Best Surveillance DVR Kits
SMONET Camera System Transmits Video by 2.4GHz Wireless Signal. Internet is ONLY Required When User View Video Remotely on Phone, Tablet, Laptop and Computer. One Channel is Viewed by Full Screen on Mobile, User can Use 2 Fingers to Zoom In and Out Camera Picture. Need to Find Outlet Nearby for Each Camera or Use Extension Cable for Power Supply. Need to Spend A Lot of Money for Replacing Batteries in the Future. Networking Protocol: UPNP, SMTP, PPPOE, DHCP etc. What's Included: 1 x 4-Channel 1080P NVR Pre-installed 1TB Hard Drive. 4 x 720P Bullet IP Cameras. 4 x 10 Feet Power Supply (12V-1000mA) for Cameras. 1 x 3.3 Feet Power Supply (12V-2000mA) for NVR. 1 x 3.3 Feet Network Cable. 1 x Mouse. 1 x Screw Bag. 1 x User Manual. (Be Sure to Have a TV or PC Monitor to Display Camera Picture, a VGA or HDMI Cable for Monitor Connection and a WAN Router To View Video Remotely.). Pls Note, the NVR Supports 4TB HDD Maximum.The Size of Hard Drive is 3.5 inch. There is NO Picture if All-in-One Computer or Laptop is Connected to NVR Box Directly. 4 Channel HD Wireless Security Camera System for Villa, Home, Office, Shop, Warehouse or elsewhere(Indoor/ Outdoor). The System builds a more Powerful Wireless Signal Coverage and Make the Connection Quick and Easy. Wireless Surveillance Camera System Allows you to View the Live Video Remotely Anytime and Anywhere by Phone and Pad(Available for Android & IOS system, not Windows Users). You can Receive Email Alerts upon Motion Detection or App Alert When Set it Up (Noted: Please Set it Up Properly to Avoid Email Blast). Seamlessly Stream Video Directly to your Smartphone, Tablet and PC. Provide Free 10db Antenna and 10/16/30 Feet Power Extension Cable. Continuous Day/Night Surveillance is Accomplished by IR-CUT Smart System, Powerful IR-LED for Night Vision.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great system, the video quality is great, the footage is quick and clear, it does not skip."
"So you can have one camera (camera A) communicating directly with the NVR, a further out (camera B) Connecting to Camera A, and a further out yet (camera C) that connects to Camera B. In the attached picture, I have Camera 1 and Camera 2 talk to the NVR directly, Camera 3 talks through Camera 1, and Camera 4 the furthers out camera communicates through 3 back to 1, to the NVR."
"I went inside and dug out an old Swann single 640dp camera security camera system l had but never used. I installed the camera on my barn overlooking the area the kittens lived and hooked up the receiver to my DVR system used to convert miniDV tapes to DVD. I ended up moving the camera to cover more area but I wanted more cameras to catch every move and to make sure no one messed with them. I really wanted to get an 8 camera system but had no way to power them all without doing extensive work running electrical lines everywhere. The cameras were already paired with the NVR so it was pretty much plug and play out of the box. One of the cameras IR lights stopped working a couple months later but Smonet replaced it no questions asked which was really nice. Be sure to delete the bad camera from the system first before trying to set the new one. With the card, I now have hours of kittens playing for the world to watch on YouTube. With all 4 cameras recording you'll get about a month and a half of 24/7 recording before it starts recording over the oldest video."
"I had to message customer support for PC software issue and was taken care of within 15 minutes."
"The product seems to work OK. All cameras are within the suggested range to the main box but still seem to lag a lot."
