I'm considering getting CCTV installed and have a load of questions whizzing around my head. First of which is - do I really need to pay a stack of cash for someone to install some fancy kit from Hikvision, Dahua or wherever, when I could put up a couple of WiFi cameras (e.g. Ring, Netatmo, Arlo etc) for maybe half the cost (or less)? I realise it's comparing apples & pears to some extent, but if anyone has thoughts or experience to help me figure out the pros and cons then I'd be grateful to hear about it. Especially when it comes to experiences with the mobile apps, as I'd hate to shell out for a fancy system and then find the app is barely usable (e.g. badly designed, or won't stream videos well or whatever).
I have actually already invited a few quotes to get a feel for the cost of a professional installation, and as ever, no two people seem to agree on the best approach, e.g. how many cameras, where to place them, what spec, continuous or motion-activated recording and more. On that last point, I feel like a system that alerts me to unexpected visitors is way more useful than one that just sits there quietly recording until something else prompts me (or doesn't) to fire up the app and take a look. Especially if it's recording constantly, in which case there's presumably no indication in the recorded video of when anything interesting might have happened. Some folk seem to swear by IVS / 'Tripwire' (etc) and others just swear at it and turn it off because it creates too many alerts. So any views (no pun intended) on that are welcome.
Recorder capacity is baffling me, as I've been told by a couple of people that 1TB should be fine for 3-4 weeks' footage with 4 x 5MP cameras attached, but then others have said I'd need 2TB and would only get 2-3 weeks with that... makes no sense, unless this comes down to individual installers' approach to configuration (e.g. back to the continuous vs motion-based recording).
Next point of contention - where to locate the DVR / NVR / recorder. Some people say loft, others say no way (due to heat, dust, damp, spiders, mice, etc). Some people say study or sitting room, others say no way as a burglar would just find it and go off with the evidence. One person said garage, which has its advantages (in my house at least) but doesn't seem terribly secure. I would have thought one consideration is not having miles of network cable trailing throughout the house, as our router is in the sitting room and it would be awkward to relocate it (and we're already using a powerline with it for the PC upstairs). Also, it seems a lot of systems rely on the recorder alone, rather than backing up to the cloud, so that seems a big disadvantage as any evidence could be lost if the kit gets stolen or damaged. But I suppose any cloud backup options probably come with a hefty (ongoing) price tag.
One other thing I spotted is that some people seem more concerned about concealing wiring than others. I've seen some incredibly neat installations where there is no wiring visible at all, so they've presumably done a good bit of drilling. But the guys I've spoken to were talking about running wires along edges of stuff or behind drainpipes, or the option of using trunking, and the sample pics I've seen from one guy, the wires are just simply run along the wall in full view, or even up and over the fascia in the case of a bungalow (so within reaching distance) - am now wondering if I should worry about this guy's approach, as that seems pretty vulnerable to being cut by some bloke with a balaclava.
Which brings me neatly onto one last point (for now
) and that is accreditation - so far I've seen some prices from an NSI-accredited installer (eye-watering), an SSAIB installer (OK) and one who has no security-specific accreditation, just something like NAPIT or ELECSA (quite competitive). Not sure if this is a typical scenario, but I'd be interested to hear people's views on how important it is to go with an NSI/SSAIB-approved installer for CCTV or indeed for intruder alarms (as I've a bit of work needs doing on that too).
And finally there's the question of ongoing maintenance / servicing. One installer told me it's money for old rope, and it really winds him up how some companies squeeze easy money from their customers each year for very little in return. Others unsurprisingly do their best to push the customer in the direction of a maintenance contract, to prolong the warranty and avoid high call-out fees or servicing & repair costs. The costs seem to vary massively - e.g. I've seen anything from £35 for an alarm service up to £120 or even more for 'priority callout', parts & labour included, and so on. Seems to be more or less the same situation for CCTV. I'd be inclined to look somewhere in the middle (i.e. don't want to pay for inclusive repairs I may never need, but also don't want to get stung unreasonably if I do need to call someone out). Again, views welcome.
