PaulfromCT

Is it just me or does this look like an advertisement? I think HikVision (Swann/Lorex) are better cams. I still have one Dahua (q-see) in my system, keeps a watch of the basement.

The Lorex cams are pretty good IMO. I have the domes and the bullets. I second the notion of running some quality Cat-5e (easier to run without the ends, confidence of GOOD wire in your walls, etc). If you get quality wire you will have so much less headache getting the twisted pairs to stay straight going into the RJ45 plug (to terminate). I can't tell you how many RJ45 ends I have thrown away when replacing ends on already run (pre-made) cables. Let us know how the DVR works.

I had the exact same problem with my Lorex domes. I took off the dome and cleaned the inside and out and it fixed the problem. Not sure if it was a dust particle or what, but the lines were gone. While you are in there, fluff the foam pads to avoid IR leak.

Thank you for the honest reply. After looking around, I don't think I am going to be able to afford what it will cost to get the license plates, well not at night anyway. What would you recommend for the other areas? I just want to be able to see if someone is messing with or in my car, and to see who is at my front or back doors. These seem to be much more realistic goals. Could I do it with two cameras in front, because if the two places we park, and one on the back porch, or will I need a fourth camera for my front door area?

 

I am almost always home, so I am much more interested in being able to know when I should step outside with either Mr. Mossberg 12-gague or Mr. Colt .45 Defender than I am making case with the cops after the fact (although that would be really nice too!). If I am asleep when it goes down, the I guess that's why I have insurance.

Haha, what warrants the .45 over the 12 gauge or vice versa? For what you are looking to do AND if you are good with computers/networking you could pick up (2) 2 packs of the Swann Bullets at Costco ($700), Blue Iris server software ($50) and a 4/8 port POE switch ($50) and you would be good to go with a pretty good entry system for around $800 bucks. To get GOOD video this is really the starting point for DIY. Plus, Blue Iris has a great Android app and the developer is really responsive. With only 4 HD cams the BI CPU usage shouldn't be too bad (if it is an i5 or i7), but if you keep adding cameras BI might tap out your computer.

I had same issue with a Q-See (Dahua) bullet, the IR cut filter got stuck. Never had that same problem with any of my Swann/Hikvision bullets or domes. If you spent a lot of time wiring up the system, placing cameras and programming the NVR I would call Costco and see if they will replace just the one camera (so you don't have to start all over). I have had nothing but good luck with Swann cameras in the past and this bad camera was probably just a fluke.

BTW, that is a great view!

Optex and Bosch are two brands mentioned here. Make sure it's outdoor rated. They come as hard wired to 12V and battery operated, but cost more.

 

http://www.optexamerica.com/security-products/lx-402

 

http://products.boschsecurity.us/en/TAMS/products/bxp/SKU262656013936028799990277259-CATM94e42974ba808ed700e2d4978c3cc557

 

Here's my thoughts, because these outdoor units may be pricey. You can get the equivalent indoor versions for $20-30, so if you can put it under an eave, maybe seal as much as you can with some silicone but leave a gap at the bottom for any moisture to escape, you may be able to save some money.

 

Not very good advice if you want reliable detection. Once bugs are inside game over.

But are the outdoor ones ok...I mean bug wise? They aren't too pricey at around $70 bucks. I am getting so many false alarms due to shadows (much more now than in the summer when the sun was higher in the sky) and headlights. I can't find a happy medium with BI. If I turn on object detect/reject it doesn't do the before/after buffer and if I turn up contrast/size I lose too many "real" events.

We have cameras with built-in PIR motion detectors like Mobotix but I'm saying get the next model up Hikvision, they run about $259 with the varifocal lens, the ds-2cd2732 or ds-2cd2632f and they have alarm inputs. Then you can wire in an PIR motion detector that detects infrared heat signatures of objects that pass it, so way more accurate than video motion detection.

Thank you! I am having such issues with shadows and change of light triggering motion detection. I did not know you could wire a PIR to an IP cam's alarm input. I think it is time to upgrade the outdoor cameras (don't have same issue indoors). Any particular PIR sensors you recommend? I know where to get the Hikvisions

We had snow twice this season already in So Cal mountains. Can't wait for our first big blizzard. The only way to do what you want is with a PIR motion detector, but not with the entry level Hikvision cameras.

