Very good tech specs on the video, very informative. Thank you very much for taking the time to put this video together and sharing it with the interested audience. We greatly appreciate your hard work. Keep up the good work and god bless you and your family.
Very nice! I actually have a 4K Lorex NVR kit I purchased last year. I specifically chose the set I have now because of the color night vision and ability to (which most POE camears don't) record audio. I see Swann has taken it a step further by including two-way audio. With that said, I have to give a thumbs down to pretty much all of the POE NVR systems when it comes to software. Although you said it nicely, the apps all suck! Nest, Ring and all the rest are light years ahead of these companies when it comes ease of usability for apps. The ultimate system would have the at minimum the following: -Accurate motion detection with zones -Great hardware -Great software -POE -Two-way audio Like you I have a combination: -POE system for continuous recording -Ring doorbell -Several Wyzecams Some day one of these companies will get it right. Until then I'll stick with my mashup!
Yes. Most wired systems’ apps are not user friendly and needs some testing and studying to make it to work properly. There are some features that they need to add. I have to check out Lorex cameras in the future...so that I can do a comparison between this and Reolink.
We have just purchased these and were looking for some info so we know what to expect when they arrive and we install. This is a fantastic informative video, thank you!!!
Spectacular review. Thank you for putting your heart into your videos. It really helps the consumer make an informed decision. I look forward to your other videos. Subscribed!
I have just purchased a 4K system and I am testing it today (Sunday 15 March). I am impressed so far with a 4k dome camera placed under the garage eaves. The video clarity is amazing, even though the images of passing cars, people, etc., jerk a little, it's not as bad as the Concord Security system video that comes from their 4K camera. Images in their video jerk badly, freeze a lot and disappear from the screen, which makes it hard to view live video. I had the Concord for about 3 weeks and ended up with the NVR recorder failing to show live video on one channel and then a few days later some other channels stopped displaying live video. I took the recorder back to store and even the store staff couldn't set it to work. So, they exchanged for another recorder. Doing it home, reconnected it to cameras and immediately checked it. I found the second recorder to be worse than the first, the images on screen were jerking badly and freezing for several seconds then, all of sudden the images simply disappeared. I decided enough is enough, I took a video shot of the jerking and disappearing images seen on the monitor screen with my mobile camera and then disconnected everything to return it back to store (back and forth - home to store - 11 kilometers away, I lost count on how much fuel and time I wasted). After showing the mobile video and my disappointment of paying a lot of money for something that keeps freezing the video frames, I told them to let me try the Swann 4K and see if it has the same jerky video like the Concord. They agreed, so here I am now with the Swann NVR connected and running with only one camera (I will place other cameras and operate them later). To my amazement the video clarity is perfect, the swaying tree branches and bushes are a fraction jerky but freezing of video is zero (Hope it stays that way), and if it does do what I'm expecting from this Swann products, I will write a good review. However, for Concord system, if you want to lose your hair over it, go ahead and buy it. But if you want to keep your mane like that of a Gelada monkey, then avoid this brand, as from the stress I've had, I wouldn't recommend it. I would like to know what mobile App to use for Swann. Thanks.
Thank you! I’m still learning about my new SWANN NVR (upgraded from a SWANN DVR system) Trying to get used to the different options and settings for the system (I wish there was a “disable alerts” button in the phone app such as my eufy 2K doorbell has for stopping the endless notifications while I’m washing the car in the driveway) I also want to use the time settings to stop sending me “detection” notifications during the times I have set to not record motion etc. I think SWANN still need to improve the “new customers experience” as the “out of the box” settings can be challenging to understand. They do have a lot of videos but then you need to try searching specific settings. And they DO need to send a snapshot of what caused the detection alert as I’m tired of seeing nothing that caused it and then having to dig down in the app (after refreshing the recording list with a swipe down) to try find footage. Will check more of your videos 😃
Great videos. One thing that I would suggest. You should mount a j box underneath your awning and then mount the cameras that you are testing to a removable cover. You test a lot of cameras and we enjoy your videos. If you keep mounting the cameras the way you are. You are going to make your house look like crap with all of the screw holes.
Yes, I am actually planning to do that...you just haven't seen the other holes that I made when I was running the ethernet cables :) Thanks for the suggestion.
I have their 1080p DVR with PIR system and I have been pretty pleased with it. I have been wanting to see a good video clarity test with the 4k system and was happy you had a clip for that. Not sure if it is the same, but my DVR system can be accessed with the old school IE plugin if you go to the DVR's IP address. That will allow me to change nearly all of the DVR settings from my PC. Not ideal, but something to check out. Their apps on both the phone and PC are the weak link in my opinion.
@@LifeHackster I was slightly confused as I have the six channel for KPIR in VR 8580 set up and I am able to make modifications to all of the settings via my cell phone app as well as the Mac app and PC app. I wonder why they would change it for the next generation Spotlight version that you reviewed?
⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of the most important things nobody has mentioned is the extremely low 15 FPS this camera puts out. According to the sample 4K video samples provided here on this RUclips channel I was finally able to determine it is 15 fps which is super low if you are new to IP cameras.( this fps is the same as Lorex ) - I purchased another 4K Swann camera about 2 years ago ( no audio was available on cameras at that time ) - the camera does 20 fps, and it choppy with any fast action. Other than that, it's laser sharp. I'd even say it's sharper than this camera. It's disappointing that Swann has decreased the fps to 15 down from 20. When you look at Swann's 1080p cameras ( 5 megapixel) at 30 fps and compare movement to the 4K @20fps, it's very disappointing, and going down to 15 fps, it's just terrible, unless the person is not moving. Swann conveniently has zero info about the fps on this camera, I've looked for a good 20 mins, even looking at their online manuals. I finally found it by looking at the fps of the sample 4K videos provided here. Do some Googling, nobody has the fps rating anywhere. No online vendors, no reviews. There you have it. Seems adding the audio means dropping the framerate of these cameras so that they can still tranfer fast enough data at 4K. Watch some Swann 1080p 5 mp videos, you'll be amazed how razor sharp they are, and motion is very smooth.
I did mention and I actually said that I will get comments on this about the 15 fps and Swann has it posted on their website -> www.swann.com/us/swnvk-885804b2fb It is not on the camera specs but on the NVR - playback speed "Frame Rate up to 15fps @ 4K"
I have two ring cameras and pay $30 a year each for cloud. I can get as many units for 100. Was thinking of therefore getting stick up cams but feel reluctant as reolink or Swann won’t ever need subscription. What is your suggestion?
I have a question about exporting videos from the NVR. My current system which is a Swann Poe security system is about 3 years old. Early on when I would try to export videos, my two options were the original h264 or Avi. I was needing to upload to RUclips so it had to be an Avi since RUclips does not support uploading h. 264 files. Every single time I would export to Avi, the audio was nothing but static. I recall contacting Swann and they gave me some kind of response that I can't remember exactly but basically nothing they could do about that. I'm looking at buying this system and I want to make sure that when I export to either AVI or MP4 that the audio actually exports properly. Can you tell me if that is the case?
Hey. I love your work. I'm about to buy a camera security system but I don't know which one to get. I'm from Australia and Arlo isn't that popular here. Swann is the main system in the market. In your opinion, which is better and more reliable overall? Swann 4k, Arlo Pro 2, Ring cameras or Arlo Ultra. Please let me know which you would choose. I've watched all your videos and still can't decide.
Any chance you can do motion testing with the cameras? one of the biggest bummers with these newer residential cameras is the lack of motion recording quality and you get that ghost like video of someone running or something. Also do you know how many FPS is the camera at 4k?
At the 10:00 mark: you're leaving your home open to bug infestation!!! After feeding the cable into the hole, you need to seal the hole with a product like expanding foam or caulk. Optionally, put caulk around the base of the camera before you screw it in place.
True...but the camera has a gasket seal and I think it should be sufficient enough..my eaves have small holes already for ventilation. Thanks for the suggestion though.
Can it be adjusted to pick up small animals. I ask being I want to video Foxes, Raccoons, Birds etc. Also only 15fps, why not 30 or 60fps ? Too bad that the cables are only 60', but that's the norm for some DVR systems. You said it will record color at night with the spotlights on (7:02 in the video) are the lights auto on, can they not be set to turn on.? A good feature of 4K is that you can zoom in without the distortion that one gets with 1080p
Geez at 15:25 when the car comes into the picture, the sound made me think a tank was rolling in. Lol By the way LifeHackster, I like what you’ve done with the intro and (extro?) end of the video. Very pro. :-) Also great review! I’m still considering the Arlo Ultra, but am hoping the child issues with the new solution will soon be ironed out. Also proper local recording. If a wired system would be an option though, this video would be very convincing.
I noticed that they audio or the mic from the cameras picks up sounds pretty good. The footage of me in my front door, I have to lower the volume down in post because it was loud.
What's the reason why you didn't need the power cable for the cameras? I'm very new to the security cameras at home and your videos seem to be the best I've found for home security cameras. Thanks in advanced.
Great information, as far as using the app is there a delay or is it real time ? my concern is the 2 way take how effective is it from the app ? also can longer cables be purchased? and lastly when you were mounting the camera and stuffing the wires through the hole I seen a 2nd wire or pigtail not connected to anything , what is that connection for ? Again thank you I am looking at both the Lornx and swan systems, I do like the 2 way talk but only if its not delayed from the mobile phone. Thank you for your reply.
