Customer Ratings & Reviews
- Model:
- FTD4-81-4L
- |
- SKU:
- 6540775
Customer reviews
Rating 4.2 out of 5 stars with 347 reviews
(347 customer reviews)Rating by feature
- Value4.2
Rating 4.2 out of 5 stars
- Quality4.2
Rating 4.2 out of 5 stars
- Ease of Use4.2
Rating 4.2 out of 5 stars
Customers are saying
Customers are pleased with the camera quality and overall performance of the security system, including its night vision capabilities. The system also offers ample storage capacity and convenient connectivity to mobile devices. However, some customers have noted issues with the motion detection sensitivity and cord length. A few customers found the initial setup to be a bit difficult.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Horrible quality and customer service
||Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.I have had these cameras for just over a year, they started out good. Out of nowhere, all of the camera's started getting fuzzy when in night vision. Called customer service and they were no help, I could hardly understand her and troubleshooting did nothing to help. I was then told I was out of luck because they were 9 days over a year purchased, even after I told her this started 2 weeks ago. No care to help at all. Very unhappy with these cameras and the customer service, do not recommend at all.
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .Thank you for the feedback and very sorry to hear of the issue you are having with system and support hotline. Your purchase comes with a 1 year warranty to protect from material defect or failure so we welcome the chance to support you on this. Please email techteam@nightowlsp.com with a brief description of the issue(s) you are facing. This will put you in touch with our advanced internal support team who will further troubleshoot with you. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you! Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Night owl
||Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.It’s really good I like how I can talk thu them it’s will be much better is it was WiFi not Bluetooth
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
I would recommend this to a friendRated 1 out of 5 stars
No help
||Posted . Owned for 4 months when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.We've had them for a couple months now and they stopped working out of no where. We're being told to take the whole system down and sent in to fix instead of sending a replacement so i can change them out and send the old ones fixed and sent back afterwards. What am i supposed to do without my system?!? So much for protection.
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .Thank you for the feedback and sorry to hear of the issue you are having with your system. Is that feedback coming form the retailer? We back our products with one year warranty in case of material defect or part failure which it sounds like you are experiencing. We would like to provide you with some advanced support. Please email techteam@nightowlsp.com at your convenience, providing your name, contact information, best time of day to reach you and a brief description of all ongoing issues. One of our internal advanced support agents will promptly reach out and work with you on a resolution. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
DONT BUY
||Posted .This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.Dooo noooot buy.......It worked okay for the first year but now the entire system Is down and wont work . Just boots up to a black screen Tech support is a joke and rude ... i just lost 548 dollars on a cam syster thay only worked a year.... shame on nightowl
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .We're very sorry to hear about your experience. A system failure after a year—especially without resolution from support—is incredibly frustrating, and we understand how upsetting that is.
A black screen during startup can sometimes be caused by a firmware issue, HDMI/display connection, or power-related fault, and we’d like the chance to help determine if a solution or replacement is still possible.
Please reach out to us directly with your contact information and system details. We want to make this right and will ensure your concerns are escalated appropriately.
— Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Mr
||Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.It’s not move 360 degrees. So not better stuff. Picture also Vew curbs.
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friendRated 1 out of 5 stars
Not happy with this purchase
||Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.Bad quality view, the are essy to install but the image resolution is too poorand at night was worse. I return them to be exact two days later after being install, i play with setting to see if i got a better view but the results were the same. Also, once installed they can only be moved up and down.
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .We appreciate your feedback and are sorry to hear that the image quality did not meet your expectations. Our cameras are designed to provide clear resolution both day and night, but factors such as camera placement, lighting conditions, and settings adjustments can impact performance.
Regarding adjustability, our cameras are designed for vertical movement, and for greater flexibility, we recommend positioning them strategically during installation. We regret that the system didn’t work out for you but appreciate you giving it a try.
Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Poor quality
||Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.The app doesn't work; previous version was better.
