CCTV what are you using?

[plumyeti]

Hi all,

 

Interested to hear what other schools are using for CCTV and how you’re finding it, particularly smaller primary schools.

 

We currently have a Hikvision IP system which appears to have been installed around 10 years ago. We want to add more cameras, but the NVR is at capacity, so we’re looking at whether to replace the recorder and keep the existing cameras or start moving towards another system.

 

UniFi seems popular at the moment, and my previous school started moving that way just as I left.

However, we don’t have any other Ubiquiti equipment here, so I’m interested in people’s experiences of using Protect alongside another manufacturer’s network.

 

I’ve also heard of Verkada and would be interested in how people find it, particularly the ongoing costs and whether it offers enough benefit to justify them in a school.

 

Our main use is safeguarding and reviewing incidents or injuries, so straightforward footage searches, reliable recording and sensible access for authorised staff are the priorities.

 

What are you using, would you recommend it, and would you choose the same system again? Has anyone replaced an older Hikvision NVR while retaining their existing IP cameras?

 

CCTV is the main focus, but we’re also considering access control, gates and intercoms, so any experiences of systems that work well together would be useful.

 

Thanks!

[TheHyperTechie]

Hikvision here, very old - but technically on-paper "still does the job".

 

If I could replace I would go with a UniFi UNVR and their bullet cameras.

[Boredguy]

UniFi cameras are our go to for any system at our sites now as the system is easy to use and can happily work with a lot of our existing third party cameras in place (such as Hikvision/HiLook) with just a few tweaks to the camera's configuration if Onvif isn't already running.

 

Just depends on what size NVR you want.  We're using the 1st Gen NVR Pro's with the 7 drive bays fully loaded, and we have around 54 cameras on 1 unit and 48Tb of storage to give us around 28 days footage capacity.

[DalekSec]

Moving from Dahua to UniFI currently,

 

They now support Alarm Centre so now have a 3rd party monitoring company keeping an eye also

[Olliedawg]

HikVision here, with a few HiLook cameras (interior only).

 

iVMS-4200 isn't brilliant for viewing, often buggy, but just about does the job..

[BKGarry]

Building/Premises Cameras - Supplied and Controlled by the PFI company are Hikvision, our own CCTV to for our spaces are Unifi, which I have just hit capacity at 39 cameras, but 3 of those are the new 360 AI ones and they are really useful.

 

Our Exams Officer/Cover Manager/Premises Manager (Yes that is all one person) much Prefers using the Unifi stuff to the Hikvision stuff. 

 

[achedgy]

Protect works fine without other Unifi kit, as long as you have decent PoE switch gear to power the cameras, UNVR is quite happy to be a standalone device.

 

Run Protect at quite a few of my customers, interface is so much better to work with. every time i have to sit in front of a Hikvision setup it feels like stepping back in time! Hate it

 

 

[chrisgreenwood]

hikvision with hikcentral

[STK91]

+1 for UniFi Protect. We have just upgraded our NVR to the ENVR. Lightning fast & reliable. Easy to scale. Continuously gets better with updates.

[aydee]

Yeah we are running HikVision setup, with HikCentral as a viewing platform. Linked to AD accounts for SLT access; and combining 4 different NVR's.
140ish cameras, most are a mix of old BNC cameras in a hybrid NVR, and some Dahua ONVIF connected ones. All are slowly being replaced by me to Hikvision POE camera as and when we have funding avaliable.

[GK1999]

UniFi Protect - over 30 cameras here and a tonne of door access. Hasn't missed a beat.

 

 

[gszech]

129 devices on UniFi Enterprise Core

 

The system is good but don't load it all the way to 100% Camera Capacity

[StephenPink]

Moving to Unifi - the ONLY NVR I found that was capable of being backwards compatible with the eclectic collection of cameras we had (Merit-Lilin, Samsung/whatever they were branded before and after Samsung). And exceptional value for money - both NVR and Camera wise. 

[BKGarry]

If you can afford an AI Key, it is totally worth it, makes searching so much easier, I do believe some of the newer Unifi NVRs come with that functionality built in, but I brought it for our NVR Pro and it is really useful

[jthompson]

This looks like a useful thread.

 

For those who've moved to UniFi from Dahau and/or Hikvision, can the UniFi system work with Dahua and Hikvision cameras and still do motion-based recording?

[Synkrox]

Blueiris

[DalekSec]

1 minute ago, jthompson said:

This looks like a useful thread.

 

For those who've moved to UniFi from Dahau and/or Hikvision, can the UniFi system work with Dahua and Hikvision cameras and still do motion-based recording?

 

Yes but! You need an AI port https://uk.store.ui.com/uk/en/category/physical-security-nvr/products/up-ai-port 

 

We had Dahua and UniFi running side by side, slowly removing Dahua for UniFi, brought the AI port to see how the Dahuas would work in Protect instead of buying new unifi cameras but wasnt worth it in the end.