Have to use same brand cameras as nvr?

[carito 0]

Hello. Totally new to this and have been reading through some of the posts. I'm looking at setting up my 1st home system. Probably somewhere between 4 and 6 cameras. 2 indoor the rest outdoor. As of now looks like I'm liking the Dahua 5208 they have on Amazon. I think I can decide on that. I really need some help on cameras if someone can help me with my questions....

 

Do I have to try and use dahua cameras with that nvr? I read over the Ultimate IP Camera guide. Could I pretty much use any of those name brands like ACTi with the 5208 or only specific cameras from each?

 

# of MPs. Do I choose a camera based on the distance? So I put a camera about 15 feet up under roof eve facing street which is about 60 feet away. Would 2mp camera be fine or less? Not sure how I choose how many mp's to get.

 

I see some cameras support mxpeg which I guess is new and better than H264? Is that a camera specific thing or does the NVR also have to support that?

 

Another thing. Suppose I get IP cameras that support SD cards. Should I assume that I can write to the SD card AND the nvr or is that a specific thing to look for per camera? Not sure I want to but curious.

 

My last question might be more for the nvr, but when I see like on the 5208 that is supports FTP, does that mean I have the ability to offload, backup ,replicate- whatever you want to call it- video etc to ftp cloud storage OR to a small several TB NAS located somewhere on my network?

 

Thanks! I hope someone can give me some additional guidance.

[drocer 0]

Hello. Totally new to this and have been reading through some of the posts. I'm looking at setting up my 1st home system. Probably somewhere between 4 and 6 cameras. 2 indoor the rest outdoor. As of now looks like I'm liking the Dahua 5208 they have on Amazon. I think I can decide on that. I really need some help on cameras if someone can help me with my questions....

 

Do I have to try and use dahua cameras with that nvr? I read over the Ultimate IP Camera guide. Could I pretty much use any of those name brands like ACTi with the 5208 or only specific cameras from each?

 

# of MPs. Do I choose a camera based on the distance? So I put a camera about 15 feet up under roof eve facing street which is about 60 feet away. Would 2mp camera be fine or less? Not sure how I choose how many mp's to get.

 

I see some cameras support mxpeg which I guess is new and better than H264? Is that a camera specific thing or does the NVR also have to support that?

 

Another thing. Suppose I get IP cameras that support SD cards. Should I assume that I can write to the SD card AND the nvr or is that a specific thing to look for per camera? Not sure I want to but curious.

 

My last question might be more for the nvr, but when I see like on the 5208 that is supports FTP, does that mean I have the ability to offload, backup ,replicate- whatever you want to call it- video etc to ftp cloud storage OR to a small several TB NAS located somewhere on my network?

 

Thanks! I hope someone can give me some additional guidance.

 

No, but not all features may work be compatible if you don't match brands. There is a chance it could work 100%. IMHO, I would stick with the same brand if using a dedicated NVR.

 

FOV, megapixel, and IR/night vision reach. Do you want a tight shot 60ft away or a wider overview? That is FOV. You can pay more for varia-focal (adjustable zoom) vs fixed focus. Megapixel is up to you. The higher the number, the better detail and ability to zoom in. 2.1MP = 1080p and should be fine for most people today.

 

SD card would be an advanced feature where brand matching can decide whether it works or not. Most camera's allow you to log-in to the camera directly, but sounds like you want it to work with the NVR.

 

FTP means FTP. Can be for video, stills, or both. Depends on model. Off-site cloud backup of video is going to be a lot of data/bandwidth!

___________

 

You can also skip the dedicated NVR device and use an i3/i5 Windows PC.

 

Dauhua and Hikvision both offer great free software (only that respective brand works). There's other software but it's $200-$600 for it as their "Free" versions will likely be restrictive to your backup needs. Axxon Next, Xprotect Go

[carito 0]

Thanks for the help. Seems a little hard to find actual dahua cameras from somewhere I normally buy. For instance Amazon caries the nvr but only I think three cameras. Are the cameras rebranded to a different name like q-see???

[milkisbad 0]

Sent you some info on purchasing options for more Dahua/Hikvision models. Some well known Dahua rebranders are

 

FLIR security (formerly digimerge) (not all cameras are from Dahua, most are their own)

QSEE (certain IP models)

IC Realtime

 

on amazon you can get the main stream stuff at a good price (like 1.3mp bullet) but if you want to go higher end like 5 mp or IP PTZ, getting it from a dealer will be cheapest and with good warranty.

