Need good security camera software?

Dick B

so i am going to receive a Foscam FI8905W security camera soon and i wanted to get a good program to go along with it to run on a dedicated computer. i want a program that does motion detect and can automatically delete old recordings after a certain timeline. all suggestions appreciated thanks!

Answer
Not all software can work with IP cams, there is no real industrial standard for them.

The Webcam Zone Trigger software works with most Foscam models, it does motion detection and it has a "file cleaning" feature in the settings.

security camera help!?

i own a motel and have a big parking lot.

i would like to have a camera system that would have 8 cameras, i would be able to watch it over the internet and record on a dvr. i was wondering what kind would be good to buy and which is the best brand . if i could i would like to have zoom on a camera so i can zoom in and see good quality picture.

if some one could help me that would be great.
thanks

Answer
Lauren and dunbar if you don't know CCTV products please do not give people advice.

Lauren , Every single one of your posts relating to security cameras advertises spytown which is blatant disregard of posting rules.

Spy-town products are low quality and will not meet the needs of most homeowners, and will definitely not meet the needs for a business such a hotel. not to mention you cant tell the quality of a product from an online store unless ypu have seen them working or if they have a demo you can connect to.


and Dunbar those are webcams and are not used for security purposes as they are low frame rate, low quality and dont have water mark so the images wont hold up in couart not to mention if your internet goes down you have no security and webcams are used for live viewing not for storing the images.

There cameras are not high resolution and have a low signal to noise ratio resulting in larger file sizes and lower quality images. not to mention they only do CIF resolution for the recorders which will not allow the user to zoom in which if you had read his post he would like to do.

You either work for spytown or you do not know a thing about CCTV most likely both and quite frankly I am sick and tired of people misleading others for there own benefit.

Hello

Not all DVRs are created equal, in fact there are many options that offer varying performance much like the automobile industry. In the world of DVRs you can find the equivalent of a $10,000 Kia and a $350,000 Ferrari and everything in between. Both have 4 wheels and windshield but that where the similarities end, itâs under the hood that counts. Just like any other consumer electronic in the end you get what you pay for.

I suggest you buy a PC based DVR has they have more processing power and normally have a much smaller file size and offer more features then Standalone DVR's. I know many people buy a cheap standalone DVR, only to upgrade to a PC based in 6 months especially when they are using it to manage a store remotely. Also PC based allows you to record up to 64 cameras where a standalone will have a limit of 16.

Many people have the misconception that a PC-Based DVR is simply an off-the-shelf PC with video capture (encoder) cards, display (decoder) cards and some generic OEM software. A true DVR requires years of research and development to facilitate the seamless integration of both the hardware and software. DVRs are highly complex systems that must run 24/7, processing millions of images per day. This makes consumer-level hardware inadequate for DVRs which is why Ascendent uses custom-built PCs with performance-level hardware.

My personal favorite DVR is Ascendent X4 series: Ascendentâs Tri-Fusion Hybrid Platform allows for the creation of a true hybrid surveillance system by utilizing the advantages of Analog, Megapixel, and IP technologies for unparalleled customization and expandability. I am working on government projects and use Ascendent cameras and DVR because the offer superior performance and cost less then comparable brands like bosh, Honeywell and pelco.

The X4 also uses the latest H.264/SVC codec offer video substantially better quality,. While its file size sizes is 30% smaller than MPEG-4, 60% smaller than MPEG-2, and exponentially smaller than MJPEG.

File size is crucial to streaming because most DVRâs on the market record at real time performance (30FPS per channel) so on a 4CH is trying to send 120, 8CH 240, and a 16CH 480 images per second which requires way too much bandwidth even for the most extreme internet connections.

The smaller the files size the more images are able to be sent, and the faster they can be processed improving both FPS and speed. File size is the heart of any DVR and goes far beyond just its streaming capabilities, as it also determines the recording storage time, how much you can back up at once, how fast it renders and searches video. The file size of a DVR impacts the performance of the DVR in just about every aspect from speed to longevity and is often the most important spec of any DVR.