I realise I've covered quite a bit there, so to summarise the points I'm interested in:
Any hints & tips much appreciated!
I have actually already invited a few quotes to get a feel for the cost of a professional installation, and as ever, no two people seem to agree on the best approach, e.g. how many cameras, where to place them, what spec, continuous or motion-activated recording and more. On that last point, I feel like a system that alerts me to unexpected visitors is way more useful than one that just sits there quietly recording until something else prompts me (or doesn't) to fire up the app and take a look. Especially if it's recording constantly, in which case there's presumably no indication in the recorded video of when anything interesting might have happened. Some folk seem to swear by IVS / 'Tripwire' (etc) and others just swear at it and turn it off because it creates too many alerts. So any views (no pun intended) on that are welcome.
Recorder capacity is baffling me, as I've been told by a couple of people that 1TB should be fine for 3-4 weeks' footage with 4 x 5MP cameras attached, but then others have said I'd need 2TB and would only get 2-3 weeks with that... makes no sense, unless this comes down to individual installers' approach to configuration (e.g. back to the continuous vs motion-based recording).
Next point of contention - where to locate the DVR / NVR / recorder. Some people say loft, others say no way (due to heat, dust, damp, spiders, mice, etc). Some people say study or sitting room, others say no way as a burglar would just find it and go off with the evidence. One person said garage, which has its advantages (in my house at least) but doesn't seem terribly secure. I would have thought one consideration is not having miles of network cable trailing throughout the house, as our router is in the sitting room and it would be awkward to relocate it (and we're already using a powerline with it for the PC upstairs). Also, it seems a lot of systems rely on the recorder alone, rather than backing up to the cloud, so that seems a big disadvantage as any evidence could be lost if the kit gets stolen or damaged. But I suppose any cloud backup options probably come with a hefty (ongoing) price tag.
One other thing I spotted is that some people seem more concerned about concealing wiring than others. I've seen some incredibly neat installations where there is no wiring visible at all, so they've presumably done a good bit of drilling. But the guys I've spoken to were talking about running wires along edges of stuff or behind drainpipes, or the option of using trunking, and the sample pics I've seen from one guy, the wires are just simply run along the wall in full view, or even up and over the fascia in the case of a bungalow (so within reaching distance) - am now wondering if I should worry about this guy's approach, as that seems pretty vulnerable to being cut by some bloke with a balaclava.
Which brings me neatly onto one last point (for now
) and that is accreditation - so far I've seen some prices from an NSI-accredited installer (eye-watering), an SSAIB installer (OK) and one who has no security-specific accreditation, just something like NAPIT or ELECSA (quite competitive). Not sure if this is a typical scenario, but I'd be interested to hear people's views on how important it is to go with an NSI/SSAIB-approved installer for CCTV or indeed for intruder alarms (as I've a bit of work needs doing on that too).And finally there's the question of ongoing maintenance / servicing. One installer told me it's money for old rope, and it really winds him up how some companies squeeze easy money from their customers each year for very little in return. Others unsurprisingly do their best to push the customer in the direction of a maintenance contract, to prolong the warranty and avoid high call-out fees or servicing & repair costs. The costs seem to vary massively - e.g. I've seen anything from £35 for an alarm service up to £120 or even more for 'priority callout', parts & labour included, and so on. Seems to be more or less the same situation for CCTV. I'd be inclined to look somewhere in the middle (i.e. don't want to pay for inclusive repairs I may never need, but also don't want to get stung unreasonably if I do need to call someone out). Again, views welcome.
I realise I've covered quite a bit there, so to summarise the points I'm interested in:
- 'Professional' wired CCTV vs DIY 'smart cameras'
- Pros and cons of motion-activated configuration
- Recorder spec & recording duration
- Location of recorder
- Cloud backup
- Placement of wiring
- Accreditation
- Maintenance
Any hints & tips much appreciated!
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