7 Common Security Camera Installation FAILS and How To Avoid Them

[@TheHookUp]

I just noticed that the labels at 3:55 are reversed. The first shot with the wide angle is 2.8mm focal length, while the second more zoomed in shot is with a 4.0mm focal length.

[@jeffd8465]

@TheHookUp I would say a wired camera connection with PPOE and a cat 6 cable would be the best for both powering and reliability for security. I would also say that a great idea to do is to have the camera feeds, no matter if they're wired or wifi, is to set up a NAS for the storage. People can buy one or use an old computer to save the money. Just need to make sure that the cameras are compatible and can do IP. If someone wants to go wifi I'd suggest that they have an extra router that they can use for the camera and the NAS. The extra router will keep their main wifi from being bogged down by the camera's signal but would help isolate the cameras from hackers while only having the NAS/recording device's viewing port open to the web on the main network. I'm just an IT guy but wanted to give my opinion.

[@laverdadtriunfa]

@Jeff D thank you for the information. That is what I need a second router; my question is if I do get one I have to tell xfinity about it or how that works? And to have the computer is to store the memory?

[@TBagr]

I live in the same area of the map that you showed during this video. Do you have any recommendations for security companies in that are to sell and install a home system?

[@David-jt9nt]

@@laverdadtriunfa the last thing you will want to do is tell xfinity about it. You can attach the 2nd router for your cameras to an ethernet port to your normal router and your normal router will provide it with internet, it will not be super fast but will be more then enough for cameras and after your cameras are connected turn off SSID broadcast so nothing else but what has already been connected to the network will be able to see the network

[@jaynedavies2757]

Regarding the field of view of the camera. A recent court case in the UK, means it's illegal to view your neighbours property without their permission or knowledge. Even their enteryways.

[@90s_HipHop]

Common mistake #8: Never deciding what you want and then not buying anything.

[@yomismo1888]

In order to avoid this, I decided to use a spare mobile phone as IP cam. There are some Apps for Android that can turn an old phone in an IP cam.

[@anthonyfletcher8053]

Lmbo i have been researching camera systems for the last two years 🤣🤣

[@andretrujillo]

@@yomismo1888 and night vision?

[@yomismo1888]

@@andretrujillo you can but an infrared Led light for that.

[@andretrujillo]

@@yomismo1888 oh, 👍🏻

[@therizinosaurus214]

fantastic video. Three things i want to add, being able to put a camera out of reach is not always an option, in this case you want to take the housing of the camera into consideration. Cameras with dome coverings can make it harder to mess with the camera itself and if tinted can hide where the camera is looking. For blind zone you can also make use of mirrors to help look where cameras can't see easily if you have limited amount of cameras. And finally don't underestimate dummy cameras if you can't afford the number of real cameras you want. Some times the just putting a thought into someone's mind can make them think twice.

[@DarthBill13]

Not strictly camera info but concerning security vulnerabilities: Where I live, the electrical panels are on the house exterior. In addition to putting a small combination lock on the panel, I also have my NVR, network equipment, POE cameras, and Home Assistant Raspberry Pi all on UPS. My window and door sensors are all battery powered. Food for thought in case of power outage either by utility or break in.

[@james7178]

I am from Wisconsin and we always had our panels inside, moved to the south and many are outside (the house I bought has it inside), I found it very strange to have something so important outside

[@jar407]

2020 electrical code now requires all to have outside main shutoff even if panels inside . whole lot of more and expensive code additions . as well as less affordable homes. soon there be the most energy efficient, safe wonderful homes but only million dollar salary will afford them . at 2020 rates were also touching carter inflation rates fast

[@allaboutroofing2]

Would a ups for the security system work?

[@sw6188]

@@allaboutroofing2 Yes - but don't scrimp on battery size. Most small UPS are designed to keep a PC running for a few minutes to allow you time to save your work and shut down - and they won't keep a security system going for much longer either. Power outages can be for hours at a time, and if someone is trying to break into your house and wants to disarm the cameras by turning off your power from the outside, you need decent backup. I buy up unwanted/discarded UPS units, take the internal batteries out and set them up with much larger external batteries and run the feed in from the outside. This will keep them running for hours at a time.

[@allaboutroofing2]

@@sw6188 thanks!

[@petercaulf]

At last, legitimate advice! I was a Crime Prevention Tactical Advisor (in the UK) for twenty years and was always amazed how many so-called professional installers didn't know this basic advice. Many householders will use electricians to install cameras and alarm systems and generally they make dreadful installers. The mistakes are understandable when they've had no training, but pro companies should know better. Well done.

[@KingTrump2024]

Yeah he was pretty accurate with his 101 lesson

[@Ash-Col]

What sort of company should I look for then? A dedicated security one?

[@nikhilvijay6022]

What if someone steals the NVR? How do you handle that issue?

[@bountygondar]

​@@nikhilvijay6022 cloud?

[@aarontooth]

I carefully scrutinized this video, and following it's guide, I've put all ten of my security cameras up on a single piece of lumber mounted over my front door. I made sure to put the board at the proper height.

[@marvindebot3264]

LOL

[@kurtwm2010]

did you use a 2x4 or 2x6?

[@chrissmith2114]

@@kurtwm2010 4 x 3 or 16 x 9 format

[@mariusvanc]

Instructions unclear, mounted the wide-angle on my golden retriever.

[@patcarroll9234]

@@mariusvancI want the golden retriever. 😂❤

[@gulliver1416]

Thanks so much for this video. We've been broken into multiple times. Thieves got into home and unlocked the window. We were unaware of this and they came back. We have multiple wireless camera systems setup. There is an Xfinity security setup with a camera pointed above this window area. Both wireless systems failed because we finally figured out that the signals were jammed. These thieves are very sophisticated as it's a theft ring. Other residents who have wireless cameras cannot capture them. We also had 2 hardwired cameras setup but no footage, just a black screen when we looked at the footage. This video solved our frustrations as to why the hardwired cameras didn't pick up the thieves. Our electrical box is located in the basement. Many items were stolen from that area and the electrical box is right there on the wall. These thieves has to have shut off the main. We did notice our digital appliance clocks, etc blinking at times and we wondered as to why this was happening esp since there were no storms. Mystery solved!

