The Q-See QS558 DVR is a quality home or small business security tool that will work well for you if you know its limitations. I have tested and installed numerous CCTV DVRs and found this one has quite a few bells and whistles for the price point. See details below or the PROS/CONS list for more. (See my photos under this product for more info too.)It is an 8 channel DVR with H.264 video compression. That means it can record up to 8 analog cameras of your choosing, including audio if the camera supports it. The H.264 means clearer video while using less hard drive space versus older video technologies.
The DVR video output is via VGA, BNC, or HDMI. So you should be able to run a cable to wherever you need to for local monitoring purposes.
The menu system is nice and presents a good resolution. It's not as clunky as others I've seen on other brands. It is easy to navigate through the menus and it even has a built-in startup wizard in the software, which I've not seen before on DVRs, in case the included documentation is not enough.
Important features for this DVR are that is can record 30 frame per second (fps) for all 8 channels. That's good, fluid motion video. It also allows numerous video streams at the same time, so viewing it remotely on your iPhone won't cannibalize the main video feed. You can stream/record to different places simultaneously without performance loss. (Google `pentaplex' for more info.)
This DVR also offers motion detection, email alerts for video loss, motion, etc. and multi-user capabilities. You can also run PTZ cameras on it if you wish. Each camera (channel) can be configured for different settings, allowing a fully customizable set up. For example, you may want full D1 resolution at 30fps for street cameras to catch moving vehicles, but half D1 10fps for a side area with little activity.
The four included cameras are somewhat large... almost as big around a soda can (see photos). This is common with far distance IR cameras. However, what you lose in size you gain in NIGHT VISION. The IRs on this camera are rated at 100ft and they work! It makes near objects at night appear like daylight. The daytime resolution is great! The daytime videos are clear, colorful, and bright. They have little pixelation, even on big monitors. The included sun shield and waterproof rating make them the perfect outdoor camera if you can get over the size.
This DVR is advertised as a universal viewer through software installed on a computer, a web browser, or a smart phone. However, it is not as limitless as it seems. The software can be downloaded and installed on Windows or Mac OS, but the web browser feature is limited. It works on Internet Explorer (IE) 10 and below, but it must install an ActiveX add-on for the IE browser. If you are not an administrator on the computer upon which you're using, this will not install and it will not work.
Additionally, it shows to support Google Chrome and Firefox browsers, but it does not do so natively. You must download third party add-ons from various individuals to use these browsers. I didn't like that part. On the up side though, all administrative features were available in the web browser mode as in the software mode.
I installed the iPhone app and tested it out. Be sure to get the viewer app for the series you have (QT, QS, etc) or it won't work. They have several Q-See viewers, which is a little confusing. Once installed, the app was easy to set up and you can simply swipe left or right to change channels/cameras.
On a side note, I visited the Q-See website to check for firmware updates and it has a good layout with easy to find information and FAQs for the products. The knowledge base was very nice too.
Overall, I'm fairly impressed with the feature set. I do wish they offered better browser support NATIVELY, as well as an option for viewing on a computer where one may not have administrative privileges. But for the price, I would definitely recommend it.
PROS:
* Full D1 resolution on all cameras
* IRs on cameras illuminate well at far distances at night
* 240fps for full video on all cameras
* Pentaplex multi-streaming capabilities
* iPhone and Android apps available
* Full administrative functions/configuration available via web browser
* HDMI, BNC, and VGA ports
* Can record audio as well
* H.264 video compression = good video at low space requirements
* Motion detection, alarm trigger, or scheduled recording
* Windows 8 and IE 10 compatible
* Small form factor case can be discreetly hidden
CONS:
* Internet Explorer users must have admin rights on computer
* No native Firefox or Chrome support. (requires 3rd party add-ons)
* Motion detection mask blocks could be smaller to allow more finite blocking of a particular area.
* Cameras are a little on the large size.
* Camera power/video cables could be longer (maybe 75ft or 100ft)
My problem, and this is a recurring theme for me in reviewing network enabled devices is the software. I setup the box with a password as any reasonable person would not wanting people to easily hack into my camera system. And I'm punished for it with having to reenter it constantly with an onscreen keyboard. And I suspect, why the iPhone app can't connect to the DVR either over the wider Internet or over my LAN.
Now, I'm sure if I were just interested in monitoring my property from a desk and recording it this would be great and simple but my major use case is checking up on things when I'm away.
Oh, and you should invest in a UPS backup power supply as this thing makes a really annoying squeal when it first powers up.
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