Here is everything you need to know to buy your desired best home surveillance systems. Take a look at our list of 16 best home surveillance systems below and get it soon!
10 Best Home Surveillance Systems 2022 short list
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ANNKE 5MP Lite Security Camera System Outdoor with AI Human/Vehicle Detection, 8CH H.265+ DVR and...
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6
firstrend Security Camera System Wireless, 1080P 8CH Wireless Home Security Systems with 4pcs 2MP...
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Top 10 Best Home Surveillance Systems for 2022 Price and Features Comparison
REOLINK Smart 5MP 8CH Home Security Camera System, 4pcs Wired 5MP PoE IP Cameras Outdoor with Person Vehicle Detection, 4K 8CH NVR with 2TB HDD for 24-7 Recording, RLK8-520D4-5MP
★★★★★
$419.99
in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand | REOLINK |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Video Capture Resolution | 5MP, 2560x1440 |
| Special Feature | Day-and-night-camera, Weatherproof, night-vision, App access |
| Number of Channels | 8 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 2 TB |
| Color | White |
| Power Source | Corded electric |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.57 x 10.63 x 11.42 inches |
| Operating System | Windows, IOS, Mac OS, Android |
| Compatible Devices | Smartphones, Personal Computers, Tablets, Laptops |
| Signal Format | IP Network |
| Other camera features | Motion Detection, 24/7 Recording |
| Low light technology | IR LED Night Vision |
| Night Vision Range | 100 Feet |
| Frame Rate | 30fps |
| Optical Sensor Technology | CMOS |
| Total USB Ports | 2 |
| Viewing Angle | 80 Degrees |
| Product Dimensions | 14.57 x 10.63 x 11.42 inches |
| Item Weight | 0.01 ounces |
| ASIN | B07H3QVZQ2 |
| Item model number | RLK8-520D4-5MP |
| Best Sellers Rank | #17 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | September 5, 2018 |
| Manufacturer | Reolink Digital |
- CAPTURE CRIME FROM DETAILS: Discover potential crime has never been so easier with superior 5MP HD. With advanced IR light, you can see up to 100ft in the dark, helping to protect your property and loved ones even at night.
- SMART PERSON/VEHICLE DETECTION – Smart PoE IP cameras...
REOLINK 8CH 5MP Home Security Camera System, 4pcs Wired 5MP Outdoor PoE IP Cameras with Person Vehicle Detection, 4K 8CH NVR with 2TB HDD for 24-7 Recording, RLK8-410B4-5MP
★★★★★
$419.99
in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand | REOLINK |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Video Capture Resolution | 5MP, 2560x1920 |
| Number of Channels | 8 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 2 TB |
| Color | White |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.76 x 7.68 x 11.42 inches |
| Operating System | Windows, IOS, Mac OS, Android |
| Compatible Devices | Cameras |
| Signal Format | IP Network |
| Other camera features | Smart Motion Detection |
| Low light technology | IR LED Night Vision |
| Night Vision Range | 100 Feet |
| Frame Rate | 30fps |
| Optical Sensor Technology | CMOS |
| Viewing Angle | 80 Degrees |
| Product Dimensions | 14.76 x 7.68 x 11.42 inches |
| Item Weight | 0.01 ounces |
| ASIN | B016UCNP3A |
| Item model number | RLK8-410B4-5MP |
| Best Sellers Rank | #23 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | October 20, 2015 |
| Manufacturer | Reolink Digital |
- 5MP SUPER HD & STUNNING NIGHT VISION – Capture crystal clear videos day & night with 5MP super HD cameras. The 18pcs infrared LEDs allow you to get high-quality night vision up to 100ft, helping you to protect your property even at night.
- SMART PERSON/VEHICLE DETECTION –...
ANNKE 5MP Lite Security Camera System Outdoor with AI Human/Vehicle Detection, 8CH H.265+ DVR and 8 x 1920TVL 2MP IP66 Home CCTV Cameras, Smart Playback, Email Alert with Images, 1TB Hard Drive - E200
★★★★★
$259.99 in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand | ANNKE |
| Connectivity Technology | BNC cable |
| Video Capture Resolution | 1080p |
| Special Feature | Wired Security System |
| Number of Channels | 8 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 1 TB |
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | Corded electric |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 13.9 x 11.5 x 11.2 inches |
| Compatible Devices | Smartphones, Personal Computers, Tablets, Cameras |
| Signal Format | Analog |
| Other camera features | Front |
| Low light technology | 100 ft Night Vision |
| Product Dimensions | 13.9 x 11.5 x 11.2 inches |
| Item Weight | 14.5 pounds |
| ASIN | B00L3W2QJ2 |
| Item model number | AU-DW81KD1-V3-58BH-V2-P |
| Best Sellers Rank | #7 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | June 19, 2014 |
| Manufacturer | ANNKE |
- 【AI Motion Detection 2.0】Driving AI to the next level, human&vehicle detection, line crossing, or region entrance detections are more accurate than before. For quicker locating in crucial moments, human&vehicle smart searching in recordings offers you great help.