[@JFEnterprize]

Can use an inline fuse and put it on the called that feed the panel. That way it cannot be turned off unless the lines outside or dead or they pull your meter. I’d say go line side of the meter but that’s stealing power in their eyes 🤪👍🏻

[@lazerusmfh]

Pro tip: many cameras have the ability to rotate the image 90 degrees. This am excellent thing to do down long skinny areas. Sometimes called corridor mode. This can be very effective for putting more pixels on target because image sensors are typically around 16x9, meaning more pixels in the horizontal direction.

[@jamesm568]

Depending on the camera, turning them upside down also reduces the motion sensing capabilities.

[@mdredheadguy1979]

Neat! Thanks for posting!

[@nigelnigel.]

@@jamesm568 😂🙃

[@user-pc8tb7hg1lHandlesRDumb]

Took me a minute to under stand. I think its called portrait orientation instead of landscape.

[@charlieodom9107]

Rotating the image 90° is called corridor mode. It is very useful to have if your camera can't physically rotate.

[@scottphillips6847]

When prepping my security camera installation I got some advice from a local security company. The advice was to place cameras at opposite corners of my home and point them toward each other. The logic was to catch the back and front of a person or car in the area. Sounds good, right? It's not all that great when you have an infrared light on the cameras and those lights point directly into the other camera. In my night images, the light flares from the camera lights almost overwhelms the opposing camera. I hope this helps someone.

[@JT-lq4yd]

When I installed my system in 2017, I did also point the cameras towards each other to cover the camera's back. However, I did point the cameras where the IR emitters would not blind the other camera by tilting the camera down just enough to keep it out of frame, it was a lot of walking to and from my monitor to the cameras, but worth the effort.

[@scottphillips6847]

@@JT-lq4yd I'll see if I can't adjust. Thanks for the tip.

[@JT-lq4yd]

@@scottphillips6847 I hope you are able to make adjustments to the cameras. On mine there is a screw that is used to adjust the angle and direction of the camera. See your user's manual for your camera model on how to do it.

[@jameslarson7452]

Disable the IR and use motion lights/IR floods

[@Woodman-Spare-that-tree]

Thank you!

[@mistermylo8607]

Just installed my Blink system last month as an amateur and had an attempted break in (first ever) on my home last week. Thank goodness it did it’s job! Police responded and criminal ran off . Police were able to use my video to log the incident and the criminals ID. It was worth every penny. After watching your video I see some things I need to correct. 👍🏻

[@ryanbuntrock6915]

I have a few blinks and caught a few odd neighbor activity. However, I am wanting to upgrade to a POE system. But running the wires is daunting for me.

[@Robert.S.806]

@@ryanbuntrock6915 You will be very glad you did a PoE camera system upgrade. PoE is more reliable. Wiring is the hardest part. But upgrading to better cameras later is the real payback.

[@douglascampbell4993]

@@ryanbuntrock6915 speaking of odd neighbour activity, mate of mine had his system in for a week and sent me his footage of an old lady diagonally across the road from him sweeping her driveway and weeding the concrete cracks with a head torch on at 4:30 in the morning.. 🤣🤣 Meth is a hell of a drug… 🤣🤣🤣

[@mar1video]

Mister Mylo - lucky you ! I live in Chicagoland, and our police response time is significantly longer than average. Probably enough time to pull a truck in, load it up and leave before the police arrives.

[@cryengine_x]

@Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. ♪ almost none of their features require a monthly sub., the big problem with blink is lack of person detection but the sub thing is just lying,

[@wwolfram33]

To help get the most our of narrow side yard area coverage, as mentioned @ 5:52 in the video is to rotate your camera 90 degrees. Normally your camera has a wider horizontal view vs. vertical. By rotating your camera, you now have more vertical view area which works great for narrow areas. The camera or security controller software such as IRIS have a rotate setting so that you do not view the area sideways like your camera is mounted but in a normal way.

[@TheRickJames]

Same thing I said lol, I do this frequently and customers dont mind even on devices that dont support image rotation.

[@matthewhunter467]

Great overall video. A few things I found worked. 1. You can never have too many cameras. I have 3 cameras in front of my house, each for a different purpose. 2. Ring type cameras can be great to cover dead areas. These are also useful if your main system doesn't have motion. 3. Add battery backup to wired systems. If possible, include your internet server to the same BBS.

[@charlieodom9107]

Ring type cameras are pure SHIT!

[@bumblinagirl2683]

Any suggestions on a battery backup system you've liked?

[@nikhilvijay6022]

What if someone steals the NVR? How do you handle that issue?

[@CentralPlainsEnt]

This is by far the best information and content on cameras, how to select them, how to select where they are installed at. I also appreciate how you explained the purpose of the cameras. Most of the websites that are selling cameras do not offer the information that you did.

[@theonlybuster]

I have a camera monitoring my driveway and darkness was always a concern. So to get around this, I installed a solar-powered motion sensor flood light. The sensor for the light is set in the Detection range. This way, by the time someone gets closer, the camera has adjusted to the burst of light and the subject is not illuminated for a better view. Though I'll admit, it took quite a bit of trial and error to get the range and timing right on both of these. But once I got it, it's been completely worth it. Though, for the most part, the light alongside the obvious camera placement has been a great deterrent for would-be questionable characters.

[@PhilLesh69]

I live in a townhouse so I mounted an infrared floodlamp up along my roofline that keeps my entire front yard "lit up" under the night vision camera, but dark to the naked eye. If you use your cell camera my front yard looks like daylight. Late at night if you look close enough you can see a couple dozen tiny faint red dots glowing along my soffet. But otherwise it is totally stealth.

[@TDCIYB77]

Sadly i only found your channel after buying a Reolink without AI detection.. You are so right about this being a must have feature! Thanks for your amazing content!

[@christopherellis2273]

You aren't missing out on much. I got the Reolink based on previous videos. Mine detects every falling snowflake as a person, but doesn't detect my wife's car driving up the long driveway. It is better than regular motion detection, but I will probably end up doing AI detection through software in the future.

[@pcmv6832]

Blue Iris + Deepstack is your friend. I end up turning off the integrated AI detection because it is terrible in comparison

[@TDCIYB77]

Thanks! I was planning to go the Blue Iris Route later only if the Reolink AI was not uo to the task.. Seems i should just use Blue Iris anyway. Thanks again!

