Home CCTV recommendations

Hi guys please could you critique my assumptions. I am wanting to put in a medium cost system of about 4 cameras for a residential beach house where I am not living perm. I have done quite a bit of reading here and cctv.com forum to help do some home work.

I am wanting to know whether I am on the right track and whether my assumptions and research are valid and most importantly whether I will be disappointed with my selections.

I am a 25 years telco, IT, architect used to networking and technology etc, so I believe this will be within my capabilities with a bit of hard knocks. i had a small foscam network in for 3 years which has served its purpose re notifications and remote survailance. It has worked very well for what it is.

1. I settled on either Hikvision or Dahua.
2. Because I understand that I cannot access firmware and updates myself from Dahua (which I took I quick look and seemed to confirm) this leaves Hikvision. I want freedom to access firmware and updates to resolve issues.
3. I slightly prefer the design of hikvision cameras so that helps.

4. I will use the same NVR as the cameras so that means Hikvision as well. I'm aware of all the incompatibility issues in mixing cameras and NVR.
5. I have bought the cube Hikvision PIR 3Mp cameras to replace an airlive that has failed. I propose the 3Mp Hikvision Mini Dome for the outside under soffets e.g. Hikvision DS-2CD2132F-IS http://www.networkcameracritic.com/?p=2542
6. I propose the ds-7608ni-e2/8n for an NVR. I think it gives me growth and expansion with 8 POE ports and 2x sata. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hikvision-NVR-PoE-NVR-DS-7608NI-E2-8P-Linux-Embedded-NVR-DS-7608-7616NI-E2-8P/1924647414.html

Remote access and recording are important to me. I already have Tiny Cam Monitor on my smartphone which I've been using for a couple of years and I've checked Hikvision is supported.

1. Will I be happy with this system?
2. Not selecting Dahua is there anything in the cameras or NVR that I will miss out on that will be irritating to me after the fact that Dahua has that Hikvision do not?

I am still learning some of the capability terms BLC and so forth.

3. If I use a NVR POE switch then can I still contact the cameras individually from outside the WAN, e.g does it make any difference if use a NVR POE or a standalone POE Switch networked into the network to the NVR.

MOTION DETECTION.

How good is motion detection?

1. Am I going to have false alarms like I get now with sunlight changes with a proper system e.g. Hikvision. Also the Airlive used to motion detect at night which made it useless as a motion detection camera. But that was years old now.

thanks for any advice guys.

sbiddle

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