Customer Ratings & Reviews

I bought this system to replace an old 1280x1024 60 degree field of view security camera system. We had some auto burglaries in our neighborhood, and the old system could barely tell that the suspect vehicle was an S-10 pickup, and couldn't even tell if it had a license plate, let alone what the numerals were. I wanted higher resolution and better field of view, so if anything happens again, the video is actually useful to the police. My first disappointment out of the gate, is that after installing all of the cameras, I found that they would not work with my old cables. This despite them being continuous coaxial cables with the standard BNC plugs, and standard power connections. I ended up having to spend an extra $130 and ordered four 120 foot, high grade cables from Lorex, then of course spent 2 days in my attic and crawl space, re-running/fishing cable. Having the system not work with the existing cables caused more work and money spent. Once I got the system hooked up to the new cables, everything worked like a charm. I did notice the resolution was definitely not 4k, but a check of the system settings found they had the system set at 1080p by default. I switched it to 4k resolution, and it was a dramatic difference. The pros would be these cameras have a great field of view, much wider than the old ones, and the resolution on stationary items is fantastic. I could make out license plates on stationary vehicles up to about 70 feet from the cameras. The night vision and color night vision both also work very well, with very clear images of everything in the camera view. Now the con, and it's a big one- The cameras only record at a maximum of 7fps (they default to 1fps but you can increase it to max 7fps in the settings), which is just not sufficient for moving objects. Cars doing as little as 10mph are blurry, and the license plates are a lost cause. Part of what prompted this purchase was the prior lack of ability to identify the suspect vehicle in a rash of crimes in my neighborhood, and this system still won't be able to identify a suspect vehicle, due to that 7fps limitation. That limitation defeats the entire purpose of this purchase, and for that reason, I cannot recommend this system. If Lorex could resolve that and make a higher fps option via a firmware update that would resolve moving objects, then maybe then, but not at present. *Note- The white truck in the attached photo was coming to my house for a service call, and was slowing to stop and then back into my driveway. Even at only about 7mph, moving vehicles are blurry.

I did a lot of research on security systems before my purchase. A lot of the competitors are going wireless and have a cloud storage which comes at a monthly cost. With the Lorex 4k system(wired), it records directly your DVR up to 1 week on 4k recording or you can go out a few months if you set it up on lower resolution. This video system is 4k and for a residential house it's perfect. Plus, you can add cameras (comes with 4). I'm impressed with the day, color night vision, and in complete darkness it turns on the infrared vision to see black and white in complete darkness. It's not lacking on those features. The features I really like about this system is the ability to setup 24/7 recording and also motion detection that will send your phone app a notification that someone is within the video frame. It works for knowing when packages are delivered or just keeping eyes on your property while away. I can actually zoom all the way to my neighbors front door (about 200') and see if they have a package delivered. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to purchase their first or even a new security system. It does the job and has optional cloud storage from the company at a low cost if you absolutely want that feature.

I have a one story home on a corner lot and was looking for something that would provide high quality video in both day and night. The Lorex 4k surveillance system met my needs and has an unexpectedly good 4k feed. In the box are 4 cameras with 4 x 60' cables, camera mounting hardware, a 2 TB DVR, remote, mouse, and HDMI and Ethernet cables for DVR. The initial setup is easy, with 1 page illustrated quick start guides for both networking and hardware installation. Once everything was set up I found that the 60' cables weren't going to be enough for full installation and will have to order longer ones, this is something to consider if you have a large amount of space to cover. The good news is that the power to the cameras is supplied via the cables, so only one cable to run per camera. Another thing to note is that the DVR defaults to 1080 resolution, so to get full effect you will need to go change the settings to 4k, the DVR will reboot and the resolution improvement is amazing! The cameras are off white, and fixed, so while the DVR will control pan / tilt you will need to buy additional cameras to use this feature. Once I had the cameras mounted and the right viewing angle set the coverage is almost a full 90 degree range, providing great coverage. I had no issues in daylight settings, and found that at night, I could get color video if there was enough ambient light (porch or street light) but in the areas with low lighting the cameras switched to the IR night vision which is grey scale. I included a photo of the IR camera in 4k as I'm still amazed at the resolution. The included security light and siren on each camera are underwhelming, and at best might startle the neighbors dog off your lawn. I didn't find this to be an issue, since I prefer that my cameras are not noticed. I do like how they blend in well with the overhangs, they don't stick out as much as the black bodied cameras do. Overall hardware rating is a full 5 stars. The DVR setup was straight forward, but I had to move my router nearby to connect via Ethernet. I see that wireless option is a planned feature, but would prefer it soon because I had to arrange my router to the DVR location, yes I know, first world problems. The app was easy to install and set up on my Andriod, overall the process was painless. The issue, and the reason for the 4 star rating, is because the DVR software is a bit awkward and not intuitive. Once I figured out the quirks things went smoothly, but I found that the interface just felt out of place with a DVR that supports 4k technology. You can play, pause, zoom, and capture photos from the video, you can also control your pan / tilt if you buy the cameras that allow this movement. I did like that I wasn't tied to the DVR and could set up motion alerts and live viewing via the app. The app is what saved this setup, if I was tied to the DVR and its software faults this would be more of a 3 star system. Overall, if you need the resolution and can run the cables, this is the system for you, just be patient with the DVR interface or skip it and use the app.