[@TDCIYB77]

@@christopherellis2273 Thanks for your help! Will setup a windows server with Blue Iris + Deepstack soon!

[@leova12587]

Attaching the doorbell to the mount is a little difficult but once it locks into place it seems extremely sturdy. kzbin.infoUgkxxHZwMa8CsRjYhf9s4W8w0Dwm47uytWOp I replaced my regular doorbell with this and hard wired it in, using my existing wires and mechanical chime. It works perfect so far and integrates perfectly with my blink camera system. It also works seamlessly with Alexa

[@BigMikeECV]

I improved the performance of my surveillance cameras by using an auxiliary infrared lighting device so I could turn off the camera's LEDs. This reduced the number of insects coming to the front of the camera, and also reduced the number of spiders building their webs in this unwanted spot.

[@JettBlast]

Thank you for the tip, I was wondering why that was happening!

[@justintime753]

Same. There not expensive and light up everything

[@1AXMRDR]

Also extends the range of cameras. I have some that are monitoring large areas beyond the range of the IRs, adding some to those areas has helped.

[@1AXMRDR]

@@HeavenJ701Yes, think of the added ir lights like any other light, it's just that we can't see the light produced but the camera can. The area between my house and shop is totally dark when I look out the window but on the camera system it is lit up like daytime from 4 different cameras and their ir lights. (I have a second camera system in the shop). Hope this helped you.

[@PhilLesh69]

For night vision, you can add an infrared floodlamp to any area where you need more night visibility. Either with or without motion detection. They make lots of cheap ir floodlights to choose from.

[@TheHookUp]

I'm actually working on a video about that right now.

[@largelarry2126]

Covering all sides of the house including each window and door plus guarding each camera with another camera is smart. Identifying both people and cars passing by is also smart just in case someone is up to no good within the neighborhood, I use optical zoom POE 4K cameras for this. Nice video, thank you.

[@vermili0n]

This is sarcasm right? Using cameras to watch your cameras? That’s ridiculous and I love it.

[@largelarry2126]

@@vermili0n No it's not. If you can have one or more cameras within view you can see who's tampering with any cameras. It's nothing new,they have done it for years.

[@TheRickJames]

A easy trick for narrow corridors or passage ways is to rotate the camera 45-90 degrees with the lens hood facing outward. It can make for an awkward view on cameras/NVRs that do not support image rotation but it allows you to maximize the capture area with one camera. I do this frequently with budget installs and I have one that covers a large side window entry area where the camera is mounted on the second floor, it gets all of the windows, doors and deck in view. The rotation is very easy to get used to, its a trade off but an easy one.

[@MrDavesbox1]

excellent video, no sales pitch, informative and professional

[@Fleed907]

Very informative thank you 👍🏼 . Just to add regarding night vision bit. If your house layout allows it, add motion sensor flood light for example in front of your garage, this will brighten up the scene and the camera will record in non night mode. This works too at the back garden or on the side where the rubbish bin placed.

[@tehpurplepills]

Thanks. I'm setting up cameras around my property and am going to try to position solar motion lights in front of them to illuminate things. I've got a few of them already anyways and they are pretty cheap, I had bad experiences with night vision at my old house, including missing me being attacked right on the sidewalk right in front of my house.

[@gblargg]

Also useful for detecting motion of warm bodies that the camera might not pick up otherwise.

[@jordanadams2187]

I absolutely love BI with DeepStack. I have it running in a VM with a GT1030 pulling the heavy lifting for DS, average detection time is ~400ms, I use the main stream for most cameras but for the few I that send DS the substream its as low as 50-100ms. I really appreciate the in-depth smart home tutorials!

[@TimBass]

One of the biggest things I've experienced is not having IR emiiters separate from the cameras. Bugs/dust/snow/rain are all big problems even on a super calm night. They can be pretty much completely eliminated when you have IR lights offset from your cameras. I know AI can help somewhat, but having less events from those things can greatly reduce the need for AI in certain positions.

[@TheHookUp]

That's actually what I use my 2nd story PTZ cameras for. They have super powerful IR LEDs that I use to light up the whole yard, then I turn the LEDs off on the other cameras.

[@TimBass]

@@TheHookUp that's not a bad idea if you have enough ptz cameras. A little more expensive though!

[@MarcSolomonScheimann]

Agree with this. I’ve bought some 12v IR LED lamps (floodlight style), and put them next to each camera. The efficacy of a purpose built lamp vs any in-built IRs is significant. If a person is able to run 12v near the camera, it’s something I highly recommend.

[@TimBass]

@@MarcSolomonScheimann most cameras can run on 12v in addition to POE. A poe splitter that brings out 12v should be able to power both the camera and an IR light.

[@RomanLeBg]

@@MarcSolomonScheimann do you have a link ? I can't find any on amazon

[@vinvenus4581]

Finally some strategy and not only gadget features. Really good video! Thank you.

[@VertoX7]

I use Amcrest POE cameras with their NVR and love them. They didn't come with AI detection but I use a software called Sighthound which essentially turns them all into AI detection with very configurable settings and alerts. I integrated Sighthound into my Hubitat smart house and it is awesome. I get announcements (on my phone and through my Echo device) when a car is driving up my driveway or when it detects a person in my yard.

[@Ysmir_The_Ancient]

Thanks for posting this video, I think I need to move a couple of my cameras.

[@EricLind77]

Excellent primer on cameras from the security perspective. I've been bombarded with the self-hosting and home automation viewpoint for a while but this is a much more useful framework for consideration. Please keep doing what you're doing.

[@AuthenTech]

I've been really liking those new DUO from Reolink. 180º'ish degrees (combined) would have been sweet imo

[@TheHookUp]

Yeah, I talked a little bit to the Reolink engineers about that and they mentioned that a large concern for the duo was avoiding the fish eye lens distortion, so they chose to do less than 180 degree FoV in favor of less distortion.

