Looking for the best NVR PoE camera system

I’m not too sure about what makes a good NVR system. I’ve heard good things about Reolink, Hikvision, and Swann, but I don’t have enough info to make a decision. Any help would be appreciated.

Reolink is solid and reliable in my experience.

We need more details to help you. What’s your budget? Some systems cost thousands of dollars. Do you have a specific price range, how many cameras do you need, and any preferences for things like resolution, frame rate, or how long you need to store footage?

Zendaya said:
We need more details to help you. What’s your budget? Some systems cost thousands of dollars. Do you have a specific price range, how many cameras do you need, and any preferences for things like resolution, frame rate, or how long you need to store footage?

I’m looking at spending around £800 and a 4-camera NVR system would be enough for now. I plan to upgrade later to cameras that I can control and move around. I want the resolution to be at least 2K, but I’m not sure about frame rates. As for storage, I’m thinking of getting a NAS system so I can upgrade it when needed.

Zendaya said:
We need more details to help you. What’s your budget? Some systems cost thousands of dollars. Do you have a specific price range, how many cameras do you need, and any preferences for things like resolution, frame rate, or how long you need to store footage?

I’m in the same boat. I’ve been looking into open-source systems like Zoneminder, which could be a good option, but you won’t get features like 2-way audio in monitoring mode.

Think about whether you want cloud backup, some companies offer low-cost options. I went with a Uniview system, and the camera quality is great. The motion detection works well, but I had to figure out cloud storage myself since it’s not built into the system. They are commercial-grade cameras and usually need to be installed by a professional.

H.WHITE said:
Think about whether you want cloud backup, some companies offer low-cost options. I went with a Uniview system, and the camera quality is great. The motion detection works well, but I had to figure out cloud storage myself since it’s not built into the system. They are commercial-grade cameras and usually need to be installed by a professional.

I don’t really like cloud storage; I’d rather have everything local, which is why I’m getting a NAS. I’m willing to spend a bit more for a system with a good user-friendly interface and some extra features.

Flippa said:

H.WHITE said:
Think about whether you want cloud backup, some companies offer low-cost options. I went with a Uniview system, and the camera quality is great. The motion detection works well, but I had to figure out cloud storage myself since it’s not built into the system. They are commercial-grade cameras and usually need to be installed by a professional.

I don’t really like cloud storage; I’d rather have everything local, which is why I’m getting a NAS. I’m willing to spend a bit more for a system with a good user-friendly interface and some extra features.

I went with a Synology NAS because they support a wide range of cameras, so you’re not stuck with one brand. The UI is easy to use, and their DS Cam app is available on both desktop and mobile for free.

Isabella said:

Flippa said:
H.WHITE said:
Think about whether you want cloud backup, some companies offer low-cost options. I went with a Uniview system, and the camera quality is great. The motion detection works well, but I had to figure out cloud storage myself since it’s not built into the system. They are commercial-grade cameras and usually need to be installed by a professional.

I don’t really like cloud storage; I’d rather have everything local, which is why I’m getting a NAS. I’m willing to spend a bit more for a system with a good user-friendly interface and some extra features.

I went with a Synology NAS because they support a wide range of cameras, so you’re not stuck with one brand. The UI is easy to use, and their DS Cam app is available on both desktop and mobile for free.

Be aware that lower-powered Synology NAS models might struggle to handle many cameras. They have an online tool that helps calculate the NAS you’ll need based on the number of cameras and their resolution. Also, while the first few cameras are free, Synology requires you to buy extra licenses for more cameras. I built my own NVR system with open-source software, but if you want a simple, ready-to-go solution, Synology works great.

Benaiah said:

Isabella said:
Flippa said:
H.WHITE said:
Think about whether you want cloud backup, some companies offer low-cost options. I went with a Uniview system, and the camera quality is great. The motion detection works well, but I had to figure out cloud storage myself since it’s not built into the system. They are commercial-grade cameras and usually need to be installed by a professional.

I don’t really like cloud storage; I’d rather have everything local, which is why I’m getting a NAS. I’m willing to spend a bit more for a system with a good user-friendly interface and some extra features.

I went with a Synology NAS because they support a wide range of cameras, so you’re not stuck with one brand. The UI is easy to use, and their DS Cam app is available on both desktop and mobile for free.

