I finally pulled the trigger

There are a few members here that will be glad.

I just purchased (2) 4mm 3MP Hikvision bullets.

After I play with those a little but I'll order a few more. Just want to see if I like the 4mm

over the 6/12.

As far as software I guess either BlueIris or Xprotectgo

On my Intel i7 custom tower.

Either of those two NVR software apps are great for starting out.

I use the 6mm and 12mm in my side yards to narrow the field of view so I don't see a lot of wall or fence. My 6mm camera is still too wide for my side yard, may swap it out with 12mm.

Alright thanks.

I chose the 4mm since I need the most coverage I can get with my first few.

The street is only 30ft from my door so I think it will be great for front yard coverage.

Even side/driveway coverage the 4mm should work great. I'll move it around to different locations to see what is needed. I'm excited to have finally pulled the trigger.

It only took a full year. Lol

Its the china versions so does that mean all the menus will be in Chinese.

The only thing in Chinese is the day of week in the on-screen display. So I turn that off and displays just the date and time, like most camera brands do anyway. Other than that, you can chose from many languages in the upper right but English is the default but you can pick Russian, Polish, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Czech, Chinese and some I can't decipher.

Also worth noting, they are setup for PAL frame rates. To change it to NTSC, you go to the Configuration/Image screen and select 60hz for Video Standard. Sort of not intuitive.

Awesome thanks.

As far as software ...On my Intel i7 custom tower.

Lots of hardware there. This one (if the mini-pic makes it) runs on anything in the last 8 years. The pic is of the service manager. Coming really soon is the plan but I said that last summer. Super-secure (NSA proof? I think so) and super efficient. The transcode in the pic is using hardware (I have the app at minimm scale (it can go full screen and keep the same contents, just bigger); it uses Direct2D for the clients so scales as if it were vector-based (no jaggies). It's super-smooth and responsive. The service/server which this svc mgr manages, does the recordings, event processing, alerting -- phone, even voice, e-mail, whatever -- is a plain console app that runs as a service, using a lowly Local Service account. Any number of instances, each doing from 1 to 20 camera. It can also run AS a user-run, console app. It is designed for remote access; everything to/from it is over an encrypted TCP/IP network (SRP, SSL, and then again the stream is encrypted). The svc mgr (in the pic) can manage any running server (each slot there can be to a different server/location). I expect a low price, and a completely free 1-camera (otherwise complete) package. And no DRM. I don't like DRM. Never have used it.

BTW, the transcode is done at the server. It's to make viewing otherwise high-bitrate streams remotely possible, at a much lower bandrate. No extra camera connection (you never connect directly to a camea).

These showed up yesterday! " title="Applause" /> Their pretty small!

Sweet! Can't wait to test them out, been so busy it might be a couple of days though.

I see a 11/2013 at the top, but a 2011 at the bottom, assuming they were built last month?

It also appears their the 5.0.2 versions..

Awesome! Great for you! Hope all goes well. Keep us posted.

Thanks! Going from 420tvl to 3MP should be a noticeable difference.

They are tiny and I opened one up and it's such a dense layering of boards, they certainly packed a lot into a tiny package.

It's not that a 4mm lens can't perform in a narrow side yard, but my side yard is 70' long but maybe 15' wide. So for me, I put the camera on corner of my house. With 4mm, If I point it straight down the side yard, down the middle, maybe 1/3 of the frame is just wall, 1/3 is just fence and 1/3 is the side yard. With a 6mm, maybe 1/4 is wall, 1/4 is fence and 1/2 is side yard. It depends on the dimensions of your side yard, but if you can use a 6mm or 12mm to get a narrow viewing angle, that means you are using more of those pixels to your benefit. Instead of being able to ID someone at 25' with the 4mm lens, the 6mm maybe 38' and with the 12mm it maybe 75'. Also, what happens when you mount the camera to the side of your house parallel to the wall is the IR illumination bounces back off the wall and causes issues, so a camera with a narrower focus may do better at night.

