I have had this unit installed now since its release. The set-up was a breeze. I should mention however that I have allot of experience with computers and networking, but even with that said I still think the set-up was very basic and easy to understand. I set up the system to check to make sure the cameras were all working, which they all worked fine, in about 15 minutes. This test did not include any of the networking, but it showed how easy it would be if I did not need the network functions. After installing the DVR, cameras, and running the included wires for the cameras, I had it set up and recording using the motion detection on all the cameras in about 15 minutes again. The networking did not require any degree to figure out, and the tech support is excellent if there are any problems. I did purchase an extra squid adapter and power supply for the cameras because I installed two of the cameras inside my house and two outside and I wanted the ability to turn off the inside cameras when I was home for a little added security in case I had any online security breaches. This is really not necessary, but I like to be able to tell my guests who are staring at a camera that the inside cameras are off for now. Setting up this system for mobile view using my BB Storm was no problem at all with the provided step-by-step document.
Since I installed my system I have had two of my business friends over and they were amazed with the quality of this system for the price I paid for it. They also told me about the horror stories, things I was able to avoid, they had while installing and setting up there professional systems. Both friends told me, if they had it to do again they would go with this system, but the model with 8 cameras, for there business.
The reason I gave this unit 4 out of 5 stars actually has nothing to do with the unit.
-The video quality is worth every penny I paid for.
-The set-up was a very easy process.
-The customer support is great.
-Worked on my BB Storm with OS .607 and below. Will not work with OS .713 as of right now!
I only have two problems with this unit. Neither kept me from purchasing the unit obviously:
-The firmware, that came on my unit, does not support the e-mail notifications currently. I have been assured the problem is being addressed and should be fixed soon. This is the reason for the 4 out of 5 stars. I will update this when the problem is fixed.
-The DVR accepts the standard security cable type, but the cameras are not the standard type. This means that if you were to run all the wires for these cameras and decided later that you wanted to install better cameras, you would have to run new wires because Defender does not sell a converter for the cameras end of the wire.
I should also add to this post, in case anyone was wanting to be able to use the remote viewing or mobile viewing for this unit, that Defender recommends [...]
for users with dynamic IP from there ISP. This is also what I used, and I would definitely recommended it. DYNDNS makes it very easy to set up an account and also provides information on how to set up your router to auto-sync with your account. You can set up the DVR to auto-sync as well, but do not set up both the router and the DVR. Just set up one or the other and let it do it's thing. Defender provides all the information needed to set up the DVR with your DYNDNS account.
I would definitely recommend this unit to anyone looking for a great video surveillance system [...].
On a side note... I contacted the Defender tech support about this unit and its functions, before I bought it, and they sent me a coupon for a discount if I purchased it from there website. [...] Defender SN502-4CH-002 Feature-Rich 4-Channel H.264 DVR Security System with Smartphone Access and 4 Indoor/Outdoor Hi-Res CCD Night Vision Cameras
Let me just say that I put these systems in a lot for people and its not a bad little home system. I like the features that the DVR offers and it comes with everything you will need in a complete package. The cameras on the other hand were not a very good quality. During sunny days the cameras get washed out with to much light so its hard to see anything from them. The IR use for the night time is better but still far from high quality. Overall this is still a good system and worth the price but because of the cameras only 3 stars from me.
This has been the worst quality product that I have purchased in years! 1 camera was defective, and the units hard drive was not even formatted when shipped! The DVR would only run for approx 10-15 hours before overheating, and locking up. It would not record anything on the hard drive. After spending 3! hours on the phone with "customer service", I was given three different numbers to call. One of them was out of service altogether! And the rest were only open 8-5 and i never recieved an answer. I finally emailed them, and was told that I had to ship the units to New York on my dime, and that i could not recieve replacements until they were tested defective. I was aslo told that this process would take approx a month! Over a month later, I recieved a new camera, but recieved the original DVR back with the statement that it tested fine! It worked for 18 hours, and repeated the exact same behaviour! I finally decided to dissasemble the unit myself, and found that it uses a seagate "fanless" hard drive. According to Seagate, these must be installed with sufficient ventilation, and a steel barrier between the motherboard/cpu and the hard drive. This DVR unit is NOT designed this way. All components are smashed together in one small compartment, with very little ventilation. I have been forced to install a hard drive ccoler fan and cut a hole in the top of the case!!! Now it works perfectly! POOR quality/designed product, and even worse "customer service"! Look elsewhere. - Video Security - Complete Surveillance Systems - Surveillance Cameras - Security Camera'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
