new install video quality: use supplied cable or buy Siamese

[PoorOwner 0]

I am installing a 4 Ch DVR capable of recording 640x480, comes with 420TVL cameras but it comes with standard cheap cable, 28AWG, 60 ft, power and video in one cable.

 

I was wondering if I am going to get much better quality for this length of cable if I replace it with siamese cable of RG59+18/2 AWG power. Is it worth the effort AND expense (I have no BNC crimping tool) 60 ft looks to be adequate for all camera locations.

 

 

Thanks in advance

[VST_Man 1]

if you have the money install the better cable. if not, install what you have in a manner that allows you to pull a new cable freely.that way when the cheap stuff fails, and it will, you can pull a new cable.

 

crimper and connectors are not that expensive.just make sure you get ALL, cable, crimper, connectors, from the same source.......and make sure they warrant that it will work right the first time. I'd go with compression over crimp..............

[PoorOwner 0]

Thanks VST_Man, do you know what kind of quality am I missing when using the plug and play cable? Also even if I get the RG59, the camera has a 4 foot lead built in would this be the bottleneck as far as picture quality goes?

 

I am leaning a bit towards running the RG59, because the length is customized when shorter than 50' and the quality would be even better just by doing that.

 

You said about getting the stuff from the same source, I found this "datashark" brand at home depot, the compression tool was $20 and they have a BNC connector $2 each. I needed to wire some Coax for my TV anyway later so this will be good "investment". It's a economy compression tool not those $60+ ones, is that going to matter for me to do about a dozen or 2 dozen connections around the house? Do you know the difference between the expensive version vs regular version?

 

Then I found siamese cable 500' on ebay which says 95% copper braid and copper core, this sounds like a good buy from my search here we want as much copper as possible for this application.

[VST_Man 1]

HD is a good investment.....................95% is industry standard, don't get anything less than.

 

That short lead is ok......not much you can do anyway.

 

the quality you'd miss using those cheaper ones is loss of TVL and resolution.......and even focus in some really poor cable. Good cable will pass the entire signal with very little loss where a cheap one will clip it.......and/or degrade it.

 

i actually own a Camera Master 2 which I use to test CCTV signals. It provides m e with a very good measure of how the camera is operating and also how the cable effects the signal...........before I had this i would focus a camera and go look at the pic, which looked out of focus and faded...CM2 helps me identify camera or cable problems.....and it works!

[PoorOwner 0]

That's great, thanks for your help..

 

got another question though do you know how can the camera says 420TVL but transmit effective 640x480 pixels... that's just the pixels and not what the camera actually can see, it can only sense 420 lines (TVL) right? So I am missing out on at least 60 lines. Are pixel / resolution information being output by the camera, and the DVR will just take whatever it can from this image? whether it be 352x240, 704x240 etc from the camera.

 

The DVR although will record 640x480, not sure they didn't just make it D1.. so until I get a 480TVL camera this will not be fully high res right?

Would a 480TVL be better than 420TVL, by having 14% more lines and roughly 14% more claraity?

[PoorOwner 0]

Also, when adding the 12V plug to the end of the cable.. do you just use the soldering type like radio shack sells? Or do you get one with pigtail and solder the wires?

 

Are there better options?

[fullvision 0]

My suggestion: 1. change the BNC, use the better one. That is the cheapest way

2. 420TV LINE change as 480TV Line.

[VST_Man 1]

I've used these to connect power http://www.allelectronics.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=butt+splice