Those camera's look very similar to the ones that cam in my Lorex pkg.

They are, their just 3MP instead of 1.3 or 2mp.

Their resolution is cut down and rebranded as lorex, swann etc...

Where the 2mp is 1080 resolution these 3mp are 1536.

BTW I haven't gotten these up and we woke up to find someone had gone through my wife's car as we forgot to lock it. Didn't take anything but damn I gotta get these up.

I hope to buy another 2-4 by months end.

On my Intel i7 custom tower.

That custom tower an HTPC?

If you're running something like windows media center, you can map cam on your channel lineup.

The build consists of, Mind you this was built backin July of 2010. Pretty nice 3+ years ago.

Gigabyt GA-x58A-UDR3 LGA 1366 Intel X58 Sata 6GB/s USB 3.0 atx Intel Motherboard

Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 hdcp rdy crossfirex support video card with Eyefinity

700W power supply

Intel I7-930 bloomfield 2.8ghz 130w Quad-Core processor

ocz gold 6GB ( 3 x 2GB ) ddr3 low volt mem

Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

I don't bother with media center, But from what it sounds like maybe I should look into it?

The build consists of, Mind you this was built backin July of 2010. Pretty nice 3+ years ago.

Gigabyt GA-x58A-UDR3 LGA 1366 Intel X58 Sata 6GB/s USB 3.0 atx Intel Motherboard

Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 hdcp rdy crossfirex support video card with Eyefinity

700W power supply

Intel I7-930 bloomfield 2.8ghz 130w Quad-Core processor

ocz gold 6GB ( 3 x 2GB ) ddr3 low volt mem

Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

 

I don't bother with media center, But from what it sounds like maybe I should look into it?

7 pro,? You already WMC..

http://knowledge.zomers.eu/dvblogic/Pages/How-to-configure-an-IP-Camera-in-DVBLogic.aspx

Thanks.

Does it work reverse so I can view my cams on my tv?

I have a HD DVR so I record all my stuff I want anyway already.

So I'm learning the whole poe switch.

I happen to have a HP procurve 10/100 24m hub.

Is that POE?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hp-Procurve-24M-10-100-24-Port-Network-Hub-J3289A-w-Power-Cord-QTY-25-Available-/390689003832?pt=US_Network_Hubs&hash=item5af6e11938

I know I gotta order a real poe 8chan switch but will this one work until then?

That one's not POE. It'll work if you feed the cams 12Vdc at 1 or 1.5A. This type of power supply isn't expensive, and can hold your 2 cams until you spring for a POE switch.

Alternately, you can go for an inexpensive 4 or 8 port POE switch dedicated to the cams.

This is a good time to think on your longer term plans for both camera and networks, such as how many cams you except to have (which you should probably multiply by 1.5 for reality's sake), whether you want/need a Gb uplink for the POE switch, want a managed switch or not, etc.

I have some 12v 1a power supply's I can use for now,

I plan on picking up 4 more by months end, at least 2 more. So I would say I need at least an 8 POE switch.

If their not too much more I'd like to get a 12 poe switch because I think long term that will be my number.

I have $90 in Paypal funds, If that isn't enough I'll just use my debit card.

I'll do some more research but if you happen to know off the top of your head a good 8 poe switch for $80 I'd love to see it.

I plan on running these 3mp cams at 10-15 fps. If I run just motion, then 15. If I decide to record all day it'll be 10fps. I'd rather not

do 7.5 but we'll see how much it eats up hd space. I may buy a 2tb just for the cameras. I have a 1tb and a 2tb already in the tower but their almost full of other data. Pictures mainly.

The Hik uses the defacto standard 2.1x5.5mm connector. If your PS already has these, verify the polarity, and you should be good. Otherwise, you'll need a connector for it.

When I'm doing short term power connections or testing stuff, I like to use these screw connectors:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pair-Male-Female-2-1-5-5mm-DC-Power-Jack-Plug-Adapter-Connector-for-CCTV-Camera-/390720830006?pt=US_Surveillance_Cables_Adapters_Connectors&hash=item5af8c6ba36

Search for cctv power connector to see lots of options. You can get them from Amazon, too.

