New from FL

[tnw1980]

Hi, new here. I am looking to install a new wired poe camera system with nvr for 24/7 recording. Would also like notifications for people and vehicle detection. Pet/animal detection would be nice too if possible but not required. I found someone to run the cat 5 and they recommended reolink. I did try them out and the app was easy so leaning towards that but have read the reviews about night vision so now not sure.

I see the recommended cameras on here are the 5442s. If i decided to go this route, would the loryta t5442tm- as 2.8, 3.6, or 6 be best? Or is it best just to go with the empiretech t5442t-ze be better if im unsure? I see its recommended get one and test but I am looking to get setup quickly. I understand these will be way better at night then reolink but how do they compare in daylight to the 4k reolink cameras? If there are different model cameras i should consider let me know. I do need something easy that i can do on my own as installer wont be providing future tech support.

I have a 1700 sq foot home. Neighbors are all pretty close. I would like to get about 40 ft back yard. About 50 ft in front to get road. Side yards about 20 feet on sides in between houses. I was thinking about 8 cameras. If i go with reolink may need a couple more since their view seemed a bit narrower. Id like to cover enter property. Crazy neighbor who has been harrassing us so need to know when they are coming toward my house. There is street light and flood light in front but back yard is darker. There is some light from other houses though. Im probably going to have floodlight put on back corners.

Prefer not to use led spotlights. IR is ok. The IR red light on reolink is pretty obvious. Is it less noticeable on the 5442?

reolink app and nvr easy to start and already had hard drive. What nvr is recommended for the 5442s? Bonus if poe and if can be ordered on amazon but not required. Will i need to install my own hard drive? Think 16 channel in case i want more cameras in future. Dont think im ready to do a pc/blue iris, maybe in future.

Currently my router and modem are in a bedroom. They used to be across house in office but kept having issues with internet so spectrum moved into bedroom. Have had no issues since. If i have to put nvr in there I will but prefer not to since i know it may be loud. Installer said he can just run a long cat5 cable from router in bedroom to nvr in office if i want. Would there be any issue with this?

Will want back up power in case power goes out. I understand this will be for short time. Does ups get plugged into router, modem, nvr, or do they all need separate ups?

have option to get installed as early as monday, installer then out for a few weeks so leaning towards just getting the reolink for now and upgrading later when I need to. I do see i could get the 5442s quick on amazon though but not sure about the nvr? Of course best to get set up right first time.

sorry for so many questions, just beginning to learn about wired systems. Thanks in advance for any assistance!

 

[wittaj]

Welcome,

If you go the NVR route, it is best to match brand of camera and NVR.

Loryta and Empiretech are the same thing and are both Dahua OEM cameras. You can get the NVR and cameras on Amazon quickly.

Battery backup and for how many items is up to you. Some do just the NVR or computer, some will add the router and modem. Totally your call.

If you don't want white LEDs on, then stay away from cameras called Full Color as they need visible light and cannot see infrared.

That is the nice thing about IP cameras is your can route the cables wherever you need.

Don't buy Reolink and then upgrade later - that is just wasting money. I would even question using the installer if that is what he recommends. He will probably install inferior CCA wiring as well.

Stay away from Reolink unless all you care about is what time something happened. Their night time performance is horrible.

In most instances, you want to get a camera that will perform at your location for the worse situation, which for most of us is at night when it is dark and there is little to no light. If a camera performs at night, it is easier to tweak settings to make it work during the day than it is the other way around.

Did I mention avoid Reolink, especially at night they are horrible. Look at these examples.

