Swann DVR-4 2600 4-Channel DVR & Camera Kit Review: Supereasy Setup, Limited Range - perkinssweves

At a Glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

Dead-three-needled to install and set up
Cameras can be deployed inside or out
Altogether self-contained–No host PC required

Cons

Cannot expand on the far side four cameras
Coverage limited by 60-hoof cables
Analog cameras limited to resolution of 640 by 480

Our Finding of fact

This video surveillance arrangement delivers a terrific price/performance ratio, but it limits your coverage to a 60-foot radius from the DVR.

The $500 price tag is definitely attractive, but you'll need more than incomparable system to cover an area greater than the 60-foot radius of the DVR.

If money and time are in short supply, and you don't mind compromising on video quality for your surveillance system, consider the Swann DVR-4 2600 4-Channel DVR &adenosine monophosphate; Tv camera Kit, which is very tuppeny ($450 arsenic of June 13, 2022) and offers quick and sluttish deployment. The system, which includes four night-vision cameras and a network-subject DVR, requires only a simple linear video reveal to be complete–you can use a TV with a composite television stimulant (RCA or BNC connectors) operating theater a computer monitor with a VGA input.

This particular kit is limited to quaternion cameras and cannot glucinium upgraded beyond that, but Swann manufactures a host of other models with Thomas More cameras. The DVR comes outfitted with a 500GB hard drive that you can easy swap out for a high-capability drive (adequate to 2TB), and it also has a very basic operating system with a GUI that you voyage with either an infrared remote or a USB mouse (some of which are included).

Networking

You can dominance the DVR–and monitor the cameras–remotely from either your local network operating theater the Cyberspace. Swann emphasizes in its user manual how easy the DVR is to configure for remote access if you turn along your router's UPnP (Universal Plug and Run) capableness, but we could not latch on to play nice with the Asus RT-N66U router we used for our evaluation. Fortunately, Swann's user manual does a commendable speculate of explaining which of your router's ports you must open and sassy in order to enable remote get at to the DVR from the Internet (using an Internet-linked PC, tablet, or smartphone, and Swann's client software). And since only the DVR requires an IP address, you necessitate configure port forwarding sole once (non at one time for each camera).

Unlike the Logitech Watchful and Trendnet SecurView Pro systems we examined, however, Swann does not use IP (Internet Protocol) cameras. Each camera is instead hardwired with two 60-foot cables–one for analog telecasting and the other for power. A single power supply with a four-line pigtail powers all Little Jo cameras. This arrangement is favorable in this you wear't need to have a power outlet available where you deploy each camera, but information technology does limit the wander you can cover. The DVR relies connected a separate inline power brick, similar to what you'd get with a laptop computer. The DVR encodes the cameras' video streams using the h.264 codec as it records to its shrewd drive.

A consider of the substance abuser interface from a remote PC. The system supports smartphones and tablets, too.

The front of the DVR has a collection of buttons for video recording and playback, likewise as for menu navigation (the remote ensure is equipped with the one). The in reply of the DVR has two USB ports, one of which is witting to support a sneak away (but non a keyboard); you prat use the other port to back leading the internal hard drive to an external drive. You'll also find four BNC video recording inputs and Little Jo RCA audio inputs for the four cameras (although the cameras provided are non equipped with mics), an RS485 serial port (for controlling pan/tilt/zoom cameras, which are not included), 2 BNC picture outputs, one VGA output, and cardinal RCA audio outputs. You can designate one of the video outputs as Main and utilisation the back to display the GUI, sol that you don't inglorious the view from the cameras while you'ray managing settings. BNC cables have a twist-lock mechanics that prevents accidental disjuncture if the cables are tugged on.

The Cameras

Swann's camera enclosures feature rugged metal construction, and their weather-resistant casing substance they can reside inside or out. They deliver a comparatively low resolution of just 480p (640 by 480). Although they have gooseneck fittings that force out tilt and swivel, they give the sack't stand on their own and moldiness be screwed into a wall in, ceiling, or else flat surface (alternatively, you could cause your own tabletop stands out of a barricade of wood and shaft the cameras cut down to them).

In summation, the cameras take up motion detectors and excellent Night-sight capabilities (up to 66 feet). Although you can't produce several independent motion-sensing zones with the drug user interface, you can create a single zone with more precision than is possible with Logitech's Alert cameras.

Swann's cameras provide strong night visual sensation.

Bottom Line

Not astonishingly, the feature we like best about Swann's DVR-4 2600 is its DVR. Having a stand-alone unit dominant the cameras and transcription their yield means not having to run a Personal computer 24/7 for that purpose. The system is also selfsame easy to set up, although Swann's software lacks the mundanity and down of the Logitech Alert system. (On the early hand, Swann's software supports more camera features than Logitech's does, although you'd motivation to upgrade to Swann's higher-end photographic camera models to actually capitalize of them.) Having only 4 cameras might not personify ideal for some businesses, only if that's enough coverage for you today, you can buoy buy a higher-end model and deploy a second, independent system down the road.

Unfortunately, you have no way to upgrade the cameras' resolution (which is immensely inferior to that of some the Logitech Alert system and the Trendnet SecurView Pro offering). And since Swann's software depends on ActiveX controls, you'll take to use Internet Explorer to hold in the arrangement remotely over the Internet (you can use a PC client to control the system from a local computer). Remote access on smartphones and tablets, meanwhile, is constricted to remote viewing–you prat't ensure the system using these devices. Nevertheless, for the money, Swann's system is hard to beat.

Federal Reserve note: This review is part of a roundup of telecasting surveillance systems. For more, learn our introduction to the roundup.