CCTV recorders..... any recommendations without breaking the bank?

[Stephen]

HI I am in the market for a 8 or 9 channel CCTV DVR (digital video recorder.)

I have 700 TVL cameras so they require a recording resolution of D1 or

4CIF (both are very similar if not identical)

The attributes that the DVR *MUST* have is a full recording capability of 25 fps at full D1/4CIF on *ALL* its channels simultaneously.

so thats a global recording resource of 200 fps at D1/4CIF for a 8 ch unit and 225 fps at full D1/4CIF for a 9 channel unit.

It is required to work with android smartphones, iphones and ipads so that also means the DVR must be connectable to the internet.

I do no need PTZ controls.

Support for HDMI output.

I do need Motion detection.

Support for a DVD burnerwould be nice as well as USB and internal hard drives would be nice

Pentaplex support is also required, that is, live, record, playback, backup & stream simultaneously.

video loop through is also desired so I can feed the cameras into a bank of RF modulators so that the live pictures can then be viewed on all TV sets in the house.

Any recommendations for a bullet proof & robust make and model of DVR that does not break the bank.

I've looked at the Swann 4200. That seems OK at the price point but has no DVD burner or video loop through.

This is potentially not a deal breaker as I probably can take the 75 ohm resistors out of the RF modulators.

So some recommendations on RF modulators that have switchable or removable 75 ohm input impedance termination would be useful.

Whats peoples opinion of QVIS, Hikvision and Dahua?

I've had a look at Distributed Micros. Wading through their website makes it hard to identify which specific model can support FULL D1/4CIF recording across *ALL* channels simultaneously. They are expensive brand new so second hand off ebay or Amazon seems to the only option if I want a Distributed Micros DVR.

[Matty F]

Perhaps you don't want to say what it's for, but I will say that most CCTV installations are poorly designed and almost useless. After many years of having up to eight cameras to stop petty vandalism and thieves in a suburban street, I have worked out what I think is best. I have high quality hidden cameras at chest height out on the street lookin g both ways. These get excellent face pictures and the registration plates of the cars that the crooks might be in, as they drive past. They work usin g the street lights. If you can get invisible IR lights that helps slightly , but if they are the usual red lights, they attract attention so I have di sconnected the lights. So I wouldn't bother having ANY lights with any camera. If you must have li ghts, have them somewhere else and not near the cameras. If you have camera s in a shop, there should be plenty of light, so for goodness sake don't pu t the cameras up on the ceiling where you get pictures of the crims' heads. Put them at chest or face height, and hide them in some piece of equipment like a radio. However it is useful to have some wide angle high cameras fo r an overall view of where they have gone.

The best method is to have sensor lights with floodlights nearby. 150 or 30

0 watts of spotlight will be much better than the lights that come with any camera. I have the cameras on the street recording all day and night. The cameras o n site record only when motion is detected. All video has a time stamp. So each day I have a look to see if any motion was detected, then I can loo k at the street video to see who it was.

[Stephen]

Thank you for your wise words...

I agree with you most CCTV installations are poorly designed and almost useless from a evidential point of view.

Thats why I went straight to 700TVL sony Effio HAD2 CCD's so I can have full PAL resolution TV pitures. If is of course, half the battle as I now need to find a DVR that will record in full resolution the PAL signals which are of course in D1/4CIF resolution.

My cameras are hidden under the ground floor guttering and mounted onto the fascia boards. I have made them the same colour as the fascia boards to improve concealment.

I have already got PIR activated lights around the outside of the house, so that if the lighting level is high enough, the cameras switch from B&W to full colour and turn off their IR source. I have seperate PIR sensors to the lights so it does not look like security lights.

For instance I have a PIR concealed on the fascia under the guttering between the two garage doors. This in turn is connected to a 3 way switch in hall, with Off, permanently on and automatic positions. From this switch it goes to three wall lights at head height on the garage so its light 1, garage door A, Light 2, garage door B, light 3.

The porch is the same config, but with 3 spot lights in the ceiling so again it does not look like a combo PIR & Light fitting.

Doing this gives me more choice over the light fittings I want.

[spuorgelgoog]

I have been happy with QVIS camera but no experience of their DVR.

Rebranded Dahua DVR have a strong following on CCTV Forum

Owain