I had the same problem tonight with fog. Buellwinkle, do you mean to use a floodlight motion detector and a camera that can take of the quick change of contrast? Or are there IP Cameras with PIR motion detection built in?

ak_camguy where are you from? Looks like you have some decent snow already.

What software are you using to capture for the Swann cams? I noticed the mailman clip did not time out even when there wasn't too much movement/contrast change.

To cavcom, I have a 2 Hikvision domes and 2 Hikvision bullets. The picture quality is excellent, they have only been in use for around 8 months so I cannot say too much about durability. I was starting to get some IR bleed with one of the domes but by "fluffing" the gasket around the lens I was able to get rid of most of the bleed.

A) Would be nice, no idea how to implement.

B) Easy. Install Blue Iris server and then add wireless devices (ipad, galaxy). You can add certain cams so you are notified with motion. It is not a text, but a direct message to your phone. Very cool.

Quick question: The cameras that you are installing, do they have an Optical Zoom? The examples you are showing have high powered optical zoom. You are not going to get the same result with a fixed camera trying to digital zoom. The higher the MP the better the result, but it won't compare to camera with true zoom.

What are the issues with the Hik domes? I'm trying to pull the trigger on a couple of inexpensive 1080p cams for the front of the house, and am considering domes for appearance. These sounded OK so far, but it's hard to keep track.

 

Too bad Dahua can't get their act together on distributors and support. It's gone from bad to worse recently. I'd be tempted by the 1080p mini bullet if I could find somewhere to buy them.

There is a difference between the dome and mini dome. I had the mini dome and I had issues with low light/dark (no ir) and the daytime was so-so. I had the Q-see branded (Dahua) mini dome. I currently have the Lorex Domes (with IR) on the outside of my house (which i believe is a rebranded Hikvision). They work incredibly well for the money $350/pair, look better than the bullets and are more resistant to vandalism. From the experts on this board Acti would be a step up (in price and quality).

Not sure if it is related, but I had some similar issues with my Q-See 1080 Dome. It just couldn't handle 11AM-2:00PM (when the sun was hitting the dome). But mine was not a focus issue, just an awful picture rendition (colors washed out).

I've never mount an outdoor cam before. When I got my swann cam from costco I noticed there is a 2ft pig tail hanging off the camera with connector for power and POE cat5e.

 

These are to be mounted on the side of my house (brick wall) and wood.

 

How do I go about running the wire across the side of my house? In particular protecting the CATe5 and power connector pig tail of the camera. Is there something that I can buy to wrap it up and protect it from the element/rain?. I mean the cables I can just put some kind of hook on the wall and run the wires along the wall. but I'm just worry about the connetions to the camera being wet

A Picture of the cam location would help greatly. Ideally, you want the pigtail and the cat-5 connector concealed to avoid the easy "unplug" by the bad guys. If that is not possible than they make this black rubber shrink wrap that constricts when heated (this could cover the Cat-5 connector). But if outdoors, I would want all this in a conduit. That being said, a picture of the location would help.

Zik..

 

Please qualify your suggestion that the Lorex domes "have a better picture". Are you comparing a bullet to a dome, or bull to bull? Day or night, IR or w/o IR, etc. How would you define "better" as you've use the term here?

 

Thank you,

 

Jim

 

 

So what is the conclusion of which one is better? Lorex or Swann?

 

 

The bullets are the same...however it appears the lorex domes have a better picture.

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=36016

I have both and the nighttime picture is noticeably better with the Lorex Dome. I had to change the exposure time to 1/12 on the bullet to reduce the noise...but this resulted in overexposed day video. The one great thing about the bullets is the range of motion...but then you have the broomstick vandal issue with the bullet and not the dome.

Replaced the front driveway Swann Bullet with the Lorex Dome, much improved even with the 1/30 setting. Plus the dome gets better approval from the wife (less "noticeable"). Time to check out the Cykick.

