Side by Side Comparison of: Amcrest

The picture quality is decent for the live view. If you access the "Playback" feature (where you can see video from hours or days ago) the video quality gets clearer.
It was very simple to set up and all of the items needed were shipped with good packaging.
You get four cords for the four cameras to connect. Two of the cords are shorter (60') than the other two (100').
I saw a review about the DVR being loud, but I don't think it is. It's quiet enough for me. It sounds almost like the sound a computer CPU would make while it's on.
I did not receive any circular stickers showing where to drill the holes like the Amcrest video tutorial online shows. You might have to measure the holes yourself.

Since we moved into our home several years ago we always thought that having an alarm system (Vivint) was all we'd ever need to protect our home. We also put up several yard signs indicating that our home was indeed protected by an alarm system and that would be burglars should find another home to plunder.

Nevertheless, our home was burglarized and when the police arrived the very first thing they asked us was if we had a video camera that possibly got a picture of the bad guys or their vehicle. That's when it hit me, if you don't have a camera system keeping an eye on your home when you are away then you are blind to anything that happens at your home when you're away.

The next day I ordered the Amcrest 720P HD 4CH system.

The most difficult part of the installation by FAR having to run the cabling through my attic. Dripping in sweat, covered in insulation, and working in very confined spaces almost got the best of me, but I knew that in the end that it would be worth it.

When the cabling was finished and I started up the system and saw the HD quality video feed I was immediately impressed. For a little background on myself, I'm a network engineer and I'm used to working with Cisco routers, switches, etc that cost tens of thousands of dollars. The thought of purchasing a complete home video surveillance system (minus monitor) for $325 had me initially thinking that this wasn't going to be a quality product and I must say that I was wrong. What an excellent product this is and a great investment for only several hundred bucks!

Take it from me and buy an Amcrest system to supplement your existing home security system. You will be glad that you did!

Why I bought it:
My wife wanted to purchase a security monitoring service and after doing some research I was unimpressed with reviews and the cost for the services from many companies in my area, so I decided to buy and install my own. The quality of this product is great for what I was needing and I now have my own personal monitoring system around my home.

I have absolutely no experience with video security systems and this was incredibly easy to install. I honestly did not even read the instructions because it seemed pretty straight forward, and it was. The hardest part of the install was moving around my attic with the wiring, but that had nothing to with the product. It took about six hours to install all 4 cameras with most of that time being spent crawling through tight spaces in my attic to connect the wires into the video cameras. The time spent setting up the equipment was maybe 30 minutes. I was also very happy to see that I could hook this up to my television and now with the push of a button I can see all four cameras on my television screen. This is great for checking the front door when there is an unexpected visitor, or to see what the noise was in my backyard.

There is also an app for this video security system that works perfectly. From anywhere I can instantly check on my home. I have used the app every day since I installed the system and I have never had any problems with it.

I honestly do not have any complaints with this product and my wife is satisfied with these security system in place of a pricey monitoring system. This has saved me a lot of money and I am completely satisfied (I really wasn't expecting something this great considering how affordable it was). I would recommend this product to anyone in search of a home video security system. Feel free to ask me any questions you have.

Amcrest 720P:
1) Cameras are heavy-duty metal, not plastic.
2) Set-up was pretty easy. I learn more from visual examples instead of a manual, so if you are like me I suggest you review the various Youtube video's instead of the manual. Most folks don't read instructions, but at least check out the video's first.
3) Iphone app was fairly easy, but had to make adjustments in the phone settings for it to work. Problem is, I have too many internet users at home, so my supply of internet won't support all of the users and the HDCVI. Not a big deal because when you're away you can simply connect it up to the router then.
4) Had a small technical issue five days after installation, but Amcrest made it right and very fast.
5) I purchased the 4 camera system, but I highly suggest you buy the 8 camera system because once you see the cameras in person, you will want more viewing angles. Since you can't add cameras to a 4 camera system, you are better served getting the 8 system and only use the number of cameras you want/need. I now wish I had the capability to add 2 more cameras. The system works just fine with 1 hooked up or all connected. So it's better to have the ability to add more if needed.
6) The most impressive thing is one of the cameras aided the Police to identify burglars in the neighborhood only 12 hours after initial installation! When the Police came to review the footage, I had to "learn up" quick on how to review the recorded footage.