What you mean a missing hand isn't normal LOL (plus look at the blur on the face and he is barely moving and this should be ideal indoor IR bounce and it struggles):

How about missing everything but the head and upper torso

The invisible man, where can he be. Thank goodness he is carrying around a reflective plate to see where he is LOL (hint - the person is literally in the middle of the image at the end of the fence)

I've seen better images on an episode of ghost hunters

And of course, this is an example from Reolink's marketing videos - do you see a person in this picture...yes, there is a person in this picture.... Could this provide anything useful for the police other than the date and time something happened? Would this protect your home? The still picture looks great though except for the person and the blur of the vehicle... Will give you a hint - the person is in between the two visible columns:

Bad Boys
Bad Boys
Watcha gonna do
Watcha gonna do
When the cameras can't see you


Here is the unofficial Reolink page where people have provided their best nighttime image captures. As you will see, they are basically useless.

Reolink: Deconstruction of a dangerous misleading youtube review "Finding the BEST 4K Security Camera NVR Package (Reolink vs Amcrest vs Swann)"

Executive Summary: DO NOT be a sheep. Ask what a reviewer can be missing, ask if a reviewer is using hype words to sell the cheapest product. Test your cameras and kits right away. Just do a bench test. Test real world conditions. Test moving suspects. Test at night, test at day. Use a test rig...

ipcamtalk.com

At some of your distances, a fixed lens won't cut it.

Take a look at this thread that mentions the most commonly recommended cameras based on distance to IDENTIFY. These represent the best overall cameras in terms of price, performance day and night, and reliability. In some instance 2MP is more than enough.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...

ipcamtalk.com

These are also some good threads:

"I want 2.8mm cameras everywhere to see everything..." - This is why you need specific FOVs with purposeful focal lengths.

I have gained a lot of knowledge since I signed up and wanted to share my experience and examples of improvements and changes for others who are coming from a "I want 2.8mm cameras everywhere to see everything" system mentality. My ongoing "build/looking for advice" thread can be found here...

ipcamtalk.com

Why I Like Redundant Views/Multiple Cam Views

A lot of newbies ask for help with their camera setups and most think that they can get by with a single cam to cover quite a bit of area. While that is possible if all you are interested in is a wide-angle overview, it usually will not give you a great chance of getting a face shot good enough...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[TonyR]

Hi, new here.

Welcome to IPCT!

 

[looney2ns]

I'll second, Reolink is a bad choice if you expect to get a face ID from a perp that would hold up in court.
Be sure you read the cliff notes.

 

[ctm]

Welcome to the forum.
Your question on 2.8 vs 3.6 vs 6.0 vs varifocal depends on what you want to see (and why). I had a 2.8 watching the parking near my house, and although I could "see everything", i didn't get details at the cars (maybe 40-60ft from the camera), so I went with a t5442 6mm aimed towards one side of the parking, and then to be safe, went with a 5442-z4e (bullet) varifocal for the other side, the ze would have likely been fine too.
Despite being 4mp, the daytime images with my 5442s are better then the 8mp amcrest they replaced, and by having a narrower field of views, I am picking up details. Night time is far better as well.
For IR lights, my t5442 6m has 2 ir leds, they aren't too noticable, they glow, not shine. The 5442-z4e has 4 ir emitters that are a bit more noticable (still not shining, by my son says it looks like a 4 eyed monster is hiding under our eaves).
If you are willing to pay for a varifocal, it will let you find the field of view you want.
Otherwise, 2.8mm is for things close by or for observation, but not good at identification.

 

[mat200]

Hi, new here. I am looking to install a new wired poe camera system with nvr for 24/7 recording. Would also like notifications for people and vehicle detection. Pet/animal detection would be nice too if possible but not required. I found someone to run the cat 5 and they recommended reolink. I did try them out and the app was easy so leaning towards that but have read the reviews about night vision so now not sure.

I see the recommended cameras on here are the 5442s. If i decided to go this route, would the loryta t5442tm- as 2.8, 3.6, or 6 be best? Or is it best just to go with the empiretech t5442t-ze be better if im unsure? I see its recommended get one and test but I am looking to get setup quickly. I understand these will be way better at night then reolink but how do they compare in daylight to the 4k reolink cameras? If there are different model cameras i should consider let me know. I do need something easy that i can do on my own as installer wont be providing future tech support.

