I have a 2GIG system. Thinking of adding several cameras.
How does power hookup and ethernet cables? This is my concern as it seems like it would be a difficult job if there is no power or ethernet near the mounting location. Not sure how great the wireless would be.
Cameras include a plug in power supply. Run off of 12VDC.
You will generally either have an electrician add a receptacle nearby the installation spot or just splice on a length of cable to extend the included power supply. Commonly we would use 18/2 stranded cable.
Typically you won’t run into many issues with wireless unless your router is in the basement or the very opposite end of the home in larger homes. (Neither would be a good spot for a router in general)
Your best bet may be to go with Infrared still cameras. (Image Sensors). Panel supports up to three, and if you have GOLD, Its included already in your service plan.
Else you can get 32’ 2.1mm power cable extensions for the ADC cameras… for like $5
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/23-763
Never mind.
i believe they have Power of Ethernet cameras as well. Thats what i have been debating going. Still requires a wire but you can buy Ethernet cables for cheap and run them through attics etc.
I did have a question for Surety how exactly does the price work for them?
I recently bought a few dropcams but taking them back cause the fees are crazy. $10 first one $5 each per month.
i noticed on the pricing it was $5/month for 4 cameras + 1000 clips?? So how exactly does that work?? Can you still get live streaming? Does it just save clips when it detects movement or?
Alarm.com video pricing is listed here:
You can stream live video as much as you want with any plan. You get 4 cameras and 1000 cloud-recorded video clips per month with the lowest level video plan. For more cloud-recorded video clips or more cameras you can upgrade the service plan.
In my opinion a very good choice is to get the lowest level video plan ($5/month) and then 1 SVR ($5/month). That gets you unlimited live video, 1000 cloud-recorded video clips and the SVR will continuously record video locally at your house. The total monthly would be $10/month. You get terabyte(s) worth of video continuously recorded locally on the SVR and you can program your cameras to upload important events into the cloud for extra safe keeping.
So for the one SVR you can just pick and choose which one it is?
I am just debating thinking of doing a somewhat combined system of a bunch of cheap POE around the border of the house. Then at least have some of them in critical areas.
So for the one SVR you can just pick and choose which one it is?
I am just debating thinking of doing a somewhat combined system of a bunch of cheap POE around the border of the house. Then at least have some of them in critical areas.
The 4 channel SVR only supports the following alarm.com (ADC) cams (520/520IR/620/720/720W/721/820), the wholesale price is $400-$500, so tack on another $100 or so retail. The compatible cams are sold separately, and range from $150-$350 each. They are wireless except for the outdoor 720 (which is Poe).
Having used the 2TB SVR myself, its something that I boxed up and threw in the closet after a few weeks of use (granted I only had one cam with it). Unless you have 4 or more compatible cameras, or need to continuously record, or are a business/commercial entity, I would pass on the SVR. The cost alone is prohibitive.
Its LAN only, and is very very loud, and even with the SVR you cannot continuously stream the video feed (average approx. 20 min). You cannot locally access the saved video, it is cloud based playback and streaming, and all control/access is remote alarm.com/mobile app /cloud based.
Wholesale ADC price (before Dealer markup):
As someone who has designed and managed numerous residential and commercial surveillance systems I feel that continuous recording is extremely valuable for both. It depends on what you’re using the cameras for but it’s nearly always a good idea if you’re willing to spend the money.
If your only reason for having cameras is to identify a burglar in the case of a real break-in then event triggered cloud video alone is usually sufficient… unless your Internet access is down. If the burglar cut your cable line before breaking in then you would get no cloud video clips but your SVR would still work.
However, nearly everyone I have ever worked for or met that invests in a surveillance system uses it for a lot more than just catching a burglar. They use it to be connected to and manage their home. They use it to watch what happened when someone was at their house such as a cleaning service, contractor or family/friends/neighbors while they’re away. They use it to watch strangers during a party. They use it to watch what their pets have been doing and share the cute videos on Facebook. It’s amazing the many creative ways people use their surveillance systems.
For businesses, the primary reason for having cameras is usually theft prevention, recording what your employees have been doing or recording evidence again would-be scam artists trying to fake an injury or similar. Continuous recording is necessary for all of these.
If you have outdoor cameras don’t even bother messing around with event based recording with video motion detection. You definitely want continuous recording. Outdoor video motion detection is far too unreliable unless you get a very expensive commercial grade system with sophisticated video analytics… even then people still often record continuously just in case.
The feeling when you realize your surveillance system you invested in didn’t record something you wanted is sickening when you could have had video recording continuously. Trust someone who has dealt with many real surveillance systems and situations. The SVR is one of the most valuable things added to the Alarm.com ecosystem in years.
What brand would you recommend if you are going to go this route? I want to get something better than what you get at Best Buy. Something more on the professional grade and that you can watch on the internet and record per your post.
An installer recommended Snap AV or wirepath
What brand would you recommend if you are going to go this route
SuretyCAM only sells ADC cameras, which are rebranded Vivotek
Alarm.com cameras are the only cameras that work with Alarm.com and the SVR. They are Vivotek hardware but they have Alarm.com firmware on them that connects them to the Alarm.com servers. You can’t use any Vivotek camera with Alarm.com. Only the Alarm.com-branded cameras will work with ADC and the SVR.
2GIG cameras are compatible with Alarm.com’s cloud video service but they are not currently compatible with the Alarm.com SVR.
I hope this is not inappropriate to ask these questions here. This thread seemed to suggest that the alarm.com video solutions were limited and you suggested other options if you wanted a more robust system (even if doesn’t work with alarm.com). I was wondering if you could talk to some good quality brands or are the systems you can pick up at Costco good enough.
