I think I'm sold on the Hikvision 4MP ColorVu cameras

[Vauxfan]

I've just watched the video of the colorvu 4mp second generation vs darkfinder and I have to say it looks really good. Is the 4mp colorvu camera acceptable in todays 4k camera variants. Is the 4k colourvu that much better than the 4mp?

Does the 7608ni nvr hook up to a TV if I don't want an extra monitor via hdmi and i assume I can use it with the TV to change all the settings on the cameras. Is the unit quiet in operation and Can it be in a bedroom environment?
I want smaller bullet cameras. There is lots of light in the street for the front and side of the house.
So I'm looking at the following

Is this camera OK

4MP HIKVISION DS-2CD2047G2-LU​

Or the 4k version?
To use with this unit

Hikvision DS-7608NI-I2​

Would that be a good set up?
Where is best to buy this items and I presume I need the ethenet cable. But which and what spec?

 

[Rectro30]

Hi

I went with the DS-2CD2347G2-L(U) as its basically the same camera but much more neater, and not as easy to knock out of position. The Bullet version does have brighter whte light up to 40m instead of 30m for the turret.

It always comes down to planning for where its installed as to whats better for your needs. 4k is 8mp and is double the 4mp camera resolution. The good side to the 4k is you can crop from a larger area of a smaller lens which captures a wider view so you get a wider area covered yet still able to get a decent croped area of interest. You also may need less cameras if the area is covered. The down side is the storage space it takes up is large, and it takes more bandwidth so you need to make sure your NVR can handle 4k, that's a lot of data going through your network. There is also the cost of the camera with the 4k one quite a but more money.

I opted for 4mp as it means I can stream more cameras, hold more data on my SD card and NVR. Because I have multiple cameras I had use a 4mm lens over a 2.8mm to get a bit closer to the subject.

Cant comment on the NVR as I use BlueIris for my NVR which deal with all my cameras and recording e.c.t.

 

[Vauxfan]

OK thanks. Can these dome cameras be mounted on the side of a wall pointing sideways. 4mm lense seems a better lense for the side of the house. 12ft wide by 10 meters long ( drive)

 

[Rectro30]

Domes are different to Turret cameras just to be clear. The dome cam is good for under door coves or ceilings and can have restrictions on its position but I have seen Hikvision allow its lens to have its orientation changed, they are vandal-proof. My non Hikvision Dome camera cant be placed on a vertical wall but you could look into Hikvisions Domes.

The Turret on the other hand can be placed on a vertical wall and has a huge range of positions. You won't get a 90 degree left-to-right angle like a bullet but one of mine is covering the driveway at a tight angle that you would have thought only a bullet can cover. The turret is basically a ball that can be positioned how you like.

Turret cameras are more suitable for residential areas, neighborhoods, bullets stand out too much and are more suitable for industrial or business locations like factories and shops, car parks. 4mm just get you a bit closer than a 2.8mm. If I had a choice I would have gone for a 6mm but they dont do them for these cameras. It would have been even better if they came with Varifocal lens then I could have got it to zoom in when triggered from Blueiris.

Here is a good video on lens sizes. Video You can see from this where DORI standards are used. This is why I have a 2.8mm to cover the whole area, and 2x 4mm to focus on drive way, as said 6mm would have been preferred here.

 

[Vauxfan]

This is my current views.

 

[Rectro30]

Looks like you have it all covered as far as trigging motion alerts. Ch1 looks nice for line crossing. Only thing you may be missing is cameras lower down to capture faces. I have a lower one at front door, a dome to get people approaching door, and at the back garden a PTZ.

A PIR flood light for Ch1 would be a good deterrent but can see how the camera with led would serve that once we get that trigger firmware.. For my set up is about stopping things happen or being notified from accurate notifications. The only issues I had was at night, poor quality at night was the issue and these Colorvu cameras have sorted that to about 90%, static areas of footage are amazing, but motion still produces noise. I get very clear footage otherwise, but the led is needed for a clear face Identification. These fit within Reconization but I would not say for Identification without that 6 or 12mm lens. My target is about 12 feet away.