Bottom line is most electronics are made in China, but I believe there are certain grades of products made there. The Amcrest 720P is not the cheapest grade and probably a higher grade than you would find at your local box store retailer or home supply warehouse. I like the 720P over the 960H because it's much clearer and has a wider viewing angle.

I will be referring this product to my friends.

My first outdoor security camera system and straight up this is what sold me on this one over any others on Amazon.... 1. Picture quality is great 2. Night vision is amazing. 3. I have an app on my iPhone and works great every time. Last thing that really sold me was I called a couple of customer service companies phone numbers to ask questions about the product and amcrest was the ONLY one who answered the phone EVERY TIME and answered all my questions. GREAT PRODUCT very cool to see on my phone all the cameras from work.

Amcrest HD 720P 4CH Video Security System - Four 1280TVL 1.0-Megapixel Weatherproof IP66 Bullet Cameras, 65ft IR LED Night Vision, 1TB HDD, HD Over Analog/BNC, Smartphone View (Black)This is a great DVR. You get "HD" quality video from four included cameras. Don't jump right away for this system. Do your research! Find out if this is what you want or (My advice) splurge for 1080p or above or even make the ultimate investment and go with IP cameras/ NVR (network video recorder.) You may ask "Why?" Well there's a few reasons: One, HDCVI. (this camera type, [uses coax type lines] ) only allows up to 1080p. Now you may think this is okay, but with IP (internet wired) cameras you can get a much higer resolution/ pixel count and that's going to mean a better image altogether than what is even imaginable with that of HDCVI cameras such as these. Second, these cameras require an additional power block with four pigtails (one for each channel); whereas IP (internet) cameras can use Poe ( power over ethernet) to use one cable for data and power with no separate adapters or wires. Finally, the maximum megapixels (resolutions) HDCVI can get is a little over 2 megapixel. Here on amazon there are dome and bullet IP cameras found that are 3,4, and 5 megapixels. Search for these TRULY high def. cameras and you can read the reviews and find that they have stunning quality that will blow these particular cameras out of the water.SO! Why would I recommend these cameras then if you can find better? (much better DOES exist) It boils down thing one thing and one thing only: Cost. I could have gotten a set JUST like this with a hard drive same size and and four cameras but instead they be 1080p with 2.1 megapixel cameras but the price jumps to $400. The product set I am referring to is here: Amcrest Full-HD 1080P 4CH Video Security System - Four 1920TVL 2.1-Megapixel Weatherproof IP66 Bullet Cameras, 65ft IR LED Night Vision, 2TB HDD, HD Over Analog/BNC, Smartphone View (Black)So if you are tight on a budget, as my family was, these cameras are great, but do come with the price of pulling your wires to the cameras from the dvr. This is by far the most difficult and time consuming part. Be sure you have a fish tape to help you pull the wires. This will help you greatly. Just an FYI, this system is listed as a "DIY" system, but can be a little daunting for those without a technical background, so find a friend/ relative to help you with initial set up. If you are technically skilled and/ or a die hard DIY'er have at it!! I loved installing it and this is not my first amcrest system I have installed.I did NOT have to port forward my DVR/ to my router, but I did set it up as a back door to my DVR in the event I need it, I can just use a browser to access the remote graphic user interface (GUI). One quirky thing about the web browser, be it on the local network (LAN) or remotely (WAN) your browser has to have a plug-in installed. This could be inconvenient if you're using a public PC or a friend's computer; just a tid-bid of info.I read so many reviews on this product before I bought it, thinking remote viewing was going to be a nightmare, but I felt good when I was able to get it up with motion alerts without the help of Amcrest support. For most people you SHOULD be able to go into main menu> network settings> all the way to bottom of left column to "P2P" option> and finally check "Enable." From here you should be able to scan the QR code it generates in your app and make a "peer to Peer (P2P)" connection without having to port forward in most cases.This is not a fancy system. You CAN find better and you can spend boat loads more of money but I chose this economical system and I am very happy with it based on what I spent. The next system that I invest in will be an IP based camera system with a built in power supply for the cameras in the NVR, but that's down the road when I can burn through more money lol. Comment or message me with questions. I hope I am able to help. Thanks!