- ...
ZOSI H.265+ Full 1080p Home Security Camera System Outdoor Indoor, 5MP-Lite CCTV DVR 8 Channel with Hard Drive 1TB and 4 x 1080p Weatherproof Surveillance Camera with 80ft Night Vision, Motion Alerts
★★★★★
$175.99 in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Product Dimensions | 18.08 x 8.25 x 12.18 inches |
| Item Weight | 11 pounds |
| ASIN | B00NBT1W9A |
| Item model number | 8CH-137W-10 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #2 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | September 5, 2014 |
| Manufacturer | ZOSI |
- (1). [ Advanced H.265+ High Efficiency Video Compression ] __ ZOSI self-developed H.265+ video coding technology extract features that focus on characteristics of the surveillance scenes for larger storage space and better image quality. H.265+ can further improve compression ratio on the...
![[Face Detection] Hiseeu 5MP 8ch Security Camera System, 3TB HDD Home CCTV Camera Security System w/8pcs 5MP Indoor&Outdoor Security Cameras, Mobile/PC Remote& Motion Alerts, Night Vision, 7/24 Record](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71VBpFHxwIL._AC_SL520_.jpg)
[Face Detection] Hiseeu 5MP 8ch Security Camera System, 3TB HDD Home CCTV Camera Security System w/8pcs 5MP Indoor&Outdoor Security Cameras, Mobile/PC Remote& Motion Alerts, Night Vision, 7/24 Record
★★★★★
$299.99
in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand | Hiseeu |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Video Capture Resolution | 5MP |
| Number of Channels | 8 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 3 TB |
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | AC/DC |
| Compatible Devices | B07X9L12PQ, B07PYN423J |
| Signal Format | Analog |
| Other camera features | Infrared Night Vision, Waterproof |
| Low light technology | Latest Nano LEDs |
| Night Vision Range | 60 Feet |
| Optical Sensor Technology | CMOS |
| Video Input | 5MP |
| Package Dimensions | 15 x 12 x 10 inches |
| Item Weight | 20.4 pounds |
| ASIN | B0816DWCD5 |
| Item model number | AKIT-8AHBB15-3T |
| Best Sellers Rank | #80 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Date First Available | November 7, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | Hiseeu |
| Country of Origin | China |
- 【Unique 4Pcs 96Ft BNC Cables + 4Pcs 58 Ft BNC Cables】Various BNC Length Cable Meet All Your Needs of Installing, like 4Pcs 58FT BNC cables feed the needs of installing the camera indoors, and 4Pcs 96ft BNC cables meet the needs of installing the camera outdoors like driveway or...
firstrend Security Camera System Wireless, 1080P 8CH Wireless Home Security Systems with 4pcs 2MP Full HD Cameras 1TB HDD Night Vision Motion Detection Free App for Indoor Outdoor Video Surveillance
★★★★★
$209.99 in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Package Dimensions | 13.07 x 12.71 x 4.88 inches |
| Item Weight | 7.32 pounds |
| ASIN | B085RJLFT8 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #8 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | September 4, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | Firstrend |
- VIDEO SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM: Record, playback and store footage directly to your NVR with 1TB Hard Drive pre-installed. 24-hour daily recording as the factory default setting, device user can also customize your own recording schedule. With Firstrend Security Camera System, you won’t...
ZOSI 16CH 1080P Security Camera System Indoor Outdoor with 4TB Hard Drive,H.265+ 16Channel 1080P DVR with 16PCS 1920TVL CCTV Cameras,80ft Night Vision, Motion Detection,Remote Access,24-7 Recording
★★★★★
$529.99
in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand | ZOSI |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Video Capture Resolution | 1080p |
| Special Feature | Mobile-app, Day-and-night-camera |
| Number of Channels | 16 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 4 TB |
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 10 x 10 x 10 inches |
| Operating System | Embedded LINUX OS |
| Compatible Devices | Cameras |
| Signal Format | Analog |
| Other camera features | Front |
| Low light technology | Night color |
| Optical Sensor Technology | CMOS |
| Video Input | VGA, USB, BNC, HDMI |
| Product Dimensions | 10 x 10 x 10 inches |
| Item Weight | 34.9 pounds |
| ASIN | B08J7QLJCF |
| Item model number | 16CK-211B16S-40-US |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Best Sellers Rank | #324 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Date First Available | September 16, 2020 |
| Manufacturer | ZOSI |
- 【H. 265/H.265+ 16Channel 1080P HD-TVI DVR】With the advanced H. 265 technology, keep the high quality video, it allows you to maximize storage space and enjoy ultra-long recording.
