Decent CCTV gear thoughts . ?

[T i m]

Hi All,

My brother in law helps run a local football club and they are looking to improve their CCTV system.

Their insurance only mandates the alarm spec but do give a discount for CCTV.

I believe the Police 'prefer' digital and a high a quality as possible for better chance of recognising the 'perps' ;-)

They currently only have a couple of cameras covering the inside of the building but might like to add one outside (as they have had recently had 'issues' in the car park) I assume a 'duplexer' (two cameras?) and a time lapse VCR.

He's had a couple of quotes for systems that seemed to me a bit high (with thought to the low price of stuff these days and the simplicity of the installation) and he has asked if maybe *we* can do it (he's an old fashioned g/p builder so can do all the mechanical stuff and has a 'sparks' for the mains electrics and I'm a PC / Electronics eng).

So, has anyone any specific recommendations re 'good' gear (make / models) for indoor / outdoor cameras and if to go PC or dedicated DVR please (they *might* like to have a PC for 'admin' use during the day and may install broadband for 'remote' monitoring / alerting later on)? I think he would like 'good' stuff but would prefer not to be sold suff that's 'over-the-top' (if you know what I mean?) ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. I have used y3kcctv and a couple of other suppliers often mentioned here in the past and have built my own PC based DVR system (but not installed yet).

[BIG NIGE]

IMHO You would be better with a multiplexer (you may as well record ALL your existing cameras + spare channels if you should decide to add others later & if you want high quality recording use a DVR not a time lapse VCR

[T i m]

They want to start from scratch so DVR will be the way .. just don't know if a dedicated system or PC basesd would be best?

If they go PC based I don't think they will need a Multiplexor (capture cards are multiport) and broadband access will be easy (and cheap, using the 'on board' network port + router rather than an 'add on 'connection module')?

I was just hoping to shortcut some of the exploring of equipment .. like what's a good camera for shaded indoor work .. is IR illumination really ok and is B/W good enough at night etc?

Whatabout the software side if PC based (is it generally good / stable), what don't you get on a PC based system over a dedicated DVR box ...?

I could call some suppliers but I worried I'll get the 'This is best' (read 'gives us the best margin') talk ..

All the best ..

T i m

[Rob]

Look around this site:

is quite a bit of info there.

[T i m]

Thanks for that Rob ;-)

T i m

[Howard Neil]

This would depend on whether they would need the recording as evidence or not. Courts used to have a problem with digital recordings as it was too easy to alter them. It is possible to "watermark" digital images but this can be rather expensive.

I would advise your B-I-L to contact his local police Crime Prevention Officer. This is a free service and the CPO will be more than happy to visit the club and give the best crime prevention advice for that specific location/circumstances. The CPO will be in a position to know the best type of system for the club and also give advice re specific makes, etc.

[T i m]

As I believe they would potentially use the information recorded to bring someone to justice then I believe they would.

Courts used to have a problem with digital recordings as it was

Understood. But good timestamping / in-field camera descriptions might help maybe?

There's a good chance one is in their club member list already (as the bar is subsidised) ;-)

Ok, good point .. I'll pass that on ..

All the best ..

T i m

[BIG NIGE]

Personally I would use a dedicated System - you can still have an output to PC for remote viewing via broadband. you can copy info onto your PC and you can burn it to DVD (also a small TV with built in VCR can copy recordings - but of course there will be some loss of quality) Also there are still a lot of police forces that cannot cope with direct output from a DVR.

[Roly]

Get a catalogue or check out the web site of

They have all sorts of CCTV gear at sensible prices.

I'd get a dedicated digital video recorder instead of a PC interface as it will do the job with much less fuss and more reliability. Four channel video recorders start at under £300.

If you want remote monitoring, they do one ( item SR06561 ) which can connect to a computer network via ethernet to allow remote viewing. Backup can be done via USB too. I would have thought it would do everything you describe and more besides.

[T i m]

Interesting points .. thanks Nige ..

T i m

[T i m]

CPC get mentioned here a lot don't they ;-)

Ok ..

Pretty affordable then ..

"Brilliant" (I'll check it out)

All the best ..

T i m

[Howard Neil]

Not really. In digital systems these can be altered later, leaving no sign that they have been altered. Watermarking software adds time/date etc information in a form that cannot be seen by the naked eye and that does not alter the image. One of the Racal group of companies used to produce such a system but it was extremely expensive.

A video tape system can be just as effective, depending on a number of factors which include the positioning of the cameras. There is also a correct way of handling the video tapes to ensure their quality and acceptance by the court. This is a massive subject which is difficult to do justice to (pun intended ) on a newsgroup. So much depends on details at the actual location that it is much simpler to invite the Crime Prevention Officer to do a site inspection. He/She will have all the necessary information to hand.

As a starter as to what is needed, look at

The second item down is a pdf document entitled CCTV Operational Requirements Manual (Version 3) Although written in 1994, it is as valid today as when Jim wrote it and the subject matter is just one issue that will be considered by the CPO.

[Owain]

briliant?

Of course, you would need to double the hard drive spec as everything would have to be recorded twice, in English and Welsh :-)

Owain

[T i m]

Ah .. ;-(

Fair nuff .. ;-)

So much depends on

Will do then ..

Plenty of reading there!

Brilliant .. thanks Howard.

T i m

[T i m]

LOL ..

Cheers fella .. ;-)

T i m