I purchased the system on Prime day. The mailbox was demolished with fireworks over the 4th so I now needed surveillance to keep and record video of the vandals. I read the instructions and was a bit overwhelmed but in actuality it was very easy. You need a monitor for the setup, and I didn't want to run Ethernet cable, so I took a recommendation and purchased a TP-Link extender, I have only hooked up 2 cameras off the garage but they work great. I had initially set them on all the time, but have since changed them to motion. The last 2 cameras will require me to attach them to the soffets and drop the lines from the attic to the basement where the recorder is located. I can check everything from my smart phone from the Amcrest link app. So far, so good - day time recording is great, night time is OK but can give you some strange sights, I get some reflected glare from a spider web on a illuminated driveway. Overall, it came together A+ and the price couldn't be beat. Update 9/23/16, I'm reducing my stars to 4, the reason being is that while the app works, and the software works on my Mac Pro notebook, there is no way to review a recording using a 'fast forward ' option because it doesn't exist in the software. To review using 'fast forward ' you have to be in front of the HDD unit and then use the supplied remote, max is 16x and using a remote monitor plugged into the HDD. Amcrest told me that they are aware of the issue and working on it - bummer. Update 10/15/16, finished hooking up the last 2 cameras, front door and rear deck, every thing went smoothly, had to run the wires down from the attic to the basement through a wall, cut the sheet rock top and bottom, drilled hole through header and base boards, ran the wires, then put back the sheet rock and retaped. Attached the cameras, set up the motion area that I wanted covered, had the wife and dog go out the back door and then went back to the main unit and did a review playback, everything worked just fine. Installation book could use some clarity on the instructions. Bottom line, correct install with hidden wires takes some thought time and some physical work, items work as stated, overall clarity is really decent, daytime better than total darkness, but the night is decent. I know I made the right choice with the wired cameras, because the wifi cameras require a 115 outlet for the power transformer. The front and rear cameras are mounted on my soffets and we have a raised ranch, not something I want to have to climb a ladder to do very often. Just leave slack in all of the wires, attic in case you need to replace a non-working camera, at the HDD unit in case you need to change the camera power supply. Bottom line, think things out, draw up a plan, have the necessary tools, drill bits, stud finder, tape compound, etc. I would give it 5 stars if the instructions were better and you could do a review from my iPhone/smartphone with a fast forward. Latest 7/17 upgraded to 3TB HD - wired is way to go, wireless cameras can be hacked.

Gave this 4 because it does work and the menus are good english language sensible menus. I have bought so many of these from over seas vendors that cannot even structure menus and buttons with the english language. I will caution you that it has a fan inside and the fan is way too high RPM (my opinion). I ended up snipping the red wire and putting a resistor inline to slow it to 50%. still can hear it but its much less noisy. Otherwise the software is ...average compared to other products like this.

I ordered this 8CH surveillance system and I received it within three days. I took it out of the box and hook it up for a test run and it worked great. One of the 100 ft. cords was faulty and I did not receive the remote control with it. I contacted Amcrest through there website explained the matter and within three day I had the remote and a replacement cord. So far it has been work very well and it is as clear as your own eyesight. I'm happy I went with the eight camera instead of the four. Again no complaints here so far.

