I have to install a video surveillance system to meet state licensing regulations for a large outdoor growing operation. Other than meeting the regulations, there is no significant purpose for most of the video system. I previously posted a question to this forum asking if the 16 channel Q-See system offered by Costco met the stated requirements and specifications of the regulations. The answers were generally "yes", with the reservation that this system had a number of limitations that may or may not be significant depending on future circumstances.
One of those limitations is the fact that the cameras all have 3.6mm lenses. The FOV is therefore very wide, so meeting the requirement of "clear and certain identification of persons and activities at all times" required installing a large number of cameras. One of the primary constraints to our operation is the fact that we have long, narrow rows (10x150+ feet) that must be individually monitored.
My general gameplan was to take advantage of the low per-camera cost and install more cameras to achieve the performance requirement: the current draft design will require eight 16-channel NVRs for the 120 cameras needed to provide acceptable coverage. (Note: there is no explicit requirement to have a fully integrated system, so separate NVRs should be acceptable.) Although I am not entirely comfortable with this approach, it seems to meet the state requirements at a system equipment cost of about $25K.
I know that I could achieve the same results using fewer cameras with 6mm (or longer) lens. Cameras with a 6mm lens that appear to be comparable to those in the Q-See system are available in the $120-$150 range, so I'm still in the ballpark with my system cost. But what about the NVR or headend? Are there lower-end network recording systems that provide at least the same functionality as Q-See but are not part of an integrated package with cameras? An additional requirement is storage, as all video must be stored for 45 days.
Thanks for any advice or suggestions.