If you are buying a DVR and streaming is a high priority I suggest you ask for a demo and connect to the DVR to make sure it is able to stream fast enough for your needs. Most DVRs say they have remote viewing but it is often too slow and laggy to be of any use especially if it is a standalone. Some good DVR brands that I recommend are Bosch, Pelco, Honeywell and Ascendent. These brands are what security professionals use, Q-see, Swan and Lorex are only used in residential applications because they are sold by Tiger Direct, Spytown, Newegg, Sams Club, Costco and other retail outlets but are not used by any security professionals also their tech support rarely speaks English as their first language...

These brand manufacturers also have a complete line of CCTV cameras for any application from residential to military.

http://www.ascendentgroup.com (Recommend)
http://www.honeywell.com
http://www.pelco.com/
http://www.bosch.com

I have done projects that required cameras to stream over satellite and cellular networks and the only DVR that could provide the video streaming was Ascendent Technology Groupâs X3 DVR. To give you an example of what a good DVR should stream like, below are instructions on how to connect to Ascendent's X3 DVR using Internet Explorer.

Instructions on how to connect to Ascendentâs DVR with Internet Explorer:

1) http://connect.ascendentgroup.com/ (Must be Internet explorer)
2) Install active X control
3) Hit âConnect)
4) DVR type PC
5) DVR code SITE-100
6) User ID Demo (case sensitive)
7) Password demo (lower case)
8) Hit extend config
9) IP address: 24.66.224.223
10) And hit connect

Again I recommend going with a PC based DVR but if you don't want to spend the money I suggest Ascendent's AVP-4120 DVR or Pelco's DX-4000 as they will allow you to view all your cameras instantly from anywhere in the world using either IE. The AVP-8240DVDUSB will also allow MAC platforms as well as PC to remotely view cameras and it uses the new H.264 codec but no standalone will offer the video streaming or performance a good PC based DVR will.

Link to download Ascendents X4 power point
http://www.ascendentgroup.com

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Security Camera Software???

Q. anyone know any good i mean good security camera software you can install and will pick up your camera and you can view and record etc...

the software im using right now works fine except its just STILL and you cant see people moving contiunus there just snapped and thats it - all still

plz help

thankyou

Answer
i use icatcher personally it is quite expensive but well worth your money, there a several different versions supporting from 1 camera to 18 camera it supports webcams, capute devices and ip cameras. you can also host your own site so you can view and you even have the option to password protect it!

Need good security camera software?

Dick B

so i am going to receive a Foscam FI8905W security camera soon and i wanted to get a good program to go along with it to run on a dedicated computer. i want a program that does motion detect and can automatically delete old recordings after a certain timeline. all suggestions appreciated thanks!

Answer
Not all software can work with IP cams, there is no real industrial standard for them.

The Webcam Zone Trigger software works with most Foscam models, it does motion detection and it has a "file cleaning" feature in the settings.

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What kind of security camera system should I buy to watch my house from a laptop?

best security ip camera software image

el aji

I've heard-of a security camera system that I could watch my home from a laptop while at work. What company should I refer to get this setup, and will any laptop work?

Answer
Hello

Not all DVRs are created equal, in fact there are many options that offer varying performance much like the automobile industry. In the world of DVRs you can find the equivalent of a $10,000 Kia and a $350,000 Ferrari and everything in between. Both have 4 wheels and windshield but that where the similarities end, itâs under the hood that counts. Just like any other consumer electronic in the end you get what you pay for.

I suggest you buy a PC based DVR has they have more processing power and normally have a much smaller file size and offer more features then Standalone DVR's. I know many people buy a cheap standalone DVR, only to upgrade to a PC based in 6 months especially when they are using it to manage a store remotely. Also PC based allows you to record up to 64 cameras where a standalone will have a limit of 16.

Many people have the misconception that a PC-Based DVR is simply an off-the-shelf PC with video capture (encoder) cards, display (decoder) cards and some generic OEM software. A true DVR requires years of research and development to facilitate the seamless integration of both the hardware and software. DVRs are highly complex systems that must run 24/7, processing millions of images per day. This makes consumer-level hardware inadequate for DVRs which is why Ascendent uses custom-built PCs with performance-level hardware.

My personal favorite DVR is Ascendent X4 series: Ascendentâs Tri-Fusion Hybrid Platform allows for the creation of a true hybrid surveillance system by utilizing the advantages of Analog, Megapixel, and IP technologies for unparalleled customization and expandability. I am working on government projects and use Ascendent cameras and DVR because the offer superior performance and cost less then comparable brands like bosh, Honeywell and pelco.