Suretycam has been awesome for me and I trust them. They just don’t service Orange County, CA for video installs. (could use a referral if you have one)
I just thought you could name some systems you like so I can read about them, even if they don’t work with alarm.com
I was told about Snap AV or wirepath but all the information seems to be more to how they protect the dealer channel as far as sales, vs talking about their products and how well it performs for the end user.
BTW, I am looking for a professional install vs DIY
SnapAV looks to be a product distributor for installers, so yes, you wouldn’t get much other than datasheets.
We wouldn’t be able to refer any company in your area.
Surveillance software such as Geovision, Exacqvision, and Vivotek all have great features. These are all IP based. They are decidedly custom products however, not out of the box solutions. I am fond of Geovision, myself. The additional features are more for commercial systems, but there are a wide variety of camera models to choose from, and the software is powerful, if not as intuitive as an out of the box Alarm.com camera.
It is awfully difficult to say a Costco system would be good enough. It would totally depend on your use case. I would not expect standard definition DVR boxed systems to effectively capture distant or larger areas. If you intend to cover a small porch from a relatively close vantage point, you would have plenty of detail. If going that route, definitely look for a packaged system with variable-lens cameras.
I am a bit lost here and not being able to talk to anyone makes this a bit difficult.
I want only outdoor cameras. I want to confirm that there are no dome type outdoor cameras?
I do not want wireless. So do I plug an ethernet cable into a hub and that hub would have wires that go out to all the cameras?
You mention an SVR. Would this be unnecessary if you use ADC virtual recorder? How many days does it record. If someone cuts the cables, I figure they are pretty serious and people like that are going to get in anyway so that is not a huge deciding factor.
Are there 2 types of SVRs you are referencing? Both record continuous video, but one is in the cloud and one is a physcial unit in your house? I am confused about this
Or does the virtual SVR Not record a continueous live feed but only clips (are these still or streaming?
Why does it say on the ADC website that you can use different brands of cameras on their ADC system?
Maybe It will help If I tell you the “desired state”. I want outdoor cameras so that if something happens I can pull up the video (dont care if its from the cloud) and identify. I want to be able to look at my smartphone or computer while remote and check in from time to time around my house. I want to be able to see the faces of people at my door (would be nice if the image appeared on the panel). Camera would have to be mounted right above the door so I am not sure if there is a camera that can capture a face from that close of a distance.
Trying to determine what I need to buy, and how much extra per month in service fees this will cost.
There are 3 ADC outdoor cams, none are dome:
V720 PoE (power on Ethernet)
V720W WiFi (discontinued)
V721W WiFi
Only supported ADC cameras (with ADC firmware) can be used with alarm.com. If it doesn’t say “ADC” or “alarm.com” on the camera model, it cannot be used (with exception of the 2GIG HD-100), e.g., “ADC-V610PT”.
What is an “ADC virtual recorder”?
The SVR (streaming video network recorder) records continuous 24/7, there are two versions of the SVR ( both identical except for storage. One is 1TB, and the other is 2TB), supports up to 4 channels/ADC cameras ( compatible cameras are: V520, V520IR, V620PT, V720, V720W, V721W, V820(dome))
The SVR feed cannot be locally accessed, and does not provide a continuous live video feed. Viewing recorded video stream, downloading video clips, and viewing live access is only accessible via remote cloud alarm.com access (website and mobile app). Content is stored locally on the SVR drives though, but just cannot be accessed locally via non functional USB ports or LAN.
I had the 2TB SVR, with one V520IR cam. estimated time to overwrite the 2TB’s was 1 year or so.
SVR equip or service not required for camera addon
The base video package (up to 4 cams) starts at $5/month addon (1,000 clip upload/cloud storage limit). Standalone plan option for video surveillance Is, I think, $10/month
The SVR is another $5/month addon for access to the 24/7 recorded video stream
Approx. Cost: V720 PoE Ethernet camera $250, and SVR 1TB $500; 2TB $600
I want only outdoor cameras. I want to confirm that there are no dome type outdoor cameras?
Confirmed. I have suggested an outdoor dome to ADC many times. No luck so far.
I do not want wireless. So do I plug an ethernet cable into a hub and that hub would have wires that go out to all the cameras?
Yes, a hub, a switch, a PoE switch or a router.
Are there 2 types of SVRs you are referencing? Both record continuous video, but one is in the cloud and one is a physcial unit in your house? I am confused about this.
The SVR is a physical unit in your house. There are 2 models with different disk sizes. Where did the term “ADC virtual recorder”? I assume that means the cloud recorded video clips. The SVR records continuously. The ADC cloud just records event driven video clips.
I want outdoor cameras so that if something happens I can pull up the video (dont care if its from the cloud) and identify.
The safest way to do this outdoors is continuous recording with an SVR. With event driven video clips you risk missing something if the video motion detection you programmed misses the event.
I want to be able to look at my smartphone or computer while remote and check in from time to time around my house. I want to be able to see the faces of people at my door
You can do this with just the base level ADC cloud video or with the SVR add-on.
(would be nice if the image appeared on the panel).
I agree. But the 2GIG panel can’t do this. Neither can the Qolsys panel at this time although I know they attempted it before so I wouldn’t be surprised if they do it in the future. I hope the GC3 will do it.
Camera would have to be mounted right above the door so I am not sure if there is a camera that can capture a face from that close of a distance.
The ADC cameras can do it video-wise but it’s hard to get a good face shot from that angle. When I’ve mounted cameras at doors I’ve usually positioned them off to the side to get a better angle and avoid getting just the top of their head.