hubjeep 0 Posted June 17, 2011 Howdy all, thinking about installing a few cameras to monitor the driveways/entrance/pool area. I would probably lean towards building a PC (maybe Linux based) and set it on a KVM switch with my primary PC and switch back and forth to see what is going on. Reading a little here, it looks like analog cameras are cheaper. Do they all wire through Coax, or cat-5 (with a balun), IIRC each needs power too. I see 4-channel capture cards all over ebay, are these acceptable? Software recommendations? When it comes to cameras what do you suggest? They are so hard to weed out, hard to tell which ones are cheap with a good name on them since they all look about the same from the outside. Thanks, and sorry for the vagueness, I am new to this. Thanks, John Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted June 18, 2011 Reading a little here, it looks like analog cameras are cheaper. Do they all wire through Coax, or cat-5 (with a balun), IIRC each needs power too. With UTP (Cat5e, Cat3, Cat6, whatever), you can run video and power over a single cable using baluns. With coax, you need a separate pair for power. I see 4-channel capture cards all over ebay, are these acceptable? Software recommendations? "Acceptable" depends on your exact needs, but in general, these cards tend to be crap. When it comes to cameras what do you suggest? They are so hard to weed out, hard to tell which ones are cheap with a good name on them since they all look about the same from the outside. What is your budget? What are your requirements? Indoor/outdoor? Existing light? Areas needed to be covered? Do you need to see only general activity, or get identifiable facial shots? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hubjeep 0 Posted June 18, 2011 Thanks for the reply. What do most people run for small systems, cat or I did see coax with power leads in the same case? What is your budget? What are your requirements? Indoor/outdoor? Existing light? Areas needed to be covered? Do you need to see only general activity, or get identifiable facial shots? All cameras will be outdoor, fixed units (not PTZ). Looking at an entryway/driveway. Both areas have motion sensor floodlights. Looking for general activity. Budget is fairly low, but if spending a little more on cameras gets a substantially better picture (compared to those Lorex kit systems at BJ's Wholesale) it would be worthwhile. A friend of mine works for Speco, may be able to hook me up, just checked their website, omg, I don't know where to start looking at these things. Some are 2.8-11 Most look to be 1/3", some are 400 lines, some 500? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnederlanden 0 Posted June 18, 2011 If you are going to put them outside, make sure that you select weatherproof cameras. Cameras that connect through Cat5 Cable are called IP (or network) cameras and will be much more expensive (probably outside of your budget constraints, unless your Pelco friend can really hook you up). Analog CCTV cameras hook up through "TV-style" cables and, yes, will have a separate power needs, however analog cameras are much less expensive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted June 18, 2011 Cameras that connect through Cat5 Cable are called IP hi mnederlanden. cat5 with baluns can also be used with standard cameras. good for long runs and multiple cameras. even audio / power and data. a good cost effective cable Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hubjeep 0 Posted June 22, 2011 Cameras that connect through Cat5 Cable are called IP hi mnederlanden. cat5 with baluns can also be used with standard cameras. good for long runs and multiple cameras. even audio / power and data. a good cost effective cable Thanks. Now what kind of specs should I look for in a decent, lower priced camera? I see a lot of 1/3" Sony CCD IR units, 420 lines of resolution for around $50 each. Are these awful? $100 ones seem to have the same 1/3" Sony, but nearly 500 lines of resolution. Swann, Talos, ChannelVision? Same stuff with different names? :puzzled: This is probably well below what most of you are used to dealing with, but check out the reviews, people seem to really like it. Mods, please delete link if not allowed. http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-Security-Outdoor-Weatherproof-Infrared/dp/B001DBROYK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nimrod 0 Posted June 22, 2011 Like he said. viewtopic.php?f=53&t=26048 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
