Rossman

My runs are less than 100 feet. The detached garage is only 20 feet from my house. The wire from the house to the DVR is less than 25 feet.....so I'll have approx 50 feet available once the 100 ft wire gets inside the garage. I think I'll just run one quality CAT5E wire to the garage and the rest will be RG59. This way if I ever want a direct internet connection, the cable will be there. I really only need one camera inside the garage. What wire would I need if I wanted a 1080P PTZ outside my detached garage? TIA.

I currently have a Q-see analog system (model 5616 960H) installed. I'll be running cable to my new detached garage soon. I'm using RG59. However, if I upgrade my system in a few years to 1080P, will I need CAT5E cable or will the RG59 work? I'll be running it underground in a PVC tube....so it is important to do it only once. I'm considering running both cables. TIA.

delete; double post

I bought an analog QT5616. I have three cameras installed in my basement but will be installing the remaining 13 cameras shortly. I tested all of the thin cables that came with it and they all work. I understand I might get a better picture out of better cables and they will be more durable. I'll also be having a garage built on the lot next to me. I'll be burring the cable (in a tube) and running three cameras to the garage. I certainly don't want to use the cheap cable that came w/ the system. I see you can get shielded cable on e-bay. Some is double shielded, 100 feet for $16. Some is shielded RG-59 UL rated, 60 feet for $24. What should I buy? Any source you can recommend? TIA.

I had Q-see replace the 5516 w/ the 5616 that I originally ordered. They wanted to just do the update, but I wanted the product I originally bought.

So I got my Costco Q-see 5616 system delivered on 4/21. When I turned it on it started whistling. The Costco rep said the HD was bad. I received a replacement DVR from Q-see on 5/2. I noticed that they sent me the QT5516 model instead of the 5616. I opened it up and I see it does have the 2TB HD. I briefly hooked up one camera and it does seem to work. However, I'm concerned that they sent me a lesser model. It appears that the 5516 model only has D1 recording and the 5616 model also has 960H recording. If you try searching for the QT5616 model on their website, it doesn't come up. Does anyone know the difference in these two models? Is it worth another return? TIA.

Thanks Shockwave. I went ahead and ordered it from Costco. $890 delivered. I think it will meet my needs.

I'm considering ordering Item #834362 Q-see 16 channel 960H 2TB system w/ 16 900TVL cameras delivered for less than $900. This would be for my personal residence. The few reviews seem to be mixed. I don't need 16 cameras right now, but eventually I do have plans for 16 cameras. There is not a local place to see what a 960H 900TVL camera looks like. Also, do you think the 1080 cameras are much better than 900TVL 960H and the 1080 cameras may drop in price considerably before the end of the year? I also see that Lorex has a 16 channel system w/ 12 900TVL cameras and a 12x PTZ for around $1,100 delivered. Would this be a better system than the Q-see? Some of the Lorex reviews also seem to be mixed. I do intend on adding at least one PTZ, but I would like it to have night vision. The 12x PTZ w/ the Lorex system does not have night vision. I would also like the unit to have at least one if not two or more audio inputs for a microphone. The Q-see system has four inputs. I could get by w/ a 16 channel unit starting w/ 8 bullet cameras and one PTZ. I would later add more cameras. Are there other options comparatively priced or better quality for slightly more? My budget limit is $1,500 for the system w/o installation. However, I could keep the price under $1,200 w/ the Q-see system and an IR PTZ 10x camera from ebay. The lack of reviews of the Q-see system makes me want to wait a few months until I read more reviews. I imagine the price of this system will continue to go down so there is no need to jump on it now. If 3-4 of the cameras don't work and I need to return them, no big deal....I don't need all 16 for the initial hookup and can wait for the returns. Anyone saw this Q-see system in action? Any comments? TIA.