Car Dealership Design

[fireski 0]

I have done a couple small car dealerships.. Seems like the common problem the dealer wants to see the whole lot with four outside cameras... which is fine for an overview...but when an incident happens, you can make out any detail and the client is pissed.

 

Any recommendations on the best way to design a system for a dealership, recommendations on a particular camera to use, placemement , number of cameras..

 

I know it is hard not knowing the layout...but average size dealer, 100 cars or so

[Birdman Adam 0]

Primary question: Are we talking analog or megapixel IP?

[Sawbones 0]

Primary question: Are we talking analog or megapixel IP?

 

Would pretty much HAVE to be the latter... if you want area coverage AND any hope of pulling details out of it later.

[rory 0]

Overview cameras and then cameras on the entrance/exits and the office.

Lots and lots of light!

Dont forget to add a Burglar Alarm system with Beams around the inside of the perimeter if not already installed.

[Soundy 1]

We had EXACTLY this issue with one car-dealership client... gave him several price options for his system, with outside cameras ranging from basic analog to better-quality megapixel, and put IN WRITING what the difference in quality and detail would be. Of course, he chose to go with the cheapest option...

 

...and the called in a tizzy a couple years later after they'd had a ton of cars vandalized and the cameras only showed small dark blobs moving between the cars (cameras mounted about 30' up the outside walls to get the broad coverage they wanted). Of course, he claimed this wasn't what we'd promised for the system...

 

...and of course, we sent him back a copy of the quote, with the expectations for the different systems, and his signature approving the cheapest option.

 

That shut him up pretty quick

[Sawbones 0]

We had EXACTLY this issue with one car-dealership client... gave him several price options for his system, with outside cameras ranging from basic analog to better-quality megapixel, and put IN WRITING what the difference in quality and detail would be. Of course, he chose to go with the cheapest option...

 

...and the called in a tizzy a couple years later after they'd had a ton of cars vandalized and the cameras only showed small dark blobs moving between the cars (cameras mounted about 30' up the outside walls to get the broad coverage they wanted). Of course, he claimed this wasn't what we'd promised for the system...

 

...and of course, we sent him back a copy of the quote, with the expectations for the different systems, and his signature approving the cheapest option.

 

That shut him up pretty quick

 

You did the same deal to him that he probably pulls on his customers ("Sir, the contract you signed clearly states 'X' payment for six months, after which the interest rate adjusts and your payment goes to 'Y'... and you approved the Dealer-Prep package and rebate-to-dealer")

 

That must have felt good.

[fireski 0]

Are we talking analog or megapixel IP

 

The distributer I deal with mostly always pitches the analog. I've asked about them and he really hasnt had that much good to say about them.

 

Honeslty I have never used an IP. The biggest pro I have heard about them is you can zoom in more deatail. Do you do this with the dvr or an exteral program. I am in New England so we have extreme cold temetures. Do they make bullet style or are they all need to be housed.

 

Finally, can you recommend a couple models I can look at? Lighting is very good in the area.

 

Thanks!

[fireski 0]

We had EXACTLY this issue with one car-dealership client... gave him several price options for his system, with outside cameras ranging from basic analog to better-quality megapixel, and put IN WRITING what the difference in quality and detail would be. Of course, he chose to go with the cheapest option...

 

...and the called in a tizzy a couple years later after they'd had a ton of cars vandalized and the cameras only showed small dark blobs moving between the cars (cameras mounted about 30' up the outside walls to get the broad coverage they wanted). Of course, he claimed this wasn't what we'd promised for the system...

 

...and of course, we sent him back a copy of the quote, with the expectations for the different systems, and his signature approving the cheapest option.

 

That shut him up pretty quick

 

This ALWAYS seems to be a problem with me. I genreally use Speco Intensifier Cameras; HT-INTB8 is one I like alot... Gives a great day and night picture.. but still at night when someone/some vehicle is 40-75 geet from the camera, you cant see anything.