[@AuthenTech]

@@TheHookUp - Interesting! Thanks for sharing. I'll place my vote here, I welcome all distortion needed for wider FOV ;)

[@jhudstudio4144]

The biggest mistake when I first started with cameras is the motion detection. A must have is person and vehicle detection. You nailed all the recommendations in one video! Also thanks for the video because I have been installing video camera setups for people I know and this video will give them a nice overview of what is needed when I start talking about what I believe they need as well. I don't care for battery cameras or solar cameras at all. I highly recommend that a person get a wired setup. Battery cams have to work off wireless and after 2 or more wireless, it can start to degrade wireless signal and slow it down. I noticed this after I installed 4 at my house. I had 4 wireless but they could also be hooked up with ethernet. The best decision I did was wire them. Now I have 9 5mp cameras and I have no lag or worries about missing events. Thanks again for the video! Keep up the great work!

[@douglascampbell4993]

🤣🤣🤣 My first system shit me to tears with nuisance notifications from trees in the wind, the sun coming up/going down, a spiders web moving in a gentle breeze in front of the camera (what is it with spiders and IR night vision leds???) and in my shed, a small beam of light through a gap in the corrugated sheets lighting up little specs of dust blowing around inside my workshop/tool shed.. 🤣 Ffs.. that shit got real old real quick..

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

@@douglascampbell4993 Well, that's why you need ai detection.

[@remylevine4478]

Great info to get folks thinking beyond "got camera". I'll add that for a situation where security isn't just a casual concern, wireless is an absolute no. It's too easy for someone to disable remotely even if all they do is jam the signal long enough to walk up and spray paint the camera. It also tends to create additional issues if you start talking about more than a few cameras. Quality wireless networks to cover a decent piece of property don't happen by default and by the time you are done it might have been cheaper to run the wires. That said, for a homeowner just wanting a camera covering their lanai and front door it can be a great solution. Most issues cameras help solve in those situations are liability related, not skilled criminals.

[@danaemcburney4160]

Thank you! This really useful general education for me, as I'm considering security cameras for the first time.

[@humanbeing-001]

Along with AI motion alerts, Make sure your most important cameras also record 24/7. And set up email alerts.

[@kaimanson3174]

Great video. I did a diagram of my property a few years before starting the installation, once I found the best route to run the wires and position for each camera, then I started buying each camera, and finally installation. Glad I did everything recommended on your video.

[@SeanBZA]

You can pair those nigh colour cameras with motion sensitive floodlights as well, just putting the floodlight a way away from the camera, so that you get the sharp burst of light, which drops the scene into good view, plus invariably makes the intruder look up at the light for a moment, getting a good image. Close enough so they get detected by the sensor and the camera, but far away that they do not see the camera in the shadow. The 10W units do a good job at this, and are very cheap. Tip for the camera and floodlights is always put a junction box by the camera for the cables, as this makes it easy to change them when you upgrade or replace them. For the mains wiring leave some slack in the feed cable, coiled up in the attic space for you to move the light, and the same for the camera, just in case you need to move it a foot or two in position. Also, if you are wiring up the attic space, run the wiring neatly, and structure it, so that, while you use a bit more cable, you also do not leave a spider web behind, and use cable ties and clips to make the wiring run neatly along beams and such. Run one extra cable to the corners of the house as well, so that expansion is easier, as you already have the cable there, with a nice bit of spare slack in it, ready to use. After all the cable is the cheapest part of the install, the labour is the expensive part, and running 2 wires to the same location is the same cost as running one. For mains power bring them all back to a single location, and mark each cable to identify it, and have a small breaker panel so you can at least separate all the lighting into zones for fault finding. Same for low voltage cables, mark them.

[@largelarry2126]

Keep in mind that LED lights have very little IR light, so they don't help much. Halogen lights have a lot of IR light and will light up much large areas. I use 150W flood light bulbs and can see 200 yards away after dark.

[@egarcia1360]

@@largelarry2126 But once the floodlight turns on, it shouldn't really matter how much IR light you're putting out, because it'll be bright enough for the camera to just switch back to visible

[@largelarry2126]

@@egarcia1360 This is true but I'm talking more about longer ranges. With my zoom cameras and a 150W flood light I can see 200 yards down the road.

[@unfaix]

Tell this to the low voltage guys who ran my new build. No slack what so ever, and cables are staples down to beams, the fuck

[@AndreyCo]

One important consideration is the location of the recordings. Some cameras have an integrated SD card for storing video which can be easily defeated by stealing the entire camera unit. Always use an NVR and make sure that it's located in a difficult to find place in the home or business

[@nunya3163]

Or get one with cloud storage.

[@cryengine_x]

then they can break in (which they might be doing anyway) and steal the nvr/sync unit etc.

[@unliving_ball_of_gas]

@@nunya3163 Which would definitely require an ongoing subsciption. But if it's worth it to you then hey, good solution.

[@thewhitefalcon8539]

​@@cryengine_x they have to find it

[@tdmdchannel2339]

Unless you are targeted by a team of super spy or criminal, small are the chances they are going to steal the entire unit (cameras & NVR). If setup properly with a POE switch, NVR (24/7 recording), SD card (motion alert recording) on cameras and email notification with picture (4K resolution), you should be good. I have 8 cameras around the house (exterior). All mounted between 10-13 feet high. Only the 2 main cameras have sd card inside for extra video recording on top of the NVR 24/7 recording. I always have the email picture notification set to every 30 sec with I'm out. If they really take the time to steal the NVR and all 8 cameras, at least, I will have a few good picture of the event in my email account for house insurance. I don't own anything that is worth that much trouble for them hopefully! :)

[@alanoldaker563]

I’m a LEO and try to review security footage often. Most of the time the cheap battery powered cameras are either dead or they only have a doorbell camera which doesn’t help with what’s going on in the driveway or street. I also run into the problem where they don’t know how to review the footage or they don’t pay for their subscription (or have a NVR) so they can’t review any video.

[@TheHookUp]

We had a break in across the street and I had the suspects on camera coming and going. An LEO came to my house to get footage and watched me using Blue Iris. He said something along the lines of "I'm not sure I've ever seen someone that knows how to download footage from his cameras before" 😩

[@alanoldaker563]

@@TheHookUp Yup - happens allll the time. I appreciate you educating others that can ultimately help me!

[@mattadulting]

I'm in commercial security and have always had a lot of cameras, some of that being for demonstration purposes. I had a similar police experience.

[@SeanBZA]

Yes, have given the poice good video of across the street before, where the vehicle was being stolen. Not good enough to identify, but good enough to match the vehicle they were using to one stolen the week before, and get a good description of the suspects and number. Not the police were parked in front of the vehicle, but were out, using the van to take the wife shopping.

