Smart outdoor security cameras in SA?

[Azimuth]

So is there any consensus as to what the best locally available smart camera system is?

We have some highly organised white dudes stopping around regularly and canvassing our house and the neighbour's house (they're away it seems). Using DSLRs to take pics. One of the vehicles had an impossible number plate, and the most recent incident was just after 10pm last night. Atlas said they'd step up the monitoring outside but I don't see any sign of that being the case (we live in an area with a special Atlas relationship).

I have a dumb (non-IP) 4-channel CCTV setup that is only good for monitoring the gates and main outside area. I'd like to add something that provides real-time alerts to activity outside the boundary.

I’d recommend a custom Ubiquiti system with access given directly to your armed response company. That’s what I did and it worked like a dream for many years.

 

[Bryn]

I’d recommend a custom Ubiquiti system with access given directly to your armed response company. That’s what I did and it worked like a dream for many years.

What smart features would such a setup have though? I specifically want something that recognises people reliably, preferably with the ability to assign names to known faces, and that sends real-time alerts.

My general CCTV has been in place for years. I'm basically after something that functions like a security guard.

 

[Shake&Bake]

I’ve recently acquired some Blink XT2 cameras and I’m completely blown away. Virtually the same as AJAX (which I also run) - it’s no wonder that Amazon snapped up the company.

Flawless operation for around a week now and running 7 cameras with 2 sync modules.

The app is outstanding, remote access couldn’t be better and the footage is great (I’m not even running at 1080p).

It’s a truly wireless system architectured around an app, battery saving and cloud storage.

Been googling a bit on this setup and they seem awesome.

Did you get it directly on Amazon or via a local reseller?
Only local link, besides BidorBuy links is this one: https://www.zeekonline.co.za/products/blink-xt2-outdoor-indoor-smart-security-camera

And not familiar with the site at all.

 

[Azimuth]

What smart features would such a setup have though? I specifically want something that recognises people reliably, preferably with the ability to assign names to known faces, and that sends real-time alerts.

My general CCTV has been in place for years. I'm basically after something that functions like a security guard.

What you’re after is going to come at quite a cost and is beyond the scope of Ubiquiti cameras and software.

What I described above requires the armed response day shift / night shift to check the motion alerts and react according.

Been googling a bit on this setup and they seem awesome.

Did you get it directly on Amazon or via a local reseller?
Only local link, besides BidorBuy links is this one: https://www.zeekonline.co.za/products/blink-xt2-outdoor-indoor-smart-security-camera

And not familiar with the site at all.

Yip, via Zeek.

 

[powermzii]

Been googling a bit on this setup and they seem awesome.

Did you get it directly on Amazon or via a local reseller?
Only local link, besides BidorBuy links is this one: https://www.zeekonline.co.za/products/blink-xt2-outdoor-indoor-smart-security-camera

And not familiar with the site at all.

Zeek is a pretty reliable site and operation

As the above post what you are looking for is not necessarily cheap or easy. Having said that the newer Reolinks have built in person and vehicle detection, you'd have to add-on specific facial or number plate recognition though.. Likely at an additional cost

 

[calypso]

I already have a regular CCTV setup. I'm only interested in smart cameras in this instance. Not really keen for a massive IP camera setup with custom software. Most smart systems are small and self-contained.

So you want 2 separate CCTV systems? That sounds like a mess.

 

[alqassam]

Blue iris and the AI tool on guard.

It cannot identify specific people but it does identify people/ cars /objects /animals etc

It's what I run and very useful. You can then send custom.mqtt payloads to HASS for certain automations or get telegrams alerts when motion for people are triggered.

This works wonders for my driveway.


With the custom Mqtt payload you can run an automation that announces on all of your Alexa devices that there is someone at the gate or a car at the gate etc

 

[alqassam]

Start here

AI

Artificial intelligence as it relates to Blue Iris

ipcamtalk.com

 

[alqassam]

Been googling a bit on this setup and they seem awesome.

Did you get it directly on Amazon or via a local reseller?
Only local link, besides BidorBuy links is this one: https://www.zeekonline.co.za/products/blink-xt2-outdoor-indoor-smart-security-camera

And not familiar with the site at all.

I had a pair of blink xt2 cameras

They were meh the el cheapo reolinks give much better PQ. And night vision is absolutely horrendous on them

Also no 24/7 recording. Fine for certain case uses but not main security system. I got rid of them

Also the batteries did not last longer than 1 year

 

[Bryn]

So you want 2 separate CCTV systems? That sounds like a mess.

