First of all... I actually really liked a lot of the features about this product but still ended up returning it. I am really torn between giving it 2 and 3 stars... I would give it a 5 on a scale of 5 to 10, but unfortunately cannot give it a 2.5 here.I will go with the good things first:
* Easy to set up the cameras and run a single cable (that carries both power and video)from the DVR to the camera. You can have this recording within minutes of receiving it.
* The DVR was fairly intuitive and it pretty much has to be as the manual is awful and the included CD-ROM would not run on my computer.
* I ran this DVR using all 4 cameras on the highest video quality setting for over 4 weeks and didn't fill the hard disk space... still had 17GB remaining after almost a month of continous use. (Had several instances of video loss for several days that might have kept memory usage down.)
* This packaged system contains everything you need, and the 60' cables are plenty long so there is rarely a need to buy extension cables for an average 3 bedroom home.
* Setting up the internet access was fairly easy if you can follow simple directions that are thoroughly explained. Accessing the cameras over the internet from work, or viewing the cameras from my phone (with no monthly cost or subscription) was nice.
* DVR was attractive and a mouse was included for ease of use.
* DVR gave off average heat and was silent (no internal fan).
Now the not so good:
* Camera color was way off and could not be corrected using the color adjustment features in the menu. Green trees and grass appeared pinkish, and some blacks appear purple while some blacks are almost black. If something were to happen or a crime were to occur, it would be impossible to say with certainty what color a car was or what color clothing a criminal was wearing. This was true whether the camera was placed indoors or out.
* Two of the cameras would experience random video loss resulting in a black screen and no recording. To restore video, I had to unplug the power cable and plug it back in. It may be a concidence, but both of these cameras were installed outdoors (not exposed to rain, placed in a sheltered location high out of reach). There is absolutely nothing you can do to restore video if you are away from home. This video loss happened weekly, and always while I was away... and no one tampered with the camera, they just turned themselves off.
* Night vision in larger areas is almost useless. You may be able to see a faint outline or pixelated form, but no way could you identify anything from more than a few feet away.
* Video quality in general is fairly low. I had trouble identifying my neighbors from 20' or so. I would never be able to identify a stranger from the video. It seems impossible to read a license plate or a logo on a shirt or sticker even if it is close to the camera. I doubt the FBI has any software that could help either... lol
* The camera mount (swivel base thing) is unstable. Needs a better design.
Motion detection detects EVERYTHING even at its lowest sensitivity setting and with the detection field set to a minimum. It detects lights, shadows, lint/dust/insects at night (they glow in the night vision)... It would set a motion event every 30 seconds when the sun cast a shadow through a tree that waved. The gentle motion of a shadow on the sidewalk set it off all day long.... or a beam of sunlight from the skylights passing through the blades of a ceiling fan set on a low speed. It would set hundreds of alarm events and they were just too much to go through. Forget about setting it up to send you an email of each event!!
* Field of view for the cameras is extremely narrow. For the useable distance in which you can actually identify someone or something, you capture very little area. My driveway (one boat, one truck) cannot be adequately monitored with only one camera. You might consider an 8 camera system if you need wide views.
* The software options are fairly full featured, but the software seems rough around the edges. This is probably because it is not a huge brand name company.
* Cannot rewind or play recorded video or events remotely.
Summary:
For a cheap system, it actually works ok. I know my review seems negative and for me, the negative outweighed the rest... but it really is a nice little package system that sets right up and records all it sees. Was really neat to see what goes on when I am not home. Never realized how many birds and squirrels I have around either. I would have tried to deal with the company on my camera issues and possibly keep the system, but I read in a few other reviews that Defender is not easy to deal with and would likely tell me "there is nothing wrong with the cameras" as they seemed to tell everyone else who included similar problems in their review. I read reviews from more than one person who had defective items returned to them without repair or replacement. I felt it would be better to return this system before my return period with Amazon expired. I am hoping to pay an extra $200 or so for a system with better quality cameras.
Update: Bought a Samsung SDE-3000N 4 camera system. Shares many of the same features as the Defender system right down to the crappy camera mounts... software and everything are similar but of a higher quality. Cameras and images are a much higher quality, and the sensitivity of the motion sensors actually can be adjusted to a usuable level. Samsung software is also far superior and you can rewind/play recorded video and events online. Colors are accurate in the day, and the night vision works too.
PROS: it's extremely to install, the cameras have good resolution and perform well in the dark, motion detection works as advertised, the 60ft cable are enough for most spaces, you can plug a lcd monitor or to a normal tv, and it has quite robust remote monitoring tools (haven't use the email alerts yet).
CONS: Android support is tricky (iPhone works well), I'm using ASee by QSeeBought this product mainly to monitor my business remotely as I travel a lot. Cameras are easy to hook up and 65' of cable for each camera was more than enough for my application. The picture quality after adjusting is very good in daylight and decent with night vision.
Having said all this, I can't recommend this product for remote viewing. I attempted to contact customer service by phone on 3 different occasions. They have their hold system set to 30 minutes and then they just kick you to voice-mail. Voice mail would be pointless since I'm rarely sitting by the system. They also offer an online chat service that will be answered promptly by someone that seems to think everyone is an idiot.
It's obvious that they are chatting with many people at the same time as responses are minutes apart.
Me: I'm having trouble viewing my DVR from a computer plugged into the same router.
Matt: You need to plug the DVR into the router. (Really Matt?)
Me: It's already plugged in.
Matt: Watch this video.
Me: I can't ping the DVR from my computer.
Matt: Your router is broken. (Hey Matt! I'm chatting with you from the same router!)
Me: Is there another number I can call for support besides the one that is never answered?
Matt: No that's the only number.
Looks like I'll be up in the ceiling next week tearing this thing back out.
To sum up:
If you just want a system to record I highly recommend.
If you need to set up remote viewing you're on your own.
UPDATE:
I finally was able to reach customer support over the phone. The trick is to call in the morning I guess. Anyway, customer service rep was able to quickly take over my computer and set everything up. I can now give four stars. The online viewing quality is low but it is usable which is all I need. I am now hooked up on home computer and smartphone.
If you try to view the cameras on IE and you just get the Defender Logo on the top without a picture, you need to click the compatibility icon on the right side of the address bar. It looks like a torn piece of paper.Impressed that I hooked-up the cables and turned it on and got the images without reading an hour of instructions....unusual for any computer-based system. Be sure you have the places chosen that you can drill a 3/4 hole for the cable end, and have some caulk ready to fill it back... ( Older stucco house has 1 inch thick stucco ).
Try to put the camera under an overhung eve to protect the lense and theres no problems. The telescoping mounts are tricky, but, a small gob of construction glue steadies them easily.
Next we will ask a friend to get the internet stuff hooked up.
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