 

[Vauxfan]

Great information mate thanks. Mine are analogue 1080p cameras. All 2.8mm lenses.
I would ideally want 4 or 6mm side and improving my set up would be poe ip cameras with at least 4mp colorvu. I would swap the side for a 4mm or 6mm lense?

 

[Rectro30]

The cameras your looking at only come in 2.8 or 4mm which is a shame, so 4mm was the one to go for in my case. 4mp is enough for detection, observation and recognition if the cameras are not mounted too far and too high up. Mine are 10 feet high, but If I could have had them in a dome version I may have gone for that and mounted them lower. The only issue with lower is motion detection angles are poor with people walking toward the camera, 10 feet high I managed to get a slight overview for line crossing. I had 1080p cameras at one point and they served the purpose for detection and observation but the police cant do anything with this footage as I found out the hard way.

I do still have whats called a v380 camera which is only1080p sensor with resolution at 720p but it looks like its lens is 6mm to me and is mounted low at the front door, it so tiny, has invisible IR and is wireless transmission s only needs a USB power. With the firmware I have for it, it opens RTSP protocol so it works with BlueIris, which records 24/7 and pics up faces at the front door, just a idea for lower down cameras as these are only £12 each, I put mine in a waterproof housing and has been out in snow and heavy rain.

 

[Vauxfan]

Would you recommend mini colorvu bullet cameras then. 4mm lense 4mp?

 

[Vauxfan]

The cameras your looking at only come in 2.8 or 4mm which is a shame, so 4mm was the one to go for in my case. 4mp is enough for detection, observation and recognition if the cameras are not mounted too far and too high up. Mine are 10 feet high, but If I could have had them in a dome version I may have gone for that and mounted them lower. The only issue with lower is motion detection angles are poor with people walking toward the camera, 10 feet high I managed to get a slight overview for line crossing. I had 1080p cameras at one point and they served the purpose for detection and observation but the police cant do anything with this footage as I found out the hard way.

I do still have whats called a v380 camera which is only1080p sensor with resolution at 720p but it looks like its lens is 6mm to me and is mounted low at the front door, it so tiny, has invisible IR and is wireless transmission s only needs a USB power. With the firmware I have for it, it opens RTSP protocol so it works with BlueIris, which records 24/7 and pics up faces at the front door, just a idea for lower down cameras as these are only £12 each, I put mine in a waterproof housing and has been out in snow and heavy rain.

 

[Vauxfan]

Those are where my cameras are at. All bullet.
So I'm relying on your expertise to tell me what best suits my needs in way of cameras.

 

[Rectro30]

It depends on your needs to be honest, what is it your hoping the set up will offer you? If you already have bullets there then you can just replace it with the ones you initially intended. I was going to install bullets but after some reading turrets kept coming up. I think as you installing them so high you wont have vandal issues like I would at 10 feet up, hence why I went for Turrets as one of the reasons, harder to knock out of position.

It comes down to your needs within the DORI standards which would determine a lot. Here is how I determined my own install. If I had my cameras higher up as you do then I would assume Recognize and Identify would not be a need. The good thing however is they will detect well due to angle. This is only my opinion based on my research and completing a CCTV installation Course, and being a Telecommunication Engineer. I have had a lot of crime in my area so had to think and research a lot.

Needs:

• Detect motion only when within my set parameters and notify me immediately.
• Record 24/7 while keeping clips on motion events.
• Capture and identify people at night who are on my premises.

How to achieve the above.