 

So lets say I have a row of cars in from of the dealer, 100 ft long... I know I could use one camera and get that whole shot, but should I really be using a HT-INTb8 for the first 40-50 and and HT0INTb9 for the back 50?

 

Always so fistrating, the last thing you want after selling a system is a call saying they had an incident and cant make anything out and wants to enhance the picture post incident. This is after the client has gasped as my 4 camera / DVR quote for $3000.00

[Soundy 1]

The problem (at least in the example I gave above) isn't the distance per se, but the level of detail - when the cameras as 30' up a building in order to cover a large area, objects in that area are going to be very small, and the further away they are, the smaller they get.

 

Case in point: these two images are from two cameras mounted side-by-side; one is an analog dome recording at 4CIF resolution, the other is a 1.3MP IP cam adjusted to give approximately the same field and angle of view (BTW, the site resizes the pictures for display - click on each image to see it full-size).

 

 

 

Now imagine this is in a car lot... a person midfield in the frame will probably be about the size of the sunglasses on the bar.

[tomcctv 188]

hi just to give you some idea on zoom on a IP camera this is a good site you can play with, ok avigilon are a bit on the high price side.

 

http://www.avigilon.com/products/samplefootage/

 

but even the budget ip cameras will give you better zoom than standard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Zrl6lTiYZA&feature=related

[rory 0]

@ Soundy

What model of camera is that first one? That the MP camera outperforms it in that lighting?

In fact the MP image shows there is a ton of light, natural from a window?

Why is the analog one so dark? Is it very old?

[rory 0]

This ALWAYS seems to be a problem with me. I genreally use Speco Intensifier Cameras; HT-INTB8 is one I like alot... Gives a great day and night picture.. but still at night when someone/some vehicle is 40-75 geet from the camera, you cant see anything.

 

So lets say I have a row of cars in from of the dealer, 100 ft long... I know I could use one camera and get that whole shot, but should I really be using a HT-INTb8 for the first 40-50 and and HT0INTb9 for the back 50?

 

Always so fistrating, the last thing you want after selling a system is a call saying they had an incident and cant make anything out and wants to enhance the picture post incident. This is after the client has gasped as my 4 camera / DVR quote for $3000.00

 

What made you choose to use Speco?

IMO its overpriced anyway.

 

Anyway if you want to keep the price down, lower than that, look at this, use some budget wide angle bullets for the wide overview shots, then use some of for example CNB's box cameras (still alot cheaper than the Specos) with Day Night Aspherical lenses zoomed in on the points of interest, and use an 8 channel DVR instead - but dont go with some over priced cheap DVR ... there are other choices.

[Soundy 1]

@Rory: the analog is an older Mace B&W dome... it's intentionally a bit dark so the TVS overlay text shows up better on the left side. The only reason it's still there was because a solution for TVS overlay on the IP camera would have been too expensive

[ak357 0]

I have done a couple small car dealerships.. Seems like the common problem the dealer wants to see the whole lot with four outside cameras... which is fine for an overview...but when an incident happens, you can make out any detail and the client is pissed.

Any recommendations on the best way to design a system for a dealership, recommendations on a particular camera to use, placemement , number of cameras..

 

May be this will help you

 

Pix from "Shropna"

Edited February 11, 2011 by Guest

[thewireguys 3]

^^^ " title="Applause" />

[Sawbones 0]

The problem (at least in the example I gave above) isn't the distance per se, but the level of detail - when the cameras as 30' up a building in order to cover a large area, objects in that area are going to be very small, and the further away they are, the smaller they get.

 

Case in point: these two images are from two cameras mounted side-by-side; one is an analog dome recording at 4CIF resolution, the other is a 1.3MP IP cam adjusted to give approximately the same field and angle of view (BTW, the site resizes the pictures for display - click on each image to see it full-size).

 

 

 

Now imagine this is in a car lot... a person midfield in the frame will probably be about the size of the sunglasses on the bar.

 

I know I've said it before... but that picture never gets old, Soundy " title="Applause" />

[rory 0]

May be this will help you

Thanks, any night shots