Completely New. Over 40 fast food locations. Need advice.

[shatteredreamer 0]

I am working for a guy who has quite a few fast food restaurants and we need a security system. We have looked at the companies that want to sell their dvr and cameras and software for a monthly management fee because of the ability to integrate with POS system. It will allow you to look at voids and sync them with the camera to determine when a specific employee may be taking advantage of the register and are customizable to search for hundreds of different events like "alert me of any sales over $100 or under $.05, etc. Thats great and all, but in order to avoid the monthly fee, we have started looking at these cctv systems that you can buy at costco or sams club or wherever. They have the dvr interface that allows us to look at video remotely from any location, connect multiple dvr's to one software system, and look at video from any time we select. What this means is that we will be forced to compare our pos events like too many voids to security video times manually since none of these store bought systems integrate with the POS. For now, we are okay with that. So the question is, which system do we go with and which is a waste of our time? We want a software system that is easy to use, good camera's (we need to be able to see the money tendered at the register), and good storage. So far we have narrowed down to Q-see and Night owl for bang for our buck, but this is completely absent any actual knowledge of these systems outside of what the advertisements tell us they offer. Please give any advice you have about these systems or any other systems that are affordable and worth our consideration. I am a pretty smart guy (or at least I like to think so), but would like to get something as simple as possible that actually works good. That is why these bundled systems are appealing. Thanks a million in advance.

[luckyfella 0]

Could you start off telling us your idea or budget that you want to spend per system? How many cameras do you want per store?

And who is installing it?

[shatteredreamer 0]

Ideally we are trying to keep it under $500 per system. I would be installing them myself if I can.

[fertilebert 0]

LOL

[Owain 0]

You want to count the money being handed over?

 

$500 will buy you one camera. Maybe.

[tomcctv 187]

the ability to integrate with POS system. It will allow you to look at voids and sync them with the camera to determine when a specific employee may be taking advantage of the register and are customizable to search for hundreds of different events like "alert me of any sales over $100 or under $.05, etc. Thats great and all, but in order to avoid the monthly fee, we have started looking at these cctv systems that you can buy at costco or sams club

They have the dvr interface that allows us to look at video remotely from any location, connect multiple dvr's to one software system, and look at video from any time we select. What this means is that we will be forced to compare our pos events like too many voids to security video times manually since none of these store bought systems integrate with the POS. For now, we are okay with that.

none of these store bought systems integrate with the POS. For now, we are okay with that.

 

 

Costco or sams is not going to give you a search POS system ......... but your budget will get you a 3mp camera and full POS nvr.

 

 

your post is all about POS then not for now. in which case Costco or sams will get you a 4 way analog system

[luckyfella 0]

You didn't answer me, how many cameras per store are you thinking? 500 dollars is not going to get you that much, and

if it does, it won't be great quality. You can probably get one megapixel dahua camera, nvr with hdd, poe injector, and

a box of cat 5 for that much. Stick it over the counter looking down. Or, I think Axis makes a fisheye camera if there are multiple registers that you need a wider angle.

[shatteredreamer 0]

I have given up on POS integration. I understand that will cost. I'm looking for something like 8 cameras. I guess what I'm asking is do you recommend the following system or am I wasting money? Will it allow me to catch an employee stealing out of a register and be able to identify the bills that were taken (quality of camera)? Also, how is the dvr software? Worthy? Easy to use, etc.

http://m.samsclub.com/ip/q-see-16-channel-security-system-with-500gb-hard-drive-12-420tvl-ccd-cameras-and-40-night-vision/prod11380518

[RandyParlee 0]

Buddy, that's about as low as you can go for quality.

Start looking at fewer cameras with better resolution and you might as well go IP if you're starting from scratch. One Axis 3005 in the corner for a general view and a 1014 behind the cash with SD cards and a cheap PoE switch running Camera Companion is well under a grand and won't junk up your ceiling.

But hey, that's just my opinion...

[RVT 0]

They're not going to be able to do this cheap. My advice is to pay for the quality you need, and not try and cut corners.

[mattaggie 0]

For your purposes, you MUST get IP megapixel. You are wanting to see the details on paper money, analogue simply will not do this reliably. Analogue works fine for seeing big things, like where a person walks, if they pick up a large item, vehicles, etc.

 

In my retail store, our old system is analogue. When a customer would steal a display power drill, you couldn't technically see them put it in their jacket. You knew they did it, but even with a camera located very close and zoomed in, the details of the theft were always impossible to make out. And drills are bigger than paper money!

 

If you simply cant afford IP cameras right now, save up. Also, you don't have to do buy them all at once. Put 2 cameras in each store now, and then 2 more next year, etc. I can tell you want to get analogue because of the cheap price, but Im telling you, you are going to go to a lot of time and trouble to install the system and then not be very happy with the results.

[shockwave199 0]

You'll have to at least double your budget for a modest MP system. Do NOT waste your time on the analog systems you linked to. At the very bare minimum for just getting usable images, this could be an option

 

http://www.securitycameraking.com/complete-4-camera-tiny-nvr-59452-prd1.html

 

If you situate one camera very well over the register, 1.3mp should provide enough to see the detail you need and will certainly provide good images for the wider shots of the store and exterior if needed. But no POS involved. Just bare minimum to get usable results.