UPDATE: I knocked the exposure down to 1/12 (next stop down from 1/30) and saw an extreme drop in vertical noise @ night with IR.

What is so different between the IR/nightime vision in the bullet vs the dome (besides the obvious)? I am worried that I will get some blur with a 1/12.

The 5MP sensor does require a lot more light at night than the 3MP. Get one of each to start and compare side by side for which works best where. I'll have 3 ACTi domes next week to review but the 2 and 3MP, not 5MP.

 

Don't worry about a PC, a simple i3 or i5 PC would be more than enough to handle 9 5MP cameras using ACTi's NVR software. Just setup the viewing to be on the second stream so you can view without eating up a lot of bandwidth, after all, what good is viewing 5MP on a TV or monitor that is only 2MP. The recording will still take place on the 1st stream at the full 5MP resolution.

Can't wait to see the reviews on the ACTi domes. I am going back and forth between ACTi and Geovision for a client.

First off, thank you for all the responses. Forums like these are so incredibly helpful. I didn't get a chance to swap out the camera today due my "honey do list".

MaxIcon: I will try to change the maximum exposure time on the bullet. I just don't want to impact daytime performance.

Shockwave: I have a double halogen flood on the driveway. At dusk it automatically turns on (VERY low level) and goes full blown (300 watts) when there is motion. I definitely gave the 2MP Dahua a shot as I didn't want IR. But my landscape lights and the low level floods just didn't provide enough light. Maybe because of where the lights were I could not position the camera correctly. From your pictures, that looks amazing w/o IR. I am doing a job where there is plenty of ambient light and will give some of the better low light/non IR cameras a shot. However, there is nothing like reviewing the camera footage and see that spider slowly lower itself in front of the camera.

Blake: Yes, you can turn the IR on and off by tripping the DAY/NIGHT/AUTO switch.

Buellwinkle: The driveway cam has WDR off. The porch has it on at a low level (6) because of the different light levels (under porch and in front yard) in the same frame.

Zikronix: Thank you for that info. I am going to invest in some Cykick. I am likely going to relocate the Bullets to the higher eves and it would be nice to avoid the webs. No fun to hang out second story window to clean a cam.

Do you have noise reduction enabled on either of these images?

 

On mine that are in almost total darkness I have it enabled and set to 100, it really cuts out the noise.

On the Swann driveway cam i have the noise reduction at 75, on the Lorex front porch i have it at 50. I tried upping the setting to 100 on the driveway cam and it cut out some noise (mostly the bugs). Still have the distinctive horizontal lines/noise. Going to swap out the swann driveway cam with the other Lorex dome cam tomorrow to see the difference (apples to apples environmental wise)

I purchased the Costco Swann bullets and after getting them configured was very impressed with their day and night video quality (compared to the 1080 Q-See Dome <-- AWFUL @ low light and Dahua Bullet I had installed prior). But then the Lorex Domes came out and I gave them a shot. I prefer the domes for the Anti-Broomstick vandal protection. I was worried about the IR Bleed/reflection with the domes, but surprisingly the night vision seems better with the domes. I thought these cameras had pretty much identical innards, but look at the attached pictures. These cameras are located in the same proximity with similar lighting. The Lorex doesn't have nearly as much noise at night (especially the horizontal lines). I have played with all of the settings. Any ideas?

During the day both cameras perform exceptionally well. I plan to keep the bullets and just put them on the upper eaves of the house (out of reach) and leave the domes for the lower eaves. I just wish someone could come up with a high frequency that would emit from the cameras to deter the spiders! They are a PITA with the IR!

PS: I tried to add the file at normal definition, but the site made me downsize to 500kb. At full size the noise is very noticeable on the Swann bullet.

The costco deals are always the best bang for your buck. you would of regrettedthe foscam purchase form what i read.

The cameras that come with the 1080p Lorex system are great! They had Lorex dome cameras, but they seem to be gone now (I have both the bullets and domes). Can't speak for the NVR because I use BI. But based on the camera quality/cost the package deal is a good one. If you are here and doing good research you are on your way...don't go Foscam. Although, I do give them credit, they were my first IP cams and if you need a wireless cam for a baby cam they are ok. Its just once you get a "real" cam you will see the Foscam video quality in a different light.

