Home security camera/alarm

swilling

Wondering if anyone has advice on security camera's/alarms, I've seen pretty good recommendations for a simple Yale alarm, but I think alarms get ignored, so was wondering about camera systems.

I'm not interested in paying a subscription but I'd like a system that can save remotely, and provides remote monitoring but I can't find clear info on systems that do this, anyone got any recommendations?

also I'd like a camera doorbell, but the house is a typical victorian terrace with front door access down a shared alley, neightbour rarely there, sohat's to stop someone nicking it?

Spies

If someone stole your doorbell camera, at least you'd have them on camera? 

cymruchris

swilling said:

Wondering if anyone has advice on security camera's/alarms, I've seen pretty good recommendations for a simple Yale alarm, but I think alarms get ignored, so was wondering about camera systems.

I'm not interested in paying a subscription but I'd like a system that can save remotely, and provides remote monitoring but I can't find clear info on systems that do this, anyone got any recommendations?

also I'd like a camera doorbell, but the house is a typical victorian terrace with front door access down a shared alley, neightbour rarely there, sohat's to stop someone nicking it?

Is it something you want to fit yourself or have fitted?

If the former, how's your technical knowledge, and if the latter what kind of budget were you thinking?

I've done a lot with Hikvision (many other brands available) and find the brand very reliable, giving decent quality images, a decent app, a doorbell option, and no subscriptions.

If you outline what you're thinking - then we can maybe point you in the right direction - i.e. a camera looking at the back garden, the front garden, the garage, the side path and a bell.

I would add a word of warning though - that whatever you go for - go for a reputable brand rather than a no-name product. You might be able to save 30 percent compared to a Hikvision (or Dahua is another decent brand) but you'll pay for it with headaches further down the line when things go wrong

swilling

Spies said:

If someone stole your doorbell camera, at least you'd have them on camera? 

very useful! I was discussing this recently and what put me off was they have had 2 nicked!

swilling

cymruchris said:

Is it something you want to fit yourself or have fitted?

I'm pretty technical and can set up routers etc.

swilling

cymruchris said:

If you outline what you're thinking - then we can maybe point you in the right direction - i.e. a camera looking at the back garden, the front garden, the garage, the side path and a bell.

Camera at the end of the alley watching the front door, and one watching a rear window, I'd like to be able to watch via a mobile app, and save footage when using the app too.

Is that possible?

cymruchris

swilling said:

cymruchris said:

Is it something you want to fit yourself or have fitted?

I'm pretty technical and can set up routers etc.

Can you make your own network cabling? Have you got a good knowledge of how an SLR camera works? Things like shutter speeds are good to understand as security cameras operate on a similar principle.

As I say - list what you're thinking and what kind of budget you have in mind to get a bit more of a firm direction.

Mr.Generous

If an alarm gets ignored then CCTV just leads to face covering. The basic idea of an alarm is that they just go somewhere else. A police scene of crimes guy told me (a few years ago) that he had NEVER attended a domestic burglary where they had a working alarm. They just target the house without one. He did say that a very high percentage who got broken into did say they had been thinking about fitting an alarm, and most did after the event.

I spent a few years renovating empty property - with lock changes and an alarm we had zero breakins - but twice the occupied - but no alarm - house next door was broken into. It's just a case of reducing the likelyhood I guess.

At home I do have CCTV and an alarm. It's not a high crime area at all, but I figure if someone is going to get turned over I don't want it to be our house.

cymruchris

I’ve fitted several hikvision systems - I can show you this one as it’s one watching the local owls. You can watch a single camera, 4, 8, 12, 16 cameras at a time (you might only need 4). Easy to access playback and save to your phone. 

The network video recorders are generally a minimum of 4 x channel. For the small difference in cost though I’d go for an 8 way as it allows further expansion in future if ever you need it 

When you say one camera watching the rear window - where do you envisage mounting the camera ? 

As I say - a budget would help  

swilling

A budget, hmm, 100-300 i suppose

cymruchris

swilling said:

A budget, hmm, 100-200 i suppose

Ok - that's useful to know - that really rules out the systems I've been talking about. As a minimum - A good network video recorder would probably come in at about £200 - a decent surveillance hard drive inside it another £50-60 - a roll of network cable (external grade) probably around £75-100, tools for creating your network cables £30, network cable ends £10, and then the cameras probably in the region of £100-150 each for something decent. (Cheaper options on the cameras are available - but have less features and lower quality). From memory the doorbells are about £150 - but although I know many people that have fitted these I haven't yet done one myself.

So a 2 camera system and a doorbell would likely be around £600/800 when all components of the system are taken into account for something that's decent branded/free app/network based.

If you went old school co-ax cable you'd save a little on the cameras, but I'm not a fan of co-ax personally.

For the budget I think you might struggle to get something that's subscription free - it would likely be a ring doorbell or similar - but can see you don't want to go down that route.