Email Notification & Mobile Push Alerts when Motion Detection. When a camera detects motion per your customized settings, it can activate multiple security responses including turning on the DVR's buzzer, sending an alert email, and triggering recording. Package Contents. 1 x H.264 8CH 720P HDMI DVR. 8 x 1280TVL Bullet Cameras. 8 x 60FT CCTV cable for camera. 3 x 12V/2A power supply. 2 x 1 to 4 power splitter cable. 1 x 1TB Hard Drive. No include IR REMOTE CONTROL. Pre-Installed 1TB Hard Drive ,Advanced Recording & USB Backup - Intelligent recording mode can save more space on your hard drive, recording at fewer frames per second when no motion is detected and at maximum frames per second during motion. Support USB port Back up , gives you the easiest option of backing up and transferring your video footage to a USB flash drive.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Hookup was a bit challenging and time consuming (maybe because this was our 1st) but took a while to get the cords ran. great system, crystal clear pictures and good customer service. Luckily,we have not caught anyone trying to break in our stuff that we have worked hard for many years to get. We live in the country/woods type of area and have seen our daily visit from our neighborhood bear as well as raccoon and opposums."
"We have the camera hooked into our computer and saved the footage on a USB drive."
"Two caveats: 1) You need to begin the setup process with a monitor and a mouse hooked directly up to the DVR so the initial setup/hard drive formatting - you can't do it through your WiFi. Once I did that it came alive and when I hooked up a monitor to the VGA port I was really impressed with the sophistication of the system and the features, like how you can designate where in the view of the camera the motion detector will or won't look."
"After my husband bought them, I've decided to read the previous reviews and I got a little discouraged because a saw some people having issues with them."
- 4 High Resolution 800+ TVL Cameras for Excellent Video Quality and Clarity. - View and Record in Widescreen with Remote Viewing on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices (with included Amcrest Link app). - Pre-Installed 500GB Hard Drive (expandable up to 3 TB) for 6 Days of Continuous Recording at Highest Resolution. - Longer Recording Times Up to 30+ Days Available with Use of Motion Detection and/or Lower Resolution Settings. - 24 Powerful IR-LEDs for Night Vision- IP66 Indoor/Outdoor Weatherproof Cameras. - Long Distance Transmit Range (984ft). - USB Backup Feature for Peace of Mind. 24 IR LEDs that automatically activate when they detect low lighting conditions.They can see up to 20 meters (about 65 feet) away, make sure to take advantage of Motion Detection and Scheduled recordings in conjunction with Night Vision to have complete control over the protection of all that you care about.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Technology changes fast and I have since replaced the entire system (which to be clear, I spent over $500 out of my pocket on ... the manufacturer only chipped in for an empty DVR box and 1 working camera). In the 2 years since this review I've also kept up with evolving technology by replacing my phone, TV, home media center, cameras and car ... things change. A friend recently installed a very similar home video security system that is one of the most popular models being sold at the big membership warehouse club. In a consumer electronics industry where "bigger is better" is being pushed at us all the time, is that the case with a home security system? These pointers are intended to help you choose the most basic and important features, you may want or need other options to suit your particular installation: 1. The resolution of the camera sensor is not always an absolute indication of how sharp the picture will be, the optical lens also has a lot to do with it. What really is worth noting is that they are getting much better at packing more resolution in cameras without taking up immense hard drive space or bandwidth. For most people a hard drive that records for 30 days is useless on modern systems that alert you immediately of an intrusion. Even 1 week is too much for most people unless they travel a lot for extended periods and may not be able to "check in" from remote locations. Also be aware that if the drive gets full and there has not been an intrusion, it simply goes back and records over the now unnecessary footage. [EDIT] Since I wrote this review digital compression technologies have gotten much better so they are able to pack higher resolution and the ability to use more cameras into the same amount of hard drive space. The Amcrest cameras give me a view of my entire back yard at night and I can read license tags of cars parked out front. [EDIT] Still true, color at night is still unacceptable in full darkness but B&W sensitivities and resolution have improved a lot. You may want additional cameras if you need to monitor intrusion to outdoor buildings like sheds, to check on pets, media rooms, etc. [EDIT] while this is still generally true, increasing crime rates in my area and more stringent demands from judges for positive ID from security cameras has altered my opinion. UPS - no not the parcel delivery service but an Uninterruptable Power Supply (a backup battery). Invest in a UPS that will keep the system running at least for a short time during a power outage and will help perform a soft shut-down. While wireless cameras sound like the perfect solution, remember you are protecting the security of your home. Amcrest is related to Foscam who has a very good reputation with video security and monitoring cameras. {EDIT] I read a news story lately that indicates that Amcrest makes more "brands" than I imagined, although what they sell under their own name seems to be more targeted to lower-budget systems. Also note that Amcrest supplied part of this system (the basic bare-bones box with no drive and two cameras, one of which arrived with a cracked lens that I had to throw away ..."