- 【16pcs Weatherproof Bullet Camera,80ft Night Vision】These Camera use Aluminum Metal , Can be...
REOLINK 8CH 5MP Home Security Camera System, 6pcs Wired 5MP Outdoor PoE IP Cameras with Person Vehicle Detection, 8MP 8CH NVR with 2TB HDD for 24-7 Recording, RLK8-410B6-5MP
★★★★★
$415.99
in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand | REOLINK |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Video Capture Resolution | 5MP, 2560 x 1920 |
| Number of Channels | 8 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 2 TB |
| Color | White, Black |
| Power Source | Corded electric |
| Compatible Devices | Smartphones, Personal Computers, Tablets, Laptops |
| Signal Format | IP Network |
| Other camera features | Video |
| Low light technology | IR LED Night Vision |
| Frame Rate | 30fps |
| Package Dimensions | 16 x 13 x 13 inches |
| Item Weight | 19.66 pounds |
| ASIN | B07VPMX7Q5 |
| Item model number | RLK8-410B6-5MP |
| Best Sellers Rank | #28 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Date First Available | July 24, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | Reolink Digital |
- 5MP SUPER HD & STUNNING NIGHT VISION: Capture crystal clear videos day & night with 5MP super HD cameras. The 18pcs infrared LEDs allow you to get high-quality night vision up to 100ft, helping you to protect your property even at night.
- SMART PERSON/VEHICLE DETECTION –...
ANNKE 5MP Lite Wired Security Camera System with AI Human/Vehicle Detection, H.265+ 8CH Surveillance DVR with 1TB Hard Drive and 8 x 1080p HD Outdoor CCTV Camera, 100 ft Night Vision, Remote Access
★★★★★
$259.99 in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand Name | ANNKE |
| Item Weight | 14 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14.1 x 12 x 11 inches |
| Item model number | AU-DW81KD1-V3-58BG-V2-P |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Specification Met | Certified frustration-free |
| Special Features | Wired Security System |
- 【Tried-and-True Safe Guard】This one-stop security solution includes 8pcs 1080p wired cameras & 8CH 5MP lite DVR that works with TVI, AHD, CVI, CVBS & IP cameras. The DVR can hook up with 1080P@30fps cams or 5MP@20fps ones. Plus, the advanced sensor & smart IR capture clear...
ANNKE 8CH 8 Camera Security System with AI Human/Vehicle Detection, 8 x 5MP IP67 Weatherproof Outdoor CCTV Cameras, 100 ft Night Vision with Smart IR & WDR for Home Surveillance, 2 TB Hard Drive
★★★★★
$399.99
in stock
Amazon.com
as of November 11, 2023 2:39 pm
Features
| Brand | ANNKE |
| Connectivity Technology | Wired |
| Video Capture Resolution | 5mp |
| Special Feature | H.265+ |
| Number of Channels | 8 |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 2 TB |
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | Corded electric |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 14.33 x 11.61 x 11.1 inches |
| Compatible Devices | Smartphones, Cameras อเลกทรอนกสs เนต |
| Signal Format | Analog |
| Other camera features | Front |
| Low light technology | 100 ft Night Vision |
| Optical Sensor Technology | CMOS |
| Product Dimensions | 14.33 x 11.61 x 11.1 inches |
| Item Weight | 15 pounds |
| ASIN | B07NSY6S9C |
| Item model number | AU-DW81KD2-V3-R8BG-V2-P |
| Best Sellers Rank | #108 in Surveillance DVR Kits |
| Date First Available | February 16, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | ANNKE |
- [5MP Super HD & 100 ft Night Vision] See enhanced 2K 5MP Super HD picture quality, nearly triple the resolution than 1080p Full HD. Our IR LEDs deliver unparalleled performance in the dark, allowing you to clearly see up to 100 ft away.
- [Bank-Level Encryptions] Data is...
How To Buy The Best Home Surveillance Systems
The market has been offering various types of best home surveillance systems to suit the needs of each person. When it comes to choosing the best home surveillance systems, there are many criteria that we need to take into consideration.
To help you opt for the most suitable best home surveillance systems, we also highly recommend some of the best home surveillance systems carefully chosen based on several specific criteria in this article.
1. Budget
Price is always one of the most decisive factors when it comes to making a purchase. Your buying power can considerably affect your decision.
For example, when affordability is your top priority, items from mid-range brands can be your ultimate choice. However, now that money is not your problem, you can freely choose the best home surveillance systems from numerous high-end brands.
