I’m wanting a home security system that will consist of 3-4 cameras and a DVR.
None of the cameras will be outside. Two will be placed against windows to look outside the house, one for the front yard and another for the back. A third will be in the living room, with maybe a fourth in the kitchen.
I have heard that setting up internal cameras pressed against a window looking outward doesn’t work, the light reflects off the glass and you get no image. But I am not able to set them up externally as far as I know. Are there cameras designed for looking through glass?
What is a price range for this setup? $300? Any brands that are standouts for reliability and ease of use?
Cameras will NOT work from inside a window. They can be placed outside, you just need to get someone knowledgeable about running wires. Ask at local stores if they know of someone who can do this for you.
I would suggest Swann or Lorex camera systems. Get a minimum of a 2 terrabyte internal drive.
It is an apartment, I don’t know if I can set them up outside. Also I don’t knwo how to run the power lines from inside the apartment to the outside.
If push comes to shove, I can just get the 1-2 internal cameras for the living room and maybe kitchen, plus a DVR and forget out the cameras pointing outward to the yard.
If you’re allowed to drill a couple small holes into the wall, a camera can mounted just outside a window. Power adaptors for IP security cameras use very thin insulated cords that easily can be brought under many windows (including screens and storm windows) and still allow them to be closed and locked.
One option is to tap power from an outdoor porch or patio light fixture, using one of these things. You might not be able to also use a light bulb with them depending on the fixture design, and you’d have to always leave its switch on, but it wouldn’t require any drilling or wiring.
I’ve bought and installed camera packages from Costco multiple times. The set I use at my warehouse is Samsung, it was an 8 camera set. It’s pretty simple plug and play stuff. Quality is very good, night vision etc. You are in the right ballpark for 4 cameras and a DVR at $300.
The two most standard are POE(power over Ethernet and standard camera cords.)
POE is advantageous because you can fish it without connectors on it allowing you to go through very small holes, you can also use existing Ethernet lines. If you use un-sheilded cable it is subject to more electrical interference, haven’t had an issue in residential places. It also means you have to terminate all the ends, if your familiar with this process it’s not bad. If it’s your first time you’ll be redoing a lot of terminations till it works right.
The regular camera cords are simpler, it has a power and video line. to pull the connectors through easy you need a 3/4" hole, you can get them through a 3/8 hole but it’s difficult. Make sure you pay attention to camera and recording ends, nothing worse than managing to run a hole line backwards.
Mount them outside, looking through glass is subject to distortion.
That complicates matters - if you are renting and someone else owns the property.
But there are possibilities!
If there is a crime problem, perhaps other tenants in the apartments would also want cameras? And maybe the landlord would want cameras too? Never hurts to ask. So various options. One being you pay for everything and get permission to run wires outside.
Sometimes a landlord might want to install a camera system, but would need a tenant to supply electricity and keep the DVR in his unit. (Apartments with no separate office.) That could be the case in your situation? Again ask. Maybe the landlord would pay?
Another thing is a camera inside looking out a window. That is like trying to shine a flashlight out through the window at night to see what is going on outside. You will get the reflection on the glass from the light.
Same with a night vision camera. The IR LED’s will reflect off the glass… BUT! It is possible to disconnect the LED lights in a camera and just have the camera portion operating. That part could be inside. Then you could have a separate regular light outside or separate LED IR lights outside.
To disconnect the IR LED lights on a camera, you can cut the power wire on the camera and there usually are 3 wires. A ground, a power wire to the camera, and a power wire to the IR LED’s. You would not know if the camera was wired that way until you cut the wire unfortunately. And that would also void the warranty.
With some cameras, there may be a setting to turn off the IR LEDs? I don’t know. An electronics type could also take apart a camera and disable the IR LEDs.
Anyway if you just have the camera pointing out the window, but the lighting is outside, then it should work OK. (Like someone holding the flashlight outside while you stood inside looking out.)
What brand of Dropcam am I using? Dropcam. Both models available about a year ago, that differ only in resolution and lens angle.
Dropcam was bought out by Google’s Nest.
The trick to mounting inside a window is placing it where reflections are minimized. My cams work poorly at night, when there is no external light, and cams that have their own light source would not work well mounted this way.
Dropcams are far from perfect, but they are cheap ($150-200) and pretty simple to set up.
We have them too (not that brand, but cameras) in the windows and they work just fine. At night, too (although the post light in the front yard helps). The current ones are color - the old one was black and white and THAT one worked GREAT at night. The one in the LR in the bay window runs to a TV in the kitchen that I’m looking at right now - beautiful picture too. Camera is a tiny little thing - unless someone told you it was there, you probably wouldn’t notice it from the outside unless you were RIGHT UP ON the window. Asked husband the brand - he doesn’t remember nor does he remember where he bought them but we’ve had them for YEARS. Oh - they’re wired, not wireless.
I put a wireless camera next to the aquarium. See what the fish do when no one is around. They smoke tiny cigarettes and drink from tiny cans.
But I digress.
It doesn’t work in the dark, for water is opaque to IR.
