Home security Cameras

Quote from lowpro : It's a "you get what you pay for" kind of thing. Your budget is not all that high. Check out this thread [cctvforum.com] for some sample pictures. Trust me, if you go with an analog system, you'll be left wanting more. And in turn, you'll end up re-doing it all over again. It'd be best if you went wired, POE (power over ethernet) is the way to go. Wireless, can work, but is not recommended as the best choice.

+1, If you want a standalone system, NVR(network video recorder) + ip cameras I would suggest you look at avtech.http://www.avtech.com.tw/ they have really good reviews on the forums, as well as unique features such as as push video which sends you a video of motion within seconds. (blue iris can do this as well, to the iphone for now). cctvgold.com is a reseller of avtech and BI.

I haven't heard of avtech being mainstream for at least 2 years now. Dahua (rebadged under a bunch of different names) seems to be at the top in terms of quality for the price. That ip 4 camera package with nvr being sold by Q-See at Costco is a rebadged Dahua system.

Lets break it down a bit...

Those 720p ip cameras usually sell for around $200 a piece.
The 4 channel NVR would sell for about $250 without a hard drive.
1 TB hard drive - $75
You'd need a POE switch, around $65 for a 4 channel one.
4 - 100ft cat 5e cables - around $10 a piece

So all-in-all, you're getting a really good deal for $699 at Costco. Essentially you are paying $150 per camera and getting the NVR for $100 with included 1TB drive. Not counting the cables and the built in POE in the NVR itself.

The other plus is that the NVR will be able to take 1080p cameras which should be rolling out sometime in the near future. The 6mm lenses have roughly a 45 degree FOV, you can easily change out the lenses with something that has a wider view for roughly $15 a lens if you go with a megapixel lens. The $150 per camera price comes from the other deal that Costco has, $299 for 2 camera. Those cameras are the same that come in the 4 package deal.

Downside: It's only a 4 channel package.

These guys have you steered in the right direction. One thing is for sure- DO NOT skimp on the cameras. There are all makes of budget DVRs with their pros and cons- you can even setup a pc based geovision sever, etc...

It all really depends on what type of surveillance/monitoring you are after and what you budget allows for. That amazon lightning deal would be a good start to get your feet wet- but those cameras stink.

Have a look at the link in sig to see what our's caught. cams sit ~50ft away (8 cam system)

This thread inspired me to glance at costco's offerings again and I couldn't help laughing at this:
http://www.costco.com/Lorex-4-Cha...67181.html

Quote : Recording speed: 5fps @ 1080p (1920x1080 pixels)/ 10fps @ 720p (1280x720 pixels).

There is a market for lower cost DVRs and cameras, it ultimately comes down to what do you need and what do you want to spend. I'd recommend running cat-5e/6 and a siamese rg-59/6 with 18-2 to locations where you want cameras, that would cover all the bases.

why not some ipcams? e.g. Foscam has a perpetual deal on the 8910 for like $70/ea - very easy to setup, wireless, apps for iphone and android, recording locally, very expandable. I currently have 4 of these guys about in my house, first one was used as a baby monitor now the rest are positioned such that I can see the entire 1st floor and some of the 2nd. I'd like to get a PT/Z outdoor camera but they are at least twice as expensive and IR performance is meh.

Quote from Dr. J : why not some ipcams? e.g. Foscam has a perpetual deal on the 8910 for like $70/ea - very easy to setup, wireless, apps for iphone and android, recording locally, very expandable. I currently have 4 of these guys about in my house, first one was used as a baby monitor now the rest are positioned such that I can see the entire 1st floor and some of the 2nd. I'd like to get a PT/Z outdoor camera but they are at least twice as expensive and IR performance is meh.

Cuz the OP is looking for security cameras.

Quote from lowpro : Cuz the OP is looking for security cameras.

?

serious?