In fact, there are many types of best home surveillance systems on the market that suit all budget needs. The important thing is that you should consider how much you can pay to get the most suitable best home surveillance systems for your house.
2. Warranty
You should not just consider whether the brand has a good reputation for quality. You also need to check whether its warranty is suitable for you. If your best home surveillance systems can’t be repaired or replaced within the given period, it may not be a good choice.
3. Brands
When scrolling through the Internet for best home surveillance systems, you may be overwhelmed with hundreds of brands, right? But wait, let me tell you something. We have researched and rounded up a list of the most reliable and trustworthy brands.
Here are our top picks: REOLINK, ANNKE, Hiseeu, Swann, SMONET, firstrend, SAFEVANT, TIGERSECU, XVIM.
We tried and tested a significant number of products from many different brands available on the market. Also, we did check the global ratings and reviews on Amazon about each product before ultimately choosing these brands.
Check out our list and opt for the best home surveillance systems for your house.
The Home Surveillance Systems Tips and Advice
FAQ for Home Surveillance Systems In 2022
Warranty
We are all about product reviews. We do not sell any items.
The seller is responsible for the warranty of the products you buy. If you encounter any problems with your purchased product, please visit “here.”
Final Though
Find best price for shopping now!
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I’ll leave my previous 4-star review below, but I’m highly upset that not too long after receiving my NVR and camera kit, a newer version of this same NVR was released at the same price and Reolink stopped supporting the old NVR hardware. I know this as I referred friends and family to this setup and they received the updated NVR. Updates are no longer included on mine, compatibility with newer released cameras are not supported, and with that added future features are no longer included. I now am forced to upgrade at full cost, my entire system if I want to be included in purchasing new cameras with better clarity, color nightvision, advanced motion detection, or even keep up with security updates. Such a shame that if I would have just waited a couple of months, I would have gotten the updated NVR that allows all this for the same price. It’s a money grab that turns away their dedicated customer base in my opinion. I have no longer recommended Reolink to friends, neighbors or family due to this. I have found another manufacturer that seems to support their products better that I myself will be switching to when I upgrade.PREVIOUS REVIEW:First I’d like to state that I’m not new to surveillance systems. I have had one installed since 2014 personally and installed many others for friends and family. Having that I’d paid $1,200 for my previous system and replacing it with one now in 2020 with more features at a fraction of that price point deserves a star in itself. With all the different brands and models I’ve gotten to tinker with over the years it has provided a good position for comparison. The Reolink system has a lot to offer but also has some room for improvement as well. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed across the variety of surveillance systems I’ve had the opportunity to set up it’s the broken software and lack of updates. Many systems are shipped with outdated, clunky and buggy firmware. My high-end name-brand system from 2014 never had an update available from the manufacturer and was discontinued and unsupported a few years after release. So for me it was a big deal to set my sights on a company that was focused on their product and did not offer umpteen different versions of an NVR to where it was too overwhelming for their developers to patch any issues. Reolink only sells a couple of different NVR’s, and many of their cameras are compatible with it..even their PTZ RLC423 and wireless RLC511W. Mobile viewing was a must as was viewing with a PC client. So when researching, I found Reolink to be the best value for the money and I still stand by that. I added the RLC511W to my setup along with an additional RLC511 for a total of 6 cameras as seen in my screenshots.In the box :Everything you need is included. Some instructions, 4 Cameras, 4 POE 59ft Cat5 cables, the NVR, a wired mouse, and power adapter. The window stickers, mounting template, Cat5 weather seals (while not useable unless you plan to cut your Cat-5 wiring and re-crimp) and hardware are a nice touch.Installation:Setup really is a breeze with this system. I’d recommend first setting this up on a dining room table or workbench to connect everything and get familiar with the setup. After you have everything how you want it you can run your wires and flip it on and be ready to go. This will also give you the opportunity to make sure everything is functional out of the box in case you need to return or replace anything. Getting yourself set up on the phone app at this point is also a good idea.Although I already had Cat5 cables ran from my old system I decided to run the new cables provided in my Reolink kit. Using electrical tape I attached an end of the old wire to the new one and pulled it through. For a new install I recommend drilling your holes for your cabling and electrical tape the Cat5 cable to a fiberglass wire running rod kit if installing in a hard to reach area. These fiberglass wire running kits can be had for under $10 and are well worth it. Once you’ve drilled your holes and ran your data wires mount your camera bases and twist-lock the cameras to them. Plug everything up to the NVR and switch it on. I used the phone app to log into the cameras and make my adjustments from my ladder. I have the NVR providing output to both my big screen TV via HDMI and a 23″ TV next to it via VGA output. The wired mouse is cheap but works. I have found that all of my name-brand wireless mice do not work with this NVR, but did find a cheap 2.4gz wireless mouse that works well. Once in a great while I have to unplug the reciever from the USB port and plug it back in for it to work again.Software:Overall the NVR software is functional and provides you with the capability to live view and playback as needed. The NVR, Client, and Phone app all have 1-way audio capability as well. As stated in the beginning of my review, the software is not without some needs for improvement. I’ll break those down below:Playback on the PC client is slow to react and you can’t slide the time mark easily. Selecting 2x 4x 8x etc playback speeds removes the video picture and reloads. A 64x playback speed option would be very helpful as 32x is time consuming and trying to move the time mark around will almost put you into a epileptic seizure. Exporting clips to video is pretty easy and a feature I like, it’s just navigating around the playback to find it that’s challenging. Navigating on the NVR directly with the mouse or via the phone app is much easier and quicker.NVR virtual keyboard is tiny. Get out your readers! Even on an 86″ TV via HDMI the virtual keyboard is so small and hard to read I have to sit closer. The blue keys with white lettering are also very hard to make out from any distance.Motion detection to full screen live viewing is not available on this unit. Many of the systems I’ve installed and my old one from 2014 had this feature and we miss it dearly. Whenever anyone triggered a motion alert, our monitor would open that channel full-screen so we could see what is going on. It was also helpful as this transition would get our attention, so now if someone walks up to our home we do not notice it on a static screen that is always on a 4-channel split layout. If we were to use a layout with all 6 of our used channels we’d definitely miss things as everything would be too tiny to stand out. PLEASE make this an option in a future update Reolink!Privacy Masks are limited. You can only place 4 per camera and with wide-angle lenses nothing is really straight. As you can see in some of my pictures, I’ve had to put blocky masks on certain areas that are white because the nightvision IR is so intense that the light bounces off and creates a bright glare. It would be nice to be able to draw around items with the privacy masks or at least have unlimited reign.The phone app is phenomenal and easy to use. The motion alerts are quick and can be fine tuned to where you want motion activation, and sensitivity can be adjusted along with a time schedule as well. Matter of fact I find myself just using the phone app for most things versus messing with the PC client or even the NVR itself. Well done on this Reolink!Video & Audio quality:This is where the system shines with only a few small drawbacks. The 5MP quality is just great! You can opt for 3 different quality feeds from your mobile app or PC client to save on data. Things are pretty clear and sharp for the most part but the camera sensors aren’t the best under certain lighting conditions. The dynamic range seems to choke a bit on my front door channel. As you can see with the pictures of my mailman, colors are just fine in the daylight, but all shadows turn a dark green when he is in the shaded area. My front porch is where I really want the best definition so it’s a shame that the camera does this. We can blame it on my lighting conditions but my old camera system did not have this issue. I’ve included pictures of the nightvision, and it is astonishing! My old system couldn’t hold a candle to the nightvision quality of the Reolink. The IR on the cameras goes out much further, and the dynamic range at night is just unbelievable. If you’re needing to digitally zoom at night however, that quality quickly diminishes and receives a LOT of noise. In my setup whether day or night you are not going to be able to read a license plate (unless they are backed into my driveway with the camera facing the plate head-on perhaps) . Audio on all cameras is very good. I can hear people’s conversations as they walk down the sidewalk. Unfortunately with that you’ll also pick up wind noise as well from time to time.Support:I was not receiving push notifications to my phone for motion alerts. Reolink’s tech support was friendly and patient. Although emailing back and forth every 24 hours is a little slow, it worked out and they resolved the issue. I had my system designated to a static IP and for whatever reason it wouldn’t allow push notifications unless under DHCP mode. It’s great to have a company stand by their brand and provide support.Conclusion:This Reolink system provides a cost-effective and reliable surveillance solution for home and business. Clear audio and video of an event could provide priceless evidence in an unfortunate situation. I believe that Reolink is here to stay and have made a name for themselves in home security systems. The quality, features, price, and support all make this a most bang-for-your-buck system. I have recommended this system to others, and will continue to do so as I see fit.
