The only thing I would recommend is a proper home DVR + PoE cameras setup
I agree 100%. Unfortunately, it’s become very difficult to buy those systems in the U.S.
Nearly all of the recorders and cameras were made by three manufacturers in China. In 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act prohibited the federal government and military from purchasing or using equipment from those manufacturers.
Then in 2021, the FCC decided to stop issuing licenses for surveillance equipment from these manufacturers and to prohibit firmware updates for older devices. That left almost no recorder + PoE camera systems on the market. Ones that are already installed are becoming obsolete without updates (not that these companies were ever any good at providing updates).
I’m not sure how/why Costco continues to sell Lorex systems, but that’s the last of these systems I’ve been able to find available. You can find lots of online offers for the other brands, sometimes at crazy low prices, but nobody has any in stock anymore. Some brands are simply extinct. Others have pivoted to offering only “smart” WiFi cameras.
I’m not saying the ban is wrong, but it is unfortunate that it has all but eliminated the category of security camera systems that best fit the needs of many consumers and small businesses.
