Camera Systems close to Arlo/Nest

[Marvin]

So recently I've been switching a couple customers from the Arlo and Nest systems. They complain about the hang ups of the 2 having to pay for storage, battery charging, etc.. but the one thing they all seem to like is the simplicity of the systems and the type/format of alerts they get from these systems. Even though I try to explain why the super wide field of view of the cameras is not always a good thing, they seem to prefer it after using it as opposed to having the correct size lens and positioning for say door/entrance cams, etc.

So what do you guys recommend in terms of NVR/system brands. Some customers feel that dahua and hikvision are more complicated

 

[bp2008]

Once you exit the realm of consumer-friendly cloud cameras, Dahua and Hikvision aren't really more complicated than any other brand (in fact many other brands are just rebrands of those two). One good example is ipcamtalk's rebranded hikvision cameras: https://store.ipcamtalk.com/

As for an NVR, I personally can't recommend any brand because I have never used one. I use VMS software (mainly Blue Iris) on PCs thanks to the increased flexibility this grants.

If you care about your customers' cybersecurity, make sure UPnP gets turned off on all the cameras and NVR. See if you can get them to use a VPN for remote access. If that isn't going to happen, beware that forwarding ports for their remote access leaves the door open for hackers to get in. Expect it to happen some day if not the first week. Cameras and NVRs are notoriously vulnerable devices.

 

[fullboogie]

I can tell you that I'm by no means a tech savvy guy - just a low level enthusiast. With help from this forum and others I was able to run cable and install a Hikvision NVR and 5 cams, get it all programmed, and it works perfectly. It just requires some time researching, making notes, bookmarking various threads, and then taking a weekend to do the job. I actually surprised myself.

 

[Marvin]

I can tell you that I'm by no means a tech savvy guy - just a low level enthusiast. With help from this forum and others I was able to run cable and install a Hikvision NVR and 5 cams, get it all programmed, and it works perfectly. It just requires some time researching, making notes, bookmarking various threads, and then taking a weekend to do the job. I actually surprised myself.

I wasn't referring to the installation side of it, I've been doing that for years, I was referring to the user interface of different systems/brands as it relates to customers switching from the consumer based brands

 

[aristobrat]

I was referring to the user interface of different systems/brands as it relates to customers switching from the consumer based brands

Personally, I think the Blue Iris mobile app is a million times easier to use than Dahua and Hikvision’s mobile apps.

It’s probably not as slick as Nest/Arlo, but it’s easy to understand and navigate around in. Connecting and seeing alert clips is quick and easy.

 

[fullboogie]

Well you said: "Some customers feel that dahua and hikvision are more complicated." And you're right, I didn't directly address that, but I tried to in a round about way. So from the user end, I find my system very easy to work with, program, and understand. Again, from a newbie point of view.