a nice area isnt it......

[Someone-Else]

DVR is from "avtech"

[BillyGoat]

Got some Sony Effio-II cameras coming for a looksee in the new year!

Also chose the DVR - 8ch jobbie. Can do D1 at 25fps on all channels, happy :)

When I start to get it all, I'll put details up if anyone cares?

BG

[warmadmax]

aye go for it,
i need to get some more DVR's for work, they're on their last legs,

want some 16ch ones that are networked, 200 fps total and network viewing programs (and phone apps if possible)

[BillyGoat]

Will let you know how it goes then.

Have to be careful of the DVRs out there. The all advertise silly FPS recording, but's often at CIF resolution - which isn't great!

Some of the new models I'm looking at have great features for playback and recording - will send some details, but you need to get one from account, they don't supply public. Is your for a shop or something?

BG

[warmadmax]

its for our company's office and warehouse,
just bog standard day night dome cameras (not hd) but there are a fair few of them.

current ones do (or did, one's died) 200 fps split between them all,
motion sensing so doesn't waste frames recording static pictures.

if i could, i would have had IP cams and just brought a license for the NAS we've got,
as it stands i've got 42 coax feeds to record