Firefighter 0 Posted October 5, 2012 Hello, Some may remember my long 14 page thread on analog and how much I was trying to be cheap etc... Anyway, After a 16ch full d1 dvr and a box cam and 4 domes.... I give up. lol So I'm doing tons of research before investing in an IP setup like I should have done.... My question is in regards to IP MP cameras. Is it true that I can use a higher MP cam than two with lower MP? Example: One 4MP IP cam to cover what two 2MP would cover. If I'm not mistaken from my research the high mp you go the wider area is able to be covered. This is of course for my Home DIY setup. My house is nothing like a simple box... So I'm thinking 4 good 2+MP cams for OverViews. And another 4 for detailed shots (entry ways or inside) Again, this thread if just a question if I can use a high MP cam or am I better off just using two 2MP cams. It just seems like a 16ch dvr is SO much more than a 8ch..... Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kawboy12R 0 Posted October 5, 2012 My take on it is that you're right, sort of, as long as you're talking daytime coverage. I've been doing the same research you've been doing. NVRs run on bandwidth more than the number of cameras as well, so a 5mp IP cam will result in fewer possible cameras on the DVR and give you worse coverage at night than 2 or 3 lower resolution IP cameras. What I see as the sweet spot for me as a homeowner for IP cams- a few 1.3 or 2.0mp cams with wide angle lenses by your entrances to tell you what is going on (plus they'll give facial recognition for people coming and going because they're close to the doors), plus some zoom cams (minimum of 10-12mm or better depending on distance) for choke points and extreme closeups of my vehicles. You don't need ID on every camera- just an overview of what happened and ONE shot from a camera with the job of taking closeups where someone has to travel. It also looks like there's no substitution for lights, either white or IR. I've been spending too much unnecessary time reviewing bugs and fog in front of my cameras with built-in IR, so I'm becoming a fan of more and brighter motion lights and maybe external IR. The tricky parts for night ID are finding cameras that won't white-out plates and over-expose faces in areas with low light. Most reviews either skip this aspect or show it in a city with tons of omnidirectional ambient light. WDR looks like a big plus and maybe smart IR. I don't have any experience with smart IR though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakesoundels 0 Posted October 5, 2012 Is it true that I can use a higher MP cam than two with lower MP? Example: One 4MP IP cam to cover what two 2MP would cover. If I'm not mistaken from my research the high mp you go the wider area is able to be covered. It still depends on the lens. 4 MP will give you better detail than the 2 thereby capturing more detail roughly within the same FOV as the 2 MP (considering you are comparing shots from the same type of camera/lens) Again, this thread if just a question if I can use a high MP cam or am I better off just using two 2MP cams. It just seems like a 16ch dvr is SO much more than a 8ch..... Thanks For a residential setting I'll bet 2MP will be plenty. We have three 2MP cams at our agency and 13 analog. The MPs are plenty for capturing individual detail on humans/cars for eveidence. Should we go with a higher MP? Maybe. But, right now, we are getting more than enough detail on people constantly coming and going. Check out the MP images and demos thread http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=11322&p=202439&hilit=mp+images#p202439. NetworkCameraCritic has some great residential 1.3 and 2.0 MP examples. If you'd like I can link you to live footage from our cams but I'd rather give the info in a private message for obvious reasons. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted October 5, 2012 hi. firefighter. you have the Apolo at the moment with good cameras. [imghttp://www.cctvforum.com/images/imported/2012/02/182763_10.jpg][/img] i would go hybrid... and still use your existing system. yes you are right with a good wide lens 3-or 5mp can replace a few analog cameras. and you can also lower your FPS to help with storage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted October 5, 2012 If you've got a complex area to cover, more cameras will do better than fewer that are higher MP. I've replaced all my analog cams with 1-2MP cams, and found that using a 1MP cam instead of a D1 cam with the same field of view was a huge improvement, since I got a lot more detail (and now I want more). Still not enough at the longer distances, but much better than analog, even at night. For covering a wider area, a higher res cam will let you use a wider angle lens to still get the same pixels/foot, but you're limited by where the center of the field needs to point in order to cover the edges. This is especially important if you go for onboard IR, as it's always pointed at the center of the field of view. If you're using extra wide angle to get more coverage, you'll find most onboard IR is designed for long throw, not wide area coverage, and the edges won't be illuminated much. Going to separate IR illuminators will fix this, but adds more complexity, gear, and cost. Also, less expensive lenses have poorer resolution near the edges, so this can also reduce the quality of your coverage. I find that multiple cameras allow much more flexibility in positioning, lens view selection recording sensitivity differences, etc., while adding more gear and connections, so it's a tradeoff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Firefighter 0 Posted October 6, 2012 Thanks for the Info guys. 2MP will be leaps and bounds better than the 700tvl box camera I have now. It's okay, of course doing better at night but it's just not enough to ID someone walking in it's fov... I use a 2.8 manual lens for wide coverage currently. Also have a 4mm manual and a 5-100 auto lens. Honestly at this point I think going hybrid would simply hold me back. After having analog, and seeing what a $200 2mp dome comparison the difference is incredible... The Shape of my home is odd, Lot's of changes of direction as it's a old historical home from the early 1900s.... I'm not going to get into that because this section is for cameras. So I'll continue my discussion on those regards. I have A LOT of research to do on NVR's. Edit: Looks like the Dahua DH-IPC-HDB3200C - 2MP OUTDOOR Dome IP Security Camera - 1080p is pretty good for being $170....Obv bottom line entry level.... I'll have to look into the lux more because i'm not sure 0.05lux is going to be enough. It may, as I have a street light at the corner of my property.... 80ft from where the camera will be located. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
