fuck dummy cameras. they don't scare anyone and they don't tell you what happened.
if you're really only looking for 2 cameras max just check out some bundles at sam's club or costco. you'll only need a 2 channel dvr. try to get one with as much space as you can. you will want to record in the highest resolution possible otherwise the images will be useless (the recording never looks as good as the live feed, so don't be fooled by bogus claims on dvrs or cameras of "x days of recording time" because they usually use a medium-low resolution when making these claims. hi-res images take up more space.) you want to be able to make out faces, not just blobs on necks.
for $250 you can get a bundle with 2 quality hi-res cameras and at least a 500gb hard drive (watch out for specs of "up to x MB/TB". make sure the dvr itself has a certain amount of space, not just "room for upgrade".) for that price the cameras will probably have night vision, though not the best available. even shitty night vision works fine with a small amount of supplemental light.
i prefer wired over wireless. they are a bit more of a pain in the ass to install, but there's no fighting over frequencies/jamming and they're cheaper to purchase.
sometimes the fancy brands are nothing more than the same shit with a fancy interface on the dvr. who gives a fuck if the interface looks like it's from 1992 if the technology that counts is modern? also check to see if there's an app that lets you check things out when you're not home. most newer systems have this for both iphone and andrioid but check anyway before you buy if that's important to you.
i researched the fuck out of this shit once upon a time and ended up with a decent 4 camera hi-res night vision setup with a 1 TB hard drive for about $450. the lower channel dvrs like what you're looking for are usually even nicer for the price. i basically paid for the ability to run 4 cameras and keep a few weeks of footage around at a time before it rewrites itself. 500gb should be fine for 2 cameras.
