Recommend me a cheap 2 camera CCTV set up please.

brad123

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My friend a qualified electrician can install CCTV so I want to buy a simple 2 camera set up, can anyone recommend one please. Would be nice to have good night vision, good quality image quality and we only need 7 days storage tbh though if 14 days not much more thats fine. Ideally be good to be able to watch it on an app on our phone or tablet. Presume we will need the box for recording the video to for storage. Budget wise not after anything flashy or expensive, any recommendations please?
 
You’ll be able to squeeze a 1 camera setup out of Hikvision for £300 (NVR, HDD and camera).

Given your budget, you’ll probably be looking at the DIY cameras (Blink, Eufy etc).

I’d suggest pour your foundations and go for a Hikvision system, adding a second camera to it when financially possible. Bear in mind that your mate may well be able to install, but to get the best out of your system it needs to be configured correctly.
 
Do you need continuous recording or only alert based recording ?
 
Continuous. I can stretch to about £450 for a 2 camera Hikvision version.
 
I have the Amazon Blink system and to be fair whilst it has its faults it is fine for what i need it for. Image quality at night isn't the best but other than that i find it spot on
 
Been told 5mp Hikvision colourtru Turbo HD system would get cost down but give me same quality image? Is that correct?
 
I would look at the Amcrest cameras and NVR. BlueIris is popular if you already have hardware.
 
I would look at the Amcrest cameras and NVR. BlueIris is popular if you already have hardware.
If you a reasonable spec spare pc then you can get a blue iris key for about £50. It can be overwhelming at first just because it has so may options but there are some good tutorial on YouTube.
 
Do the hikvision and other high end cameras have alexa routine integration to allow alerts to trigger other smart devices like ring doorbell can be used to trigger other smart devices via alexa?
 
No Hik cameras are Prosumer and not really designed for that kind of thing. They are designed to provide High Quality, secure and reliable CCTV. If you want toys and bells and whistles you are better off buying Ring or Arlo or some other brand of cloud stored stick-up cams.
 
There is a way with Hik camera’s, but it involves a bit of ‘hacking’ and using a third party server called Home Assistant, which is hideously complicated and overkill for most people. As above, if that’s your goal there are better options.
 
Do the hikvision and other high end cameras have alexa routine integration to allow alerts to trigger other smart devices like ring doorbell can be used to trigger other smart devices via alexa?
 
I seen people comment on arlo and eufy cameras and doorbells. Is there any real life experiences using these cameras? Seems everyone goes the ring route.
 
A lot of Chinese cameras are Duaha rebrands. I got the Amcrest Turret with microphone for £89.
 
Hi there, forgive me if I have missed a previous thread but I've spent days researching about home cctv and have ended up more confused than when I started!
Like everyone I'm looking for a top quality system at Lidl prices. However I believe that you get what you pay for so I'm trying to be realistic in my expectations.
We have had a few thefts in the area and so it looks like I need to install cctv. Being almost retired (or an old fart in other words) expense plays a huge role here. I don't need bells and whistles, online availability or be able to view the footage when I'm on the bus.
I'm looking for a system with four external cameras (upgrading to six when I get a bit of extra cash) and the ability to later install a movable camera with a decent zoom lens to avoid the embarrassment of the missus hanging out of the bedroom windows with binoculars when anything interesting happens in the street!
I am reasonably adept with a drill so will install it myself, but a "plug and play" system would be good.
Working on the "cable is stable" principle, wired would be my preference.
Screwfix, Currys and B&Q staff all keep pointing me towards Swann kits but I don't want permanent lighting at night or floodlights which turn the street into a disco every time a fox walks past. And I don't like the number of negative reviews they get online.
I don't need better than HD, and would rather have decent hd images than dodgy 8k cameras.
I notice that a lot of people on this forum recommend hikvision cameras, but I know nothing about them.
All advice gratefully received.
Thanks
 

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