The video camera system is very clear and easy to install. The only thing I do not like is when you zoom in the picture becomes very distorted and blurry. The night vision system works well and even better if you have a light source near the camera which makes it even clearer. Over all it’s a good system wish it had a better zoom feature then it would be great.

I was originally researching a POE security system when the hard drive on my current system crashed. Not ready to spend the big bucks we purchased this figuring if it didn't work out we could just return and order the expensive stuff. We are very happy with this system and don't regret the purchase at all. The Lorex app works very well compared to are old system. was worried at first because the picture quality was pretty bad when viewing on phone at first but after changing some settings it got much better. We have enough light in the front of our house to keep the night vision on through out the night on one of the cameras. I haven't been able the get the FLIR program to work on the mac computer but works on the windows based computer. Good camera for the money.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: The packaging is nice, and everything inside the box is packaged in such a way so as to waste as little space as possible. Additionally, no plastic is used (in the packaging…obviously, the product’s components all have plastic cases). Score “1” for it’s environmentally-friendly packaging. I like that the cameras are white, as they blend in easier for interior walls, and they would (typically) be less noticeable on exteriors (compared to black cameras). The same cannot be said for the DVR base, which is also white, but looks “out of place”. Considering this is a 4K unit, and needs to be connected to either a 4K HDTV, or a computer monitor with (at least) 4K resolution, it appears that Lorex forgot that other components the DVR base will be placed close to – receivers, DVD/Blu-Ray players, cable boxes, computers, etc – tend to be black, so the DVR base will “stand out like a sore thumb”. Looking at all the other Lorex units Best Buy carries (pretty much all the security camera systems Best Buy carries), the DVR/NVR bases are ALL black, so WHY did they make this one white? When using security cameras, one would want the DVR base to “blend in” with components that it’s placed close to. If someone breaks into your house (whether, or not, they noticed the cameras), when they get to an area close to where you’ve placed the DVR base, they WILL easily notice it. Even worse, once they realize what it is, you can be (virtually) guaranteed that WILL be one of the items they steal. They won’t care that they’re not getting the cameras, as the only thing they’ll be interested in is preventing you from identifying them – they steal the DVR base, you no longer have video proof of anything. Lorex, this is a HUGE “minus”. VIDEO QUALITY, RECORDING LENGTH: Here is this system’s “saving grace” – the video quality, and the storage capacity. The 4K video imagery is incredibly good (much better than my older Night Owl 1080p cameras), and the night vision just blows my old cameras away (Lorex @ 150ft, Night Owl @ 25ft). That being said, the included BNC cables might be a bit short for some people, as Lorex only includes 60’ cables (my old Night Owl system included 100’ Ethernet (PoE system) cables). Speaking of cable length, another “problem” for some will be the VERY short power cable, as it’s is only 2ft from outlet prongs-to-power brick. Another “plus”…albeit, not as much of one…is the LED light built into each camera. They provide enough light to “warn” intruders, which is excellent, but they don’t provide enough light to completely illuminate the area. I might suggest (at least for certain key locations – front door, back door, driveway) installing a separate, brighter, light with its own motion detection Regarding the storage capacity of the 2TB drive, Lorex claims “45 days of continuous recording”, as well as “2.5 months of motion recording”. Starting with the motion recording, the length of the DVR’s recording ability will actually be determined by the frequency of motion detection, so, while you could actually get the time claimed, you could also get considerably more…or considerably less. Going back to Lorex’s claim of “45 days of continuous recording”, as I have not had the system installed for very long, I am entirely unable to determine its actual 24/7 recording length ability. Regarding both recording lengths mentioned, I won’t make any assumptions as to the accuracy of Lorex’s claims. However, considering that the 4-camera system claims 45 days/2.5 months, and the 6-camera system claims 30 days/45 days, and the 8-camera system claims 22 days/35 months, I’m thinking Lorex’s “claimed” length of recording ability is not exactly accurtate. SOUND QUALITY: For obvious reasons, I have nothing to say here. The only reason I even have a “sound quality” section is to point out the fact that the DVR base has but one audio input, so you, as the buyer, will…if you want ANY audio in the recordings…have to pick a single location (it can be near a camera, or somewhere entirely different) for where the recorded audio comes from. This is a HUGE disadvantage, especially when compared to security cameras that are wireless, or DVR/NVR-based camera systems that use PoE (Power over Ethernet), as these are able to have recorded audio from EVERY camera…another “rock in the heel”. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: It’s fantastic that Lorex is getting on the 4K security camera bandwagon, but, in a day & age where most others have gone to PoE, it’s sad to see Lorex sticking with the old BNC connectors. Even worse, as mentioned, above, they still only have a single audio input (PoE provides power, video AND audio for each & every channel), which means you have to select a single location for your recorded sound. That means…for example…if you’re installing at least two cameras outside (maybe front & back doors), then, if you want audio in your recordings, you ‘ll have to pick only one. Maybe you want video of window locations, and possibly your driveway, as well. Sorry, consumers, but, again, you can ONLY have one recorded audio source. This, unfortunately, is a major “rock in the heel”, so to speak. FINAL VERDICT: The Lorex 8-Channel 4K 2TB Surveillance System (whether with 4, 6, or 8 cameras, as Best Buy sells all three configurations) isn’t a “bad” system, per se, but it does have a few problems…and, unfortunately, these are not “minor” problems. The image quality is excellent, the night vision ability is amazing, and the storage capacity is not only incredibly good, it can also be (fairly) easily upgraded (NOTE: although Lorex might want to void your warranty for doing this, federal law clearly states that they can NOT void the warranty for doing this). On top of that, you have an app that, while not without its own set of problems, it does work CONSIDERABLY better than the Night Owl app I was “forced” to use with my previous security camera system. At this point, you’re thinking “great”…but you also need to consider the “minuses”………. While more & more security camera systems are going wireless, or PoE, Lorex has chosen to “remain in the dark ages”, by sticking with BNC connections. This not only means separate cables (even if they are “connected”) for video signal & power, but also means the cable does NOT include audio. If you want any audio included in your recording, that is a separate connection. Even worse, Lorex does NOT include a mic…if you want audio, you will have to purchase that separately. Speaking of cables, while most manufacturers (including Lorex, in their “better” systems) include (at least) 100ft cables, they have only included 60ft cables. Adding insult-to-injury, they do “offer” 100ft cables, but they have to be purchased separately (for an additional $50/cable…which is an additional $200 for a 4-camera system). Continuing on the “cable”, most manufacturers (again, including Lorex, in their “better” systems) have switched to the far more versatile PoE systems, which not only allow a single cable per camera, but said cables provide power, video, AND audio…that means EACH camera has its own audio, and ALL audio channels get recorded. Lastly (this might be “minor” to some, but will be “major” to others), people want their base unit to be discreet…that means a black casing, NOT white. The fact that Lorex chose to encase the “brains” in white makes me wonder what they were thinking. As great as the image quality is, as great as the night vision is, and as great as the recording capacity is, I can NOT recommend this system. If the problems were on the minor side, I would have given this system a 4-star rating…unfortunately, the problems are “severe” enough that I have no choice but to downgrade it by an additional star. A note to Lorex: Your other systems, be they the “lower-end” systems sold by Best Buy, and other retailers, or the mid-range & high-end systems sold directly by you, or via professionals, are extremely good…so, one has to wonder why you would release such a product as this??? Disclaimer: This product was provided free, or at reduced cost, for the purpose of reviewing the product. Nevertheless, the above review, be it positive, negative, or anywhere in-between, is a 100% honest review, and the price paid played absolutely no part in my review.