Be aware that lower-powered Synology NAS models might struggle to handle many cameras. They have an online tool that helps calculate the NAS you’ll need based on the number of cameras and their resolution. Also, while the first few cameras are free, Synology requires you to buy extra licenses for more cameras. I built my own NVR system with open-source software, but if you want a simple, ready-to-go solution, Synology works great.

Yeah, capacity is a concern, but Synology’s selector tool shows you what the smaller units can handle. Another thing is to choose cameras that do motion detection themselves to reduce the CPU load on the NAS. As for licenses, I bought an 8-pack on eBay for about $300, which saved me a lot compared to the usual price.

Isabella said:

Benaiah said:
Isabella said:
Flippa said:
H.WHITE said:
Think about whether you want cloud backup, some companies offer low-cost options. I went with a Uniview system, and the camera quality is great. The motion detection works well, but I had to figure out cloud storage myself since it’s not built into the system. They are commercial-grade cameras and usually need to be installed by a professional.

I don’t really like cloud storage; I’d rather have everything local, which is why I’m getting a NAS. I’m willing to spend a bit more for a system with a good user-friendly interface and some extra features.

I went with a Synology NAS because they support a wide range of cameras, so you’re not stuck with one brand. The UI is easy to use, and their DS Cam app is available on both desktop and mobile for free.

Be aware that lower-powered Synology NAS models might struggle to handle many cameras. They have an online tool that helps calculate the NAS you’ll need based on the number of cameras and their resolution. Also, while the first few cameras are free, Synology requires you to buy extra licenses for more cameras. I built my own NVR system with open-source software, but if you want a simple, ready-to-go solution, Synology works great.

Yeah, capacity is a concern, but Synology’s selector tool shows you what the smaller units can handle. Another thing is to choose cameras that do motion detection themselves to reduce the CPU load on the NAS. As for licenses, I bought an 8-pack on eBay for about $300, which saved me a lot compared to the usual price.

That’s a good deal! They normally go for $50 per license, so you got a great discount. Back when I was looking, I didn’t see any good deals like that.

I’d stay away from proprietary systems like Reolink or Unifi. Swann is outdated in my opinion. I prefer Dahua over Hikvision, but if you had to pick between those, I’d say Hikvision is a good choice with a wide range of camera options and features.

Unifi Protect is worth considering.

Flippa said:
I’m not too sure about what makes a good NVR system. I’ve heard good things about Reolink, Hikvision, and Swann, but I don’t have enough info to make a decision. Any help would be appreciated.

I’ve had a lot of success with Reolink. No major issues like I had with Eufy or Blink. It’s simple and reliable, though you’ll need to compare features for the different cameras and systems.

Flippa said:
I’m not too sure about what makes a good NVR system. I’ve heard good things about Reolink, Hikvision, and Swann, but I don’t have enough info to make a decision. Any help would be appreciated.

I’ve got a Zosi system with 10 cameras and a 4TB DVR. It’s easy to use, sends notifications, and playback is smooth.

SecureAbodeAlliance said:

Flippa said:
I’m not too sure about what makes a good NVR system. I’ve heard good things about Reolink, Hikvision, and Swann, but I don’t have enough info to make a decision. Any help would be appreciated.

I’ve got a Zosi system with 10 cameras and a 4TB DVR. It’s easy to use, sends notifications, and playback is smooth.

Would you recommend Zosi? I’m looking at their PTZ cameras for my front and back doors along with some dome cameras, but I’m worried about reliability.

Flippa said:
I’m not too sure about what makes a good NVR system. I’ve heard good things about Reolink, Hikvision, and Swann, but I don’t have enough info to make a decision. Any help would be appreciated.

It really depends on your budget and the features you want. I recently went with Reolink, and I’m happy with it. There are better cameras out there, but Reolink hits a good balance of price and features. Plus, it integrates with Home Assistant, which makes it great for security alerts.

Flippa said:
I’m not too sure about what makes a good NVR system. I’ve heard good things about Reolink, Hikvision, and Swann, but I don’t have enough info to make a decision. Any help would be appreciated.

Lorex is a good option for residential use, and I’ve found my customers are happy with it. Reolink is also a strong choice.