Do these cams have zoom? If so can these see a license plate from about 100 feet away? Both day and night? Very informative vid by the way. Much thanks.
100 feet is stretching it. Reading license plates needs to have ideal situations like the angle of the camera, the car movement and the camera's field of view has a lot to do with it. I will be talking more about this in my future videos. As it stands, if the car is directly in front of the camera and is going towards or away from the camera, then you will be able to read the plate up to 50 feet.
I'm considering buying this system (despite the flaws with the app and user interface) because of the deterrence features. In your review, it appears that the lights and siren for each camera can be adjusted in the Homeview app, but those same settings also appear to be available for each camera in the NVR. Can you turn off the light and siren for individual cameras from the app (so they won't come on again until you toggle it back) even if the NVR settings have the lights and siren featured enabled for those cameras?
@@LifeHackster Very much appreciate the reply. That unfortunately saps the only functionality I was looking for in the Swann 4K system so I ordered the Reolink 4K system and plan to use it like you do as 24/7 backup to Ring and other wifi cameras. I'm replacing a Swann 4mp NVR and unfortunately the functionality on the 4k system looks pretty identical to what I'm working with now, which is insipid at best. Unfortunate because if the motion detection was reliable then the deterrence settings on the Swann 4k system would really set it apart. Your videos are outstanding and keep up the great work.
Do you leave the Spotlight "Light Level" Intensity at 100% percent on all cameras? Did you need to reduce the intensity to avoid 'over exposure' on the video?
Good video.... but I can’t see the siren dB number(from your test) due to the sun reflection? How loud is the siren...? I tested the lorex, they are pretty weak...... I don’t have the dB tester... hopefully this one is louder. Thanks, can’t wait for your part 2 video!
Magnificent review! I had actually bought a POE camera system , prior to buying the wifi based devices , but returned the unopened product as I did not see myself installing or paying someone a high priced installation amount; Hence, I bought my Ring devices, nest and BlinkXT. Sure, there are one downside to them, but I can live with that. Btw, if I were to buy such NVR POE system, I would buy them to have them record 24/7 recording , not motion based. What is he length of day it'd record if it was set to non stop recording???
I'm not sure yet on how long yet, I installed it on the 23rd and the footage still goes back to that time. With my Reolink NVR, I have around 1 1/2 weeks of footage.
Thank you for your very informative video. I have a Master-Series Enforcer™ 6 Camera - 8 Channel 4K NVR Security System - SWNVK-879806 installed at my home. I need to download 24 hour video data from two of my cameras for 2 1/2 days. I have my cameras set for 24/7 recording. When I downloaded this to USB, it is 67GB with many separate videos (events). Is there any other way to save this as a complete video which would be smaller file size? Still learning, thank you!
Hi great video but the one thing I not seen shown on any videos is when the cables come out of behind the wall into the room to connect to the base unit what type of wall socket is used. I cant imagine the cables just coming out of a hole in the wall and that's it surely not.
Hello, I just ordered the swann 4K 6 camera pack like you reviewed. My question is that I’ll be running longer distances then the 60ft . I’ll be going 100ft or so. What kind of cable do I need to get, Just Cat5 ? Can I splice two wires withwith the connector. Thanks for your time
LifeHackster thanks for your reply i have done that but no success when I try to send the email where it says test the email it comes back with the username or the email is incorrect🤷♂️I wonder if I need to do anything in my email settings.
Cool channel 👍 Does the cameras work via an other subnet network that I have in the house or must it be via the NVR network ports? Does the cameras only work with the Swann NVR or could it work with eg MotionEyeOS on a Raspberry PI?
Great video mate. Not quite the same system I just got but close enough to follow settings. Question....what size harddrive does yours have and how many days recording do you get with cameras set to 24/7 record?
Great review as always. I have been using WiFi wireless cams but now want to upgrade to the wired cameras because too many important incidents being missed by my wireless cameras.
I bought a system and installed 4 of the cameras, and left the remaining in the original box in the house. Yesterday I installed the other two cameras and they worked great - for three hours. Even though it was a warm sunny day with low humidity, moisture formed on the INSIDE of both the lenses soon after it got dark and the view is totally blurred. The moisture is still there a day later and after contacting Swann and going through all kinds of hoops with them they finally agreed the cameras were faulty. However since it has been more than 12 months they will not replace or repair them even though they were not used at all until now. Since Swann claims the cameras are IP66 rated (waterproof) that means they were flawed with internal moisture which was there before the date of purchase, because they clouded up internally within the first 3 hours of use as the lens cooled off after sunset. We will file a Fraud Claim with the state Attorney General as they obviously weren't IP66 rated cameras as Swann claimed. These cameras were quite expensive and one of the reason I purchased them was due to the IP66 rating, which obviously was a lie.
