8CH Wired Outdoor Security Camera System with AI Human/Vehicle Detection, 5MP Lite H.265+ CCTV DVR Recorder and 4 x 1080P Surveillance Cameras, Email Alert with Snapshots, No Hard Drive

This review is of ANNKE branded 8-channel HD-TVI 1080P Lite Video Security System DVR and (4) 1.0MP Indoor/Outdoor Weatherproof Cameras with IR Night Vision LEDs- NO HDD: I purchased this for my brother. I set it up when it first arrived to insure it worked correctly. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to assemble and set up. Just open the DVR and install SATA hard drive (I used a WD10EZEX purchased here on Amazon.) Then connect the supplied mouse and hook to your TV or monitor with your own cable. Next plug in power supply and it powers up goes into a setup wizard that even I could manage. Finish by hooking up the cameras. Everything worked out of the box! I found the Night Vision to be clear and of good quality indoors in the 40ft room that I tested it in. At 40 feet i could recognize faces. At 15 feet I could read a wall calendar in both day/color and night/bw modes. The was a small issue with the recorded video being a little too wide but that may be just something that can be adjusted. I only mention it because the camera view in live mode was in correct proportion and the recorded video seemed to stretch it horizontally somewhat. The DVR is a Hybrid system, it had option in the settings for 2 ip camera as well as 8 Analog, HD-TVI, CVBS cameras. I only tried out the 4 cameras that came with the system. My brother installed it yesterday. He is also pleased with it. He hooked it up to his home network and internet. I will update this review after I give him time to put it through it's paces. He intends to add an indoor pan/tilt camera with 2way audio for his baby's room. (I am not affiliated with the seller or manufacturer, nor have I received anything in return for my review)

I purchased this for keeping an eye on the exterior of my business. A single camera for my interior surveillance system is more than double the cost of this entire package so I wasn't expecting too much. After reading some positive reviews I decided to try it out. You will need to supply a hard drive and a monitor, otherwise it comes with everything you need for basic installation. Installation is the same as with any wired cameras and the level of difficulty will depend on your particular circumstances. Camera quality both day and night is pretty good. Again, keep in mind the cost of this system. If you are looking for CSI quality then be prepared to spend about $2000 dollars per camera and many times that for the system to record it. These cameras are very light seem cheap but have so far withstood temperatures in excess of 100 degrees and strong wind and rain. Only time will tell how long they will hod up and how well they withstand snow and cold. The DVR itself is small, light, and a bit flimsy. I was worried when I opened it up to install the hard drive and saw how unimpressive the inner components are. In fact, I was worried about damaging it by setting a small 15 inch LCD monitor on top of it. The DVR did fail to boot once during initial testing and had to be unplugged to restart it. The LED to indicate power on the front of the DVR stopped working after a day of use. The software is pretty straightforward and easy to use. There are quite a few options that are standard in professional systems but nice to see in such a low cost solution. I'm rating this product 5 stars for a DVR and cameras at such a low price that actually works decently. I'll update this review if components begin to fail.

UPDATE: As promised this is my update review of this product. I've changed my original rating from three to four stars. Primarily because of the ease with which the phone app allows me to connect to and view my cameras while away from home. A swipe of the screen switches between each camera, and you have the option to view it in SD or HD. The image is crisp, especially when compared to some older model bullet cameras that came with my older Eyemax system. (But then again, the latter's remote internet connection NEVER worked). To playback recorded video, I use the CMS pc software that came with the system. You have to play with it some to get familiar with how it works, and if your home router changes up the dvr's ip address, you have to remember to modify the address in the setup too. But the saved video is displayed in little one hour segments which makes it easier to find which segment you wish to either playback or save. There is no doubt a lot more this system can do. Ten years ago I bought the older model system (referenced above) for $1000.00. And that was supposed to be a discounted price, for a four camera dvr that never provided all the features it shoud've. At this price, this eight camera system is practically a STEAL. ORIGINAL REVIEW: This system comes complete with most everything needed to set up a CCTV surveillance system, (excepting a hard disk and some pretty sketchy directions on how to install one). Generally one has to search for directions on operating much of it, hence the lower rating. The system came with an enclosed black and white pamphlet with print too tiny to read. The larger, full color version can be found on the little cd that comes with the kit. Of particular annoyance to me was that the system came with a remote control, but I had to search for instructions as to the function of each button as well. I found some on page 35 of the "fast instructions" pdf, found on the cd under: driver\english\user manual\fast instructions\dvr fast user manual.pdf). And even that was sketchy. Eventually I got it all set up, connecting the video out to a video in jack on a TV for viewing (you'll need a bnc to video adapter for this kind of connection). Or you can load the dvr software on your computer. Camera image in daylight is fairly clear, compared to images I get from a much older DVR system. Though I expected better from the night vision images. I managed to get the smartphone app to work after some trial and error. The xmeye android app from Playstore didn't install correctly for me. I used a barcode scanner app to scan the symbols shown on the monitor's display (you bring them up from the dvr menu) which linked me to the download site for the app. After installing, the the app provides its own barcode scanner box so you can input your device's serial number. There's a lot more to it as I'm still exploring the system. In time I'll discover more bells and whistles. However, in spite of having to search for documentation or learn through trial and error, the setup was pretty straightforward.

