Swann SWDVK-845808

Satisfactory overall experience – Bought the unit as we moved into a dodgy Northern Gold Coast area that we were told to get some sort of large video camera system to keep an eye on the whole property. This Swann 8 camera system was the pick of the bunch at the time for the price point I bought it at late 2019 - not a fan of wireless / WiFi enabled systems as batteries die and… Read more

WiFi is flakey at best.

Our house has one of the most strange roofing designs and inside is a Russian gymnasts dream with its complex truss system - which made an internal routing of a the 8 cables impossible unless your a midget and a Russian gymnast rolled into one...

Cable routing was managed by using 3 x 4m - 19mm conduit lengths to thread the cables from each corner of the house to the edge of the wall in which the cables fed through to the DVR control box.

Once everything was screwed in place, cables fed and put together (one cable needed lengthening x1 extra Swann cable) and the system booted up it's horrifyingly simple to use via a 32" TV monitor.

The setup and connection to a mobile phone app was a little tricky at first and once done was easily managed. The mobile phone app has no ability to customise any parameters like when using the PVR box. Si ce the app has been quiet average at best and another Swann app was downloaded and in use - however is slow and don't expect it to be quick on startup if you want to check a noise outside...

The PVR box is where you can set recording zones - we live in a very public thoroughfare zone so we chose to set up these recording zones to our property line only. The nighttime recording unfortunately does get interrupted frequently by cars going past, which is quiet interesting and annoying at the same time. But as soon as someone steps over that threshold the system records.

The systems inability to differentiate the movement of a bush or someone walking past does create a lot of viewing time and can be a problem - the cameras aren't that good at differentiating the difference between a tree and person at all. The nighttime recording is pretty good, faces can be very distorted from a distance but when you look at the cameras and are painted with the infrared you can see clearly what your looking at. These cameras done have Led spot lights and I am very thankful for that features non inclusion as the cameras are more streamline and invisible at night to someone walking upto the house randomly.

Overall the system is a pretty good one at that, self install has its own forms of trial and error, viewing and review by the app is acceptable, but viewing by the PVR / TV is where the magic of this system is where it comes alive really.

Edit: 20201229 - have had 2 cameras go bad, rang Swann and was asked to trouble shoot cameras to no end and swap cables etc - I'm a consumer not a technician or electrician or want to change things around forever. Went to the store of purchase and commented on Swann CS and was told they're hopeless. Was given one camera to swap out as was constantly 'on & off-line' sending false messages of people movement and lines through image and stayed black and white during the day. Another camera is going the same way and expected to be replaced in time soon.

Not as happy as I was, as have been told the cameras will start to die within 3 years altogether after warranty is too far out. So a bad investment for long term - will still go to Swann for replacement for warranty purposes...