Easy to install
Absolutely would fully recommend. This is not a paid review or anything like that. Just a straight honest opinion after having them for a month. We had our back fence cut and our sons raptor 80 stolen, we did get it back, but we upped our security. We were in a little bit of a rush to get some cameras put up and I didn’t look through all their products, because I should have gotten their 16 channel one so I could add on additional cameras. I may still upgrade to that so I can have two additional cameras facing directly at the back door and front door.These cameras do have really good range from side to side and up and down to view a large area with just one.The night vision is wonderful and as long as there is nothing blocking the night vision light you will be able to see a good distance out. Also with night vision it doesn’t matter if you have outdoor porch lights on because it doesn’t alter it and you still see the same. Once it gets dark I’ll post a night vision picture up. One thing with the night vision is make sure nothing is hindering the cameras and if you have white walls outside the night vision light will reflect a lot off that, which you will be able to see in my pictures, look at the top row far left and the middle row center cameras, those two cameras are on the sides of our house facing the side wall ways. You can see well that area but as you can see the light does bounce off the white of the house. When you look at the other cameras you will see that it doesn’t do that. It doesn’t make a difference to us since our other cameras will pick people up if they walk through those areas. You can also set hat time the cameras go into and out of night vision mood.As far as the motion detection they go off all the time because of the trees moving or animals, this isn’t a big deal for us because we are just using these to be able to check on the house while we are gone and if something does happen we can go back and see it. If you download the app on the phone I highly recommend you turning off the notifications for motion detection because you will hear it 24/7.For the wifi connection. You do not need Internet to operate these cameras. However if you want to view them on the app from your phone you will need a internet cable from your internet router box snd plug it into the back of the security camera box. Without doing that you can’t use the all you view cameras. The wifi does not connect to the box that’s why you have to have a cord. The wifi only works from the box to the app on the phone.The cameras will continuously back up to the box 24/7. I do go in and manually clear out data to make room so I’m not sure what it does if you don’t do that. I’m sure there are others on here who have more detail on that.I did try to save a clip of data from the box but I didn’t have anything externally hooked up to it for it to back up on, so that’s something you will need if you need to save clips. HOWEVER, I got around this because I used the app and on the iPhones you can screen record I just did it that way and it’s much easier and saves directly to your phone and then you can save to iCloud if you want.The cables that come with it for the most part were long enough and I’m sure if we put multiple holes in our attic the cords would have been fine. However I did order a four pack of 100 for cables for the cameras on the far side of our house since we ran everything through the same hole in the attic and we needed that extra length because of that. The cables that do come with them are 60ft so they are pretty sufficient.The cameras were easy to install we just used a screw driver and tucked the cords up into the trim. I do recommend using electrical tape and wrapping up all the connection areas that are outside to help protect from weather and especially moisture. I’ll take some pictures of the cameras outside snd lost them on here as well once I get a chance.We have had these cameras for about a month now and we haven’t had any troubles at all. Our neighbor behind us has a really expensive big name security camera system and honestly this Annke system hands down beats what he has. These have better night vision, better range, storms don’t set them off left and right like our nieghbors do and their slightly clearer and have better picture quality.This is not a paid review or anything like that. I literally sat for hours comparing brands and prices and too a leap of faith with the Annke brand based off others reviews and the rating of this product and I’m so happy I did. Hopefully this helps others out when looking for cameras.
This review applies to Firstrend Wireless NVR Kit Model # FTUS-W843M1TA-XM, which includes a wireless NVR unit, (4) 3MP wireless bullet cameras (resolution: 2288×1288), 5 power cables, a mini mouse, drill templates, a short ethernet cable and a user manual. This was my first purchase with a CCTV solution and it was an easy learning curve. Unboxing was straight forward, no issues there. The NVR itself is housed in a metal chassis with a 1 TB hard drive, the outer ports are (1) VGA, (1) HDMI port, (1) Ethernet port, (2) USB ports, (1) power port, and 2 wifi antennas. The unit does not come with an HDMI or VGA cable, so you must supply yourself if you want to setup the unit through the onboard setup. Once you connect the unit to power, and you can see a picture on the TV/monitor, the NVR will run through a setup wizard that is self explanatory. You cannot type in this interface, or hook up a keyboard, but the on screen menu will let you use a virtual keyboard where you can click the letters to setup a password for the system.The cameras come pre configured and paired from the factory. All you need to do is supply power. If for some reason your camera isn’t paired, you can run through the menus and pair them by using the supplied ethernet cable. Each camera comes with an antenna, an adjustable ball socket that will clamp down, a mounting bracket with (3) screw holes, and a pair of wires that hold an ethernet jack and a power dongle. Placing them is relatively easy, and there are packs of drywall mounting screws if you need that.I tested this system for 30 days.What I liked:Easy setup: I was able to get it running in about 20 minutes, unboxing to NVR setup.Wireless connection is very strong. It runs the cameras on its own wireless network using an MKK protocol by default.Silent: the unit isn’t noisy at all.Interface: the onboard interface can be clunky, but once you’ve been in the menus, everything is just a right click away.Storage: the entire 30 days I was recording, I managed to fill up about 600GB of the 1 TB storage. This is 24/7 footage with motion alert clips.Backup: you can backup your clips to an external storage. My 5 TB drive wasn’t recognized, but a 2TB drive worked just fine.Voice: