Yes and they are the same crappy Software. Trying to get this camera to work with Geovision with no luck (Even with a IP Dongle) For some reason Swann does not talk well with anything.
swan was always a mix, mostly hikvision...it was the 820 camera that was hikvison..regardless if you can return the kit, there are much better options today than when those kits were popular..start reading the forum, particularly the dahua sectionIt was my understanding that these were Hikvision cameras until someone else here mentioned these were not Hikvision-rebranded. What brand of cameras is Swann relying on now? It even seems that the NVR8-7300 and NVR8-7400 are no longer Hikvision-rebranded. I'm already thinking about setting a return. Would greatly appreciate the insight on this matter, thanks!
Amcrest does nothing other than pay dahua to rebrand their cameras. Go straight to dahua and you have a cheaper solution with many more camera options..see the thread on the startlight turret.
There is no 4mp starlight, its 2mp...dont chase the megapixels...Thanks for the suggestion, any idea how I can get a hold of a 4MP startlight turret in the US without having to go through Aliexpress?
I'd be willing to give this option a try. Need a 4MP for the driveway, whereas another 4 cameras (being bullet-style 2-4MP range) would be sufficient for my other locations. Thanks again
You will NEVER be able to capture a plate at night...megapixel count is meaningless if the plate reflects the ir or there is too much noise. Stop believing the marketing its a lie. For example all their kits come with 2.8 or 4mm lenses. Well if the FOV you need to capture a plate can be seen with a 6mm,7mm, 8mm varifocal setting, then you will be getting MORE pixels with the 2mp varifocal.Dedicating a camera for this purpose did come to mind, but expense really became a factor there. I have motion sensor lighting pointing towards driveway (I know its not always sufficient, and its probable the light will reflect off the license plate, thus creating an obstruction.
It amazes me how Swann (and other DIY kits) really market their cameras nowadays, stressing on their theory that a higher MP-count will equate to making out finer details like license plate #'s (that's their view), I'd be pleased if their fixed-lens cameras works out for me, I have yet to receive the kit, higher MP cams is also going to compromise the overall quality of night vision. I'm keeping my options open and am also strongly considering direct-Dahua / Hikvision as you suggested. If only I can get a hold of a genuine seller based in the US.
Do not attempt to flash hikvision firmware to the nvr unless you are skilled or dont mind spending hours trying to get it to work.Thank you for the heads-up fenderman, as far as a Dahua camera setup goes, the same source would apply there as well, right? I came across Andy's info. I also came across several users mentioning they were able to flash a Hikvision firmware on their Swann NVR, but it applied to the now-discontinued NVR8-7200. I may be bit anxious in getting the setup ready for deployment. I'm still open to all advice. Thanks again.
Amazon has a good return policy too, but they don't have the older kits available. Out of the five cameras I require, one should definitely be a vari-focal type as you suggested. I just need to create a customized bundle now to get "everything" working hand-in-hand. Hopefully, won't run into compatibility issues. That's why OEM or building a server is the way to go. I can only go as far as the budget allows therefore not looking for something fancy (and not trying to over-do it). I need options for expansion, customization, the ability to access from anywhere and any device.
costco has a bunch of lorex ip systems...search ip cameraThe only system I could find at Costco was the Lorex (running on older BNC cabling). If I'm not mistaken they swapped out their Swann kits long time ago.