I just purchased this machine for $684.00. The processor is an i7-3770 Quad-core, 3.4GHz. This is a very powerful CPU. I am currently running Blue Iris with 8 IP cameras (14 total Megapixels). 6 cameras are running at 5FPS/4096 Bitrate and 2 cameras are running 10FPS/6144 Bitrate. My "idle" processor usage is between 10% to 14%. My CPU usage rise when motion is detected and recording starts, but I do not have any data on this yet.

 

Building a machine is a lot of fun, but I don't believe that you'll be able to come close to the specs of this machine, especially considering the 90-day return policy, the 2-year warrranty and the modern 64-bit OS which is included. Yes Win8 suQs, but you'll get used to it. Yes, the plastic case suQs, but does that really matter. Yes the 300-watt power supply is small but I'm using it as a dedicated Blue Iris server. Yes, it is loaded with BloatWare but you can download Revo Uninstaller Pro 30-day trial and remove it all which is what I did.

 

This machine is fast, powerful and should meet every need you will have for running Blue Iris and future camera expansion.

 

On the downside, did you ever notice how the fastenest, somkinest, sweetest machine you ever owned always feels slower after a year?

That is quite a computer. I used to build my own but the prices on pre-made units are just so competitive for the specs. As for the last sentence I am confident that this HAS to be collusion between MS and Computer Manufacturers to encourage people to get new computers every couple years. As a rule I try to reformat my computers (at least the OS drive once every 12-14 months) it is amazing how much a clean install improves performance.

I am running 9 cameras (4 1080p's and 5 VGA all running at 15FPS) with an AMD A8-5500 3.2GHZ (Nowhere near the specs of Q2U's CPU) and my usage AFTER changing to direct to disk is 33-35% when running as a background service and 60-62% when viewing cameras on the monitor.

These cameras have the same type of warning that the Swann bullet cams had "Compatible with Lorex NVR only. Cameras are not intended to be connected to the local network directly". Do you think this just means it is a royal PITA to get it to work without an NVR?

 

I received and installed one of these cams today to work with Blue Iris. Everything works great! It was a heck of an upgrade from the Q-See 1080p dome. The setup was tricky as the default IP was 192.0.0.64. You can either use the Hikvision software or just temporarily set a laptop to the that subnet, hook it into the same switch as the camera...then login using the default ip. The default username was different than the swann branded bullets. It was admin/000000. Once you get in you can set the network specifics to your LAN settings. Overall VERY impressed with this camera, and haven't even gotten a chance to play with the settings. Fingers crossed on the IR (being a dome and all) but the area I put it in is pretty well lit so I might not need them.

 

Cant wait to see pictures and video. Let me know if you need a place to host videos.

I can def post a before (Q-See 1080p Dome) and after (Lorex 1080p dome) daytime comparison pic tomorrow. Was having issues with off colors with intense sunlight. The Lorex handles the daylight lighting situation (with a dim porch) amazingly well. The IR is on par with the Swann Bullets, I see no noticeable bleed...but I still have landscape lights on so the cam is not in total darkness yet. Dome is definitely better appearance than bullet (per spouse). I am thoroughly impressed with these cameras for a low budget residential install. Buellwinkle is the king of the video reviews, learned a lot from his website as well as this one.

These cameras have the same type of warning that the Swann bullet cams had "Compatible with Lorex NVR only. Cameras are not intended to be connected to the local network directly". Do you think this just means it is a royal PITA to get it to work without an NVR?

I received and installed one of these cams today to work with Blue Iris. Everything works great! It was a heck of an upgrade from the Q-See 1080p dome. The setup was tricky as the default IP was 192.0.0.64. You can either use the Hikvision software or just temporarily set a laptop to the that subnet, hook it into the same switch as the camera...then login using the default ip. The default username was different than the swann branded bullets. It was admin/000000. Once you get in you can set the network specifics to your LAN settings. Overall VERY impressed with this camera, and haven't even gotten a chance to play with the settings. Fingers crossed on the IR (being a dome and all) but the area I put it in is pretty well lit so I might not need them.