each clip was also accompanied with audio.Playback: I could see all of my clips through the interface by using a quick search.Support: their technical support is top notch. They will usually respond to emails in a day or so, and their phone tech support is amazing.RTSP support: it is not explicitly mentioned anywhere, but after trying varying combinations of rtp:// urls I was able to get a feed from the different cameras to stream to YouTube or Twitch. For those interested it is rtsp://[username]:[password]@[ipaddress]:[port]/channel=%5Bcamera number]&stream=[0 or 1].sdp?Remote login: You can setup your router to port forward 3 different ports to login and view the clips or live feed.Phone app: XMEye Pro is what is recommended for this NVR. It connected flawlessly and I was able to manage the cameras and NVR easily.What I disliked:Power setup: each camera needs to be individually plugged in. Be prepared to use extension cords.Backup: to backup your clips, you must use the onboard software or the VMS software. You can only backup 1024 records or files at a time, and each backup of 1024 records takes on average about an hour. I had about 14,000 records. Customer service said they would fix this in a future update.Backup format: you can choose between three different formats to backup in: .h264, .avi, .mp4. The .h264 standard this NVR system uses is a proprietary version, so if you want to somehow view them on your computer, they won’t play unless you use the included video codec executable the backup software writes to the backup directory. If you want avi and mp4 backups, be prepared for clips that are sped up too fast. I think it has something to do with the conversion trying to force a 30fps framerate on a 6-7 (average) fps clip. Also, sometimes the mp4/avi clips will drop entire chunks of video (20 seconds at a time).Windows software: You can also control this NVR through a windows application that is not included with the package nor available on their website. You need to contact customer service to get it. Once you have it, the interface is intuitive, and you can reach most settings for the NVR. The camera live feed is nice, but if you click on another tab of the program, it will sometimes bug out and not be able to load the feed. Restarting the software fixes this.Hard drive: As mentioned before, you need to use the software to get your clips. If you physically take the hard drive out to backup your clips, the drive is not recognized in any OS – Linux and Windows (didn’t have a Mac). This is for security reasons I’m sure, but it’s annoying when I just want to copy the raw data.Wireless positioning: The wireless signal is strong, but you will need to find a place somewhere in the middle of your cameras if you want the sweet spot without having to piggyback one camera off another. The piggyback solution uses one of your cameras as a repeater of sorts to connect a far away camera to a camera that’s closer to your NVR. I tried doing this to one of my cameras, and it fixed that cameras connection, but left the repeating camera’s connection slower.Inconsistent clips: The cameras come with a resolution of 2288×1288 max, but sometimes they will record in 1280×720, 1920×1080 and the framerate will vary wildly from as low as 4 fps to 25fps. I know this cuts down on size, but it’s annoying when I want to use the clip elsewhere.
Overall a good camera. The image quality is amazing and if you have the app you can zoom in on the video.My only hang up is the night vision and placement. I had 2 in windows at first to see what the quality would be but at night, the lights from the night vision reflected off the glass so it doesn’t show anything. We installed one outside but because part of the view is under an awning, it is reflecting back slightly so the image is darker than it should be (see photos).I have one installed inside the house (sorry won’t post a picture of that) and when all the lights are off, the image and video are super clear and detailed. So I definitely recommend playing with the placement of the cameras before completely installing to make sure you get a clear image. The app is good too. I work graveyard and will get notifications of movements (usually triggered by my cats) so I have a peace of mind while I’m away. Would definitely recommend.
The cameras are great and produce a good picture, also capture sound pretty well. Mounting the cameras was easy. My complaint was with the setup. When you first plug everything in and power it on it prompts you to enter a username and password, it doesn’t tell you that you’re creating a username and password. Long story short I wanted to change the password after I had mistakenly created it to be something else which required me to take the cover off the NVR and press the reset button.After all of that was finally done I couldn’t get camera feeds to appear through the desktop app, only through my phone app. One camera of the three I installed finally appeared on the desktop app, I have no idea what caused it to finally work, but the other 2 never would despite the fact that they worked on my phone app. You go to the website and it tells you to look up the UID of the camera and shows a picture of a sticker on the camera and where to find the UID. I go to my cameras and there is no UID on the sticker.Many minutes of research later I realize that the POE cams do not have a UID and are supposed to connect by LAN or IP address. Well LAN wasn’t working (remember only 1 of my 3 cameras were showing a live feed on the desktop app) and trying to find the IP address for a camera was another nightmare and waste of time.Eventually I threw my hands up and decided as long as I can access live feeds and recordings through my phone app I’ll be content with that, the desktop app will have to live with 1 of 3 cameras showing.The 50 foot Cat5e cables provided also feel thin and flimsy, although they do work, I am worried about their durability. I’d recommend going with better cables if you don’t mind dropping a few extra dollars.Lastly there was no clear way of knowing where the videos would be stored. When going through the settings on the desktop app the default file path says it was going to store videos on my desktop’s hard drive (not internal 2TB HDD included). Couldn’t figure out how to point to the path to the internal HDD through the desktop app, and the phone app didn’t provide an option either. The next day I opened the phone app and saw that videos had been stored on the internal HDD as they should be, which is good, but why not make it clear where the videos can be stored at?All in all I’m mostly pleased with the system for doing the job it’s meant to do, I just wish the setup had been more clear, and I chose this brand over cheaper brands primarily because setup was supposed to be easy.
