Surveillance System
Well first off happy Friday! I did NOT think this weekend would ever come
I thought with it being Friday and all and for kicks and grins, I would do a mini review / first impressions of my Q-See DVR Surveillance System that I just got in last night. As you maybe remember, I said in my post about my lost Dustin doggy that I was going to do some major revamps around the house. This system is one of the things I have done.
The Model I got is the following: Q-See QS408-803-5
DVR Specs:
Video Compression
H.264
Video Inputs
8 BNC
Video Output
1 BNC, 1 VGA
VGA Resolution
800×600, 1024×768
Display Resolution
704×480
Display Frame Rate (Shared)
300 FPS per camera
Record Resolution
(CIF) 352×240, (D1) 702×408 on ch1 and ch2
Record Frame Rate
30 FPS per camera
Record Options
Time, Alarm, Motion Detection and Manual
Audio Inputs / Outputs
8X RCA input and 1X RCA output
USB Port
2 USB 2.0 Ports
USB Support
Mouse, Flash Drive, Hard Drive
Ethernet Port
1-RJ45
Remote Monitoring
Internet Explorer, Mobile Phone with Win Mobile Pro, Symbian OS, iPhone, iPad, Adnroid, and some Blackberry OS 5 on 3G Networks
Camera Specs, comes with 8:
Weatherproof (indoor/outdoor use)
IP55 Rating
420 TV lines resolution
1/4″ Sony CCD image sensor
3.6 mm lens
27 Infrared LEDs
40 ft. night vision
So far messing around I am rather impressed. They system came very neatly packaged with everything you need to get up and running. All 8 cameras, DVR, power adapters, and enough cables to run power and video to all 8 cameras upto 60 feet a peice. It even has all the mounting screws and warning stickers to place around your house. The DVR it self is rather easy to navigate through and access key features. Its small and compact enough for discrete placement. Clearly, I will not be disclosing where mine will be installed for security reasons. Overall construction is also seem pretty solid as well. The camera’s themselves I have placed in the “fair” cadigorys. There is some noise and picture could be a little clearer. However, with that being said, it is more then enough to protect a home and close to mid-range spaces. I knew from the get go this was not going to be on the same level as the $1,500 a piece Axis HD NetCams we install at work. The 50-55 degree viewing angle could be a bit wider but more then enough as well to capture the areas I and most people would need. I do have to say the cameras do very well with low light / night vision as long as you stay within that 40 foot range listed on the specs. I am a little disappointed there is not better support in the mobile area for this unit, but there are apps that will work. However, none that will let you playback archives, just live feeds. The web browser interface does a good job and does playback archives. The only big draw back with it is the fact it MUST be Internet Explorer as its an ActiveX plugin ONLY. The included desktop software also is done pretty well. The only draw back is its Windows only. But, when you consider the the $399 price tag for 8 descent cameras and complete kit with fully featured DVR; its a GREAT bang for your buck. I plan on having a more complete review when the system is fully installed this weekend.
PS) I have not tried the motion activated recording feature yet. Also, audio has not been tested as my mic has not come in.
Originally published at Dasoslukos Den