Oct 14, 2015 This is my second write up on this system. The system is working fine and every once in awhile around two am the system seems to reboot itself and wake me up to a alarming noise. One of my cameras will flicker and blink and also goes out for a few seconds and then comes back on. I have a feeling I will need to purchase another camera in the future. Other then that it is still a nice working system.

Jan 31, 2016 I've had this system for a little over five months now and a few things I do not like. First; I have one camera that goes out when the temperature goes below 35 degrees, and a second one flickers in cold weather also. Second; In the morning around seven o'clock the system will try to reboot itself to locate the camera that it has lost its signal in the cold weather. Sometime I will turn the DVR off until it warms up outside for the camera so I will not here the beeping every 5 minutes. Third; You can hear the hard drive while it is running with a humming sound. Overall it is a good system so far, and very clear during the day and night.

Here are a few helpful tips to save you time and money:-Buy longer cables -- it's easy to underestimate the length you'll need, and these VideoSecu 4 Pack 150 Feet Pre-made All-in-One Video Power CCTV Security Camera Cables with BNC to RCA Adapter Connector 1OA were affordable and work well-Unless you're putting the DVR unit right next to your modem or router, then I highly recommend buying a Wifi bridge (TP-LINK TL-WA801ND Wireless N300 2T2R Access Point, 2.4Ghz 300Mbps, 802.11b/g/n, AP/Client/Bridge/Repeater, 2x 4dBi, Passive POE). This will transform the system into a wireless system. It's very easy to configure and basically acts as a wireless adapter for the DVR unit-If using an iPhone/iPad to remotely view the feed, DO NOT BUY THE "PRO" VERSION app - it does not support this unit. However, the free version does, and works very wellMy only gripe is that one of the cameras is not working. Amcrest says they'll send me a new one when I send it back. Depending on how that turns out, I may be adjusting the rating.See the pic for the view from the iPhone app:

This is a great system. I purchased the 1TB / 4 bullet cameras / 720p / 1280TVL system for $379. I had a security specialist install the wiring, which is no small job! The resolution is amazing (see my attached pictures; one is daytime, one is night time)! It was rather a nightmare to get the system's software set up correctly, to get it online, and to get customer service. If you call their customer service line - you will likely always be about the 14th caller - and you wait and wait and wait...only to get to someone in India who doesn't understand how to help you, AT ALL. They'll then perhaps take your name and number and tell you someone will call you back - this never actually happens. The user manual, btw, is absolutely horrible and will get you nowhere! I can't even explain just how bad it is. I finally emailed the company and asked for some human help so I could get set up; by the next day I had an email with a direct phone number to the most helpful man EVER! He was located in TX, btw, not overseas. He got me online first, and then he was able to remote-in to my PC and get my system all set-up the way I wanted it set up. He was utterly amazing, and I never would've figured out on my own what he did to get the system up and running. So, I knocked off a star for not having immediate customer service available, and for the system not being user-friendly or intuitive. Once you do get it hooked up though, it's quite an amazing little system. You can also access your system via your phone using the Amcrest View app....which does, btw, seem to crash at times.

Good cameras but software and tech support is a problem. Picture is clear. Hardware setup was simple (plug and play) but setting up remote viewing was another story. The included instructions don't help. Actually tells you to go to YouTube to get more info. After about an hour I was able to review remotely on my phone and tablet. Everything was fine but after 4 weeks, I couldn't view remotely. It then took about 4 weeks of phone calls and emails to tech support before I finally got someone I could understand and who could make sense of what was happening. The final explanation was that the problem was that I was using a WiFi extender and that sometimes causes a problem even though he didn't know why. We then set up port forwarding and I can now view through the IP address.