TLDR; Best bang for the buck, analogue cameras, set up accordingly, very good night vision, easy to manage, GET A HARD DRIVE. So im no expert in DVR equipment here, and this will be based on what i have experienced so far with it. I'm merely IT Oriented so; did you turn it off and on again? Okay people lets start with the basics here; please READ the seller's description on what you are buying, so to avoid rage ill still mention that the kit includes no hard drive, fair enough considering the kit doesn't even require one to function, plus you are paying 99 dollars for it. So be sure to get a 3.5 inch desktop hard drive of any flavor you desire if you want the DVR to record your feed. Specs wise the kit delivers; call it a happy medium for quality; the cameras see better at night than in day which is actually somewhat surprising, my cameras are lighting up half a street and can see even my poor old neighbor when he walks through his valcony at night on the other side of the street. Detail wise; if you wish to see a detailed face you need to position your cameras accordingly; i'd say you will see detail within 30ft facing the camera, tbh i was expecting it to be worse, the cameras themselves are preety decent but dont expect something overkill as these are still analogue cameras and it all mostly boils down to the lenses being used rather than the sensors themselves. People are complaining about the video quality these puppies put out; one:(what are your expectations really?) I see the price tag as a fair price, you are looking at the wrong product, and if you really want / need better video quality then i'd suggest you search some more; i'd say the quality translates to that of a 5mp camera on a cheapy phone (non -autofocus) (Be mindful these are NOT digital cameras) still the quality is good enough to see facial features within a fair ammount of distance, can definitely see a license plate number. If you set up these on a store front or cashier facing people directly it will capture their faces easily, the closer the better (doh! xD). The DVR itself is compact and will happily sit on your cabinet, be sure to feed it an ethernet cable to ur location's network if you want remote streaming to other devices, i set mine locally to the house network but it also works over the internet, you'd only need to set it up for such a role. Plenty of lights on the inside back and front of this little guy so dont be surprised if u see an led light up or two. As for video quality the device is preset to spare harddrive space (like any surveillance dvr really, so you will see a slower frame rate and video quality on the recordings, the bitrates and framerate are adjustable to some extent but dont expect the realtime feed to come out exaclty as shown when reviewing a recording, its just how these things work really. It's software seems preety much what I've seen in other DVR's ive come across, its almost a chinese standard i think, so if you have worked in the past with these things you should feel right at home, and its not difficult at all to learn to use either. Btw; the default account is admin with no password so don't panic when it prompts you, just click ok and you are golden (can be changed ofc). For the phone / tablet use the box recommends you to scan two QR codes on your phone, they link you to a specific app they chose but i found it to be confusing and overall lacking in functionality; (qr codes appear when you do the basic setup sequence it asks you to on power up) for video streaming and "remote" management i am using an app called VmEyesuper (Android) sorry i don't know of an equivalent to iOS, hopefully the same, there's a ton of dvr managing apps in the store but this one seems to work the best as it remembers my settings, you can also manage some important / relevant settings from your dvr through it, and if you just want to set this up over a local network you just put in your DVR's given local IP , the login for it and you are set. With the app you can manage recordings see recordings , live feed and even save footage or pictures on your phone or tablet's storage drive, the box is capable of remote access outside your home or store, the app will vary however.

So, bought this back in May, and since then only got two camera's up plus on additional that was a wireless IP camera. My DVR was a Saunce model, but it looks as though these and Annke flip flop. I love the system though. For the money you really can't go wrong, as long as you are fine running wires. Besides running wires and drilling holes in your house, the system takes no time at all to setup. Everything you need comes in the box. Plus it leaves room for add-ons. The Cloud based software works great for live viewing (slimmer than the crap that came with the IP camera). The cloud based software does not work very well for playback, but that is no big deal as I like to use the playback on the DVR/NVR itself. There are different modes that you can choose which may reduce the number of cameras on the DVR, originally I had it setup where the IP camera and the two wire cameras were on one DVR, when I switch it over to accept the IP camera the DVR limited me to 2 IP cameras and 2 plugins. So be careful on that. Eventually, I did buy another DVR for the garage, so the house only having wired can stick to the 8 channels. The garage running only IP can have 4 channels, even though it is capable of 8. Each has a 500 GB hard drive, as I had these lying around. I get with 2 cameras about 2 almost 3 weeks worth of recording on continuous. I would imagine you can extend that using motion detection though, but on other systems I worked on I find that there are times the cameras are slow to respond, and security cameras definitely need to be in the moment, so if I don't need to then I prefer continuous. So, I can go on for ever, but why now for the review? In the last week, it caught a man going up and down the street checking doors on cars and breaking into them, and someone in broad daylight stealing an Amazon package. The Police department actually complimented on the video, and with the Amazon package, helped to catch the guy. With the cars being broken into it got even better, the guy looked at the camera, and skipped my yard, so $100 dollars well spent.

