My friend just bought a house with five Night Owl cameras, but there’s no DVR. The cameras only have the Night Owl logo on them, no model numbers. Each one has its own power cable and an RCA-style connector that I assume would go into a DVR.
Which DVR would be compatible for recording, playback, and app access? I have pictures but couldn’t attach them here.
If they’re older analog cameras, almost any basic DVR should work. Is Night Owl even still in business?
Mason said:
If they’re older analog cameras, almost any basic DVR should work. Is Night Owl even still in business?
I called their support line and waited 45 minutes. They just told me to buy a DVR but couldn’t tell me which one or where to get it. Completely useless.
I replaced two Night Owl DVRs with these, and they’ve been much better:
The Tigersecu DVRs have been great. I had one fail in the first year, possibly from a power surge (I also lost a router at the same time), and the company replaced it. The app and mobile viewing are way better than Night Owl’s. I even took the hard drives from my old Night Owl units, reformatted them, and installed them in the Tigersecu DVRs since they didn’t come with HDDs.
If the cameras are analog, you’ll need a DVR that supports CVBS (standard analog) or possibly HD-TVI/AHD depending on the camera specs. If you can find a model number, it would help narrow down compatibility.
If you want mobile access and better reliability, consider switching to a system like Reolink or Amcrest. You can get a new NVR and cameras for close to the price of a decent DVR.
Night Owl’s newer DVRs only work with their own cameras, but older analog Night Owl cameras can work with third-party DVRs. Look for a multi-format DVR that supports CVBS, AHD, or HD-TVI just to be safe.