I have to say it does its job but needs a few improvements.
Good: cameras are easy to install(if you consider camera installs easy in the first place), wire length included should work with most household installation(I have a two story 2200sqft house), 720p is quite clear on close range objects, DIY cameras, very extensive book included, online support (if you get on google or youtube), playback wonderful, phone app is free
Bad: wire quality poor or camera (some of my cameras flicker on and off randomly then reset themselves so I suspect its wiring), system randomly resets itself( I still have not found a consistent pattern to the shutdowns), no expandability unless you order another, booklet should be model specific not all inclusive, ptp setup is best left to the pros, phone app could use some improvement for the more savvy user(I only use for checking in)
Ugly: as I stated random resets of main unit, unit blows ports on my internet router every time there is a rainstorm( its up to 3 now), for the price this thing really should be able to add some extra wireless cameras, cords require power for every camera so prepare to get a 8-16 port power strip, and the motion sensitivity is waaaaaayyyyyyyyy to sensitive outside (example: wind blows it goes off, spider drops it goes off, leaves fall.... you guessed it, it goes off)

Overall this is a quality unit which despite the kickbacks keeps itself running!

A couple of things: The reviews are for all the Amcrest products not just the one I purchased, the 960H. So if you get excited about 1000 + reviews, look closer. I bought it because of the reviews and the pictures of the night vision. Found out that was taken from the 1280p model. Set the system up and make sure you get the software to work before you install it. I almost had to put mine back in the box and return it. The first problem I had was during the initial set up. I cant get the security settings to allow this device to send emails from my Gmail or Yahoo accounts. I had to lower my security settings in my email and still having problems with that. Next was the Mobil app. I loaded the pro version and could not get it to link up. If this happens don't spend to much time messing around with the network settings on the DVR. I loaded the basic app and was able to get it to work but wasted several hours watching videos to only uninstall the one I installed on my phone and reinstall the Amcrest link basic. The pro version sets up exactly the same way, not sure why it didn't work. Thankfully the image quality is very good both at day and night. I love the system. I would recommend taking all the video wire off the spool before you run it through rafters or where ever you are going to put them and run your hand over the cords to erase the cord memory. This is done by lightly pulling the cord through your hand. Because it is tightly wound on a small spool the cord memory causes the cord to pinched if you are running it any distance you will have knots or even damage the wire. I bought another 120' and it was pretty hard to run with all the twists in it. the 60' were worse. If I had taken them off the spool first It would have been much easier.

This should be a 5 star product. The instructions do not help if something isn't right. The videos are basic and helpful if there is a problem. It has taken me 8 hours to relocate my internet modem, run the wires into the ceiling and out to the ends of the house through the attic. I expected this would be a permanent install and be usable for quite some time. Its a great value, I don't see the need to have higher resolution. Its very nice at night, just what I wanted. A lot of work with the cords to do it right.

Really like the quality of the camera resolution and the actual hardware has been great. I have two 8 camera systems in my retail store and I wish that both of them were these Amcrest systems based on the image quality. My other unit is a Swann

While the Swann unit has had it's fair share of issues, we've had to get two replacements...setting up the software and getting it enabled for remote viewing has been fairly easy and it's supported on my phone, tablet and over the network. It's a great feature and I love having the access.

The amcrest unit I purchased I have never been able to get the remote viewing to work. I've tried several times to enable and set it up. I've made several calls to tech support and have never been able to get it resolved. Every time we've dealt with Amcrest support too, it's honestly been big disappointment and not very helpful. We've had them hang up on us. We've had them tell us they would schedule a callback the following day and never do so. We've left messages with no callback. And then when we have had them on the phone they were not very helpful or had any ideas on how to work through the network issues.

I'd give this product a SOLID 5 stars if I could just get the remote viewing to work. I've essentially given up on the idea since installing it month ago and am just living without it.