The X4 also uses the latest H.264/SVC codec offer video substantially better quality,. While its file size sizes is 30% smaller than MPEG-4, 60% smaller than MPEG-2, and exponentially smaller than MJPEG.

File size is crucial to streaming because most DVRâs on the market record at real time performance (30FPS per channel) so on a 4CH is trying to send 120, 8CH 240, and a 16CH 480 images per second which requires way too much bandwidth even for the most extreme internet connections.

The smaller the files size the more images are able to be sent, and the faster they can be processed improving both FPS and speed. File size is the heart of any DVR and goes far beyond just its streaming capabilities, as it also determines the recording storage time, how much you can back up at once, how fast it renders and searches video. The file size of a DVR impacts the performance of the DVR in just about every aspect from speed to longevity and is often the most important spec of any DVR.

If you are buying a DVR and streaming is a high priority I suggest you ask for a demo and connect to the DVR to make sure it is able to stream fast enough for your needs. Most DVRs say they have remote viewing but it is often too slow and laggy to be of any use especially if it is a standalone. Some good DVR brands that I recommend are Bosch, Pelco, Honeywell and Ascendent. These brands are what security professionals use, Q-see, Swan and Lorex are only used in residential applications because they are sold by Tiger Direct, Spytown, Newegg, Sams Club, Costco and other retail outlets but are not used by any security professionals also their tech support rarely speaks English as their first language...

These brand manufacturers also have a complete line of CCTV cameras for any application from residential to military.

http://www.ascendentgroup.com (Recommend)
http://www.honeywell.com
www.pelco.com
http://www.bosch.com

Hope this helps

williammorales93@ymail.com

I have security cameras set up, what software can I use to record images?

Hygor

I have 3 IP cameras set up. And I can see them on the computer. What is a good program so that I record the images (I want it running 15-24 hours a day recording) into an external hardrive or something?

What's a good one? And what's a good cheap one?

I tried searching but I get a lot of overcomplicated responses. It shouldn't be that hard to just record the screen right?

Answer
IP cameras are a waste of Money compared to analog cameras.

Here is a DVR that will work perfectly for you.

http://ascendentdvr.com/x4sdvr/x4s-8240dvd.html

http://www.ascendentgroup.com/~ascendent/HTML%20E-mail/X4S/x4s.html (pricing is dealer so unless your a certified installed you will probably have to pay 25% more which is still a steal of a deal)

Just about any Analog DVR will do what you are looking for and not only display them but record them as well they will also allow you to view them over the internet from a Iphone or laptop.

Many people have a misconception that IP has Superior scalability then Analog but with the advancements with DVR's this simply isn't true, you cn do up to 16,000 cameras each camera could even be from a different DVR and a different site.

And when you are using the internet to connect multiple sites together analog transmits over the internet faster with less latency using less bandwidth allowing you not only to view and monitor a situation real time but also effective control PTZ cameras.

What is the Advantage of IP?
Many of the so called advantages of IP simply don't hold water in the real world, IP is mainly Hype and marketing and outside of a few niche applications such as 1 or 2 camera installs, where MP cameras are needed or large scale wireless projects which represent about 2% of the total CCTV market, IP has very few advantages compared to analog based on performance, cost and reliability. (yet all companies touting IP will often use MP cameras to demonstrate the advantages of IP)

IP video is more about marketing then it is about performance as larger companies like Bosch pelco Honeywell axis can change for both hardware and software and once you use there cameras you have to keep using there cameras unlike analog.

Also IP sounds great, plug and play, Better image quality, use existing infrastructure, who wouldnât want that unfortunately this is often not the case.

IP is like wireless (in theory its perfect) if that was true there would be no wired cameras or analog cameras it would all be wireless IP.

IP cameras are based on CMOS
Analog cameras are based on CCD (usually)

CCD image sensors contain hundreds
of thousands picture elements, called pixels. Each pixel contains a light sensitive element and a capacitor.

A CMOS sensor is constructed using a array of pixels, but unlike CCDâs CMOS do not have a capacitor to store the charge for each pixel.The rows of pixels are activated sequentially rather then individually

This means CMOS has some significant disadvantages compared to CCD, this means CMOS
have inferior ability to cope with ambient lighting such as back light, bright, deep shadows contrasts, low light and IR this is also known as the real word.