They serve different purposes. The current CCTV gives eyes where we need them in real-time and records every second for around 2 weeks. It's mostly for the front two gates and complementing the intercom system. If they had intelligent features the benefit would be minimal.

There are different areas that would be ideal for automatically detecting activity and notifying me and the family, which is outside the property on the residents' access side and more within the property at the guest access side. And maybe one other area that bridges them. I don't care to have them on a permanent display somewhere - they're purely to detect human movement as optimally as possible. Rewiring the current 4-channel analogue system with new IP cameras would require over 400m of cable. So I'm not massively keen to redo a functional system.

 

[Saba'a]

Blue iris and the AI tool on guard.

It cannot identify specific people but it does identify people/ cars /objects /animals etc

It's what I run and very useful. You can then send custom.mqtt payloads to HASS for certain automations or get telegrams alerts when motion for people are triggered.

This works wonders for my driveway.


With the custom Mqtt payload you can run an automation that announces on all of your Alexa devices that there is someone at the gate or a car at the gate etc

And google home devices?

 

[furpile]

Blue iris and the AI tool on guard.

It cannot identify specific people but it does identify people/ cars /objects /animals etc

It's what I run and very useful. You can then send custom.mqtt payloads to HASS for certain automations or get telegrams alerts when motion for people are triggered.

This works wonders for my driveway.


With the custom Mqtt payload you can run an automation that announces on all of your Alexa devices that there is someone at the gate or a car at the gate etc

Deepstack has a module for person detection as well, that you can train with photos. Haven't used it but I have seen it in the documentation. The AI tool should work with that as well.

 

[alqassam]

Yea AI tool requires deepstack to operate.

 

[Azimuth]

I had a pair of blink xt2 cameras

They were meh the el cheapo reolinks give much better PQ. And night vision is absolutely horrendous on them

Also no 24/7 recording. Fine for certain case uses but not main security system. I got rid of them

Also the batteries did not last longer than 1 year

Interesting that you mention picture quality. I’m really impressed with that. Even night time...I don’t ever work a camera without assisted lighting, Ubiquiti or otherwise.

Not having 24/7 recording is moot. I’ve never run CCTV like that, it’s always a motion trigger.

In my case I’m running the Blink system as my main security system - this is over Ubiquiti which I’ve used since 2014.

Batteries I cannot comment on, yet. Even at 1 year I’ll be happy. The Energiser Ultimate Lithium AA currently retail for R140 for 4 on Takealot. So that’s R70 per camera or just under R6 per month running cost per camera. That certainly works for me.

Perhaps after a year I might have some gripes but, right now, it’s a win-win all the way.

 

[Saba'a]

I'll wait on you to do a review for us its in my cart on Reolink

Reolink is quick!

 

[Saba'a]

Interesting that you mention picture quality. I’m really impressed with that. Even night time...I don’t ever work a camera without assisted lighting, Ubiquiti or otherwise.

Not having 24/7 recording is moot. I’ve never run CCTV like that, it’s always a motion trigger.

In my case I’m running the Blink system as my main security system - this is over Ubiquiti which I’ve used since 2014.

Batteries I cannot comment on, yet. Even at 1 year I’ll be happy. The Energiser Ultimate Lithium AA currently retail for R140 for 4 on Takealot. So that’s R70 per camera or just under R6 per month running cost per camera. That certainly works for me.

Perhaps after a year I might have some gripes but, right now, it’s a win-win all the way.

What quality 1080p?

I've got 5mp and have ordered an 8mp because at longer distances you need better image quality.

But for internal my Wyze cameras adequate.

 

[Azimuth]

What quality 1080p?

I've got 5mp and have ordered an 8mp because at longer distances you need better image quality.

But for internal my Wyze cameras adequate.

I think max quality is 1080p yeah. All my images in previous posts are medium quality / 720p.

 

[Saba'a]

I think max quality is 1080p yeah. All my images in previous posts are medium quality / 720p.

Yep short distances its ok. I have one 1080 wifi reolink camera.

So depends on one's requirements.

 

[Azimuth]

More Blink XT2 screenshots taken from motion trigger video. Bear in mind that Tapatalk uploads compress the images and drop the image quality.

Currently sitting on 18% of my free cloud storage with auto-delete set to 30 days.

 

[Saba'a]

Yep your distances short. Totally adequate.

My 5mp reolinks fine but for front gate I want clear images as far as possible.

So waiting on a reolink 8mp to arrive.

Medium quality image only as using mobile tapatalk.