At night can catch license plates with a minor adjustment to settings. 4k picture can not be neat Most use with 4k tv

We love our Lorex 4K out door cameras Work perfectly easy to use,Color and nite vision is excellent.

First off, if this is your first camera system and want to learn or have never set up a system before, this is a very good starter. Lets start with the good stuff... Very easy to setup. Pull the cable, mount the cameras, plug everything in. Comes out of the box ready to use, with a few simple steps, and is preset to optimal settings. Excellent video quality at 5-15 feet from camera. Deterrent lights are a nice feature just to let people know they are being recorded. Motion activation is pretty spot on. I watch footage of 24 hour recording and see every point where motion should activate, it activates every time. FlirCloud for the PC (PC software from Lorex) is the only real way to search though videos. And.... That's about it. Lets start with the video quality. 4K/8mp, wow right? This only records 4K @7fps. This makes for a very choppy recording. So while you can get a great image if someone is walking in slow motion, anyone running, or a car driving by is out of the question. 5mp @20fps or 3mp @30+fps would ultimately give you a better image. Night vision coverage is pretty good, (black and white) the IR emitters are strong and provide good coverage. The color night vision is a problem. I never could get mine to function properly and when it does work everything is so dark you can't see anything. No Audio Mobile application needs a lot of work. It is impossible to just look through the recordings unless you have hours to do just that. Makes it very unpleasant to try and look for an event, or just see what may have happened around the house during the day. Customer service is AWFUL. Spent an hour talking with them and got absolutely nothing accomplished . They tried to bail on helping me multiple times. The only information or support they have to give is everything you find in the generic publications on the website and throughout the internet. For what it's worth, I am returning this. I will spend a little more money for a system that better suits my needs. My old system gave me a sense of security knowing it was in place and working. This system has me worried about the security of my home and the functionality of the system. Added stress is not what I thought I was purchasing.