In short unless you have perfect lighting a good CCD camera will outperform an equivalent CMOS camera.

File Size:
The smaller the files size the more images that are able to be sent and the faster they can be processed improving both FPS and speed. File size is the heart of any DVR and goes far beyond just its streaming capabilities as it also determines the recoding storage time, how much you can back up at once, how fast it renders and searches video. (Ascendents X3 DVR achieves file sizes as low as .3KB on normal image quality on a CIF image no IP camera on the market will come close to this) The file size of a DVR impacts the performance of the DVR in just about every aspect from speed to longevity and is often the most import spec of any DVR.

IP cameras have up to a 5X larger file size then analog cameras. (at same resolution) I have seen MP cameras that on 2MP resolution are over 300X (%3000) larger then our X3 DVR on a CIF image. This is an extreme case but generally speaking IP cameras have a much larger file size.

Most routers and switches are not designed to handle IP cameras they have enough bandwidth but they are not able to process the amounts of commands. (9 IP cameras 30FP is 230 instructions per second) standard routers have enough bandwidth (up to 1GB) but cant handle the amount of tasks (instructions) so frames get dropped latency is introduced and the effectiveness of other devices such as POS, printers and dats storage can be affected and compromised.

IP is a young and emerging technology and I have no doubt that in the future it will outperform analog cameras but its not a mature technology yet. Once we start to get standard IP platforms, get rid of license feesâ and existing networks have larger bandwidths then IP video will be a good solution, but until then analog is the way to go.

Make sure you get good cameras as well, Ascendent has the best IR outdoor cameras on the market and are about %50 less then Bosch while offering triple the distance.

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I am looking for a home security camera system?

best security ip camera software image

techtlc

I would like a system with a couple of small, easily hidden cameras. I would prefer wireless so that I could hide the part of the system that recorded data from the camera and cameras that had motion detectors. Remote viewing (from a cell phone or laptop) would be a plus.

I am looking for something do-it-yourself and inexpensive.

Answer
Your best option is to use wireless IP cameras and good surveillance software on your PC.

There are many manufacturers of IP cameras. D-Link, Trendnet, and Linksys work great for residential installations, Vivotek, Axis, and Acti are for commercial or professional applications. The surveillance software Security Monitor Pro by Deskshare.com supports almost every IP camera manufactured and it is cost-effective for a 2 camera installation at $89.

You can enable remote viewing from your iPhone, or Windows Mobile phone, or from any PC on the internet. Or configure to get alerts via email or direct to your cell phone (along with pictures), and recording on motion detection and upload the recordings to a offsite server for safe keeping.

Since the system is wireless, and the surveillance software is running on your PC, there is no recording box or DVR that would give away that the area is under surveillance. This is inexpensive and you can have it installed and working in under an hour.

Which one is better, IP cameras for security or regular cameras hooked up to the PC and send images via PC?

Confused

Please elaborate the difference, the advantages, disadvantages and the trends when it comes to the difference on security cameras that have their own IP address and hooks up directly to the internet or the traditional ones that is hooked up to the PC with a special chip/board that directs images from multiple cameras into the internet? Thanks.

Answer
Hi,

If you are talking about standard resolutions there really is no advantage of IP Cameras vs Analog cameras for video security. It is just a different way to connect them.

You can have analog cameras accessible via the internet by attaching them to a security DVR that has that capability.

IP cameras usually come with some type of software that can be put on to any pc for recording the cameras. Also IP cameras can usually be accessed directly by entering the static IP into IE.

There are other advantages to including PoE. Power Over Ethernet, though you probably wouldn't use that at home.

Peter

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How do you set up a home security camera system that I could view remotely?

best security ip camera software image

Keith

I would like to set up cameras in my house. The capabilities I want are to be able to view them remotely from my smartphone, record at least a days worth of video, a set it up to send me emails or texts when it detects motion in certain areas (using iSpy software).

