ANNKE 8CH Home 3K Lite AI DVR, Wired Security System with Built-in Mic, 4 X 1080P IP67 Weatherproof Cameras, Human/Vehicle Detection, Color Night Vision, H.265+, 1TB HDD for Surveillance

Well, I did write a fairly detailed review but either Amazon or Chrome threw a "wobbly" just as I posted it and it was all gone! So here is a brief review. My main requirement was to have PIR motion detection and 1080p - this kit seemed to be the most reasonably priced and, as it turns out, very good quality. That's not to say you won't get any spurious false alerts, you still do, BUT over the course of 24 hrs this might average out at about 10 instead of the hundreds I could get on my old system with conventional motion detection. Of course even the PIR false alerts MIGHT me something the heat detector has seen which is actually outside of the cameras view as it is a separate sensor and not looking through the lens. In any event it generally works very well and if, like me, you like to review some of the alerts regularly then it generally means that most clips have some useful content rather than just some rustling leaves! I just wish that the manufacturers (most of them not just Annke) would devise suitable firmware/OS/web server for their devices that allowed you to view video in any of the common modern browsers as this currently requires a "plug in" which will not run due to security considerations. Yes, I have read all the help files and tried ALL the "fixes" and browsers. You can download a program called "Guarding Vision" from Annke which WILL run on the PC AND allow you to do most of the settings and view the video etc. remotely on your PC. The downside is it seems to run in some sort of "virtual box" and therefore is very slow to load and exit. It is also a totally different GUI to the devices web server or direct on monitor layout so it is yet another fairly steep learning curve. As my DVR is in an outbuilding I decided it was easier to just purchase a dedicated monitor (HP 21.5") to connect directly to the DVR to allow direct access to any of the settings or tweaks necessary from time to time and I use the Annke Vision app on my phone and tablet for live view or to review any alerts etc. which works well. The build quality is very good, especially the cameras which are easy to adjust. Installation was straight forward as the cables for the cameras are a single 5mm diameter approx run which splits into two, power and video, just at each end. Maybe the DVR case is a little on the flimsy side. I did have a problem with 2 of the cameras (at separate times) and Customer Support/Technical Support has been excellent with both problems resolved promptly. It would be nice if it had Google integration (or even IFTTT) so I could view a camera live on the domestic TV by voice command but even much more expensive systems that do seem to be unreliable using this function. As it is I have a 4 camera system, with PIR detection, 1Tb hard disk, 1080p recordings view-able from anywhere and even with the addition of a nice dedicated monitor the cost was less that £260. Even better it all works without the need to subscribe to any "cloud" storage or repeated prompts to do so! Recommended - and I certainly would never go back to a normal motion detect system.
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I bought this CCTV system just before Christmas because someone had tried to break into my home. I live in a bungalow so buying 4 cameras meant that most areas around my house could be captured. The system arrived quickly and my partner installed it. It took him about a day to install but that's mainly because my loft is not floored so it took him longer than expected! There were no issues with the install and he said it was relatively straightforward. I think he had to buy an extra cable because I needed longer ones but that is very specific to me and might not be a problem for anyone else. When the cameras are activated they shine a bright white light. They don't move and can't be moved via the app, they can only be done so manually by moving them by hand. However, if you have them set up in a good position to capture a wide area then you shouldn't need to adjust them. I can view all 4 cameras via my app as a live feed and it also sends me notifications when they are triggered. They can be quite sensitive - the one filming my garden is triggered sometimes when buses go past and it can see the top of them over my fence. It doesn't trigger with cars as they are behind the fence and the lights don't seem to bother it. Within 7 days of installing the cameras, the thief had returned and was caught on camera. I believe that the light of the camera coming on meant he moved on to another property more quickly. The cameras filmed him quite clearly although the night vision meant his features were not as clear as daylight. However, after sharing the footage on Facebook to warn people in the area, the police caught him the morning after as they recognised him. He has now been charged. The ironic thing is that I wasn't even in the house at the time, I was 100 miles away and was watching it all unfold via the app. Without these cameras, I hate to think what would have happened. I cannot even begin to say how much I appreciate being able to check outside the house via the app when I hear a strange noise. Before that, I would have been looking outside the windows absolutely petrified. This system is extremely good value for money. Annke customer service has been good so far as I have contacted them about buying another single unit to place elsewhere. You can see from the photo I have attached that it is a good picture and yes, birds do set it off but I'd rather have that than someone up to no good on my property! I would absolutely recommend this system to anyone considering making their home more secure.
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