[drocer 0]

Thanks for the help. Seems a little hard to find actual dahua cameras from somewhere I normally buy. For instance Amazon caries the nvr but only I think three cameras. Are the cameras rebranded to a different name like q-see???

 

You can buy Q-see which are rebadges or buy from aliexpress (Ebay for china).

 

Hikvision are much easier to find and what most people buy (including myself). Costco carries Swann which are hikvision rebadges.

 

You're going to get tons of posts/PM's about where to buy cameras. Most of those will be gray-market and have no USA warranty. IMHO, just cut out the middle man and buy where they buy from--aliexpress.

[carito 0]

Thanks for the help. Seems a little hard to find actual dahua cameras from somewhere I normally buy. For instance Amazon caries the nvr but only I think three cameras. Are the cameras rebranded to a different name like q-see???

 

You can buy Q-see which are rebadges or buy from aliexpress (Ebay for china).

 

Hikvision are much easier to find and what most people buy (including myself). Costco carries Swann which are hikvision rebadges.

 

You're going to get tons of posts/PM's about where to buy cameras. Most of those will be gray-market and have no USA warranty. IMHO, just cut out the middle man and buy where they buy from--aliexpress.

 

Sounds like you recommend the HIK over the dahua? So if I bought either a HIK or Dahua on say Amazon, would I get a warranty or any kind of phone support should I need it?

 

Ive never heard of aliexress before but I will check them out. Myabe I missed one but when I was looking at the NVR I dont remember seeing one that was HIK with the same features as the Dahua 5208. Some of the HIKs either had no drives or only half the ports were POE or for both it was more than the 5208.

[milkisbad 0]

I think Aliexpress has the shortest warranty (and probably the one with most hassle) to return anything. I just looked up a hik 3mp mini bullet and its only 12 month warranty. Most dealers in US offer their own 3 year for the same camera (including us), but upfront cost is higher.

 

They are basically for people who know what they need and how to connect a system without any support (or a tech savvy person) and need the rock bottom prices. (which isn't so rock bottom anymore once something goes wrong/returns/no support)

 

Here are some reviews of alieexpress though, but if you can find a reliable seller with real feedback then great,

 

http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.aliexpress.com

 

 

And i think this one is the equal of the 5208.

 

http://www.hikvision.com/en/us/Products_show.asp?id=4142

[drocer 0]

 

Sounds like you recommend the HIK over the dahua? So if I bought either a HIK or Dahua on say Amazon, would I get a warranty or any kind of phone support should I need it?

 

Ive never heard of aliexress before but I will check them out. Myabe I missed one but when I was looking at the NVR I dont remember seeing one that was HIK with the same features as the Dahua 5208. Some of the HIKs either had no drives or only half the ports were POE or for both it was more than the 5208.

 

There's no warranty with the amazon sold units. You have to go through authorized dealers for a warranty. Amazon and all the security sites spammed here aren't authorized. No warranty. No support. Most are just the same chinese imports you could order yourself form aliexpress.

 

I like hikvision cameras better. I like dahua's NVR/PC software UI better. I didn't bother mixing them because I wanted to avoid all problems.

[MaxIcon 0]

Sounds like you recommend the HIK over the dahua? So if I bought either a HIK or Dahua on say Amazon, would I get a warranty or any kind of phone support should I need it?

 

Ive never heard of aliexress before but I will check them out.

 

Support is a problem for lots of these cams, as drocer says. Best bet is to buy from a vendor who provides good support on their own, or from an authorized dealer.

 

Many people like the Aliexpress path because the cost is a good bit lower, though support can be spotty to nonexistent, and it can cost a lot to return a camera. If you're buying, say, 10 cams, the savings are big enough to buy 11 and use the trash can warranty if one's bad, but that's a decision everyone has to make for themselves.

 

As for Hik vs Dahua, I also prefer Hik. I'm testing the Dahua 4300S right now, and the real resolution is slightly better than the Hik, but the image colors are very subdued, and it has the Dahua exposure sensitivity problems that the older models had, as well as worse WDR than the Hik.

 

Dahua has terrible support for things like firmware, while Hik firmware is readily available on the web. Again, if you buy from someone who provides good support, this isn't such an issue.