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Toaster

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Posts posted by Toaster

  1. Posted

    Obviously being the guy paying, I like the cheaper idea of simply adding a couple of IP camera's in the "trouble" areas as tomcctv suggests. Spending $5000 right now (or anytime honestly) is a huge investment for any small business owner. I'll say this, I understand the justification especially from the guy's who sell, install and service this type of equipment for a living. Spending $5000 to $10000 on cctv surveillance is like having insurance. I get that.

     

    I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I've seen some 720p kits for cheap... and of course seeing sample video's of HD vs SD would impress anybody, especially me after having an incident where I was unable to clearly make out the guys face who vandalized my parking lot. THIS THREAD

     

    I'm also contemplating adding a better placed camera outside, the problem with that is, I've already had a bullet camera stolen right off the wall before, so strategically placing even a dome camera would mean placing it low enough that someone would be able to access it fairly easily, and then I risk getting a camera stolen - AGAIN!

     

    I DON'T KNOW.. I'M SO CONFUSED!

  2. Posted

    Well what I'm trying to figure out is, my DVR is a Q-see QT528 which records D1 30fps across all 8 ch. So, I've always left it at the default CBR 1536k 30FPS D1 per ch, if I reduced it to say 15 fps D1, CBR 2048k (which is max CBR) would that improve the quality of the images recorded? Or VBR highest 2048k even?

     

    FWIW, I've adjusted a couple of cameras with these changes. Set one for VBR HIGHEST 2048k and lowered it to 15fps, and another to 10fps CBR 2048k... I dont think there is a huge difference between 30fps and 15fps, and even 10fps... My DVR at home is 8ch 7.5 fps D1, but because I don't use all the ch's I'm able to increase the frame rate per ch to 12, and the video looks very good (smooth wise I'm talking about) and I as someone said on here (somewhere) you're not making a movie, ultimately your gathering evidence... don't get hung up on FPS.

     

    After a few days I'll review the differences, but I'm a simple consumer, and I figured I'd ask you guys, the pro's who are in the know, and are much more familiar with the different scenario's.

     

    Any input would be appreciated and beneficial to all (I think?)

     

    THANKS

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  4. Posted

    How much would it cost me to switch from Analog to IP Megapixel cameras?

     

    I currently have a 8ch D1 30fps DVR with 8 cameras at my store. After having an incident where the footage resulted in no recognizable face shot, I'm considering adding or converting to Megapixel IP cameras.

     

     

    If anyone would be willing to take the time to answer my question with a little information, links, maybe some specs to look for or kind of point me in the right direction as to what I may want.... I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.

  5. Posted

    Point is I capture the event on the roof mounted camera, but with no clear face shot, now what?

    Now what, what? This incident is over. Use this as a learning experience. What have YOU learned? What will you change and/or add to your system to correct the problem? I'll give you a hint- it's not the equipment that failed you.

     

    I already know the placement of that camera is less than ideal, but nearly a year ago (to the day) we suffered another incident where someone STOLE the rear camera right off the wall. So I'm not a fan of lowering the cameras to anywhere near adult height where they can be tampered with. This outside parking lot camera is up on top of the awning type thing above the store's door.. in order to lower it any, I have to re-do the signage that is on that awning. OK, let's assume I did that, it would get moved about 2 feet closer to street level, I'm not sure that would have helped much. It would still be at a considerable angled view... again, there is just not a lot of option for that camera's placement. Unless I figure out a way to conceal one lower that would get a better face shot as someone walked in or towards the door. I'd have to hide it pretty good, otherwise I run the risk of it being stolen ---- AGAIN...

     

    THIS THREAD has pictures, and that video from 08/16/2011 when the bum stole my rear camera (which I never replaced yet)

  6. Posted

    This system was installed in 2010... and it was a nice inexpensive system at the time. Like everything in tech, time has marched forward and prices have dropped, products (across the board) have improved, and it might be time to consider upgrading.

     

    I've seen some NVR boxes, which last time I looked at IP camera's the only solution that I can remember was using a dedicated computer with capture card... now I see they have some stand alone boxes.

     

    So what would the folks here suggest? What is a decent solution, cost effective, with 6-8 cameras. (I'm currently running 6 cameras, but would probably add the other 2 outside for rear view, side view for a total of

  8. Posted

    Fairly upset, caught a vandalism at my store front during lunch break. Customer comes to store on a bicycle, upset the door is locked, starts trashing the parking lot and sidewalk in front of the door with trash, old tire, breaking glass bottles, that were all left on the side of the shop earlier by the lawn guy - which was my fault for not insisting he cleaned up, or going out there and cleaning it myself...

     

    Point is I capture the event on the roof mounted camera, but with no clear face shot, now what? No real evidence to speak of, unless I'm lucky enough that the guy comes back on the bike and I see him and can confront him at that point.