I would first like to thank you for the time and effort that went into developing excellent content. The video detailed extremely useful information. If you do not mind and have the time, I have a few questions about the system. Do you know if the receiver/transmitter is multi-voltage capable? I am in the market for a security system, but the A/C power here in Japan is 100 volt/60 Hz. I also noticed during your setup the time zones showed U.S. and Canada. Is Japan or Tokyo provided as options? Thanks in advance for your response.
After looking at your review of this system i went ahead and bought it. It works great thus far. Swann did a software update and now the cameras have no sound and all the settings are checked for audio. I was wondering if you have or had this problem?
Yes, they did an update which you are right, I don’t have audio now on saved footage ( saved via USB thumb drive) ..It seems like there is no option for 24/7 recording also.. I’ll check out the updated software more and will be contacting swann. Thanks for giving me a heads up.
@@LifeHackster when you find out and the problem is fixed could you please do an update video on the Swann system seeing that this system is now your main system you use. As always your video reviews are great and very informative. Thanks for the reply.
This is one of the best RUclips reviews I’ve seen. Great job. Thank you.
Your video answered all my major questions and now I have the confidence to buy and install. Thank you so much!
You are welcome.
Very good tech specs on the video, very informative. Thank you very much for taking the time to put this video together and sharing it with the interested audience. We greatly appreciate your hard work. Keep up the good work and god bless you and your family.
This has got to be one of the best, most thorough and informative review I've seen of any security camera setup ever. Well done mate!
Thank You. I appreciate it .
Awesome video, cheers mate
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video, it was extremely very educational, GREAT JOB!
A decent review of a product, either too long or short and either too fast or too slow. Great attention to the details! Keep up your good work, man!
Thank You.
@@LifeHacksterby
Neither?
Very nice! I actually have a 4K Lorex NVR kit I purchased last year. I specifically chose the set I have now because of the color night vision and ability to (which most POE camears don't) record audio. I see Swann has taken it a step further by including two-way audio. With that said, I have to give a thumbs down to pretty much all of the POE NVR systems when it comes to software. Although you said it nicely, the apps all suck! Nest, Ring and all the rest are light years ahead of these companies when it comes ease of usability for apps. The ultimate system would have the at minimum the following:
-Accurate motion detection with zones
-Great hardware
-Great software
-POE
-Two-way audio
Like you I have a combination:
-POE system for continuous recording
-Ring doorbell
-Several Wyzecams
Some day one of these companies will get it right. Until then I'll stick with my mashup!
Yes. Most wired systems’ apps are not user friendly and needs some testing and studying to make it to work properly. There are some features that they need to add. I have to check out Lorex cameras in the future...so that I can do a comparison between this and Reolink.
We have just purchased these and were looking for some info so we know what to expect when they arrive and we install. This is a fantastic informative video, thank you!!!
How do you like them?
@@CrashedMC713 we have not installed them yet.
just installing same system today. Great timing for a very useful video. Many thanks LH.
You are welcome.
This is one of the best RUclips reviews I’ve seen
Great review as usual man. Looking forward to part 2 and 3!!
Thank you.
When it comes to Video Camera Reviews... You are Still the Top Dog,.... :-)
Great vid man, looking the next update to this. Keep up the great work
Thank You. I appreciate it.
Spectacular review. Thank you for putting your heart into your videos. It really helps the consumer make an informed decision. I look forward to your other videos. Subscribed!
This is by far the most helpful review I have seen on this platform regarding these cameras. Thank you!
I have just purchased a 4K system and I am testing it today (Sunday 15 March). I am impressed so far with a 4k dome camera placed under the garage eaves. The video clarity is amazing, even though the images of passing cars, people, etc., jerk a little, it's not as bad as the Concord Security system video that comes from their 4K camera. Images in their video jerk badly, freeze a lot and disappear from the screen, which makes it hard to view live video. I had the Concord for about 3 weeks and ended up with the NVR recorder failing to show live video on one channel and then a few days later some other channels stopped displaying live video. I took the recorder back to store and even the store staff couldn't set it to work. So, they exchanged for another recorder. Doing it home, reconnected it to cameras and immediately checked it. I found the second recorder to be worse than the first, the images on screen were jerking badly and freezing for several seconds then, all of sudden the images simply disappeared. I decided enough is enough, I took a video shot of the jerking and disappearing images seen on the monitor screen with my mobile camera and then disconnected everything to return it back to store (back and forth - home to store - 11 kilometers away, I lost count on how much fuel and time I wasted). After showing the mobile video and my disappointment of paying a lot of money for something that keeps freezing the video frames, I told them to let me try the Swann 4K and see if it has the same jerky video like the Concord. They agreed, so here I am now with the Swann NVR connected and running with only one camera (I will place other cameras and operate them later). To my amazement the video clarity is perfect, the swaying tree branches and bushes are a fraction jerky but freezing of video is zero (Hope it stays that way), and if it does do what I'm expecting from this Swann products, I will write a good review. However, for Concord system, if you want to lose your hair over it, go ahead and buy it. But if you want to keep your mane like that of a Gelada monkey, then avoid this brand, as from the stress I've had, I wouldn't recommend it. I would like to know what mobile App to use for Swann. Thanks.
