Digital Video Recorder for CCTV

nitinpatil

Hi guys

I am thinking of fitting CCTV system myself, can anyone recommend specific model for DVR. I want keep this system running when we are away and when motion is detected it should send us photos/video to our email and also should kick off the alarm.

thanks in advance

Jnelhams

The technology has moved on a bit now, and you may be better off with IP Cameras, and a file server to record the video to. You can set the IP Cameras to motion detect and alert your mobile / laptop etc and upload video to a file server. This is probably much more reliable than a DVR and cheaper too.

kwikbreaks

nitinpatil wrote: »

...when motion is detected it should send us photos/video to our email and also should kick off the alarm...

In my experience any camera videoing the outside world will lead to lots of false positives in motion detect. I set mine to the lowest sensitivity yet there are still umpteen detection events every day from insects lit up by the IR leds to just the sun going behind or emerging from a cloud.

There are lots of cheap network DVRs on eBay which coupled with one or more dome CCTV cameras will look after the recording side and remote access to the DVR will allow you to take a look. Simple CCTV cameras and a DVR are cheaper than IP cameras - doubly so if you need weatherproof. Figure £25-30 for a camera and £60-70 for a DVR without any disk although I'd recommend you get one with a disk fitted as (again in my experience) they can be picky about which disks they'll work with if you go for cheap eBay ones - I had to return one. If you want to avoid the sort of issues I've mentioned you'd probably need to look at much higher cost kit though.

bluesnake

kwikbreaks wrote: »

In my experience any camera videoing the outside world will lead to lots of false positives in motion detect. I set mine to the lowest sensitivity yet there are still umpteen detection events every day from insects lit up by the IR leds to just the sun going behind or emerging from a cloud.

You fogot some false positives like cats, snow, rain, dustmen, litter, birds, clouds, wind blowing trees, car window reflecting light, police and other vehicles with flashing light.

I'm not sure how kwikbreaks camera was at night time with IR, but mine could see about 30 ish metres, but the person face would only be recognisable around 5m.

This is very good software http://www.h264soft.com/, but there is probably other just as good if not better and free, but works under linux.

The software doe not identify and track object movement. The detection system works because a certain spot has become brighter or darker.

kwikbreaks

bluesnake wrote: »

You fogot some false positives like cats, snow, rain, dustmen, litter, birds, clouds, wind blowing trees, car window reflecting light, police and other vehicles with flashing light.

Oh I didn't forget them I just didn't bother to list them all. Using motion detect to trigger a recording is fine because the odds are you'll never trawl back through them all but sending an email isn't a good idea.