     

    This is a Q-see 1/3" CCD camera with 520tvl recording on a Q-see QT528 dvr which is 30fps at D1. It THIS SETUP

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    Here's the video on YouTube

     

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    The 25mb raw D1 video pulled from the dvr can be downloaded HERE

  12. Posted

    Right now, 1TB is giving me about 20 days of recording, all D1 30FPS across 5 cameras (well 4 since the 8/16 as one outside camera was stolen - that story's and video is in another thread - CLICK ME)

     

    But 2tb drives at 5900, which are hitachi with 32mb buffers are on sale now for $70, so adding the second drive would yield 3tb of storage and if I'm calculating that right about 2 months of recording 24/7....

     

    I need to get a 60mm fan for this case (I'm pretty sure thats the size its going to require) and make a little air flow...

  14. Posted

    What I need to do is add some security lighting back there, to help the camera's see and lighten up that whole back area.... Overall I'm grateful and consider myself lucky.

     

    He only took a $h!tty cheap camera, so I'm out $50. No damage to my store, windows, doors, etc. Thankfully he didn't (or couldn't) pull the cabling out and risk pulling the DVR off the shelf its sitting on, causing damage to the computer underneath and whatever else was on the desk. I have since tethered the camera feed cables against the wall just before the DVR in a zig zag pattern, so IF in the future this happens again, the chances of damaging, pulling or dropping the DVR are slim(mer).. I would think the cabling will tear first.

  18. Posted

    a bit of grease on the outside casing of the camera will give the thief a nasty slip and fall.

    He was probably stealing it to sell, I don't think he'll bother agin once he finds out he can't sell

    a wrecked CCTV camera. A dummy with another camera looking at it is a great idea. but what about a dummy with 120v ac running through it? That'd be worth seeing.

     

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  20. Posted

    Here's the question, I'm currently using a 30fps @ D1 dvr, it came with a 1TB drive green drive. If I upgrade it to a 2tb drive, can I use one of those cheapies I see at the computer superstore's? Like a hitachi 5900rpm 2tb with 32mb cache? Or should it be a "green" drive?

     

    The dvr is a large footprint drive, can hold 2 HDD's and a CDR/DVDR drive. NO CASE FANS. And its in my business and it gets HOT in the summer when the store is closed, and COLD in the winter when the store is closed. Would I benefit from fan cooling? and would a lower RPM hard drive be able to keep up with recording say all 8 ch's at 30fps d1?

  22. Posted

    I've learned from this... and I'll share to help others who may happen to read this.

     

    I mounted the camera on the left side of the building, as this is a 2 space building of which I have about a 1/3 and my neighbor has the other 2/3's. So I mounted it basically at the dividing point of our businesses... Not to be mean or anything just because. Well, under where I mounted the camera was some electrical wires in pipe, and what I'm guessing to be a natural gas feed pipe... It never dawned on me that someone would casually walk by and jack the camera! And you can see from the video - it was pretty darn easy for him too... Getting up there was not a problem for him.... So long story short: Mount camera's in the most REMOTE/UNACCESSIBLE PART OF YOUR STRUCTURES.

     

    When I replace the camera (which I have not done yet, because where we are we've had like 63-64 days & counting of 100+ heat and its just tooo damn hot!) I will mount it on the TOP of the roof (instead of the wall) the roof is about another 6 inches to maybe a foot higher (again, give or take - I'm not actually measuring, I'm eye balling it), I'm going to put it at the corner top edge where underneath is NOTHING BUT WALL AND SIDEWALK. So unless you've got a ladder, you aren't getting up there.

     

    My son said we should use DOME CAMERAS too... I've never used them or installed them so I have no idea what to expect... are they harder to pull down or something? From the looks of the video, I don't think it would have mattered what was mounted back there - he was all cracked up and just wanted to steal my freakin' camera.... Probably got 50¢ for it.

  23. Posted

    On 8/16/2011 at 5:20am, some guy, who looked like a homeless bum, walked by the back of my building, caught a glimpse of my bullet camera mounted on the back of the building... A few seconds later, you see him pulling himself UP to get the camera, I'm assuming he used the gas line (or whatever that pipe is). The camera was about 8.5ft up (give or take). He pulled the mounting and ended up BREAKING the camera, because he couldn't get the wire through the tiny hole in the cement wall, the connectors were too big. So he ended up pulling the wires OUT of the camera, because they're still connected in the back.

     

    Because it was NIGHT TIME, never got a real good look at him - but even if so, I doubt anything would come of it. I'm thankful he didn't pull and damage the cable feeding the camera, or manage to pull the cable far enough to drop the DVR it self... It was a cheap $40-$50 Clover camera, which like I said - he totally F'd up anyway! IDIOT LOSER!

     

    Click anywhere on the jerk's face to watch the 42 second video.

     

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    View My Video

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