[cglaeser 0]

Ideally we are trying to keep it under $500 per system.

 

What do you mean by POS system? Do you mean Point of Sale or the other acronym?

[PokerMunkee 0]

I work in a casino and we use 1.3MP Arecont cameras with varifocal lens to see money and tickets in the cage windows. Cameras are 5' above the 2x2 transaction window. These cameras are over $500 with lens, each. We use 3MP Areconts over poker tables, blackjack, craps, etc to view cards, money, and chips. These run over $700 with lens. Should be good with a 2MP camera with varifocal (adjustable) lens above your registers.

 

Start with PC based NVR and a couple Hikvision 3MP cameras with fixed lens. Cameras are around $220 each. Looking around a $1,000 for 2 cameras and a decent computer with 3TB+.

 

Surveillance is also good to catch employees doing bogus workman comp claims, popular in fast food biz. You need at least 8 cameras in a restaurant to make it worth your while. I'd budget about $2.5k a store, not including labor.

[buellwinkle 0]

Best low priced deal for non-Chinese cameras is the Messoa bundle with NVR, four 720P cameras, 1TB hard drive and switch for $849. The cameras alone sell for about $300 each. Cheaper than that is analog and cheap analog from China at that.

[thewireguys 3]

I work in a casino and we use 1.3MP Arecont cameras with varifocal lens to see money and tickets in the cage windows. Cameras are 5' above the 2x2 transaction window. These cameras are over $500 with lens, each. We use 3MP Areconts over poker tables, blackjack, craps, etc to view cards, money, and chips. These run over $700 with lens. Should be good with a 2MP camera with varifocal (adjustable) lens above your registers.

 

Start with PC based NVR and a couple Hikvision 3MP cameras with fixed lens. Cameras are around $220 each. Looking around a $1,000 for 2 cameras and a decent computer with 3TB+.

 

Surveillance is also good to catch employees doing bogus workman comp claims, popular in fast food biz. You need at least 8 cameras in a restaurant to make it worth your while. I'd budget about $2.5k a store, not including labor.

 

Have to ask why Arecont? Also how many failed cameras have you had? Do you use any other manufacturer cameras in your system?

[shatteredreamer 0]

Thanks for all the info. Sounds like you guys all advocate for a Bette camera than what these low price systems can offer. What about the nvr/dvr? Any pointers on getting a user friendly software that allows you to look at all your cameras from any of your mobile devices as well as connect multiple dvr's to one software so that the owner doesn't need 40 different logins and can easily search between stores and add on different users? To answer the question above, I was referring to pos as in point of sale systems.

[thewireguys 3]

Thanks for all the info. Sounds like you guys all advocate for a Bette camera than what these low price systems can offer. What about the nvr/dvr? Any pointers on getting a user friendly software that allows you to look at all your cameras from any of your mobile devices as well as connect multiple dvr's to one software so that the owner doesn't need 40 different logins and can easily search between stores and add on different users? To answer the question above, I was referring to pos as in point of sale systems.

 

 

Yes this is very easy to do but NOT with your $500 per location budget.

[shockwave199 0]

The system I linked to has PSS software that will import all locations and you can open any of them in one tidy program, so long as you install the same system at each location. And really, there are a number of other units within the dahua family that will open in PSS, including dvr's and nvr's. So managing all locations from one software program is no problem- remotely of course too. Phones supported are iphone, android, and windows phone. I have a vid in my signature link showing the software with analog and MP combined. The software goes deeper, but it's a decent look at it in the vid. But like I said, what I'm talking about is a modest MP system that will likely give you perfectly satisfactory results, albeit no POS. Figure about 1,200 with a decent hard drive in the unit. Bare minimum for the quality you need. It comes down to you understanding that what you want is gonna be more than you thought. The more complex you make the system per location, the greater the cost. But, you can't cheap out with analog either and we're all saying that because of what you said you need. Details at the register is the game changer. Actually POS is too. Otherwise, if it was just overview general surveillance analog might suffice.

[tomcctv 187]

I am working for a guy who has quite a few fast food restaurants and we need a security system. We have looked at the companies that want to sell their dvr and cameras and software for a monthly management fee because of the ability to integrate with POS system.

 

 

 

it all depends how you are selling 40 units to your customer.

 

 

un like a store with stock which has stock loss from shop lifting a restaurants only loss is at cash register.

 

POS in a restaurant does and will find his losses as POS is also his stock control

 

do all his restaurants with just looking at customers will not locate his losses

[milkisbad 0]

Depends on what POS system he is using, I have gotten the LTS Platinum series NVR to integrate with pcAmerica's Cash Register Express POS, but only that vendor, and with only 1 POS station...and it was at my home on my PC with the POS software running and not an actual cash register.... so it might not be helpful in your real life situation. but for your $500 budget their lowest end NVR with no HD itself will cost half of that. ( I think only the higher end models have the POS too)

 

A majority of the integration will depend on the POS system unless you use a text inserter box.

[ssnapier 0]

This is a bit off topic, but I tell you what I have used a few different LTS analog systems and I have been impressed so far. There are a few funky bits on the menu that could be explained better, but overall they are might good for the money.