DIY Video Surveillance Tutorial

Monitoring Your Property via the Internet

If you have a computer at the property all the time with an always-on internet connection, then you can use a PCI DVR card to turn your computer into a DVR that can be watched over the internet and that can email you images upon motion detection (please note that motion-detection-recording works best with wired cameras versus wireless). Also note the computer and the internet connection have to be on all the time for this configuration.

(Click here for:  Q-See 4 Channel H264 PC Based DVR PCI Card)

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If you have an internet connection at the property that is on all the time, but no computer, then you can utilize one of our internet-capable DVRs. The DVR can then be monitored over the internet and can send email images upon motion detection. Most of these DVR's also have alarm interfaces so that they can trip the Sensaphone or WisDom or vice-versa (An alarm on the Sensaphone or WisDom will initiate recording on the DVR).

(Click here for: DVR's with Web Access)

Monitoring the Premises Locally (No Internet)

If you do not have an "always-on" internet connection, then you can get a more simplistic DVR. These units can utilize motion detection to record events that you can play back when you return to the property.

(Click here for: Inexpensive DVR's)

Wired versus Wireless

Wired cameras are always a bit superior in quality versus wireless. When it comes to motion-detected-recording, wired will outperform wireless (wireless cameras will often false-trip motion-detected-recording). However, if you want to record 24 hours without relying on motion-detected recording, then wireless cameras could well for you. We have all kinds of cameras, indoor, outdoor, night vision, hi-resolution, etc.

(Click here for: Wired Cameras)

(Click here for: Wireless Cameras)

Important Tips About Recording

Recording wireless cameras: Each wireless camera that you wish to record must have its own receiver. If you want to record 4 cameras, you must have 4 receivers. This is because it is the receiver portion that plugs into the DVR, VCR, or computer for recording.

Recording length of DVR's or computer components: Recording length on any DVR or computer can vary from a few hours to weeks. It all depends upon quality settings. If you set quality high, you will have less recording time. If you set it medium, you could likely record for a few days. If you set quality to low, you could likely record for a week or more.

Sample Recording Time based on 120 GB Hard Drive
Quality	30 Frames/sec	15 Frames/sec	7 Frames/sec	1 Frames/sec
High (20KB/Frame)	58 hours	117 hours	251 hours	1748 hours
Normal (15KB/Frame)	78 hours	155 hours	332 hours	2330 hours
Low (12KB/Frame)	97 hours	194 hours	416 hours	2913 hours

Formula for calculating hard drive usage:

(GB Available x 1024 x 1024) divided by (KB/Frame x Frames/Sec x 60 x 60)

For example:

120GB Available x 1024 MB x 1024 KB = 125,829,120
15 KB/Frame x 7 Frames/Sec x 60 sec x 60 min = 378,000

125,829,120 divided by 378,000 = 332.88 hours

We're Here to Help!

Copy and paste the following questions into an email and fill in the information. Send the email to us at sales@diycontrols.com. We will help you select the equipment that is right for your needs!

DIY Video Surveillance Questionairre:

1) Are you interested in wired or wireless cameras? If wireless, please list any other wireless devices you have in the home and their frequencies if known (cordless phones, routers, etc.)

2) How many cameras total do you need?

3) How many of those cameras need night vision and how far do they need to be able to see in the dark?

4) How many of those cameras will be mounted inside and how many outside?

5) Do you want to record the cameras or just observe them?

6) Do you want to monitor the cameras over the internet and/or playback recorded video over the internet? If so, what kind of internet equipment do you have (cable modem, dsl modem, etc.)? Is there a computer resident at the site?

7) Would you be interested in using a computer component to transform your existing computer into a DVR (if a computer is resident at the site)?

8) Tell us about the size of the area that each camera will be monitoring
(example: CAM 1 will monitor a 17ft x 10ft living room, CAM2 will monitor a 50 foot long driveway, etc.)

Email the answers to these questions to us at sales@diycontrols.com and we will respond promptly with product suggestions.