Very happy with the price. Was a little worried based on reviews about it being hard to connect, but I did not have any trouble. The included documentation is incredibly weak, largely from its Engrish nature. Online support seems to cover about a dozen models that have different features (and the images to help you figure out your model don't match mine at all). The company web site doesn't help much, its kind of a weird mix of pretty marketing pages that drill down to really weak technical documentation. But, I found the unit easy to place, well built, the cameras and cables seem to be well made (especially for the price), placing a hard drive in the unit was simple and it doesn't need much power allowing use of a small battery backup for power outages. Oddest and most disappointing feature; the unit runs a web interface which lets you use it from any location in the home which is a great idea. But, it only works with an Active X plug in for internet explorer in Microsoft Windows. This strikes me as a really weird choice in the age of iPads and Android tablets. I'll keep plugging away at this to see if I can find a solution and update my thoughts later. I'll also post details of what I went through in case that helps others later. (an update; triggered by getting an Email question from Amazon and seeing response below) Apparently there is some kind of app for phone use. Doesn't help me, I'm trying to use it from another, non-Windows computer. So, my comment is still the same. I wish the unit used well-established open protocols for streaming video and browser use and not a Microsoft specific one or the need for another device/app. Also, extended use has found the video cables to the cameras to be a real weak link. My cameras with mostly indoor runs are fine, the cameras with long outdoor runs are all failed at this point. Consider this with camera placement. I'm leaving my rating at three stars. This is a fine choice for a very low price point and for someone that wants to tinker and pull cables. If you are looking for something easier to install and monitor from remote devices you should probably consider spending more money for one of the internet based solutions (Arlo, Wyze, etc.).

So there is a few pro's and con's to this setup. Pros: 1. The system seems very easy to install and setup. Almost plug n play. 2. Camera's video quality is decent and auto switch from day to night vision. 3. Installing the hard drive (Sold separate) was very easy. 4. Very inexpensive system. But remember you get what you pay for. Cons: 1. The instructions aren't very clear. 2. The camera material & bolts are just crap. I stripped 8 screws on the first two camera's just trying to get the position correct. So I have one camera that is a little crooked on the video cause I can't get the screw back out. 3. They are plastic and very flimsy. (I read reviews saying they weren't plastic, but mine that showed up are plastic Not sure how well they going to hold up in my Oklahoma weather, but I could be replacing them very soon.) 4. The manual doesn't really cover everything you need from setup to recording, deleting, exporting ect. So you might end up googling a bit when you first get them. 5. The software on the CD has zero auto run ability, so you actually have to know what you are doing to use it. (I figure this could be upgraded by 10x, it just seems like it is very out of date.) 6. The power supply sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, so I have to sit there and plug it in over and over until it comes on.

For just over $100 you cannot ask for much more out of a video surveillance system. I was able to install this system entirely within 2.5 hours on my ranch style home. Running the wires, connecting everything, installing the hard drive, configuration, network setup, all took 2.5 hours. I must say that for the price I paid I am beyond impressed with the final product. Video is clear with great color, the unit output can be up to 1080P, and the settings are customizable. Night vision is sensitive so you should not have any lights on outside near the camera. Some of my favorite things I like so far are the motion capture which starts recording only if there is movement in front of the camera. The sensitivity on this is adjustable and even the specific areas in the camera's view can be adjusted if you have a specific part of the view you want to be motion captured for example a walkway or driveway. The image settings are adjustable to accommodate for darkness or brightness. Lastly, if you are viewing your camera's in tile format you can set it to where if a camera has movement it will immediately go to fullscreen on your monitor for that specific camera until the movement has stopped. The cameras themselves seem to be of good quality and build. They also provide tamper proof construction, whereas the wire is not exposed. So for a total of $165 (Hard drive included) I now have viewing of all entry points of our home from the comfort of our living room. The only thing that I failed to make work is the email notification setup. I followed the instructions but anything I tried did not work. The phone app which most people seem to have a serious issue using works flawlessly for me. I have included some pictures for reference *1.5 years later and I have had no issues and I even added 2 more cameras.