I have a 1700 sq foot home. Neighbors are all pretty close. I would like to get about 40 ft back yard. About 50 ft in front to get road. Side yards about 20 feet on sides in between houses. I was thinking about 8 cameras. If i go with reolink may need a couple more since their view seemed a bit narrower. Id like to cover enter property. Crazy neighbor who has been harrassing us so need to know when they are coming toward my house. There is street light and flood light in front but back yard is darker. There is some light from other houses though. Im probably going to have floodlight put on back corners.

Prefer not to use led spotlights. IR is ok. The IR red light on reolink is pretty obvious. Is it less noticeable on the 5442?

reolink app and nvr easy to start and already had hard drive. What nvr is recommended for the 5442s? Bonus if poe and if can be ordered on amazon but not required. Will i need to install my own hard drive? Think 16 channel in case i want more cameras in future. Dont think im ready to do a pc/blue iris, maybe in future.

Currently my router and modem are in a bedroom. They used to be across house in office but kept having issues with internet so spectrum moved into bedroom. Have had no issues since. If i have to put nvr in there I will but prefer not to since i know it may be loud. Installer said he can just run a long cat5 cable from router in bedroom to nvr in office if i want. Would there be any issue with this?

Will want back up power in case power goes out. I understand this will be for short time. Does ups get plugged into router, modem, nvr, or do they all need separate ups?

have option to get installed as early as monday, installer then out for a few weeks so leaning towards just getting the reolink for now and upgrading later when I need to. I do see i could get the 5442s quick on amazon though but not sure about the nvr? Of course best to get set up right first time.

sorry for so many questions, just beginning to learn about wired systems. Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Hi @tnw1980

Reolink, definitely not recommended here in general.

If you need good low light image capture you will need better cameras than Reolink makes.

 

[tnw1980]

Thank you all. I have read all your detailed posts, links, photos and thankful for your guidance. I do see the reolink will not bw good at night and 5442 better.

Few more questions..

With 5442s id use the dmss app correct? Is this easy to use? Can I get instant notifications on my iphone? Human, vehicle detection? Easy playback? Is there option to speed through playback faster?

i really need help choosing a NVR, feeling a bit overwhelmed, doesnt look like the 16 ch poe nvr by empiretech is in stock unless im searching incorrectly? Want at least 8 cams. Confused with all the details. Want to record 24/7 and maybe save for few days or week if possible. Want to have AI like human, vehicle, animal.

Which is the most common in other fixed cameras sold 2.8 or 3.6? Or verifical better?

any issue with putting nvr in seperate room then router?

is 5442 only camera with the recommended sensor? Are there any other brands/cameras that are as good?

thanks!

 

[wittaj]

If you have an NVR, that is what uses the app not the cameras.

Yes it would be DMSS with a Dahua OEM NVR and yes you can get instant notifications on human and vehicle. Yes you can playback at different speeds.

Easy Playback....um big debate on that. Some love NVRs and some here love Blue Iris/Computer as their NVR.

If you want animal AI, then you need to look at Blue Iris/Computer as your VMS system (NVR)

Many here will say go with the varifocal because inevitably after the fascination of wide angle goes away, we want to IDENTIFY and that is done with varifocal.

If you haven't yet, look at this thread that shows the progression most of us make from going from fixed lens to varifocal:

"I want 2.8mm cameras everywhere to see everything..." - This is why you need specific FOVs with purposeful focal lengths.

I have gained a lot of knowledge since I signed up and wanted to share my experience and examples of improvements and changes for others who are coming from a "I want 2.8mm cameras everywhere to see everything" system mentality. My ongoing "build/looking for advice" thread can be found here...

ipcamtalk.com

No issue with the NVR in a separate room than the router. It doesn't care whether the cable it 3 feet of 100 feet to connect the two LOL.

