I purchased this unit to replace my 11 year old, PC based Geovision 650. This self contained DVR performs as well or better than my old Geovision system did at a fraction of what I orignally paid for the Geovision card and the to PC run it.I have been using this unit now for about 2 1/2 months, and with the exception of some minor software annoyances, has performed very well.
This unit comes with a wired mouse and a remote, which is nice if you are going install this unit out in the open, next to your TV, but useless if you have this unit in a more secure location (such as in a closet, or in another 'hidden' location). My unit is installed 'out of normal view', using a wireless mouse to control the unit (for viewing on my TV).
This particular unit comes WITHOUT a hard drive, which is why the great price. With the prices of hard drives continually dropping, purchasing this unit without the drive was a much more affordable option for me.
Most of this review is based on operating this unit remotely via a PC and internet browser, connected on the same network.
Overall, I give this unit a 'good' rating, but have to deduct one star for some of the software related issues.
Pro's:
*Great unit for the price
*Rich in features, and the ability to customize each channel independently.
*Small size
*Reliability, appears to be stable, no crashes (so far)
*D1 Resolution (although at a reduced frame rate, but again, ok for the price)
*Remote viewing, and the ability to setup other user accounts with customized access (allowed a friend to keep an eye on my place while I was away for a couple of weeks).
*Ability to fully configure unit through a remote PC (much easier than through the supplied mouse and remote control)
*Functional straight out of the box (after installation of hard drive), and connecting camera's.
*Choice of 'Video Out' options, including RCA line out, BNC video out, and VGA output
Cons:
*Software/Firmware appears to have some minor issues (see below)
*Need to install 'Active X' control for remote use with 'Internet Explorer', and if you are running Firefox, you will need to install the IE-TAB add-on, to allow you to run 'Internet Explorer' in a Firefox tab.
Noteworthy issues:
*The firmware version that shipped with my unit, was in 'constant record mode' , as opposed to 'motion detection' as the manual indicated. Firmware upgrade was fast and easy, and functioned as the manual indicated after the upgrade.
*The Admin password is blank by default, therefor it is advisable to set a password prior to enabling this unit for remote access from the internet. If a password is not set, ANYONE can access your unit, and potentially alter the configuration and even lock you out!
*When recording in 'D1' resolution, the frame rate drops to 6 fps, otherwise in CIF resolution, frame rate is 30 fps.
*Software/Firmware, while this unit has many nice features, a few of these features are not as well 'polished' as you might expect, but are usually just minor annoyances. Here are a few (not all) of the undocumented features of this unit:
--During playback (sometimes), if you choose to search for 'alarm' activity on 4 or less camera's (example camera's 2, 4, 6, 8 or just camera 8), the 'quad' screen will appear, showing 4 camera windows, but instead of channels 2, 4, 6, and 8, will show 1,2,3, and 4. While video for channels 1 and 3 will not be shown (will remain dark), but neither will channels 6 and 8. There are a couple of work-arounds for this, but Q-See could have done a better job on this one.
--Backup files are .avi format (previously firmware was .264 format), BUT when recording via remote view, files are in .264 format. While Q-See does provide a 'Mini Player' for the .264 format, why can't they keep the file format consistant for remote backup AND recording, or at least give you the option to choose.
--Occasionally, during playback, when repositioning the time slider (after playback has begun, like when you want to take a second look at something), the playback will freeze, and will display 'Buffering' indefinitely. This can be remedied by clicking back to the 'Live View' screen, then back to the 'Playback' screen again, position the time slider to the correct position, and press play. Just another one of those minor annoyances!
--While using with the Firefox browser, if you forget to switch to an IE Tab, you will have partial functionality, and when going to the 'playback' screen, you will have a 29 day calendar (in my case April with 29 days), and a message indicating 'Loading'. Why not just display a message noting the incompatibility! This drove me nuts until I finally figured out what was wrong!
--The new firmware came with a new feature, the ability to view in a sequenced mode. This feature seems to be available ONLY in 'local mode' (from video output of unit), and not in 'Remote View'. This seems to be the only option that is not available via a remote PC. I assume it is just another oversite in the Q-See software.
*Port 100?? The users guide indicates the need to forward ports 85, 100, and 9000 on your router for remote operation. This unit accepts ports 85 and 9000, but NOT 100! The good part is that port 100 is not needed, at least for viewing on a PC (have not attempted to view on mobile device).
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