[@patrickharding8851]

@@TheHookUp same thing happened to me. Cops showed up, and saw my myriad of cameras, and was hoping for any video of suspects. He gave me the approx time, and I downloaded him a jump drive of the the cameras and what they showed super quick. He laughed and said that most people end up telling him that once they figure out how to download it, they will call him...

[@Sirlix89]

Thanks for the list. I am planning to put security cameras up at my place soon. Two things you could have touched on: (1) making sure to buy IP-based cameras (unless the other type is desired), (2) considering that most cameras automatically upload videos to the cloud and are viewable by the manufacturer, and how to prevent that.

[@nerdymoto4353]

When faced with a narrow deep zone, like the side of a house, consider turning the camera sideways into ‘portrait’ layout. Yes, the footage will be recorded sideways, but it can be corrected with a basic video editor, and you maximise pixels per meter of coverage.

[@hellatyteman13]

Many cameras offer the option to rotate the video feed as well. I do this on some cameras and also via Blue Iris.

[@everitt11]

@@hellatyteman13 Would rotating the camera and video feed, make it stretched to "fill" the screen / device viewing the feed?

[@hellatyteman13]

@Daniel Everitt it doesn't stretch it, just makes it portrait view which wakes some getting used to.

[@TheHookUp]

Here's an excerpt from the original script that I ended up editing out for time/flow: "Some cameras offer something called corridor mode where you can flip the image into a portrait resolution, but be aware that it can cause issues with some types of person and vehicle detection, and it also just looks bad on an NVR screen when all your other cameras are landscape" I used to use a Hikvision with corridor mode for my side yard, but ditched it due to deep stack really not liking the video even when I flipped it back to landscape for processing.

[@everitt11]

@@hellatyteman13 Nice good to know, will be moving soon, so this video really couldn't of come sooner, slowly planning the new layout and network to go along with it, so great timing :) Shall try it out and see what happens, there isn't going to be much traffic down the side, but it's a side access to the back garden no less, so good to have at least a 5mp down there as a "just in case" coverage

[@RebeccaHill-n8c]

Very informative thank you . Just to add regarding night vision bit. If your house layout allows it, add motion sensor flood light for example in front of your garage, this will brighten up the scene and the camera will record in non night mode. This works too at the back garden or on the side where the rubbish bin placed.

[@elcaseti]

Don't forget hidden cameras. They can be installed down low looking up which is great for capturing faces. If someone is wearing a hat and/or a hood, this really helps. Also use some easily visible cameras, as well, for other uses. And even some fake cameras, as well, as a deterrent.

[@chrissmith2114]

Use one or two visible cameras ( even fakes ) to draw attention away from the less visible working ones...

[@hh75966]

This is brilliant information, plus a great production. Very glad to have found your channel! Thank you very much mate.

[@Catsrules1]

For the side of a house, I have rotated a camera 90 degrees so instead of a 16:9 image i get a 9:16 image. As I needed to cover more vertical instead of horizontal. It actually worked pretty well.

[@TheHookUp]

I actually had that in the original script. Lots of cameras have the option to enable "corridor mode", that lets you get a 9:16 image while keeping the time and label in the correct orientation. I actually did that for a while but ended up changing it because 1) I hated how it looked on my monitor having 8 cameras in landscape mode and 1 in portrait and 2) my computer vision program (deepstack), struggled with the different orientation and wasn't as reliable with person detection as I wanted it to be.

[@kanarie93]

@@TheHookUp i noticed you use blue iris, you can actually make a custom camera window where 1 is in portrait mode next to 2 landscape cameras. I have 3 in portrait mode, 2 in the middel of the horse stables, so they see the whole hallway left/right the stables. And 1 to show a huge part of the property in front of the stables/driveway to the stables, dont need to see 2 walls next to it....

[@mikeadams4505]

I would like to add my 2 cents. 1 cent. GREAT video!!!! 2 cents the other thing I see quite a bit, with people bragging in forums, is hiding your camera. if you are using it for theft deterrent, hiding them is the worst thing you can do. I can tell you personally (because of my poor choices past) that in most cases as soon as a surveillance system is detected most criminals leave. It isnt worth the risk. That being said of someone wants to do something bad enough they will find a way regardless. Great point about covering each others back. With visible cameras deterring most, others will look to see if there is a way to get around them. Dummy cameras also help in a pinch but will only fool the "entry level" thieves. So basically obvious cameras are proactive, hidden cameras are reactive. (FYI, this does not apply if you cant "cover your back" and the camera can be accessed to steal or be disabled)

[@ludwigbear]

My mistake - bought a spool of shielded outdoor rated cat 6a cable for connecting my cameras. I thought it would be good to future proof with high bandwidth cable but cat 6a is much thicker and less flexible than cat 6 or cat 5e. Getting the cat 6a through grommets and around the tight turns inside the camera housing was a real pain!

[@_DB.COOPER]

Thanks

[@ernestbywater411]

One other aspect to keep in mind is the privacy laws of the legal jurisdiction in which you are installing the cameras. They vary greatly between locations, so check the local laws out. In some legal jurisdictions you need a special permit to record what's going on in a public street with a fixed camera, while others have no restrictions at all. In some legal jurisdictions it is a serious violation of the privacy laws if your cameras show any part of a neighbouring private premises that can NOT be seen from public property, while others aren't so restrictive. Where I live any security camera that shows a person standing on the ground in the neighbour's yard is in violation of the law, but once part of their body is over the fence then that part of them is in a legal view area; thus I can't legally set the camera to show who is looking over the fence, but it can be set to show them after they climb over the fence. - Thus you need to check your local laws to help you establish your legal view zones.

[@jlcain100]

Would love to know where this is that you need a permit to film from public. Would like to look at that.

[@TerryPullen]

The comment section of this video is well worth reading. The video of course is excellent.

