Lorex LH014501C4B Vantage Eco BlackBox Digital Video Surveillance Recorder (Black)

I installed this system in a home office setting, with my primary goal being to reduce the risk of break in and burglary of packages. Before getting this system, I had a single networked camera at the front door, recording at an offsite file storage service. My thinking was that most people breaking into a house start by checking for occupants by ringing the door bell. I also figured that the camera would catch anyone stealing my frequent UPS deliveries. That system worked well, but spending a lot or money on offsite file storage was getting expensive, and the low-light performance of the camera that I had was lacking.

The only downside to this Lorex system is that it doesn't offer an option for off-site storage of your video. That means that a thief who breaks into your house may leave with the evidence if they happen to grab this box.

You should plan on upgrading the hard drive if you have a lot of activity or want to have the feed available. I have my system set at the highest quality video setting and a sensitive trigger to record. With that combination, and a lot of activity where two of the cameras are, I fill up the hard drive in less than a week. I haven't upgraded the hard drive yet, but am seriously considering it to ensure that I don't have an issue when traveling or if I were to discover that a package had been stolen days or weeks after the fact.

Installation went smoothly, and was easier than I expected, but make sure that you think through your locations prior to buying this system. You need to get video cable and power to each of the cameras that you are going to use. I used all four of mine, but picked the locations for two of them purely because of cable constraints. Extra video cable is easy to get, and you can even get a splicing kit to put BNC connectors on bulk wire, cut to the exact lengths you need. This also enables you to fish the wire through smaller wholes and then put the connectors on after the fact.

Speaking of BNC video connectors, I wish they gave some other options for the video out. BNC video connectors are very common in professional applications, but are not as common as HDMI or RCA connectors in consumer uses. I used the VGA connector to connect the Lorex to my living room television, but primarily use the network connection to view it on my Android phone or office computer.

For me, the trickiest part of the set-up was the network connection. I don't know much about IP addresses and DNS routing, although I was eventually able to figure it out and make it work, using their set-up wizard.

I have all four of the cameras aimed outside of our house. Beyond thinking through the cabling of your cameras, also think through your privacy goals. We personally don't like the idea of being recorded inside our own home, even by ourselves. This paragraph isn't so much a review of the product, but just something to think about when planning this purchase. We can accomplish all of our security goals with the cameras facing outside. Your goals may be different, but ensure you think through and discuss this prior to making this purchase.

I recommend this system. There are better ones out there, with higher capacities (both storage and number of cameras), and better resolution cameras (especially in low light conditions), but this is adequate for home use and probably for most small offices as well.

This is a good starter system for someone on a budget. Mine arrived with a DOA remote control. It might have been an issue with the DVR but I can't say for sure. A call to Lorex (likely outsourced service center) indicated that technical support is available only after the system is registered on line. I did not register the unit but the technician was kind enough to give me the customer service phone number to obtain a new remote. I was able to check the camera output on my CRT computer monitor and it was somewhat disappointing though I am certain that the cameras worked as advertised. If you are looking for a system that will allow you to read the plate number from a nearby car, be prepared to spend much more than the cost of this surveillance system. Taking into consideration the time it would take to get a new remote, the possibility that the remote was not the problem, the time it would take to install the unit properly and the resolution of the cameras, I decided to return this item. I expect to have no problem getting a refund as I have found Amazon's customer service to be the very best of any online retailer I have dealt with.

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So far so good. Was easy to install . The cameras are all working fine. I think this was a good buy for the money. I would recommend this system to my friends. Next time I will go with the 8 camera system.

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The product arrived DOA. After a substantial amount of wasted time found out the external power supply which ships with it was dead (never tested prior to shipping) and the alternate power supply for the cameras is 500mm different in amperage so it can't be used and Radio Shack doesn't sell one with that amperage. So you can't even purchase one to solve the problem. Took the time to open a support ticket. After several days they responded with please send an email to Support with the same information. How completely lame!!!! I have now had the unit for almost a month and I still don't have a working unit. LAME Quality Controls... LAMES Customer Support.... at best an average product.

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my first dvr box did not work correctly so i called tech support and after dealing with them for 2 months with the same problems they sent me a new box. the new box works worse than the first, it freezes, does not record all activity etc. having to deal with there tech support is horrible. it takes forever to get someone on the phone, then they give you a incident # and have someone else call you back. now for the cameras, they are just ok. can not really see much at night. the picture during the day is fuzzy and cant make out people good unless they are close up.

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