"GREAT PRODUCT very cool to see on my phone all the cameras from work."
"Why I bought it: My wife wanted to purchase a security monitoring service and after doing some research I was unimpressed with reviews and the cost for the services from many companies in my area, so I decided to buy and install my own. The hardest part of the install was moving around my attic with the wiring, but that had nothing to with the product. I honestly do not have any complaints with this product and my wife is satisfied with these security system in place of a pricey monitoring system."
Best Remote Home Monitoring Systems
Arlo Pro is a 100% wire-free indoor/outdoor security camera with rechargeable batteries and audio and can be added to any Arlo base station system. Weather-resistant - Arlo Pro cameras are Weather-resistant so you can place them anywhere-indoors and out.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Mounted a few outside, and that's when I started to notice how poor the quality was. I understand the benefits of having a wire free system (renting a place where you cant drill or run wires, or having the ability to move the camera when ever you want). I would have kept it if it didn't cost so much or if it had a slightly higher bit rate which would result in a lot more detail."
"I bought this unit because we didn't want wires running down our tree where we could set it up. Hooking up the unit to the existing wifi turned out to be a giant issue which took me hours. By the time I was done with them, they had "joined" my computer, went through my internet settings and told me that I had unwanted users on my network which is the reason why the secure camera won't work. But just in case and considering Netgear was on my computer, I decided to reset my router and change the password. Once I did that here's what I did: Syncing to Wifi: Reset Router and only connected my personal Macbook Pro laptop. Reset and synced the Arlo Base Station and Camera - VIOLA!! It comes with a half round metal adapter that the Arlo Pro camera connects to either on top of the camera for ceiling mount or on the back for wall mount. Even on the "lowest quality" setting that's suppose to save battery life, it's not bad. I live in a high traffic area, which is a HUGE issue with Arlo's battery. Since my camera is up in a tree which I need a ladder to access it, I hooked up the USB cord and let it rest on the limb. Getting to the camera settings to adjust length of recording and picture quality is a bit confusing the first few times simply because it doesn't feel intuitive. There is an USB option, which I haven't tried yet which allows me to backup my videos in real time as they're being recorded on Netgears cloud servers."
"According to the specs they will work to -4 degrees F. In my experience they quit working right about 0-8 degrees F."
"*** EDIT *** Always be cautious of reviews that are overly positive, especially when people with supported evidence speak out negatively. In the email there isn't a clear spot to click to start the review, but has a listing of 5 stars in the middle. I didn't complete the review on the phone after clicking the one star and being sent to possibly what is a completely different review process..... but I can't stop to wonder if that would have excluded the Amazon posting part for everyone to see as a one star..... Hrmmmmm.... As a person that is very into and understand technology, I really sit here thinking, did they hire people who literally have no idea what they're doing? SO much promise like having a really fully wire free product, great resolution to the cameras, ease in mount... yet so much fail in the actual implementation of it. A networking company created a product that actively seeks and destroys the quality of your normal home wireless network, and ironically their official response is that's the best technical solution (followed by eleventy billion actual experts, which at this point even my technically inept grandparents and 10 minutes on google searching wireless co-channel interference can have them understanding that the NETWORKING COMPANY Netgear/Arlo made a horrible decision). Minimal thought and intelligence built in here, and pretty much doesn't follow the lead of EVERY OTHER MOTION DETECTING PRODUCT OUT THERE. Given the fact the detection range is only 10-15', this means someone can almost walk at a decent speed across the entire camera angle before it even starts recording. If the app is still running in the background even though you've left to go do something else, or you close your web browser without giving it some secret handshake, the cameras and station may decide NOT to record until you open and close the app again (and maybe that's after you're robbed and you go back to try to find footage)."