[NA] Remote video surveillance cameras

[CJones]

I'm looking for recommendations for a decent setup for remote video surveillance.

Ideally, the camera(s) would have a wireless data connection that would run to a remote recording device within the facility. The camera(s) will be in place 24/5, so motion activated to prevent excessive video storage would be nice. Range and resolution are important. The camera(s) will be used in a large warehouse environment, so the ability to cover a large area with good resolution is important - multiple cameras for lower cost than one camera with insane resolution/range is preferred due to cost and flexibility of camera placement.

We have a current video surveillance system, but it is easily 10-15 years old and is basically only good for seeing large blobs move in and out of doorways. Need something with better resolution, more range, and flexibility of placement for what is going on now.

Not looking to spend a fortune, as this will be an 'expensed' item rather than a 'capital' project. Any suggestions?

 

[Keith Lane]

Chris,
I've used Polaris Video for this stuff in the past. http://www.polarisusa.com
They are in Norcross,Ga so you can go up to the showroom and poke around and talk to them if you want.
Cameras we use are around $100, with a 4 channel DVR around $250 (plus hdd). The cameras are color with IR illuminators that range out to about 30 feet at night.

 

[battmain]

I've given up on trying to find a good wireless. They don't seem to work well in my area and most seem to run on 2.4ghz. That also screws with the wireless network. Changing the channels do not help in my case, although it improves it somewhat. I'm now looking at wired systems. The resolutions I'm looking at are 500+ lines for the cameras. Network access. If the other half thinks I live on my phone, wonder what she's going to say when I start watching the house remotely from my phone?

 

[Sticky1]

Wireless......for those who cant wire.....

Depending on the locations I would suggest wiring the cameras. I use open eye dvr's as the base and then I fit the camera to the need. Almost all of the dvrs today have motion detection and alarm outputs for lighting. I have never had the need to use wireless. Ebay has some great $$ on PTZ's from hong kong. I purchased one a few years ago and it is still working 24/7. Cameras are tricky to figure out since there are many different styles, makes, & models. IR cameras are really only good to 15 feet despite what the specs say. tooooooo much to write about.

 

[weilke]

Depending on the locations I would suggest wiring the cameras. I use open eye dvr's as the base and then I fit the camera to the need.

What is your preference for wiring ? BNC coax+12V combo wires, coax with a 'power injector' or the type of integrated cameras that use a Cat5 wire to run both, power and data ?

 

[gismo]

What is your preference for wiring ? BNC coax+12V combo wires, coax with a 'power injector' or the type of integrated cameras that use a Cat5 wire to run both, power and data ?

Cat5 is by far less expensive and easier to use. There are cameras that actually send a digital image over Ethernet which would have the benefits of signal quality being unaffected by cable length, no need for A to D conversion at the DVR, and simpler synchronizing. I haven't looked at the prices for such a camera but if they were competitive with other wired cameras, that's the way I'd go. And since there's nothing particularly expensive about the components necessary to produce such a camera I know they could be made inexpensively if there was a big enough market.

 

[gismo]

Wireless......for those who cant wire.....

Depending on the locations I would suggest wiring the cameras. I use open eye dvr's as the base and then I fit the camera to the need. Almost all of the dvrs today have motion detection and alarm outputs for lighting. I have never had the need to use wireless. Ebay has some great $$ on PTZ's from hong kong. I purchased one a few years ago and it is still working 24/7. Cameras are tricky to figure out since there are many different styles, makes, & models. IR cameras are really only good to 15 feet despite what the specs say. tooooooo much to write about.

Unless you're trying to provide covert surveillance, a separate motion activated floodlight is way more effective at night than any self contained IR source in a camera.

 

[CJones]

I like wireless so I can move them around easily to certain 'hot spots' in the facility. We have permanently mounted cameras covering the doors, but I would like to be able to move cameras around to cover high dollar items or other problem areas without having to pull wire.

For example, we recently found where someone had placed a few cases of a high dollar product in an area not covered by our current cameras. We found where they had busted open one of the cases and made off with the goods, so we suspected that they were going to come back for the other stuff at their convenience (the stuff was too bulky to take it all out at once). If I had a 'mobile' camera, we could have put something on it and caught them red-handed.

I'm not worried about lighting - all of the lighting in our facility is motion controlled, so if they are in the area, the overhead lights come on already.

Keith: I talked to a guy at one of our other facilities and he said he got some stuff from a place on the north side of ATL, maybe he was talking about the same place you mentioned.

 

[gismo]

I like wireless so I can move them around easily to certain 'hot spots' in the facility. We have permanently mounted cameras covering the doors, but I would like to be able to move cameras around to cover high dollar items or other problem areas without having to pull wire.

For example, we recently found where someone had placed a few cases of a high dollar product in an area not covered by our current cameras. We found where they had busted open one of the cases and made off with the goods, so we suspected that they were going to come back for the other stuff at their convenience (the stuff was too bulky to take it all out at once). If I had a 'mobile' camera, we could have put something on it and caught them red-handed.

I'm not worried about lighting - all of the lighting in our facility is motion controlled, so if they are in the area, the overhead lights come on already.

Keith: I talked to a guy at one of our other facilities and he said he got some stuff from a place on the north side of ATL, maybe he was talking about the same place you mentioned.

I'd think that something like this would work pretty well:

http://tinyurl.com/wifi-cam

 

[weilke]

Cat5 is by far less expensive and easier to use. There are cameras that actually send a digital image over Ethernet which would have the benefits of signal quality being unaffected by cable length, no need for A to D conversion at the DVR, and simpler synchronizing. I haven't looked at the prices for such a camera but if they were competitive with other wired cameras, that's the way I'd go. And since there's nothing particularly expensive about the components necessary to produce such a camera I know they could be made inexpensively if there was a big enough market.

There are plenty of inexpensive cat5 driven cameras, I haven't been able to find the higher resolution (500+line) cameras with cat5 cabling at a reasonable price. Polaris which was referenced above does have the better cameras at a good price but they rely on the BNC+12V system. I want to pull wires only once.

 

[gismo]

There are plenty of inexpensive cat5 driven cameras, I haven't been able to find the higher resolution (500+line) cameras with cat5 cabling at a reasonable price. Polaris which was referenced above does have the better cameras at a good price but they rely on the BNC+12V system. I want to pull wires only once.

If you're going to pull coax plus power, use CAT5 (or better yet CAT6) for the power. That way if you ever change your mind about using Ethernet which offers control in addition to the video you can easily switch without redoing the wires.

 

[jimbtv]

Price is going to be the definitive factor. Right now any camera can become an IP camera by providing a converter between the camera (analog) and the ethernet switch. In this way you don't have to limit yourself to the modest quality of much of the IP market, which is directed at the down-and-dirty buyer.

I sell 3 megapixel IP cameras that have 2048H X 1536V resolution, in color. This can also be made wireless (802.11) with an access point or router but you still have to plug it in somewhere for power. You're probably looking at a grand or more per camera in this configuration but you will lose the blob and gain clarity and portability.

Network video recorders range from cheap home computer software to NVR's running H.264-SVC. One is freeware and the other starts at $11,000 dollars.

Network traffic varies, depending on the number of cameras and the capture frame rate. We usually focus a camera on a specific zone, set up motion sensing, then capture at 25 - 30 frames per second for the event.

I just put together a design for a 33-camera site that will likely sell for $125,000 dollars, installed. This facility wants it clear, fast, and on the record.

There will always be a trade between quality and cost, but the quality is available.