I've been looking into wireless IP cameras and Wifi and am wondering how to set them up. Do they require a receiver? Will it bog down my internet? What's the difference in IP and Wifi cameras? I'm wondering exactly what components to I need to set it all up?
Forgot to mention the main camera I wish to setup would be over my driveway viewing my vehicles so I could keep an eye on them and receive alerts when motion is detected in my driveway while I'm asleep

Answer
WheresJames Webcam Publisher
allows you to publish images or video from a web cam to the web. It includes various tools to enhance the image, including support for overlays, text captions (custom font and color), watermarks, time and date stamping, transparency, and translucency. Other advanced features include Chroma-Key effects, motion detection, auto-emailing, video effects and more...etc.
Freeware; very nice.
http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/webpublish/fwwebcam.html

Surveillance cameras & hardware
http://www.pcsurveillance.net/

http://www.lorextechnology.com/solutions/Live+-+Home+monitor+solutions/2200029.s

A good security camera system that i can view with my ipad wifi?

William

I need to hook up an outdoor security camera system but one that is also wireless. I would need to view it on my ipad as I am going away on vacation so something that doesnt need recharging would be the best

Answer
Hello

Here is a DVR that will work perfectly for you.

http://www.ascendentgroup.com/x4s.htm


Most DVR's and cameras don't have the ability to view from your i-phone, and you cant just download generic software all DVR's and cameras uses different encryption , software, and compression so you cant use another companies software to view another manufactures DVR.

You want a DVR that has an app specifically designed to work with it like the one I am suggesting below.

What you want is a DVR a DVR converts analog cameras and as well as storing images on site allows you to distribute video over LAN and WAN networks. (internet and network) this way you have both on site storage and recording at your house.

A good Analog DVR will do what you are looking for and not only display them but record them as well they will also allow you to view them over the internet from a Iphone or laptop.

X4S Remote Accessibility
View all your cameras instantly and remotely, and configure the DVR through internet using eitherbusiness in real time from anywhere in the world. MAC or PC platforms (smart phones too). This allows you to manage your

Many people have a misconception that IP has Superior scalability then Analog but with the advancements with DVR's this simply isn't true, you cn do up to 16,000 cameras each camera could even be from a different DVR and a different site.

And when you are using the internet to connect multiple sites together analog transmits over the internet faster with less latency using less bandwidth allowing you not only to view and monitor a situation real time but also effective control PTZ cameras.

What is the Advantage of IP?
Many of the so called advantages of IP simply don't hold water in the real world, IP is mainly Hype and marketing and outside of a few niche applications such as 1 or 2 camera installs, where MP cameras are needed or large scale wireless projects which represent about 2% of the total CCTV market, IP has very few advantages compared to analog based on performance, cost and reliability. (yet all companies touting IP will often use MP cameras to demonstrate the advantages of IP)

IP video is more about marketing then it is about performance as larger companies like Bosch pelco Honeywell axis can change for both hardware and software and once you use there cameras you have to keep using there cameras unlike analog.

Also IP sounds great, plug and play, Better image quality, use existing infrastructure, who wouldnât want that unfortunately this is often not the case.

IP cameras are based on CMOS
Analog cameras are based on CCD (usually)

A CMOS sensor is constructed using a array of pixels, but unlike CCDâs CMOS do not have a capacitor to store the charge for each pixel.The rows of pixels are activated sequentially rather then individually

In short unless you have perfect lighting a good CCD camera will outperform an equivalent CMOS camera.

File Size:
The smaller the files size the more images that are able to be sent and the faster they can be processed improving both FPS and speed. File size is the heart of any DVR and goes far beyond just its streaming capabilities as it also determines the recoding storage time, how much you can back up at once, how fast it renders and searches video.

IP cameras have up to a 5X larger file size then analog cameras. (at same resolution) I have seen MP cameras that on 2MP resolution are over 300X (%3000) larger then our X3 DVR on a CIF image. This is an extreme case but generally speaking IP cameras have a much larger file size.

Most routers and switches are not designed to handle IP cameras they have enough bandwidth but they are not able to process the amounts of commands. (9 IP cameras 30FP is 230 instructions per second) standard routers have enough bandwidth (up to 1GB) but cant handle the amount of tasks (instructions) so frames get dropped latency is introduced and the effectiveness of other devices such as POS, printers and dats storage can be affected and compromised.