No, I would not recommend this to a friendRated 2 out of 5 stars
Could be better
||Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.At an attempt to update my old camera system which was a Night Owl system as well , this system doesn't let you go back and view past recordings nor does it give you directions on where to find or how to
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .Thank you for the feedback and sorry to hear of the issue you are facing. If I understand correctly you are looking to review older recordings after buying a new system. The old recordings are still on your old system, unless you paid for cloud backup which would be accessible through your cloud login. If this doesn't help, please contact techteam@nightowlsp.com at your convenience. Provide your name, contact information, best time of day to reach you and a brief description of all ongoing issues. One of our internal advanced support agents will promptly reach out and work with you on a resolution. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Poor quality
||Posted . Owned for 10 months when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.The range of view is horrible. You can barely get any camera view when pointed in a direction
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .We are sorry to hear you are experiencing an issue with your cameras. Several factors viewability such as sunlight or bright lights aimed at your camera. If you would like more specific support please email techteam@nightowlsp.com, providing your name, contact information, best time of day to reach you and a brief description of all ongoing issues. One of our internal advanced support agents will promptly reach out and work with you on a resolution. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks, Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
- Pros mentioned:Camera quality, Overall performanceCons mentioned:Motion detection
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Satisfied, yet still disappointed.
Posted .This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.Video quality is good. Build is cheap. Reviewing the footage is super tedious. You cannot adjust the sensitivity of the motion detection, and you must orient the camera properly when mounting it because you cannot invert the image through the software. The phone app runs nicely as long as you're not trying to go back in time. Reviewing footage is best done directly through the DVR, and even then it is slow-going and tedious. And god forbid you need to export footage because every motion event has to be exported seperately, often broken down into 10 or 12 second increments. So If you're wanting to export a full 10 or 15 minutes of video to give to the police or to edit into the next Youtube viral hit, you will probably be forced to export 30 or more separate files. There should be an option to export from one point in the timeline to another as a single file, but alas... Yet, I must confess, at the end of the day, the system does what it is supposed to do. It watches and records and serves as a deterrent, and provides evidence should you need it. I even used it once to help me figure out where I lost my keys. So it is not without value. And it is for this reason that I give it 4 stars instead of 3.
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friend Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Just plain out bad
||Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.I bad these to replace my Swann cams that with out after 6 years but it is definitely crazy that my 6 yr old out dated camera picture are way better than these. I was even more upset that I had to take them down and returned them after I wasted my time putting them up 
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .Thank you for the feedback and sorry to hear you were not satisfied with your purchase. The largest issue we see is that people you existing wiring that is not rated for our cameras and then see poor video quality. We always recommend using our cabling which is made specifically for our product. We welcome the chance to better support you should you need any further assistance. Thanks, Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
straight to the garbage
||Posted . Owned for 7 months when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.trash and not worth it even right out of the box it NEVER worked
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .We're very sorry to hear that your system didn’t function properly out of the box. That’s absolutely not the experience we want for our customers. Please give our Support Team a call at 1-866-390-1303 so we can help troubleshoot or determine the next steps. We're here to make it right.
—Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Disappointed and unsatisfied for now...
||Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.From the date of purchase to present, I have been in communication with Night Owl in an effort to get my cameras up and running, only to be told that my recorder was a faulty one. I am preparing to return the recorder, in hopes of receiving a replacement that is working and functional. Until the replacement is received, I remain disappointed and unsatisfied as a new customer
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .We apologize for the issue you have been experiencing. Customer Service should provide you with tracking on the replacement unit. If they didn't feel free to email techteam@nightowlsp.com at your convenience, providing your name, contact information, and a description of the contact you had regarding your replacement. One of our internal advanced support agents will promptly reach out and work with you on a resolution. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Not good
||Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.Doesn't capture a wide angle. One camera can only get 30% of my garage. There cameras are only able to move up and down not side to side or swivel. You have to twist the camera sideways and it makes the picture sideways. I can't create a login on the app and when i called they didn't know how to fix it. I'm returning this for something better.
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .We are sorry to hear that our products are not meeting your needs. We welcome the chance to better support you via advanced support. If you would please email techteam@nightowlsp.com at your convenience, providing your name, contact information, best time of day to reach you and a brief description of all ongoing issues. One of our internal advanced support agents will promptly reach out and work with you on a resolution. We look forward to hearing from you.
