I have installed EasternCCTV's TVI recorder ED7208TEL and TVI-IRD2M42VF-G/W-2812 cameras. The recorder uses h.264 compression. The recorder is 1080P and relativly simple to set up. The cameras come in 720P and 1080P, I found the 720 gives off some odd reflections and colors. The 1080P images are crisp and clean.
For under 500 dollars you get a 1tb 8 camera recorder and the cameras are under 100 dollars each.
This is a great alternative for replacing a standard camera and recorder systems as you reuse the existing coax cables.