Security Cams

[diluzio91]

My dad wants to set up a security camera at his shop, and i really dont know much about them. He wants to be able to hook them into a computer to record the video, anyone who can point me in the right direction? Thanks guys.

Oh, a couple different price ranges would be helpful. probably around $200, $400, and $600?

[slaveofconvention]

IDN what the regulations are in the US, but here in the UK for video recordings to be accepted as evidence, they have to be encoded in a specific (non-editable) format - other than that, it shouldn't be a problem - you can get CCTV PVR PCI cards pretty readily... Then you're free to use pretty much whichever camera you choose - don't get sucked into anything with any kind of proprietory connector - bye bye upgrade/repair path....

[Fuganater]

I'm about to run out the door but most of the ones with 4 cameras and a DVR of 500GB run between 300-800 depending on indoor/outdoor, quality, night-vision etc.

[OvRiDe]

I would shy away from using a computer. We did that route at work and quickly traded into a full DVR solution that didnt have the problem of having to deal with OS issues such as updates, connectivity etc etc. I would look at something like this...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6078149&CatId=6035

Self contained has a built in monitor AND has a LAN port for remote viewing. Its using the h.264 compression codec so with only 4 cameras you should get pretty good footage retention. We have a couple of 16 camera setups with 500GB drives and they give us at least 30 days, so with 4 you should get at least that.

[x88x]

Indoor, outdoor? Low-light, no-light? Quantity of cameras? Ease of wiring? Is power available everywhere you want to put cameras? I would go for network-connected cameras (preferably wired) if I were you, if it's not cost-prohibitive. That will give you the greatest flexibility in location but still give you more security and reliability that wireless network-connected cameras.

Concerning the admissibility of digital video in court, it looks from a cursory investigation that we don't have a format requirement in the US. Here's an interesting link on the subject.
http://www.crime-scene-investigator.net/admissibilityofdigital.html

[diluzio91]

Well, it's in buffalo new york. he's planning on doing his place, (indoor cameras) and his cousin's bar (indoor outdoor). In buffalo the weather is crap, so thats about it. that 4 cam system looks pretty good...

[Airbozo]

Concerning legal issues, you MUST inform your employees when the cameras get installed and do NOT record the audio.

I also agree with the stand alone dvr solution. You can use a computer, but I have seen more problems with that type of install vs a stand alone system.

(I used to install high end cctv systems for a living)

[mDust]

No specific recommendations but a few things to consider:

The company I work for has had a couple cases thrown out because a) the burglars face was never 100% visible due to a hood and then b) the footage was too low-res for a positive identity when another burglars face was stupidly 100% visible. All those police dramas where they zoom in and enhance 280i video 50 times to obtain a 4k video which confirms a perps identity by a unique nose hair pattern from 1000 yards is 99% fiction. That last 1% was some technology that was being developed that really did such things with crazy algorithms but I can't seem to find what it is called. But adding data to evidence is not admissible in any court so forget about that 1%. Security cameras are useless most of the time which is why dummy cameras are so popular. Cameras are more of a deterrent than anything else.

If you're actually trying to catch someone doing something then I'd recommend:

High resolution with low-light and night-vision (unless the shop is always lit)
Motion activated recording (unless you don't mind fast-forwarding through days worth of video to find out nothing actually happened)
A DVR with a LOT of (or user-expandable) HDD space (unless you want to find out something is missing but the DVR already looped over itself)
A DVR system that streams over the internet so you can check on the shop from home in real-time.
Hiding the cameras so burglars let their guard down...otherwise use dummy cameras as they work just as well and are cheap.
Don't abuse employees with the cameras. They're for security, not making sure Worker Joe is busting ass every minute of the work week. A lot of employers try to use them as a slave-driving tool...I've never seen that end well.

[dr.walrus]

Also, cameras in female changing rooms etc is a no-no

[mDust]

Also, cameras in female changing rooms etc is a no-no

Any criminal charges/funny stories you'd like to share?:eek::)

[Airbozo]

Also, cameras in female changing rooms etc is a no-no

Not true as long as you have a warning sign to inform your customer they are being recorded. At least in the US anyway.

EDIT: Very few stores are willing to put them in dressing rooms due to the potential of a lawsuit. When I was installing camera systems, we would have our customers sign long legal agreements indicating they were responsible for where the cameras were placed and not our company. Yes we did install some in dressing rooms and we also installed the proper warning signs. The company in question sent several of their security personnel to training on how to deal with camera's in dressing rooms (required by law If I remember right). There have been a couple of lawsuits since then and I am not sure if this is common practice any more.

[dr.walrus]

Not true as long as you have a warning sign to inform your customer they are being recorded. At least in the US anyway.

EDIT: Very few stores are willing to put them in dressing rooms due to the potential of a lawsuit. When I was installing camera systems, we would have our customers sign long legal agreements indicating they were responsible for where the cameras were placed and not our company. Yes we did install some in dressing rooms and we also installed the proper warning signs. The company in question sent several of their security personnel to training on how to deal with camera's in dressing rooms (required by law If I remember right). There have been a couple of lawsuits since then and I am not sure if this is common practice any more.

Wow, I had no idea. I was just making a joke, I never thought stores did that!

[Airbozo]

Wow, I had no idea. I was just making a joke, I never thought stores did that!

lol. Humor is lost on me today. My wonderful 6 day party weekend was completely voided after 15 minutes back at work.

From what I understand cameras in dressing room rules vary by state. Some states don't even have to inform you. In other states it is completely illegal even if you warn them.

[billygoat333]

At walmart you can't have a camera dome visible from the fitting room at all. Even if it is pointing the other way, you still can't see the dome. Lol think they must have gotten sued, eh?

[blaze15301]

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?InvtId=A-BR18B8-G500-FB&cpc=RESX

that seem like a good price.