Donât get me wrong there are some brutal analog cameras and DVR out there but If you see a good D1 resolution image such as Ascendents Hardware compressed you will not be so quick to join the IP bandwagon.

IP is a young and emerging technology and I have no doubt that in the future it will outperform analog cameras but its not a mature technology yet. Once we start to get standard IP platforms, get rid of license feesâ and existing networks have larger bandwidths then IP video will be a good solution, but until then analog is the way to go.

Make sure you get good cameras as well, Ascendent has the best IR outdoor cameras on the market and are about %50 less then Bosch while offering triple the distance.

http://www.ascendentgroup.com/

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What kind of security camera should I get to view behavior from a different location?

best security ip camera software image

xtheximper

I need a camera to put in my workshop. This location has electricity, but does not have internet. My home is about 500 feet away from my workshop. I need to be able to view activity from my home at any time. I want a camera that I can simply plug in to work or that will work wirelessly. Any ideas of cameras I could use for security purposes?

Answer
Planet ICA-HM130 1.3 Megaimultaneously providing H.264, MPEG-4 and M-JPEG video streaming, the PLANET ICA-HM130 is a 1.3 Mega-pixel Dome Internet Camera which can capture high resolution color images at 1280 x 1024 pixels. It is equipped with both network and analog video output interfaces for flexible viewing and recording options.

Compliant with IEEE 802.3af PoE (Power over Ethernet), the ICA-HM130 offers users the option of powering the camera over the ethernet cable. The ICA-HM130 also supports Store-to-NAS function for saving the video file to a NAS (Network Attached Storage), which can save the PC resources and keep monitoring surroundings with built in motion detection. The 2-Way audio feature allows you to communicate to the camera remotely by adding an external microphone and speaker. Besides the web browsers, it also provides 3GPP capability that enables users to view the live video via a 3G mobile phone remotely.

The ICA-HM130 provides a professional grade security system to protect your property and life. The camera comes complete with the PLANET Cam Viewer Lite software package that allows multiple cameras to be viewed and recorded at the same time. The Cam Viewer Lite helps you to setup a comprehensive and effective surveillance system quickly and easily. Working with the Cam Viewer software the ICA-HM130 can be one of the most cost efficient IP cameras available.
pixel Indoor Dome With H.264 Compression and POE

How can I safely remote access our security cameras at home ?

Anon

The IT guy says do not use static IP, it's not safe meaning a home computer protected by basic software can easily be hacked. But I wish to have remote access to our cameras. Any suggestions ?

Answer
see this software :

http://www.downloadanysoftware.com/monitor_your_home_remotely.php

also see the tools in this page :

http://www.downloadanysoftware.com/remote_control_01.php

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what kind of signal does a BNC camera output?

best security ip camera software image

David H

A security camera outputs a high resolution image through a BNC connector. What kind of signal is it? What can read that signal? Using an adapter to make the BNC into an RCA jack won't work will it?

Answer
I would suggest going direct to a DVR or monitor.

but you can buy adapters but like all adapters you will lose image quality.

If you are looking at CCTV equipment here is an earlier post.

These brand manufacturers also have a complete line of CCTV cameras and DVR for any application from residential to military and stand behind there warranties.

http://www.ascendentgroup.com (Recommend)
http://www.honeywell.com
www.pelco.com/
http://www.bosch.com


Ascendent Technology Group 's has a really good 4 camera package for around $500.00 and will sell direct if they don't have a dealer in your area.

http://ascendentdvr.com/cctvpackages/avpâ¦


Not all CCTV equipment is created equal, in fact there are many options that offer varying performance take cars for example. In the world of CCTV you can find the equivalent of a $2,000 golf cart and a $350,000 Ferrari and everything in between. Both have 4 wheels but that's where the similarities end, itâs under the hood that counts.

95% of all wireless cameras are compete junk and any wireless camera under $400 run on 1.2, 2.4GHZ or 5.8GHZ and wont offer encryption. This is bad for 2 reasons one the signal can easy be jammed, with a laptop you can actually hacked video feeds so a criminal can use it to spy and know a good time to target your business or home.