[@glockman9c]

I have two hardwired systems with 2 separate DVRs plus a wireless blink system. I have 20 hardwired cameras and 15 blink cameras. My hardwire cameras vary from 3.6 - 24mm. I have cameras zoomed in on the street while wide angles get the entire yard. When you run wire for your cameras, you can run 2-3 wires together so that you can mount 2-3 cameras next to each other and aimed on 2-3 different areas with 2-3 zooms. All my cameras overlap and the blink and hard wire system are independent yet in the same zones. The blink does a great job of notifying me of motion and the DVR system does a better job of recording everything 24/7. Blink will NOT record everything you need. It is better than nothing, but has MAJOR gaps in coverage due to "rest" periods between recordings. If I lose wifi, the wifi backup battery kicks in. Worst case, I lose the Blink but not the DVR system. If I lose power, I have backup battery on DVR and the Blink still works regardless. Camera installation is both science and art. It takes a LOT of tweaking.

[@1014p]

Not to mention the sync 2 module that works one minute then in an hour refuses to be connected. Dumb part is the cameras are on network, but moment module fails they go offline. Pretty stupid to not offer ability to have server software to control and run them. Their 24 hour support us closer to call or email and wait a week plus.

[@glockman9c]

@@1014p - yep. I have 5 blinks on a tree and two overlap the dead end road I live on. I am lucky when both blink cameras actually record the same car. lol.

[@1014p]

@@glockman9c I recently settled on Nest Cam by Google. It connects to wifi at location not a stupid Sync Module. Each camera spots zone activity and reports less than a second usually. Im so far really enjoying it. Very nice images as well.

[@glockman9c]

@@1014p - cool! I just upgraded to the google mesh wifi routers (4) and they are unreal. I would be very disappointed with Blink if it was my only camera system. My hardwired system runs 24/7 so I have real footage. Just got the eufy doorbell cam as well. It is decent with its own share of issues.

[@Itried20takennames]

Many good points. May be largely be due to older cameras, but always frustrating to see crime-associated security camera footage (just in true crime shows) which is so grainy, obstructed or distant that all anyone can say is “well, there was a person walking there” or “yup, that is a car driving by that might be 1 of 4 models and not white, but can’t see a driver, if more than one person in the car, license plate, etc”

[@HRW653]

I install security systems and I like this video, nice work. I just have a few comments I dont understand why you prefer the cameras that have IR leds above the night color ones. I would only prefer IR leds on locations where it gets pitch black at night. Those night color cameras only need very little ambient light to provide superiour quality. Secondly I would like to mention that cameras that use a wireless protocol to communicate are very vulnerable to outside interference, I strongly advise my customers not to rely on wireless cameras of anykind. Lastly I would have liked to see mention of the different ways to interface with the system remotely and the network security, and related functionality of cameras systems like intercom, access & entry and domotica

[@chrissmith2114]

Eufy cameras and their homebase allow you to fit cheap PIR movement sensors and hook them up to trigger any specific camera or even all the cameras ( up to 16 cameras per homebase ) when they detect movement. I have these cameras which I fitted myself and i dotted some of the sensors ( powered by a 2 year replaceable battery ) around the property, they do a good job of making sure people cannot sneak up on the cameras without triggering video recording, the cameras also work very well in low light, and even if they are set to IR night vision, if a security light gets triggered they change to colour recording with even a small amount of light. The recordings are stored locally in your homebase memory via Eufy own wireless network, and the recordings can be accessed via wi-fi to your phone. Due to the fact PIR detection will not work through a window, I put a Eufy camera behind a window next to front door and fitted a stand-alone PIR sensor outside, which triggers the camera, the PIR operated floodlight out side the door means plenty of light available for good video.

[@AntonioCunningham]

This is great timing for me. After a close encounter with a break in last week, I'm in the process if updating my security surveillance system I set up over 10 years ago. With the information from this video, I'm confident that I can vastly improve it. Thanks :-)

[@ISCOkinawa]

Great video, I wish more people would research this before doing it wrong :)

[@MannyHaarp]

New upload! YES!

[@evolution2001]

One of my lessons: "Don't buy more resolution than you need." I was originally looking at 8MP cameras. I thought, "The more the better! I can clearly see my neighbor across the street!" But then I realized that 8MP is overkill. I don't need to be able to see what's going on across the street. I actually only care about what's going on within about 20' from my garage door. 8MP is a lot of wasted pixels. Additionally, since I want 24/7 recording, (2) 8MP feeds is a LOT of bandwidth across my network and in storage requirements. So I saved quite a bit in my TCO by dropping down to 4mm, 5MP cameras. I do find it interesting that you still aren't a huge fan of color nightvision. My Reolink RLC-510A's provide me with really nice color AND clarity at night, even with movement. Though for context, I also have them mounted above my outdoor lights on both sides of the garage door, so the area the cameras are capturing is already well lit. I was very much turned off by IR's complete fail when dealing with someone wearing all black of different fabrics. Meaning baseball cap, hoodie, pants, shoes are all "black" color. Depending on the fabric, black can appear anywhere from completely black to completely white, which in my opinion renders IR nearly useless.

[@jameslarson7452]

Stick to the best sensors (and lenses). You can set the streams to whatever you need (use even multipliers of the native resolution to avoid scaler errors)

[@stickman-1]

Yes, I can give you one you missed: don't mount the camera too close to the overhang. Even the slightest "reflection" from the overhang can kill your image. It does this by two means: first is the reflection of the UV night lights into the camera. This creates a halo effect and just kills your exposure. The 2nd is similar but can't be seen. You still get a reflection in the camera but you can't see it. And it causes the autofocus to not be able to focus on the distance items. Be sure there is at least a foot between the camera and any over hang. 2' is better. Otherwise good video.

[@chazzer666]

He mentions reflections briefly around 5:00

[@ChrisMyers2000]

By “big mistake “ was assuming that all IP cameras are fundamentally the same.. I assumed if I was IP based, then I’d certainly have access to the stream on my local network right? Wrong! My mistake was buying a bunch of Wyze brand cameras. I quickly discovered they don’t use RTSP. This was fine for a while because they offered a beta firmware that included RTSP. Well it seems they’ve given up on that. And their new cameras don’t have that option anymore. I’ve now switched to Amcrest and am extremely happy I did. I now have a wonderfully working Blue Iris server setup thanks to your great videos! Thank you (Don’t get me wrong, the Wyze cameras are a good choice if you don’t care about viewing their streams with third party apps and don’t mind all your footage going to their servers, it just didn’t work for my use case)

[@GSAproductions]

if you have 2 cameras with a dead zone, you can point the left camera to the right side and the right camera to left side. So the 2 cameras face each other.

