Amcrest 960H 4CH Video Security Systems

This unit represents a great entry unit with some very positive feedback. Overall I'm happy with the unit and would rate it 3.5 stars if given that option. There are some reasons that I can't overlook even despite the price. Pros: Very easy setup Includes all cables needed to view unit (minus a monitor) App on phone works well enough and required minimal setup Some peace of mind included Cons: Camera quality could be better NVR software is VERY dated and lacking Firmware update caused a return on the unit We purchased this unit like a lot of other people due to security concerns for our house. I reviewed a lot of different units and wanted something that was good quality without breaking the bank. Overall I'm happy with what I have, but a few things drive me crazy. Unpacking the unit and reviewing everything was easy enough. I was a bit concerned that the 60' cables included would not be long enough to run where I wanted to, but it was easily long enough. So advice #1 is prior to purchasing other cables check first. One thing to state for the record is I was unclear how the unit was powered. A kind reviewer answered this question for me. Power for the cameras goes through the coax style cable. There are two plugs to power the security camera. One for the DVR and a pigtail type device to power the cameras. Each camera needs to be plugged into power AND the NVR to review the video. So to get started there is a guide that I immediately discarded because that is what you do. I unpacked everything and plugged in the NVR as I was supposed to. First thing I tried to do was run one of the cables from approximately the point where I wanted the camera (longest run) and where I placed the NVR. It had approximately 15' to spare so that was a relief. From there I tested each of the cameras to confirm that the unit functioned, and it did with no problem. Honestly it is as simple as plug and play. Just plug it in, turn the unit on, and you have a camera. Of course you'll want to change the passwords, but this comes on with the wizard automatically. Next step I had was running the cables. This is the most tedious and longest part. I ran the cables through my attic space to keep them as hidden as possible. I dropped the cables to approximately where they would be, then went to the outside of the house and fetched the cables. Each of the cameras has a sticker where holes need to be drilled to mount on a house. So that means apply the sticker, drill the holes, and then mount the camera. What I did after this is to adjust the camera while yelling at my wife. I STRONGLY suggest that you want until later to do this. Hook the camera up, and its going to work. If you did your test earlier you'll know if its working. Get the cable runs completed first. Adjustment of the cameras is FAR easier if you download the app and do it that way. Once you get all of the cameras mounted, I went back to the NVR until and performed the setup of the app. I was hesitant of the app due to the permissions, but it really works well. After I have the until fully plugged in and the app downloaded, just scan the QR code (via uPNP) and you can get to the app. Once you can view the cameras THEN go back and try to adjust them. The key here is adjust both of the axis and move it where you want. I was a bit dumb on this and didn't realize you could twist the camera around a circle and move it left to right. Figured that out of the 3rd camera. So stick it wherever you want, its easy to adjust. Do this for all of your cameras, then go back to the NVR and finish the setup. So whats bad about it? The software is pretty bad. You want to type something? HAHA sucker, hope you enjoy using a mouse to click letters on an alphabet. You want to set a password. HAHA sucker hope you enjoy only using digits. What kind of garbage is this? Its pitiful that you can't use a password. The network wizard is REALLY easy to setup the cameras, but with typing with a mouse it makes it very tedious. The wizard will also detect any other cameras running network video protocols and ATTEMPT to add them. It didn't work for me at all (more on that later). Once you finish your initial setup you can go to the cameras and setup the names, zones to watch, alarm/alert settings and the like. I played around with the alarm settings with some email and some pictures, and found that it is less than desirable. Another reviewer said that the cameras themselves do not do any motion detection, its the NVR software. We found that its far too sensitive and sends too many emails to make it useful. I was hoping to find a sweet spot to set it off for someone that was close to the house, but haven't found that just yet. Also at distance, I have found that the pictures are not clear enough. The fact that it comes in at the price it does, I can't complain much. But some higher resolution would be GREAT. Last shot and a big subtraction is the ability to add other cameras. It would be GREAT if you could add other cameras to this NVR via the network and to watch them over the feed. But I can't get it to work. Documentation is VERY sparse on this, and the closest I found to it was off of a home depot site. Basically its supposed to automatically detect them and add them if you supply the user name and password. I tried this many times with no success. I was even so desperate that I tried to update the firmware to see if it would work, which resulted in an NVR failure. I had to email the company support and had to send the unit back. They DID supply a replacement unit so good on them. But I did have to send it back and that took some time. Overall I dont regret purchasing it, and I don't regret it at the price. Bang for the buck its a lot of piece of mind. I wish it had a larger hard drive. I wish it had better resolution. I wish it had better software. But getting all those things would certainly come with a higher price. Maybe in the future I'll look into a higher end camera + NVR system as I've already got some cables ran. But for now I'm good. Hopefully this helps anyone else on the fence.