Do you still like your system?
Thank you for saving me with my cameras
Thank you!
I’m still learning about my new SWANN NVR (upgraded from a SWANN DVR system)
Trying to get used to the different options and settings for the system (I wish there was a “disable alerts” button in the phone app such as my eufy 2K doorbell has for stopping the endless notifications while I’m washing the car in the driveway)
I also want to use the time settings to stop sending me “detection” notifications during the times I have set to not record motion etc.
I think SWANN still need to improve the “new customers experience” as the “out of the box” settings can be challenging to understand. They do have a lot of videos but then you need to try searching specific settings. And they DO need to send a snapshot of what caused the detection alert as I’m tired of seeing nothing that caused it and then having to dig down in the app (after refreshing the recording list with a swipe down) to try find footage.
Will check more of your videos 😃
Excellent review! Thanks for doing it.
Excellent review, thanks man this setup is perfect for us, will be buying soon
Great video. Was looking exactly for everything you went over!
Great reviews bro, i subscribed
Awesome.. very detailed review. Thats what I was looking for. Thanks
You are welcome.
Nice man you really do a great in-depth Job.
Thank You. I appreciate it.
You don't need to connect the power supply cable to each camera, only the ethernet cable?
Yes.
Great video as usual 👍🏼
Thank You.
Great videos. One thing that I would suggest. You should mount a j box underneath your awning and then mount the cameras that you are testing to a removable cover. You test a lot of cameras and we enjoy your videos. If you keep mounting the cameras the way you are. You are going to make your house look like crap with all of the screw holes.
Yes, I am actually planning to do that...you just haven't seen the other holes that I made when I was running the ethernet cables :)
Thanks for the suggestion.
You are so easy to understand Thank you.
All the information I needed best review thank you
Great video, amazing work
Thank you.
Very good video.. Good testing procedures...
Thank You.
I have their 1080p DVR with PIR system and I have been pretty pleased with it. I have been wanting to see a good video clarity test with the 4k system and was happy you had a clip for that. Not sure if it is the same, but my DVR system can be accessed with the old school IE plugin if you go to the DVR's IP address. That will allow me to change nearly all of the DVR settings from my PC. Not ideal, but something to check out. Their apps on both the phone and PC are the weak link in my opinion.
I need to try that. I agree with you on the app and the PC program needs to be more user friendly.
@@LifeHackster I was slightly confused as I have the six channel for KPIR in VR 8580 set up and I am able to make modifications to all of the settings via my cell phone app as well as the Mac app and PC app. I wonder why they would change it for the next generation Spotlight version that you reviewed?
Thank you for this video, it helps in my decision making...
Like all your videos buddy
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Spot on & Thank YOU
⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of the most important things nobody has mentioned is the extremely low 15 FPS this camera puts out. According to the sample 4K video samples provided here on this RUclips channel I was finally able to determine it is 15 fps which is super low if you are new to IP cameras.( this fps is the same as Lorex ) - I purchased another 4K Swann camera about 2 years ago ( no audio was available on cameras at that time ) - the camera does 20 fps, and it choppy with any fast action. Other than that, it's laser sharp. I'd even say it's sharper than this camera. It's disappointing that Swann has decreased the fps to 15 down from 20. When you look at Swann's 1080p cameras ( 5 megapixel) at 30 fps and compare movement to the 4K @20fps, it's very disappointing, and going down to 15 fps, it's just terrible, unless the person is not moving. Swann conveniently has zero info about the fps on this camera, I've looked for a good 20 mins, even looking at their online manuals. I finally found it by looking at the fps of the sample 4K videos provided here. Do some Googling, nobody has the fps rating anywhere. No online vendors, no reviews. There you have it. Seems adding the audio means dropping the framerate of these cameras so that they can still tranfer fast enough data at 4K. Watch some Swann 1080p 5 mp videos, you'll be amazed how razor sharp they are, and motion is very smooth.
I did mention and I actually said that I will get comments on this about the
15 fps and Swann has it posted on their website -> www.swann.com/us/swnvk-885804b2fb
It is not on the camera specs but on the NVR - playback speed "Frame Rate up to 15fps @ 4K"
I was looking at these online today and I confirm it’s written in the specs list.
1080p=5mp? I don't think so.
Awesome video review thank u
Great review!
Great review
Thanks.
Great video!
Thanks.
@@LifeHackster Keep doing what you're doing! Greetings from Canada!