Just like any other consumer electronic in the end you get what you pay for. Most retailers and sellers make about a 40-80% profit margin, this is after costs like shipping and overhead. That means when you buy a product that costs $100.00 the manufacturer usually has only spent $30 to build it which simply means itâs not a good product and will probably have a working life of about 2 months. There is a reason these products are 1/10 of the price of good and reliable DVR brand names. The type of seller these products attract are online sellers (ebay) and will make profits margins as low as 3% which means they canât afford to offer good service or allow for RMAs (returns). Cheap products are like disposable razors they are NOT designed to last for a long time and you will end up replacing them every 2 months.

Now some products can be made cheaply like ipod cases, screen protectors, and other simple products with no moving parts or electronics. DVRs need to be good quality as they run 24/7 (20X more than the average electronic device) and process anywhere from 30-480 frames per second which in a year is over 15 billion images, and a good DVR should last 3-5 years.

A true DVR and camera require years of research and development to facilitate the seamless integration of both the hardware and software. DVRs are highly complex systems that must run 24/7, processing millions of images per day and are one of the few products that canât be made both well and cheaply. Cheap and inexpensive products like Q-see, X10, Swan, Lorex, and other low grade DVRâs and cameras sold by Tiger Direct, Newegg, radio shack Sams Club, are not used by any security professional and should only be used by hobbyists.

To be honest the "frys" productsare Garbage and are not used by anyone who has worked with CCTV or security products. I They are poor quality especially for IR cameras, due to low quality material, low S/N ratio, and low grade CCD image chips.

Also as far as night vision or IR cameras go most do not give good images in the dark. Many companies claim good night vision but there are only a handful of brands who give night vision over 30 feet out doors. normally if a cameras is rated 150 feet of IR it will give you ok images at 30 feet at night and good images at about 20 if rated for 60 feet you might get 15 indoors and will be useless outdoors.

Now one option for wireless is using commercial IP radios which are basically wireless routers on steroids and can offer distances up to 40km of wireless with military encryption, this is not a cheap solution but neither is digging a trench. using these radios not only give you a security infrastructure but also communications infrastructures as well for internet and other purposes (LAN network)

Good radio company
http://www.tranzeo.com/

now in order to use this wireless network to distribute video you need to buy IP cameras which are similar to IP cameras only they transmit video over networks instead of a cable.

The company I recommend for CCTV products is Ascendent Technology Group they have a large product line and offer better products then Pelco Honeywell and Bosch and are about %20 cheaper and in my opinion have the best IR outdoor camera line up.

For an IP I recommend uses Ascendent`s IP servers that have a hard rive built in which does 3 things. Allows you use any analog camera and convert it into an IP addressable server. Allows you to distribute video over the network and has an HDD in it so that if the network goes don't or your NRV (network video recorder) goes down or gets stolen you have data redundancy. some companies use SD

What kind of security camera should I get to view behavior from a different location?

xtheximper

I need a camera to put in my workshop. This location has electricity, but does not have internet. My home is about 500 feet away from my workshop. I need to be able to view activity from my home at any time. I want a camera that I can simply plug in to work or that will work wirelessly. Any ideas of cameras I could use for security purposes?

Answer
Planet ICA-HM130 1.3 Megaimultaneously providing H.264, MPEG-4 and M-JPEG video streaming, the PLANET ICA-HM130 is a 1.3 Mega-pixel Dome Internet Camera which can capture high resolution color images at 1280 x 1024 pixels. It is equipped with both network and analog video output interfaces for flexible viewing and recording options.

Compliant with IEEE 802.3af PoE (Power over Ethernet), the ICA-HM130 offers users the option of powering the camera over the ethernet cable. The ICA-HM130 also supports Store-to-NAS function for saving the video file to a NAS (Network Attached Storage), which can save the PC resources and keep monitoring surroundings with built in motion detection. The 2-Way audio feature allows you to communicate to the camera remotely by adding an external microphone and speaker. Besides the web browsers, it also provides 3GPP capability that enables users to view the live video via a 3G mobile phone remotely.

The ICA-HM130 provides a professional grade security system to protect your property and life. The camera comes complete with the PLANET Cam Viewer Lite software package that allows multiple cameras to be viewed and recorded at the same time. The Cam Viewer Lite helps you to setup a comprehensive and effective surveillance system quickly and easily. Working with the Cam Viewer software the ICA-HM130 can be one of the most cost efficient IP cameras available.
pixel Indoor Dome With H.264 Compression and POE

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