Swann Advanced 500GB 4 Channel System - Poor Quality Images.

[chris202 0]

Hi All,

 

Afraid I am a complete newbie to this topic so perhaps an elementary question, but hopefully this forum will help?

 

I have recently purchased my first CCTV system - a Swann Advanced system from Maplin with 4 Cameras in total - around £270,00 in total - this is one of Swann's lower end systems.

 

I suppose this post is tending to the disappointed route - but thought I should sought some clarification from the 'experts'.

 

So far, I have just got a couple of the cameras up, but the picture quality just is not what I was hoping for in a nut shell. I have the cameras located fairly high, in fact just below the guttering of a 2 storey house (approx 8M high from ground level).

 

When viewing - I am getting what looks like one of my first digital camera quality images. Sure - you get to see, it is a person and also Male / Female, but if you were ever to need to send this to say the Police for example to be used as evidence then you would struggle to identify unique features. It's just somewhat pixilated and grainy etc - like going back 10 years on the Digital market.

 

The night mode (infra red) is even worse, and almost impossible to identify exact features.

 

So, my questions are please:

 

Have I bought a Swann system (admittedly it was fairly cheap), and in this instance I got what I paid for?

Perhaps the system is performing as it should - that is, it tells you when 'something' is moving around your property but not anything else.

Would I getter any better performance if I was to reduce the height of the Camera's?

If I want to be able to actually clearly identify the object, would one of Swann's high end systems been any better?

Could I perhaps upgrade this system by buying better H.D cameras for example, or would it be better to cut my losses, sell this one on Ebay and start again, this time doing much more research before 'impulse' buying

 

P.s All settings are set to maximum quality.

 

Any advise, gladly appreciated - I will not spend (waste) anymore funds until I know the way forward.

 

Thanks,

 

Chris.

[AdamDaze 0]

If it's one of their entry level analog systems, you got what you paid for...I think is the general sentiment. Can you post any images for us to check?

[chris202 0]

Hi,

 

thanks for your response - here is one of the night pictures - I will try and load a day time one as well.

 

Please give me your opinion.

 

Thanks,

 

Chris.

[chris202 0]

Damn - the daytime picture is just too big - so afraid I cannot upload.

[Kawboy12R 0]

It's not just the system, it's the expectations for the system, although that night shot isn't bad at all for what you paid. 8m is too far for a wide angle lens with analog resolution to be able to make a passable mug shot even straight on, and if you add that kind of angle and horizontal distance and you're looking at a 12-20m distance from the camera shot to get any decent angle at all at their faces. Waaay too far, especially when you factor in the quality loss when the analog picture gets converted to digital for storage using a cheap DVR. 3m (preferably 1 or 2m) is a much better distance for ID with wideangle analog cameras, and preferably with as shallow an angle as possible right into their faces.

 

Your current camera and mounting position are good for telling you WHAT is happening, but not WHO is doing it. If you want to improve the system's mugshot-generating capabilities then you'll have to add more cameras, preferably ones with longer lenses. All you need is one clear closeup face shot of who is on the property to give to the police alongside the overview shots that your present cameras are giving to tell what they did and exactly who did it. If you're all fenced in, then maybe a Samsung SCO-2080R mounted just above head height on the house pointed at the gate and another pointed out your driveway to get faces and maybe plates (that subject is a whole other topic) of everybody that comes to your home. My rule of thumb is one fairly wide angle camera (3-4mm ballpark for the lens) per door, plus a longer lensed camera (at least 6mm, maybe 12mm lens) for each driveway mounted just above head height looking straight out the driveway if at all possible. Add cameras after that to cover windows, play areas, rear gates, etc that aren't covered adequately by the door/driveway cams, plus what you need or want for indoor cams. One per main public area is nice to view when away to see if your TV is still there, check on the nanny, pets, sick family members, flood height in the basement, or whatever.

[Kawboy12R 0]

As an addition though, I know nobody wants to spend more than necessary, but I started with analog for my home as an emergency gotta-have-it-now system because that's what was available locally on short notice, spent more time and money looking for "good" analog cameras to bump up the shortfalls of the cheapo analogs that came with the package system, and then just threw up my hands and went with network cameras. I kept the analog system running alongside my hi-def network cameras until I moved though, just to fill in the areas until I got more high def stuff. Analog can get the job done, but for the most part you can get much better pictures with high definition network cams like the Swann/Lorex/Hikvision or QSee/Dahua at a comparable price to the $250/each and under analog cameras like the Samsung SCOs I linked to. Not sure what's easily available to you across the pond though. AVer and Geovision might be as readily available as Dahua or Hikvision rebranded stuff.

 

Just as a heads-up, I do cctv as an interest for home and work, not as an installer for others. You can search on here for the brands of network cams I mentioned above and spend a few weeks reading on the subject.

[chris202 0]

Really appreciate your responses. I was able to locate the Sumsung camera's you provided the link too and they are available to me here. In all honesty it really will bump the price up though. But I also strongly believe and acknowledge you only get what you pay for!

 

I need to do some research on HD camera's and different focal lengths by the ooks of things. Are you saying that pretty much any Anolog camera will simply adapt to my current sysyem?

 

In the interim, whilst I do my research and perhaps save some cash, do you suggest lowering my existing camera height. Will this at least give me better mug shots and 'semi' solve the problem?

 

Thanks....

[shockwave199 0]

You didn't mention the specs of your cameras. Hard to say whether a better camera is worth it without knowing what you have in line now. If you have 400tvl cmos in line yes, a better camera could help you. Generally speaking, it's always best to get vari focal cameras so you can dial in the perfect shot. A 650 or 700tvl CCD vari focal TDN camera is generally what to go for. If you're stuck with cameras mounted higher, vari focal will help.

 

I agree that night shot isn't bad really. What other positions are your cameras in? As was mentioned, overview is fine too. Overviews, especially in the front of the house, are actually helpful and necessary too. It's always a good idea to have a wide shot that includes the road out front. What that does is indicate the direction a vehicle or suspect has come from, and which way they left from. That information is helpful because more often than not these days, authorities can sync up time periods of a crime and track suspects from road cameras- high res cameras that can help provide the actual vehicle or suspect ID. It's often a combination of camera information that tracks and gets the job done. And that's why it's also imperative that your home camera system has the proper time set at all times. Time evidence is crucial as well. But also, as was mentioned you should have tight views of choke points on your property- doors or windows or gate entrances- to get a suspect close up for a better chance of ID. A combination of wide and tight shots is a good way to plan things. Good luck.

[cctvmann 0]

this is where ptz speed domes and alarm pits linked to presets come into their own as well as having static cams in strategic locations around the property the statics guvr the over view and the ptz domes allow the system to get I'd if its setup to its fullest potential but that takes twice what most people are prepared to spend