Good review. Better than the rest of the youtube amatures..
great review
Thanks.
Video quality is surprisingly good and notification is super fast
Yes.. It is a pretty good system.
Great review thank you.
What would you recommend for a security setup I just bought a home trying find the best bang for my buck. Mainly outside cameras
Wired setup NVR is the most reliable and dependable setup but Ring security light cameras and doorbell (wired) comes in close second.
I have two ring cameras and pay $30 a year each for cloud. I can get as many units for 100. Was thinking of therefore getting stick up cams but feel reluctant as reolink or Swann won’t ever need subscription. What is your suggestion?
If you already have ring cameras..you can just stick with them.. they are pretty good in motion detection...
LifeHackster the night shots seem poor on the first version of the stick up cams though
Great reviews Subed
Thank You/
Hello so after reviewing this wired surveillance cameras. So which one would you prefer now wired or wireless.
If I'm only given one choice, it will be Wired NVR..but this camera..or their software..app and PC software can be better.
Good vid mate ,,
Thank you.
Hi , great overall review, could you tell me, does the dvr recorder need to be connected to the router permanently ? Thanks.
What is your opinion on the Lorex 4k system equal to or better than Swann?
I haven’t tested the Lorex yet but will soon.
@@LifeHackster Thank you, Sir.
Great video..thank you!
You are welcome.
I have a question about exporting videos from the NVR. My current system which is a Swann Poe security system is about 3 years old. Early on when I would try to export videos, my two options were the original h264 or Avi. I was needing to upload to RUclips so it had to be an Avi since RUclips does not support uploading h. 264 files. Every single time I would export to Avi, the audio was nothing but static. I recall contacting Swann and they gave me some kind of response that I can't remember exactly but basically nothing they could do about that. I'm looking at buying this system and I want to make sure that when I export to either AVI or MP4 that the audio actually exports properly. Can you tell me if that is the case?
Hey. I love your work. I'm about to buy a camera security system but I don't know which one to get. I'm from Australia and Arlo isn't that popular here. Swann is the main system in the market. In your opinion, which is better and more reliable overall? Swann 4k, Arlo Pro 2, Ring cameras or Arlo Ultra.
Please let me know which you would choose. I've watched all your videos and still can't decide.
Wired NVR/DVR cameras still rule in the security camera market...so I would go with Swann...If you want WiFi cameras...Ring will be my next choice.
@@LifeHackster Thanks so much.
Any chance you can do motion testing with the cameras? one of the biggest bummers with these newer residential cameras is the lack of motion recording quality and you get that ghost like video of someone running or something. Also do you know how many FPS is the camera at 4k?
What do you think of lorex 4k cameras? Do they even compare looking for a PoE system. Just ordered a system hope I dont regret it.
I haven’t personally tried and tested them. Probably in my future videos.
did you replace your other cameras with the swann cameras ? do you use them every day ? and do you prefer the swann over the arlo pro 2 ?
Currently I have the Swann.. and definitely wired NVR over any WiFi cameras but Ring WiFi are pretty good too and comes in close second.
Can you link me to a 16 camera swann? Would you recommend this for a fast food business? Or would you recommend a different option?
Here is the link to the 16 channel NVR - amzn.to/2V3Ooxc
And here are the add on spotlight cams - amzn.to/2UfDKXe
regular cameras - amzn.to/2HZ68GA
At the 10:00 mark: you're leaving your home open to bug infestation!!! After feeding the cable into the hole, you need to seal the hole with a product like expanding foam or caulk. Optionally, put caulk around the base of the camera before you screw it in place.
True...but the camera has a gasket seal and I think it should be sufficient enough..my eaves have small holes already for ventilation. Thanks for the suggestion though.
Great Review AND very good explained!! Thanks
thank you.
great vid and well explained! thanks....what do you think of the system after having it up for 6 months now? any drawbacks?
Works pretty good.. I set it to record 24/7 and turned off push motion alerts..
@@LifeHackster why do you have alerts off? Are you getting tons of false alerts?
What do you use for motion alert?
Can it be adjusted to pick up small animals. I ask being I want to video Foxes, Raccoons, Birds etc. Also only 15fps, why not 30 or 60fps ? Too bad that the cables are only 60', but that's the norm for some DVR systems. You said it will record color at night with the spotlights on (7:02 in the video) are the lights auto on, can they not be set to turn on.? A good feature of 4K is that you can zoom in without the distortion that one gets with 1080p
Geez at 15:25 when the car comes into the picture, the sound made me think a tank was rolling in. Lol By the way LifeHackster, I like what you’ve done with the intro and (extro?) end of the video. Very pro. :-) Also great review! I’m still considering the Arlo Ultra, but am hoping the child issues with the new solution will soon be ironed out. Also proper local recording. If a wired system would be an option though, this video would be very convincing.
