Help choosing DVR for 3-6 cameras per store inseveral stores

[DavidWD 0]

Hi everyone. Due to a recent break-in at one of our stores, the owner has decided to beef up our surveillance system. We had a girl calling around for quotes, but the owner didn't like the quotes so I started doing some research and told him that we could probably do it ourselves for half as much. Now the owner has given me the task of working on this.

 

We have 12 Sprint stores ins Middle and West Tennessee. Our stores mostly need 3-6 cameras tops. Since our main office is located in Nashville, TN, we would like to be to view live video as well as retrieve recordings over the internet. I have also recently been tasked with renegotiating and/or replacing our DSLs and phone lines, so we will soon be getting static IPs to simplify a few things.

 

I have been doing a little bit of research over the last couple weeks and I think I have a general plan, but I could use some help with specifics. I think that CCTV with DVRs is the way to go. IP cams get expensive quickly, and PC based systems are more expensive while virtually guaranteeing that eventually some idiot is going the mess with the computer and screw it up. I have seen a few kits with 8 channel DVRs and 4 cameras at reasonable prices and think that we can buy one of those plus 1-2 better cameras per location to be placed in strategic locations. If we can record on 4-6 cameras at 7-15 fps as needed with motion detection at D1 resolution, we should have something decent to turn over to the police in the event of future break-ins.

 

I've seen the name Dahua and Avtech here and KGuard and NightOwl at NewEgg and TigerDirect and I've seen a number of boxes with no branding being sold by various websites. Most of them seem to be rebranded Chinese equipment. I'm just not sure which is the best way to go at this level. They all seem to be pretty similar and I don't want to choose a system and find out that I've screwed up royally. Are there any real major differences between these systems? If so, what are they and how can I avoid choosing something that does not meet our needs?

[rory 0]

Most of them seem to be rebranded Chinese equipment.

Everything is these days.

 

600TVL/700TVL Color IR Eyeball Domes for entrance looking in (not in looking out), and or on outside capturing door.

 

WDR Double Scan camera for front door entrance - eg. CNB DBB-34VF

 

KT&C KPC-DSP81NUBW 3.6mm 700TVL color domes for rest of store

Perhaps KT&C KPC-DE100NUV17-B 700TVL 2.8-12mm Dome for cash register/s

OR similar ...

 

Dahua DVR ... can watch all stores on PC/MAC/Linux/Mobile Phones ..

[tomcctv 187]

Hi. for that many stores i would go with a full managment system. one 8 way hybrid system at each store with each store doing its own onsite recordings and also at head office.

 

 

look for systems that also give POS as standard (record all cash at register)

 

 

aver nano EH1008H-4 Nano 8 way hybrid with POS http://uk.surveillance.aver.com/product/embedded-hybrid-DVR-EH1008H-4-Nano

 

 

 

CMS3000 installed on PC at head office (free upto 16 dvrs) http://uk.surveillance.aver.com/product/CM3000

 

 

 

 

view and record from dedicated app on ipad or iphone or BB and android

 

[indboonies 0]

Not sure of your budget concerns,

 

Look at Specotech.com

They are a very good small-medium size installation system. They have quality cameras and if you are like most of my sites low light coverage is becoming a huge concern.

They have their own brand of cameras with a feature called light intensifier. Witch takes the available light and makes a good crisp night color picture.

These are analog cameras. If you are looking more for an IP system I would not recommend them.

 

Their tech support is very good also.

Remote monitoring is included with purchased DVR.

[CCTV_Tech 0]

A lot depends on the budget, and don't forget about features like having CMS or POS integration.

 

Who will install/support this stuff? If the answer is YOU, then the more you pay for good equipment, the less driving around you need to do.

 

My background is more residential than commercial, so I cannot give advice on CMS and POS integration, but I have worked a lot with various DVRs and PC-Based systems and have spent a lot of time making remote-access work.

 

The 'China clone' DVR equipment is hit or miss. It either burns up in the first day or runs for years. In terms of having issues like software bugs, flaky firmware, and non-existent tech support, those are what you get with the $199 price tag. Keep in mind when there's a power surge, the little $5 wall-wart power supply of one of these units will just simply die.

 

The commercial-grade stuff like Aver, Honeywell, Samsung, and Panasonic and even second-tier players like Everfocus sell equipment that is better engineered, uses better grade of materials for everything from the power supply to the case. That all means these things typically run non-stop for years, even in harsh environments, there are rarely software bugs, and there tend to be actual support people and even authorized dealers. You get what you pay for.

[rory 0]

A lot depends on the budget, and don't forget about features like having CMS or POS integration.

 

Who will install/support this stuff? If the answer is YOU, then the more you pay for good equipment, the less driving around you need to do.

 

My background is more residential than commercial, so I cannot give advice on CMS and POS integration, but I have worked a lot with various DVRs and PC-Based systems and have spent a lot of time making remote-access work.

 

The 'China clone' DVR equipment is hit or miss. It either burns up in the first day or runs for years. In terms of having issues like software bugs, flaky firmware, and non-existent tech support, those are what you get with the $199 price tag. Keep in mind when there's a power surge, the little $5 wall-wart power supply of one of these units will just simply die.

 

The commercial-grade stuff like Aver, Honeywell, Samsung, and Panasonic and even second-tier players like Everfocus sell equipment that is better engineered, uses better grade of materials for everything from the power supply to the case. That all means these things typically run non-stop for years, even in harsh environments, there are rarely software bugs, and there tend to be actual support people and even authorized dealers. You get what you pay for.

 

I've used the big "American" brands, now using the Dahua (chinese) also supplied by "American" brands, runs just as good as the others for alot cheaper (summer to summer in the Caribbean without A/C most the time in intense heat). Firmware and software updates are regular (any software requires bug fixes and updates) including added features. Tech support has been better than that of the big "American" brands I have used. This chinese DVR just keeps going and going and .. you dont always get what you pay for. And BTW we have worse power than in the US, in fact we have some of the worse in the world, with blackouts every other day and brownouts and surges all day long .. $2000 bosch cameras die in 3 days .. this sucker just keeps going, its a work machine and costs next to nothing. This has the same PSU the big "American" brand has but at 1/10th the cost .. this is no less commercial grade than any of the ones you mentioned. Dont believe the hype. Almost everything you use is made in China these days.