[@PittCrew59]

Do you have any issues with IR lights blinding the facing cameras?

[@egarcia1360]

@@PittCrew59 I've seen in some other comments that you can turn off the IR lights from the cameras themselves and set others up separately, mainly to avoid other issues but I imagine it would also prevent what you mentioned.

[@maigematthews5620]

Awesome Content! 🎉 Thank you so much for the information! What benefits stuck out the most for me was: A clear visual of what you were trying to convey. Examples of popular models with the conveyed features. Your personal opinion as well as general facts of rating per feature. Thank you so much for! ❤ Can you point me in the right direction for camera integration on ranches, remote cabins and large acreage of land? The written equivalent of the keys points that you were conveying.

[@wondertwins2222]

Another great video. I know too many friends who have put up battery powered cameras in bad spots. Now they don’t bother recharging them because it’s too much of a hassle. Do you think you can make a video about the Matter protocol, and what that means for HA?

[@TheHookUp]

I'll definitely make that video once it's relevant. Right now there's still a lot of unknowns about Matter and I don't want to jump the gun on it.

[@kevinrtres]

Thank you - a very concise summary of the key points to focus on for surveillance - it establishes the reason to choose specs. Then, so too is the specific installation tips.

[@johnwang9914]

Given that you may not want to buy your entire system in one go, which should you start with, detection, observation or identification?

[@millomweb]

It probably depends on your risks.

[@K03sport]

Also depends on how much you are going to expand your system or how many total cameras and their positions. Are you going to be on the property all the time or is the property seldom used like a vacation home? Start w/ detection and observation and go from there. Where you start depends on where you want to finish....

[@jspafford]

Narrow view - some cameras have the option to switch the sensor aspect ratio to 9:16 for hallways or narrow pathways. I have a 4K Hikvision I use for the side of the house that does this. Works great. Works great in most software as well including HomeKit secure video. Only app that doesn’t understand its aspect ratio is the Hikvision app iVMS in iOS.

[@Thegreekgeekss]

I use cheap old CCTV cameras placed high around the house (as dummies) and the good cameras are camouflaged lower (at about 2.00m). Works for me 👌

[@Deadpool_collector247]

Ive been using the TPlink tapo C310 for last year (now have 2), great camera, has SD, 2K res & app is free (unless you go premium). It is was less than £50. Great deal for a tight budget & covers the garden nicely

[@markd.songsandstuff7728]

Thanks for another very helpful video, really informative, especially for newbies. Also, some beginners think/hope a basic home security camera will be able to read license plates, they want that ability. But it's more difficult to achieve. Could you do a video on LPC license plate capture or LPR license plate reader cams? Some have specific software for this. The best ones have optical zoom, 30 fps, shutterspeed, WDR, etc. setttings. It's especially hard to read plates at night due to IR reflection so it's best to have a dedicated cam pointed at street.

[@cgrobe21]

This is actually a great thorough professional video. Thanks

[@lebeyes]

Mistake 8: buying camera's that only work with a cloud account.

[@martyb3783]

This is another great video that guides me in the design/construction of my NVR system. Thanks for taking the time to make this video!

[@RJ_Cormac]

Still waiting for a video of a reasonable budget way to automate vertical blinds tilt and retraction synchronously. I'm eventually going to buy random stuff off AliExpress and pray it works. 😂

[@BurntKittyForge]

just getting more overview , i did a split unit w heat pump last week , now this ...thanks

[@jimhalpert9421]

Common mistake: Living in a place where you feel that you need security cameras...

[@TheHookUp]

Crime occurs everywhere.

[@chichimus]

@@TheHookUp My issue isn't crime, its bears and cougars wandering through the yard. Most scoot off when you open the door but it is good to know they are out there.

[@daveyy3804]

Narcs everywhere

[@alex8426]

Thanks for the great tips and nice video demo. You're one of the best reviewers 👍🏼

[@RobCCTV]

Very good. Well said. I would have added one important point though: Infrared illuminated cameras are almost useless for police forensic purposes because of the 'polyester effect':- clothes that contain even small amounts of polyester are flourescent under IR light such that they appear much lighter than they should. In fact high-polyester-content black clothing can appear white under IR illumination. Also, IR illumination of faces render them almost unrecognisable. ...and I might also add that if you really must have IR illumination, I strongly recomment avoiding dome cameras. Fine dust/dirt and even the tiniest of scratches reflect the light from internal IR LEDs directly back into the camera lens such that the camera view gets very bad within weeks. That does not happen when the IR illuminating LEDs are not within a dome.

[@TimNortonGuru]

I was ready to pull your video apart as most people have no idea what they are talking about. My only disagreement is the ID height. I would aim for 2.4m to see into faces without needing a longer shot. Well done!

[@nyacoustics8373]

which camera or specs do you look for if you want to capture cars and license plates at night time? on a block with 2 street lights near by

[@RealSoLucien]

Thank you for making 1984 a reality. Big brother is so useful.

[@joetred]

Great, easy to understand explanation. Thanks!

[@SteveH-TN]

Appreciate you for sharing this video and information. Very thought provoking.

[@IAmNumber4000]

Do you have any opinions on using a powerline network for connecting cameras? There are PoE + powerline adapters available which will deliver an Ethernet connection and power over that same Ethernet cable. In that case, all you would need to hook up a camera is an outdoor power outlet and maybe some weatherproofing stuff, no need to drill holes in walls. There would be a cable running to the camera but depending on what obstacles are around, that might not be a problem. Main issue seems like it would be the connection stability and bandwidth over that powerline network. What do you think?

[@Knautschfriese]

Interesting Video. I work in an alarm monitoring centre in germany. Here we have also to watch the data protection of other people. We can‘t usually install a camera that is watching private property, and a public road or a sideway.

