CCTV for home and business: cameras, recorder, installation
Start with the place and the task
Cameras for the yard of a private house, a shop and a warehouse are different kits. First decide what you need to see: a car number plate at the gate, a face at the door, or just the general picture. That decides the number of cameras, the resolution and the type. Number plates need separate set-up, and an ordinary camera on a high pole will not read them.
On BlaBlaPrice you describe the place once, and sellers and installers send offers with prices and terms. Only the one you choose sees your contacts.
IP or analogue, Wi-Fi or PoE
- IP cameras - sharper, more flexible, need a network cable.
- Analogue (AHD, TVI) - simpler and cheaper, but with fewer features.
- PoE - power and video over one cable, handy outdoors.
- Wi-Fi - easy to install, but depends on signal quality and needs power.
- 4G - for places with no internet, such as a construction site.
Recording and storage
Cameras record nothing by themselves: you need a recorder (NVR for IP, DVR for analogue) with a disk, or a memory card. How far back the archive goes depends on disk size, the number of cameras and the recording mode: motion recording lasts longer than continuous. Cloud storage is handy but usually paid. Colour night vision is better where there is at least a little light, otherwise infrared is enough.
Placement matters too. It is best to mount a camera high so that a stranger cannot reach it, and so that it does not look straight at the sun or a lamp, because against the light the picture loses detail. Also avoid pointing it at the neighbour's property, to avoid arguments.
What to put in your request
- The place - house, shop, warehouse, yard.
- Number of cameras.
- Type of cameras - IP, analogue, outdoor or indoor.
- Resolution, for example 4 MP.
- Features - night vision, audio, motion detection, viewing from a phone.
- Recording - recorder, disk, archive length.
- Installation - whether you need fitting and the cable length.
- Brand, address, budget.
Example: “I need CCTV for a private house in Whitefield, Bengaluru: 4 outdoor 4 MP PoE IP cameras with night vision, a recorder with a 2 TB disk, viewing from a phone. Full installation, budget up to ₹30,000.”
How to compare offers
Check the kit: is there a disk in the recorder, a power supply or PoE switch, cable and mounts. Ask about the warranty and whether viewing from a phone works with no monthly fee. For installation, check how many metres of cable are in the price and who sets up the system.
BlaBlaPrice shows the best offer by content first, with reviews next to it. Sellers see where they stand, so they compete for your request. More in the “How it works” section.
To go with cameras you can add a burglar alarm or an intercom or video doorbell.
