CCTV with DVR setup - reccomendations

[deefadog]

Hi, My father in law want to set up a Camera with a DVR, so i told him i would try and find some info. I know a little about this as i researched it myself a few years back, but obviously not an expert.

He only wants one outside day/night camera, pointing at the drive with around 12 meters of coverage, and a dvr to record any possible scallies

I have been looking on rfconcepts website and have found the entry level DVR (DVR RF1420 Motion detection. 160Gb Hard Disc Drive fitted [with Remote)

http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/digital-recorder.htm

Features:

• Advanced MJPEG
• Real Time Refresh Rate. Real Time display, max. 25fps
• Display While Recording
• Frame Recording & Quad Recording
• Manual / Motion / Programmed
• Search by Time / Date.
• Watch dog feature.
• HDD Volume Indicator.
• Can use USB to link PC, Player can search Time to Play, saving and take photos functions.
• Internal motion detect feature.
• Support Audio Recording.
• Motion Detection
• With IR Remote
• Fanless, low noise design
• 2 years warranty

And a good day/night camera:

55C/CH/6mm (Long distance Day & Night IR Camera)

http://www.rfconcepts.co.uk/ir_camera.htm


Only question, is will this do for his puposes, and is there anything that is missing that we should consder upgrading. I notice this DVR does not have alarm input/outputs, what are these for?

Best regards

 

[gblades]

The absense of an alarm input/output is not of any real use to you.
An alarm output enables an internal camera to monitor for a change in picture and set off an alarm system if it detects something. Internal PIR sensors are normally used for this so its of limited use.
An alarm input allows the recorder to be triggered when an alarm system goes off. The model we use emails a set of 10 pictures taken over a 2 second range as soon as the alarm is triggered.

The cheap model only records at half the full PAL resolution so the picture quality wont be as good. The more advanced models will record in full resolution. Most better recorders will have the max recording rate so that it is capable of recording all inputs at high resolution at about 12.5 frames/second. If you use less the recording rate can be increased. We have a 8 input model which can record at 100 frames/second so each input is 12.5.

The one we have has a built in DVD recorder and USB port for copying off video. Any video copied is watermarked so the player application has to 'decode' it first which guarantees it has not been tampered with which is a very usefull feature if the video is to be used as evidence.

This is a slightly newer model of the unit we have.
http://henrys.co.uk/cctv/digital-video-recorder.htm

 

[gblades]

The camera looks good. I guess a 30M range at night is sufficient?
It depends on how much other light there is available.
If you want something longer range then perhaps http://henrys.co.uk/cctv/69032.htm

 

[deefadog]

Thanks for the info! Yes I agree the one you posted is a great all round DVR, but it's way out of his price range. The full length of the drive is 18 meters, so 30 meters will be sufficiant. I guess i could put in an extra Flood IR at the end for more light.

With the dvr model i have choosen, does it record via pixel movement? So we can exclude some, as there are bushes on one side which would trigger the thing all day i'd like to exclude.

Many thanks

 

[breezer]

i know people will moan about it, but i got mine from here

you can adjust the frame recording rate for each camera, movement is not by pixel though but you can adjust the sensativity 1-10

be aware a HD is not included in the price

at that price you cant go wrong, think i will order another one

 

[gblades]

The one you listed does record via movement detection but I dont know if you can set an area to be monitored.

Doing a quick calculation and assume you record the input at full 25fps in medium quality you will use about 1.6GB/hour. So the 160GB drive will record for 100 hours contimuous which is just over 4 days.
There is no online manual so I cant tell if you can disable unused inputs or specify different recording rates. If you can record one input at 6.26fps then you will get just over 16.5 days recording.
You can always get the base model and fit a bigger hard disk of course.

 

[deefadog]

Thanks Breezer (swore i replied to this last night) LoL

I thought that if the camera and dvr and motion sensors that it would only record when there was motion? or hav ei got this wrong?

Thanks

 

[gblades]

Most DVRs can record in 3 modes:-
1) Continuously
2) Timer based
3) On motion detection

 

[deefadog]

Thanks gblades, that makes a lot of sense

 

[breezer]

The one i linked to has 4 alarm inputs
which means you can connect an external detector to it (not supplied) and when the detector detects something the dvr starts to record.

I have mine set up to record as and when they see motion, so 4 days is not true in my case. more like 2 months

If you only have 1 camera connected it shows blank for the other 3 if you view in quad mode (which you wont if you have only 1 camea)

it has a camera select switch so you can view any one camera full screen or quad (but you wont use quad)

I have mine set to use the inbuilt motion detection which as i said is adjustable from 1 -10

You have to be carefull with IR lights, in that it can only see if there is something for the light to reflect off. so if its totaly dark and its in a filed you wont see much, but if something comes into view you will.

and as i said for £99 you cant go wrong, and no i dont work for maplin

 

[deefadog]

Thanks Breezer