jdh5746

Thank you very much for your reply. You have a very good point re: 24/7 recording. Follow-up question, please: Where is the best place to purchase the Dahua NVR in the US? Also, I have considered getting a packaged system from s e c c @ m k i n g, that uses dahua hardware/software....but am hesitant for fear of locking myself into their app.... Don't want to be at their mercy if they decide not to support the next version of iOS or Safari. Any suggestions on that? Thanks again. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

I have been driving myself crazy trying to decide on a system for my home. If anyone has any advice for me, it would be very much appreciated. Summary of what I'm looking for: Needs: - 5 outdoor cameras (somewhat flexible either all bullets or 3 bullets + 2 domes) - Expandable to 8 cams (later...as budget permits) - POE - 720 or 1080 - Separate NVR (so the computer doesn't have to be on 24/7)... - Night vision - Custom motion detection zones (so that wind blowing trees won't constantly trigger recording) - Ability to view cams & recorded footage on a Mac OS - **A good/reliable iphone/iPad app (from either camera manufacturer or 3rd party). Wants: - Front door camera w/ 2 way audio via iPhone/iPad app. Note: Placement of front door cam would be under a large overhang (would never get wet) and I do not live in a harsh climate... So, I'm thinking that I can use an indoor cam for this purpose as integrated 2 way audio is difficult to find on an outdoor cam. Budget: $1,500 max (not including installation or wiring) Systems I'm Considering: 1. Hikvision Option - Hikvision 8 ch NVR - Hikvision bullet cams - Front door cam: Hikvision DS-2CD2432F-IW 3MP Indoor IR Wifi Cube Camera (http://overseas.hikvision.com/en/Products_accessries_161_i4920.html) 2. Q-see Option - Q-see NVR - 5 Q-see outdoor cams - Front door cam: Q-see EASYVIEW WIFI IP CAMERA QN6401X (http://www.q-see.com/easyview-wifi-ip-camera-qn6401x/) 3. Swann Option - NVR & Cams (http://www.costco.com/Swann-8-Channel-HD-NVR-Security-System-with-2TB-HDD-and-4-3MP-HD-IP-Cameras.product.100146086.html) - Front door cam: http://www.swann.com/us/ads-445-swanneye-hd-pan-tilt-all-in-one-ip-network-camera Any feedback/suggestions/recommendations would be VERY much appreciated! Thanks in advance!