• Detect and Observe humans or Vehicles for the whole area front and back of the house. Use a 2.8mm 5mp Dome 9 feet high under porch front of house, and use a PTZ in back garden set to roam a cycle at night.
• 
  
• Recognize an individual when near the driveway or front door. My Hikvision cameras can Recognize at: 15m, Identify at 7 m according to the DORI standards of my 4mm camera. My drive way is well within range. I need one camera to point each side of drive way in case someone approaches from either side.
• Use a smaller camera at door for people at front door.
• 
  
• Use BlueIris on a spare PC. This will use its advanced motion detection. and send push notifications for all cameras. Use several profiles for different times of day and night.
• Use Hikvision Acusence to use its own detection along with BlueIris. Send Hikvision triggers to Blueiris as well as record on its own SD card.
• Use Hikvision Acusence trigger to turn on LED lights (waiting new firmware) This will act as deterrent.
• Have each camera have visual sight of another.
• Connect all cameras that support POE to POE switch and well as Server PC. Control that PC remotely from another room.

What I don't want:

• I don't want to view video footage of someone walking away with my goods, or damage my car after the event, there is little chance of getting it back unless your footage shows the face or colour design of clothing.
• 
  
• I don't want to get late notifications, as I want to react in the moment.
• 
  
• I don't want poor quality footage at night where I cant recognize or Identify someone.

 

[Vauxfan]

I have moved 2 cameras to positions in green aiming the way of the arrows.
I want to identify people including clothing. The side camera is lowish but could a turret camera replace it being on a side wall with an angle towards the front of the drive? Unless they are mounted horizontal then do they only aim up and down if on a side wall?

 

[Rectro30]

According to the specs it should be able to do a 90 degree, Mine is about 75-degree pan. My camera is on a side wall covering the whole drive way.

 

[Vauxfan]

So I wouldn't need the bullet cameras on the side of the house if after all. This should do it.

 

[Rectro30]

So I wouldn't need the bullet cameras on the side of the house if after all. This should do it.

I used the data for my model. After getting the field of view ranges, the DORI distances, and could see how much others who have them could pan and tilt theirs, I was sold on these. If the mini bullets are high enough then no problems providing you don't get the dreaded spider webs made over them which happened to me often.

Lower down the wall Hikvision Turrets which lock into position with a screw so they wont be easy to knock out of position like a bullet. Then very low down Dome cameras which at this time I don't think you can get with ColorVu and Acusence. Domes have their issues also such as collecting dirt, so I have to clean mine once a week.

One of my main concerns and misconceptions where that Turrets could not be put on vertical walls, and were limited in positioning, so when I got mine the first thing I did before doing anything was test its pan and tilt range, then I knew it would be fine for my side vertical wall.

 

[Vauxfan]

This is where my camera on the side is. Lower position is where I moved it too.
Do you think a turret would go here?

 

[Rectro30]

Looking at that location I would think it would be fine to capture your car as long as its not too close, this is where you need to look at the FOV and distances. You will ultimately need to hook the camera up to a POE to get a live stream to see how it and make adjustments accordingly. A camera from above the car providing its the right distance away could pick up someone walking into frame toward the car and trigger an alarm such as a push notification. Using my mind's eye I can see you may not get a full face shot unless the led lights come on, or you had a PIR flood light come on to make them look up at it.

Tweaking is the key. There is a tool called Lens Selection that lets you select the camera of choice and place its location. It shows you the FOV. I used this tool and made a 3D model of my house and planned off that but don't think many go to that length.

I have cameras from multiple angles looking at my driveway so I prioritized the ColorVu cameras getting the face over getting the ideal trigger angle as I have other cameras to trigger off the Push notifications. As it happens after some tweaking I did get both the face view and trigger if walking toward my car.

 

[Ianc]

Hi @Rectro30 the DS-2CD2147G2(-SU) is a 4MP ColorVu + Acusense 2.8mm fixed dome.
At the moment it seems ColorVu varifocals are only available in the PoC range but only 2MP resolution, hopefully that will change soon.

 

[Rectro30]

Hi @Rectro30 the DS-2CD2147G2(-SU) is a 4MP ColorVu + Acusense 2.8mm fixed dome.
At the moment it seems ColorVu varifocals are only available in the PoC range but only 2MP resolution, hopefully that will change soon.

Thank you for pointing me to that, I think this could be my replacement for my current dome.