Works very well, easy to set up, cameras have very good resolution and night capabilities. Tech support was/is surprisingly responsive both email and direct phone customer support (call in the early morning) The chat though was not good, with numerous tries I could not get past the Bot. The only reason I give 4 instead of 5 stars is there is no ability to have motion trigger any kind of alarm. there are settings in the OS but I guess that’s a future upgrade. You can set up and I have, connecting a small amplifier and speaker and one can speak through the mobile app, slight delay but works well and easy to turn on in the event you want to talk with someone who has triggered a event.
Love the zoom feature
These cameras were much easier to install than i thought they would be, there is a bit of frustration involved with getting the cameras facing where you want, mostly because it involved loosening the screws on the base and rotating the camera pieces individually… I can NOT STRESS ENOUGH… do not FULLY LOOSEN the screws because they are VERY FRUSTRATING to get to go back in, just a turn or 2 will be good enough to pick up the locking cogs and turn them the direction you want. They have to be wired in, so if you plan to put the DVR a fair distance from where you place your camera, it would be smart to buy the longer BNC/Power cable cords along with the cameras. So far i’ve not had a problem with the 60ft length I have used because I have a rather small house.To install you simply:1) Drill a hole where you can place the cords through the wall (if applicable). If you are running these all indoors, this does not apply as you can just run the cords along the ceiling and do not need to go through a wall.2) Push the wires through and route them along the ceiling.. attic.. wherever you want them till you get to your DVR. (There will be a red power cable, and a blue BNC cable for each camera)3) Part of the kit will be 2 power blocks/cords and an ethernet cord. 1 of the power cords is for the DVR. and 1 of them will be used to put power on the cable splitter included that will be used for your cameras to plug into and receive power (this will be the red ended cables) . In other words.. where you put your DVR, make sure there are 2 power outlet spots available, and you are able to plug into an ethernet port (or you can buy a USB wifi adapter if you do not wish to run ethernet through the house. This is because this specific unit DOES NOT COME WITH BUILT IN WIFI.)4) Once you have run the cords for the cameras to the spot where your DVR is, plug the BNC (blue ended cable) into the slots on the back of the DVR (labeled 1-8), for whatever camera you want to show up as whatever number on the DVR display once you get the DVR up and running.5) The next part will be easy, this is just setting up your DVR. The basics are to have a monitor of some sort (able to use HDMI as the back of the DVR has an HDMI slot), and a mouse (the kit comes with a mouse). Once you get the monitor up, there will be an initial setup screen and will ask you for a login.. the username is “admin” and the password is blank.6) To set up and test your internet connection, you will click “settings” and on the right will be “network”there will be a box to select “get IP address automatically”, be sure to select that.at the bottom you will see the option to hit “apply” and “test”. Once you hit “test” a quick message will display at the bottom saying “ok” which means.. your connection is good, or will just say “unable to establish connection” which will most likely take a little troubleshooting.7) Wifi option.. since this unit does not have BUILT-IN wifi.. you will need to buy a USB WIFI adapter in order to use this function. You will go through the same steps by clicking “Settings” and “Network” but on the tabs, you just select Wifi and search for your network.I struggled through this a bit at first so I figured I would give a bit of a breakdown review so others dont run into the problem of not being prepared.
I really like Reolink. I installed a different Reolink system for my parents and I installed this system at our house. My only gripe is the ethernet cables they supply are cheap in quality. When I installed the cameras, I was able to cut some of the ethernet cables in half. When I was re-terminating the cables, a lot of the individual wires has breaks in the insulation. Although not a good practice, I let it slide since one insulation failure usually didn’t line up with another wire, so there technically wouldn’t be any shorts and it’s not a mission-critical system. Two of the cables I re-terminated worked fine. The third isn’t working. The camera looks like it has power because the IR LEDs are on at night, but there isn’t any signal to the NVR, so I’m fairly sure one of the strands has broken somewhere in the cable. I have a cable tester on order so I can test it prior to going through the trouble to pull the cable out. Also, the network cables are stranded CCA.Aside from the cable issue, the system is well-built. The client software continues to be updated and improved. I would buy them again despite the cable issues. They’re easy enough to fix.