[@hellekson]

Such a great and informative video! Really good stuff thank you

[@twiz148]

I have long been a source of information from friends and neighbors regarding cameras. Ironically one of the most frequent recommendations I give in fact has nothing to do with cameras...though it can often be very helpful in the the detection arena to build on the cameras or even as a cheap alternative to cameras. What is that? The driveway alarm...or realistically driveway alarms (plural). They are cheap, require no wiring, and can det up zones of their own to alert you to intruders. I have one on my porch, I have one in my driveway at the front of the house and one at the back (which even allows me to know if they are coming or going based on the zones going off 2 then 3 or 3 then 2, and I have one in my backyard. Now without cameras you have to use the Mk1 eyeball to go and see whats going on (dangerous), so I usually recommend cameras in addition to the alarms, but they sure make it easier to know when something legit is outside versus the myriad of false alarms in every camera system I have ever used or demoed...especially when its windy, rainy, cloudy (casts shadows that create false alarms), etc. Dogs and cats don't set them off..but squirrels crawling at the right height will occasionally trigger them.

[@Pa11en]

I just decided to randomly watch your vid as it got recommended and i need to replace our failed 16 cam Amcrest DVR box. I see tech has improved since our purchase as had never considered face ID as an option for just a home security system. Although, with research it looks like it would not only take a purchasing a NVR, it would require all new cams all from the same mfg., so a much more expensive option. Good info on how new tech works.

[@TheHookUp]

Is your current setup analog (the BNC connectors) or is it PoE?

[@famousamoso7]

1 thing I would add is a nice feature of my RING system. I have RING pathway lights that also have motion sensors on them. I have them towards the end of my driveway (60ft). If anyone trips the motion sensor all my perimeter cameras start recording. Since RING only records once motion is detected this ensures I dont miss any events.

[@nirutivan9811]

US laws seems to be a lot less strict regarding the positioning of cameras. In my country you are only allowed to record your own property (so not the street and not properties of neighbours) and we are required to put signs up that inform other people, that the area is under video surveillance.

[@mataba8026]

I did not notice any mention on rules and regulations in this video. He just brings up what he think viewers want to see. no one want to know the actual rules. But rules goes down in countries with high and bad crime stats. USA is on top when comes to so called well developed countries.

[@nirutivan9811]

@@mataba8026 Yeah, he didn‘t mention rules, but I just assumed that what he did is legal in the US. And cause these things wouldn‘t be legal in my country, I therefore assumed that the US-rules are less strict.

[@donkus6710]

In most (likely not all) cases in the US, the law focuses on where the camera / person holding the camera is, instead of where the cameras field-of-view is pointed. Since the cameras are on his property, he can do whatever he likes with them (though I'm sure there are limits- a stalker zooming into a neighbors window or something like that for example.) If I'm on a public road, I can record private businesses on that road all I like. The moment I set foot on their property, even if I turn the camera back to face the street, THEN they can make an issue out of it because I'm recording ON their property.

[@Super73VW]

Some great information! I am in the process of replacing my current system after having a major failure of capturing an event due to crappy motion detection... and just all around horrible night time performance.

[@RichardGreco]

Great video. I don't understand why this channel doesn't have way more subscribers.

[@Sevenfeet0]

I have UniFi equipment for my network so I began with their cameras. I can’t say they are best in class considering some of the other things out there, but it’s been nice to finally have something scanning the front of the house and the cul de sac. Since it is two stories in the air, I had my contractor install it but I am more than capable of crimping RJ45 myself. So together we got everything working without a lot of trouble. And I actually find the “critter cam” aspect of this interesting. Currently there is one only camera installed but I recently got a G4 Doorbell Pro but I’ll need my contractor back since the installation with the PoE cable is going to be a bit of a challenge. And I may upgrade the first camera (G5 Bullet) with a better one later and move the G5 Bullet to the rear of the house as I fill out zones as budget will allow.

[@Motherhood_Hospital_I-nagar]

Absolutely brilliant for newbies. Thanks a bunch

[@SilentButDescriptive]

using an IR camera inside to look outside. You get bounceback on the window. SO you either have to disassemble the camera to remove the LED source or you have to block it's light by covering the camera's lights with foam or something and use a separate IR illuminator on the other end of the window.

[@alistercarmichael4990]

Ive slowly been building a system round the house here and there are two key points. 1. Don't mix components from different manufacturers, and in some cases product ranges. Despite things like ONVIf your codecs and setups are unlikely to be compatible. You will break system integration so the controller will be unable to configure cameras or use the detection flags from them. Some commercial companies restrict firmware to agents only, so you will never get updates. Honeywell are a good example of this. 2. Don't get dome cameras with integrated IR lighting. Just don't. The dome gets a tiny bit dirty and then you just get IR fog and see nothing. Thats if you are lucky. Otherwise internal ir reflection within the dome causes the same problem. Lots of different setups. Locations. New or old cams. All with the same problem. Turret cameras, box cameras etc are fine. You could even use extrnal ir ligting if you can find it. Domes (I'm using) at least are IK10 Vandal resistant and ip 66. Good luck.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

I definitely had to spend a few days and weeks dialing in the right amount of sensitivity to motion for my security cameras. By default I was getting dozens of notifications every minute. But by careful aim of each camera and selecting just the right watch zones and adjusting sensitivity I have reduced false alarms by about 95%.

[@fehk]

great insights, clearly a lot of field experience and research went into these tips

[@turboflush]

Good info. Thanks. I ran coax cable for cameras and then just over a year later, the ethernet cameras became more available and affordable. Now I gotta change all the cables. :(

[@MN-xh2wn]

Outstanding presentation! Pro installer & ReoLink fan.

[@sceptersax]

Wow. What a wealth of information. And not a moment to soon considering that I’m going to be introducing facial recognition at a customer’s business. I can fall back on the vendors if need be but it’s nice to have a better idea of how ti approach the installation. Thanks

[@peteradshead2383]

If you are going to be using home assistant and frigate then these are may extra points are :- 1/ frigate doesn't work with 4k cameras because it only work with rtmp h264 and not h265 encoding which 4k cameras use. ( keep to 5m or less ) 2/ Don't go for the resolution because you can't zoom in the picture for that extra resolution , it is better to have camera which is better at low light than to have twice the resolution. Total agree on the zoom camera .

[@TheHookUp]

I'm not sure I agree on point #2, when talking DORI 4K cameras are significantly better performing, especially in the daytime.

[@spacecoastz4026]

I have a back porch, under roof, with a pool and full screen enclosure. I'm thinking of mounting one or two battery cameras on the far side of the enclosure, look back at the house...where the enclosure screen doors are and where my home entry points are inside the porch. Is this a good idea...or should my cameras be mounted in the porch looking outward? Either way I can't easily run power.