If they go outside, you'll need to protect them, but this would be true of any connection to the Hik's short pigtail.

I already had a 12vdc 1.0a charger for what I can assume may have been a phone or small electronic device.

For testing purposes I have already got it setup. I was amazed at the quality, of course coming from 420tvl domes/bullets I knew I would be happy.

Now I need to run my cat 5 from the router to the locations I want the 2 cameras.

Just for testing, here's a screen Snap shot from my computer, not the camera. But it was nice just to see it working. lol

I would like to get everything going today but I literally just had my 4 wisdom teeth pulled so I'm not feeling 100%.

That switch is a bad choice. First, 24 port at 100Mbps, that's is a huge problem these days with HD cameras and other devices, that's why is cheap.

I would not go more than 8 cameras per PoE switch with either a GigE uplink port or a full gigabit switch and then have that connect to a GigE switch or your router if it's GigE that the NVR, PC, NAS are plugged into.

I had a problem with all 100Mbps just with 6-7 cameras. When I upgrade to a GigE switch, the traffic shot up about 50%, that shows you how constrained I was with a 100Mbps switch.

Also, if you have extra dough, getting a managed switch is nice because you can remotely toggle power to a camera if it's acting up. Also, careful buying inexpensive PoE switches because they may not be full power on all ports, for example, the spec is 15.4W per port, but some have say 15.4W max per port, but only 60W total per switch.

If you are interested, I have a ZyXel 16 Port Poe Switch (8 ports are PoE), 100Mbps. A few months old but I upgrade to a GigE switch. Let me know. It's full power on all PoE ports, still under warranty. Also, if you are handy with a soldering iron, I have a few managed ZyXel switches with bad case fans, 9 ports, 8 are PoE, 9th is a GigE uplink port.

Firefighter

Lorex Model 2153 1080p Ip camera. Is the model 1.3,2 or 3mp camera??? In the lorex pamphlet it telling me its a 3mp camera??

Alright thanks buellwinkle.

Tony, Lorex Website says its a 1080P. 1080P should be 2MP. But I don't know fore sure, I haven't searched into that camera.

Alright so I ran the cat5e, added ends and got it all working in my network.

I'm just using the HikVision online viewer that comes with the camera.

Here are some shots from the "Caputure" option on the liveview.

This is with my outside lights on, which are two florescent floods to the right of the camera, and a street light at the far top of

the frame.

this is at 3mp.

The front door is 16ft in front of the camera. The street is 30ft from the front door straight out. Just to give an idea.

The 4mm is of course more narrow than the 3.6 I had before, which I kinda wish It was 3.6 but oh well.

In front of the door is a 6" x 6" sign that says "24 Hr video security system" sign I placed just to get an idea.

I'll also upload a photo or two of me outside.

For reference, Here is a shot from the old 420tvl camera.

And the new one.

And in night mode with ir..

So here are two captures of me in front of the door, and then down the steps. So me close to the door is about 18ish ft away.

and the 2nd is maybe 24-25ft away. Roughly.

I'm 6'5", 220lbs.

Remember, It's 1AM and the lighting is from a florescent light flood bulb that is like a 20w bulb.. the exposure is set to 1/25 because it's either that or 1/50. No 1/30 as I've heard is a common choice.

And me cropped from the photo. I feel pretty happy, since it's night. I'm hoping to get a better photo durring the day time.

I haven't really messed with any of the settings, most everything is at the middle 50 mark, except noise reduction it's at 100.

For a camera under $170, It's worth it for sure. These are the Chinese versions currently selling for $167.

Also, here are some night shots with the outdoor flood bulb off... Only street light and a 5W LED fixture at the front door that

it almost useless because it's cracked glass giving a very bad light off put for cctv. Just for looks.

No IR, DAY Mode with No Flood Light.

IR ON, Smart IR OFF

IR ON, Smart IR ON