I noticed that they audio or the mic from the cameras picks up sounds pretty good. The footage of me in my front door, I have to lower the volume down in post because it was loud.
What's the reason why you didn't need the power cable for the cameras? I'm very new to the security cameras at home and your videos seem to be the best I've found for home security cameras. Thanks in advanced.
When using the NVR, it will power the cameras aside from transmitting/receiving data just using the Ethernet cable...
Can you do a review on the new Lorex security cams with siren,2 way talk and motion lights? Great videos by the way!! Keep them coming. 👏
How was product so far? Can you compare them with the new models that came out 2020..
Great overall review. Any idea if possible to connect to the NVR using a web browser instead of a mouse/hdmi.
Great information, as far as using the app is there a delay or is it real time ? my concern is the 2 way take how effective is it from the app ? also can longer cables be purchased? and lastly when you were mounting the camera and stuffing the wires through the hole I seen a 2nd wire or pigtail not connected to anything , what is that connection for ? Again thank you I am looking at both the Lornx and swan systems, I do like the 2 way talk but only if its not delayed from the mobile phone. Thank you for your reply.
good video trying to learn about the technical setup process and which Camaras are best
Do these cams have zoom? If so can these see a license plate from about 100 feet away? Both day and night? Very informative vid by the way. Much thanks.
no way they can. you will need a separate camera for license plate capture ONLY. One cheap camera will definitely not be able to do that.
100 feet is stretching it. Reading license plates needs to have ideal situations like the angle of the camera, the car movement and the camera's field of view has a lot to do with it. I will be talking more about this in my future videos. As it stands, if the car is directly in front of the camera and is going towards or away from the camera, then you will be able to read the plate up to 50 feet.
Hi mate. Just wondering how you feel about this system 2 years on?
It is ok as long as you set it to continuous recording and turn off any notifications.
@@LifeHackster do you still use it or have you swapped to something else?
Great review and demo.... Swann's also shows a 4 camera system for a lower price...
Thank you.
Yup I got it for 50 bucks great price.
great review! thanks!
Thanks.
nice video
I'm considering buying this system (despite the flaws with the app and user interface) because of the deterrence features. In your review, it appears that the lights and siren for each camera can be adjusted in the Homeview app, but those same settings also appear to be available for each camera in the NVR. Can you turn off the light and siren for individual cameras from the app (so they won't come on again until you toggle it back) even if the NVR settings have the lights and siren featured enabled for those cameras?
Yes and No.. you can control the lights and siren in the app but motion (if you set it in the NVR) will trigger it again...
@@LifeHackster Very much appreciate the reply. That unfortunately saps the only functionality I was looking for in the Swann 4K system so I ordered the Reolink 4K system and plan to use it like you do as 24/7 backup to Ring and other wifi cameras. I'm replacing a Swann 4mp NVR and unfortunately the functionality on the 4k system looks pretty identical to what I'm working with now, which is insipid at best. Unfortunate because if the motion detection was reliable then the deterrence settings on the Swann 4k system would really set it apart. Your videos are outstanding and keep up the great work.
Do you leave the Spotlight "Light Level" Intensity at 100% percent on all cameras? Did you need to reduce the intensity to avoid 'over exposure' on the video?
It is 100% all the time..it is not that bright to cause overexposure.
Good video.... but I can’t see the siren dB number(from your test) due to the sun reflection? How loud is the siren...? I tested the lorex, they are pretty weak...... I don’t have the dB tester... hopefully this one is louder. Thanks, can’t wait for your part 2 video!
Around 80-81 dB... 81.5 the highest. Thanks.
LifeHackster yeah.... that’s not too loud. About the same as Lorex... pretty weak sirens....
Magnificent review! I had actually bought a POE camera system , prior to buying the wifi based devices , but returned the unopened product as I did not see myself installing or paying someone a high priced installation amount; Hence, I bought my Ring devices, nest and BlinkXT. Sure, there are one downside to them, but I can live with that. Btw, if I were to buy such NVR POE system, I would buy them to have them record 24/7 recording , not motion based. What is he length of day it'd record if it was set to non stop recording???
I'm not sure yet on how long yet, I installed it on the 23rd and the footage still goes back to that time. With my Reolink NVR, I have around 1 1/2 weeks of footage.
Can I activate the siren manually remotely from my phone? Also can I utilize the two communication remotely through a cell phone?
Yes on both.
Thank you for your very informative video. I have a Master-Series Enforcer™ 6 Camera - 8 Channel 4K NVR Security System - SWNVK-879806 installed at my home. I need to download 24 hour video data from two of my cameras for 2 1/2 days. I have my cameras set for 24/7 recording. When I downloaded this to USB, it is 67GB with many separate videos (events). Is there any other way to save this as a complete video which would be smaller file size? Still learning, thank you!