You always want an NVR with more capability than you think. 8 cameras turns into 12 or 14 or 16 fairly quickly. This is the one you want:

https://www.amazon.com/EmpireTech-NVR5216-4KS2-Channel-Version-Recorder/dp/B07BT3CQTW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=nvr&m=A329YQ83EBQGJF&qid=1684549475&s=merchant-items&sr=1-1

Now should you be tempted to look at Blue Iris, continue reading:

I had NVRs for many years. It was a frustrating experience.

There is a big debate here on which is better. Personally I found the NVRs to be too clunky and not very user friendly and got to the point that I was reactive instead of proactive. I literally tested BI and knew within a few minutes it was better than any NVR I ever had.

Like literally I would go months on end not even looking at the NVR videos because the interface was too clunky and would take forever to pull up any motion from the night before. And ended up turning off the alerts because there were so many false triggers. I would only look at it if I could tell someone messed with something on my property or a neighbor asked me if my cameras caught anything.

With BI, in addition to being able to configure it such that I get notifications whenever someone gets too close to my house, I can literally in less than 30 seconds every morning do a quick review to see if there was any suspicious activity or people walking down the sidewalk at 2am. I could never do it that fast with an NVR.

Here is the search tool of all the NVR versus BI comparisons:

blue iris vs nvr ip cam site:ipcamtalk.com - Google Search


I have had whatever the NVR operating system is running on go out. TWICE. Got to buy a whole new NVR - TWICE

I have had the ethernet port go out on an NVR. Got to buy a whole new NVR.

i had the HDMI port go out on an NVR. Got to buy a whole new NVR.

Most I ever got was 2.5 years. The only working part was the HDD that I simply moved from the old NVR to the new one. I got to the point of realizing that an NVR is simply a stripped down computer, so I went to BI and never looked back. I got tired of buying a whole new unit.

So in my BI Computer, at least if the SSD goes out, I can just replace it. If the ethernet card goes out, I can just replace it. If the HDMI port goes out, I can just replace it. etc.

Personally I gave up on NVRs because I have found them to be clunky and a struggle to review clips and if a component goes out like the internet port, then you are stuck buying a new NVR whereas a computer part goes out and you replace just that component. I went to BI on a dedicated machine and haven't looked back.

Keep in mind an NVR is simply a watered down computer....


One of many areas where I think BI does a better job is how it displays the alerts/timeline, and I believe it is still the same as when I last ran SmartPSS and DMSS.

As we can see from this screenshot, it gives a green timeline with lines at various times to show when it triggered. Over to the right is a graphic/text representation of each trigger, but no image of the trigger.

So when I wanted to find or look at something, I needed to click each one until I found what I was looking for.

Wanna know when UPS came by in an NVR....well just start clicking on the timeline triggers till you see the UPS truck. May take awhile depending on the amount of traffic that goes by.

With BI, it gives alert thumbnails, so I can quickly scroll and find UPS way quicker than I ever could with an NVR playback timeline.

Or if you want to be notified when UPS, or FEDEX, or USPS comes by, with BI AI, you can set up an alert just for those vehicles. Good luck doing that with an NVR.

But to me, the thumbnails are invaluable. I can quickly scroll it at night and look for any activity instead of having to click each one and be like "oh that is John coming home" If I recognize the vehicle or person in the image, no need to investigate further.

 

[janalabov]

The Loryta T5442TM-AS and EmpireTech T5442T-ZE are both good options. The Loryta model offers different lens options (2.8mm, 3.6mm, or 6mm), allowing you to choose the field of view that suits your needs. The EmpireTech model is also a solid choice if you're unsure about the lens size you require. Either camera will perform well in daylight compared to Reolink's 4K cameras.

 

[wittaj]

And to clear up any confusion, Loryta and EmpireTech are the same person @EMPIRETECANDY and are Dahua OEM cameras.