CCTV advice please

[Smatt]

Following a couple of thefts of garden items, I would be grateful for the panels' advice on a cctv system, please.
We have quite a large house & grounds, so may need more than the standard 4 camera set up- possibly 6. I know the highest image quality possible is desirable.
Having Android access would be nice

Questions:
Is 540 line resolution enough? Are there any good HD cameras that are not too expensive?
I would like to keep costs under 1-1.5K, but aim for max quality/reliability for the price
Any good retailer sites recommended?(it needs to be self install to save money, but I am technically proficient)
Anything to watch out for & recommended ones with the DVRs or should a NAS/server be used?

Many thanks for all help.
Matt

 

[E CLASS]

Mapplin perhaps?

Buy a large dog and negate the theft!

 

[tromppost]

Try these Octagon Have used them for home alarm.

 

[Smatt]

Mapplin perhaps?

Buy a large dog and negate the theft!

I know how good they are at deterrence, but not really keen on dogs & they are rather restrictive.
We have chickens(yes I know useless at preventing theft but good for eggs) already & plan to get some geese for guarding!

 

[Smatt]

Try these Octagon Have used them for home alarm.

It looks like they are installers?
I wish to do a self install...

 

[Benzmanc]

IMO cameras are useless unless someone is watching them constantly. The tea leaf intent on relieving you of your possessions just need a hoodie and the most expensive system in the world is rendered useless.

Just fit a couple of these with some dummy cameras on top, they will make the scroats think they are being watched.

NightWatcher Universal CCTV Bracket Free Delivery : CCTV Camera Fixings : Maplin

 

[corned]

Got to agree with that. Whenever we've had scrotes snooping around here (thankfully not often), all we see on the recordings is hoods up. Bloody useless.

 

[developer]

Have a look at www.espuk.com particularly DIGIVIEW 8i.

My understanding is that the cameras can be upgraded with higher definition units as required.

 

[corned]

But the problem still remains. They can be full HD 1080p quality images, but all you will see is the lovely detailed stitching of the hoods - no faces.

 

[developer]

But the problem still remains. They can be full HD 1080p quality images, but all you will see is the lovely detailed stitching of the hoods - no faces.

True enough, but OP ask, member answer - circle is complete .

 

[whitenemesis]

With CCTV you can watch them stealing, what you want is something to stop them stealing. Especially in the garden.

How about light bombs? Rig up a PIR sensor(s) to detect movement. This triggers a gentle beeper that makes the perp look in a certain direction. A split second later a xenon light flashes and (temporarily) blinds the perp. You can link a camera to capture their image.

 

[silver_star]

I have set a system up before with a single cam using ZoneMinder - ZoneMinder: Linux Home CCTV and Video Camera Security with Motion Detection and an old pc... maybe worth a look. eBuyer or maplins should be able to sort you out with any cards/cameras.

 

[Smatt]

IMO cameras are useless unless someone is watching them constantly. The tea leaf intent on relieving you of your possessions just need a hoodie and the most expensive system in the world is rendered useless.

Just fit a couple of these with some dummy cameras on top, they will make the scroats think they are being watched.

NightWatcher Universal CCTV Bracket Free Delivery : CCTV Camera Fixings : Maplin

I agree for a lone burglar.
However, we had a number of large heavy urns/cast iron & stone items stolen, so a vehicle must have been used.
This is just one part of a raft of measures...

With CCTV you can watch them stealing, what you want is something to stop them stealing. Especially in the garden.

How about light bombs? Rig up a PIR sensor(s) to detect movement. This triggers a gentle beeper that makes the perp look in a certain direction. A split second later a xenon light flashes and (temporarily) blinds the perp. You can link a camera to capture their image.

I am interested in this Peter.
Is it something easy to set up, or are they commercially available please?
Thanks, Matt

 

[whitenemesis]

I agree for a lone burglar.
However, we had a number of large heavy urns/cast iron & stone items stolen, so a vehicle must have been used.
This is just one part of a raft of measures...


I am interested in this Peter.
Is it something easy to set up, or are they commercially available please?
Thanks, Matt

I've not seen a commercial offering but it wouldn't be difficult to put together. Obviously only really useful during the hours of darkness but that's probably when thefts occur.

 

[janner]

A split second later a xenon light flashes and (temporarily) blinds the perp. You can link a camera to capture their image.

Then post a compilation of the best ones on youtube.

CCTV is useful if you link it to a GSM alarm and your I-Phone.

 

[Dieselman]

Fit movement sensors to all the garden features and connect to...


PhotoBlog - As bomb expert inspects, explosion rips car apart in Thailand

 

[jepho]

It is not nice to learn of your losses, however, you should be aware that locks only keep honest people out. The idea that CCTV assists in the reduction of crime is a nonsense. (if you have time you should check the Home Office stats) The causes of criminal activity are many and varied and CCTV does not address any of them. CCTV may make you feel safer but I suggest that it is a false sense of security; which is engendered by the unblinking gaze of yet another CCTV camera as it swings around to monitor your progress along the high street.

In my opinion, you would be served better by saving your hard-earned and examining why the items which were taken are so attractive to casual thieves. Can the items be secured to prevent their easy removal? What about marking things so that they are less attractive to the opportunist thief? IR pens/smart water and so on... Can you get advice from the local police about why the crimes are being committed in your garden? All of the foregoing is more active and thus a better starting place than installing CCTV which you are never going to sit and monitor 24 hours per day.

On its face, applications that can inform your phone that a PIR disturbance is logged; are very useful. When you are having a day off by the sea at some 200 miles distant from your home, it wont improve your mood... to come home and find that it was emptied, despite your call to the local police to investigate a possible break-in and theft.

Some people steal stuff. After you have taken reasonable precautions, your only recourse is home insurance. It is just a sad fact of life. That is not a reason for being paranoid or living in fear. When a child, I grew up in a relatively rough area of London and I soon learned that if you look like a victim... you soon will become one.

€0.02

 

[Parrotman]

www.henryscctv.co.uk

 

[Smatt]

Well, we have got a medium sized dog now!
I think I will still get the cameras too- still researching them furiously at present, along with floods/PIRs/gate access etc