Hi great video but the one thing I not seen shown on any videos is when the cables come out of behind the wall into the room to connect to the base unit what type of wall socket is used. I cant imagine the cables just coming out of a hole in the wall and that's it surely not.
Hello, I just ordered the swann 4K 6 camera pack like you reviewed. My question is that I’ll be running longer distances then the 60ft . I’ll be going 100ft or so. What kind of cable do I need to get, Just Cat5 ? Can I splice two wires withwith the connector. Thanks for your time
Just Cat 5 or 5E should work.
Adam Homa just terminate an rj45 on longer cat6 you should be fine
Thanks you for your video
What do I have to do to get notifications on my phone?
Set the motion detection and alert notification in the settings.
LifeHackster thanks for your reply i have done that but no success when I try to send the email where it says test the email it comes back with the username or the email is incorrect🤷♂️I wonder if I need to do anything in my email settings.
Cool channel 👍
Does the cameras work via an other subnet network that I have in the house or must it be via the NVR network ports?
Does the cameras only work with the Swann NVR or could it work with eg MotionEyeOS on a Raspberry PI?
I have it installed via NVR so I’m not sure if it can be integrated with other systems.
Reolink 4K is now available. Can you please test it and compare it to the swann 4K nvr.
I will. I’ll let me contact person know. Thanks for the heads up.
Great video mate. Not quite the same system I just got but close enough to follow settings.
Question....what size harddrive does yours have and how many days recording do you get with cameras set to 24/7 record?
Great review as always. I have been using WiFi wireless cams but now want to upgrade to the wired cameras because too many important incidents being missed by my wireless cameras.
I bought a system and installed 4 of the cameras, and left the remaining in the original box in the house. Yesterday I installed the other two cameras and they worked great - for three hours. Even though it was a warm sunny day with low humidity, moisture formed on the INSIDE of both the lenses soon after it got dark and the view is totally blurred. The moisture is still there a day later and after contacting Swann and going through all kinds of hoops with them they finally agreed the cameras were faulty. However since it has been more than 12 months they will not replace or repair them even though they were not used at all until now. Since Swann claims the cameras are IP66 rated (waterproof) that means they were flawed with internal moisture which was there before the date of purchase, because they clouded up internally within the first 3 hours of use as the lens cooled off after sunset. We will file a Fraud Claim with the state Attorney General as they obviously weren't IP66 rated cameras as Swann claimed. These cameras were quite expensive and one of the reason I purchased them was due to the IP66 rating, which obviously was a lie.
Sorry to hear that.. Hopefully, you will get this resolved...
Great channel. Please talk about setting up NVR and DVR systems with mesh networks.
I would first like to thank you for the time and effort that went into developing excellent content. The video detailed extremely useful information. If you do not mind and have the time, I have a few questions about the system. Do you know if the receiver/transmitter is multi-voltage capable? I am in the market for a security system, but the A/C power here in Japan is 100 volt/60 Hz. I also noticed during your setup the time zones showed U.S. and Canada. Is Japan or Tokyo provided as options? Thanks in advance for your response.
Input of the adapter is 100-240 volts and you can pick the time zone in your area and is based on the Greenwich mean time.
Thank you for the quick response!
Good video I have a question comes with 6 camaras if buy the 2 extra cameras can be with the spotlight?
Yes, you can..
Hi ya can you add a ptz camera to the kit and if so can you recommend a good one preferably one that will automatically follow targets thanks
I asked Swann and they don't have any cameras that have varifocal lens or PTZ that will compliment the system at this time.
That was one good review, thank you. Great review, video/sound quality and editing. 👍 One more sub to add to your list.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
After looking at your review of this system i went ahead and bought it. It works great thus far. Swann did a software update and now the cameras have no sound and all the settings are checked for audio. I was wondering if you have or had this problem?
Yes, they did an update which you are right, I don’t have audio now on saved footage ( saved via USB thumb drive) ..It seems like there is no option for 24/7 recording also.. I’ll check out the updated software more and will be contacting swann. Thanks for giving me a heads up.
@@LifeHackster when you find out and the problem is fixed could you please do an update video on the Swann system seeing that this system is now your main system you use. As always your video reviews are great and very informative. Thanks for the reply.
Great in-depth review.
Thank you.
Great video!
Do you know if the NVR is compatible with an aftermarket wireless mouse?
No... it needs to be plugged in.
good video thank you
Very informative and can you add 2 wireless cameras to this system, and if so, what is the wireless range?
Do you recommend this one instead Reolink ???
Nope. Reolink is better.
Can you do a video on how to set up push notifcations? Does the app always have to be on for it to work?
No, it doesn’t have to be ON..the setting is in the “push” option on the left menu.
@@LifeHackster Thanks for your reply. That is where I have it but It does not receive them till I open the app.