Happy with purchase although I wish I had bought the higher resolution and more channels. We bought the 720P 8 channel model. There was an unknown vehicle in our driveway about 20 feet away from the camera and the license plate was not clear. Be aware that a monitor is required and not included. It was easy to install but the program could be more intuitive. Setting changes such as the date after daylight savings have to be changed on the unit itself rather than on the website or they will not take. The website says that changes are saved but they are not. We bought a second unit with 4 channels for a rental property and our tenant has not been able to get the app to work on his Android phone. We had no problem with our IPhones.

I've had the cameras watching my house for about a year. They're ok. They're not very clear. You can't make out tag numbers or faces. If I get robbed, about all I could tell is the color of the person's skin and the color of the vehicle they drove. The images won't be convicting anyone. The plus is that I can watch from my phone or computer thanks to Cliff Hoyer helping me in setting up the DVR in application. He's fromCustomer service. I'll be doing hd cameras if I move.

this system does record , it does have infra red , it does have a good sharp picture . but i have had it for a couple years now and have not been able to get it to pair with my phone and the Amcrest app ! i have spent endless time on the phone with there techs and still does not work ! and that was key for me when buying this , so i would be alerted ! ! not so happy !

😭 , no help on putting it together.Every one, does not have a computerGuess that's how you read the direction. Calling doesn't work. Still no sound 🤔Get past that and still not sure what else it does but got the camera to work 😁

A year after install, one of the cameras doesn't work - I've replaced 2 times. The night vision is spotty on the others, the cameras seem to need to be reset for night vision every once and while. The customer service is just ok. The app kind of sucks, hard to export videos, not intuitive. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this if you actually need cameras for security. We'll probably be replacing with a 1080 system.

the operating system sucks the way you search is annoying and thers no fan to keep it cool
i wish it had better functions better searching
my free camera software on my pc is way more intuitive
i would get something else
the cameras are great night vision is really nice too but the dvr sucks

This worked great the first 10 months. But then I started experiencing signal loss on all the cameras just out of the blue. My husband contacted the company only to get nowhere. When they finally had him try some troubleshooting none of it worked so the representative puts him on hold for fifteen minutes then comes back on and says try this list of troubleshooting and says call back if it doesn't work, then hangs up. Just recently contacted the seller and they are claiming they cannot find my order number. I wish I'd had a better experience. Haven't even had the unit a year. Will be purchasing our next unit locally.

Ordered this camera set up worked great for about a week, then one camera started acting up after going back and fourth with the company over replacing the messed up camera they tell me i have to pay $15 to get a new one the new one is only $25 dont waste your time go with a company that backs there products

Cameras have never worked spent so much time with their useless tech people I can no longer have them replaced even though they never worked. Would not recommend TS&CS will waste your time

CAUTION!!! DO NOT BUY!!! I purchased this system in December of 2016 for my father as a Christmas gift. He paid $300 to have it professionally installed because he wanted a clean and finished look to everything in his home. It worked for a few months before failing. After numerous phone calls to the company's Technical Department that left him with a bad taste in his mouth for Amcrest, the company passed him off onto the RA department. It was exchanged for a "new" unit under RA5007747944*. The "new" unit took almost a month to arrive and he was almost ready to down a bottle of Advil and call Amcrest again to find out what had happened to the replacement when It finally showed up. My father plugged in the "new" unit and was pleased with himself when he was able to get it set up. This feeling lasted for all of 30 minutes before the "new" unit failed. During this time we had a death in the family. Coupled with that and the headache known as Amcrest, the whole problem was shelved until just recently when I prodded him to call Amcrest again to try to and get this resolved. A few more bouts with the Technical Department and was told to email the RA department again. This is where we now are.... Waiting for the RA department again, who will probably send us another poorly refurbished unit in about a month. Don't waste your time with Amcrest unless you're a glutton for punishment. I'd give this zero stars if I could. Garbage from product to support.

Wow. What a terrible system. God help you if you forget your password. You actually have to email tech support and give them more info than you need to log onto your bank site.And then they don't call you back.Terrible.

It quit working when I needed it. When I went to check for video it was no longer recording and I had something stolen.I would not buy this product.