Night Owl SP Digital Support
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Garbage!!!!
||Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.I couldn't connect to my device when I was not home. Completely defeated the purpose of trying to protect my home!! I can't believe a $20 blink camera can actually be more effective than a $300 system! Complete piece of trash and I will never be buying from this company ever again!
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .Sorry to hear about your experience with the product you purchased. Your order includes a one year warranty against defect or failure. We would highly encourage you to email techteam@nightowlsp.com at your convenience, providing your name, contact information, best time of day to reach you and a brief description of all ongoing issues. One of our internal advanced support agents will promptly reach out and work with you on a resolution. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
No
||Posted .This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.Stay away from best buy homewood store .everything is a joke
I would recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your experience with the Best Buy Homewood store. While we don’t control retail store operations, we always want to make sure you’re supported with your Night Owl product. If you’re experiencing any issues with the system itself, please contact our support team at 1-866-390-1303 so we can help.
—Night Owl SP Digital Support Team
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
Call For Help to program
||Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.The service is so bad, I would not give them away !!! . The company is so bad for call service. I call seven (7) times for help, and no one new what the ----- to do. This was all for programing. Look good but service is bad.
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .We apologize for the issue you have been experiencing. We would like to provide you with some advanced support. Please email techteam@nightowlsp.com at your convenience, providing your name, contact information, best time of day to reach you and a brief description of all ongoing issues. One of our internal advanced support agents will promptly reach out and work with you on a resolution. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Night Owl SP Digital Support
- Pros mentioned:Camera quality, Connectivity, Storage capacity
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great features with full configuration using App
|Posted .This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.This Night Owl system is a 12-channel unit with 1TB of storage. 12 channels means it supports up to 12 independent cameras. This specific configuration comes with 8 wired cameras leaving you with some room to expand. Note, the DVR unit only has physical connections for 8 cameras so the four additional ones will have to be wireless. So choose carefully if mixing and matching from other Night Owl systems. The cameras in this system are rated as 2k with 60 feet of bnc cable. Each cable carries power and the AV signals (there's two way audio capability as well). At the DVR side, splitters are used to supply per to all the cameras. Side from the camera power adapter, there's the DVR itself and it's adapter, USB mouse, HDMI cable, either cable, and some mounting hardware. The Ethernet cable is an absolute requirement for anything app related. While it will work completely offline and has support for Wi-Fi cameras, likely to keep up with the bandwidth needs, Ethernet is what you get to connect the DVR to your network. So, with needing to connect to your router and having only 60 feet of cable for any one camera, careful selection of DVR placement is important. For my current house, the wasn't any good place to locate the DVR that would allow me to really split camera coverage around the house because I was limited by the 60 foot length (I was able to work around Ethernet). This is where those potential Wi-Fi cameras come in handy as of I had a set of those, I could position the DVR such that I could get coverage of ¾ of the house. I was also avoiding drilling holes to go completely through an exterior wall though that would not have impacted the length problem too much. Installation is pretty straightforward once you plan the routing. I utilized windows for a non permanent install but otherwise you'd need to drill holes to snake the cables through inside. As the views I wanted were achievable from just the first floor exterior, near the porch ceiling line, the DVR was stored in a side closet by the first floor bathroom. A big bonus - a monitor is not required for setup. You can actually complete it through the app after pairing using Bluetooth and making the connection to your network. This is pretty key as it reduces one more constraint on placing the DVR. Camera quality is actually decent. Felt like what if expect for true HD. Yes, I know they're 2k cameras, but there always seems to be a gap especially when looking it things at night under IR illumination. The cameras have a spotlight and siren, in addition to the speaker and mic. Together with the "AI" detection capabilities, you could do some cool things. For me, the detection was a bit too sensitive and resulted in the down being triggered a bit too much. So, I turned that off and used it as a regular monitoring system. The two way communication is good enough that the cameras providing coverage near the front door could almost be useful as a doorbell camera. The audio quality was amazing and has little lag. The FOV and coverage area means I'm typically just talking to a head, but it's still good and if you're paying attention, you'd get a good look at your visitor on approach. The spotlights are almost enough to dispenser with regular motion activated lights in the front of the house and a secondary benefit, my door lock keypad now gets illuminated enough to use it without fumbling the first code entry to get it to light up at night! This system is coming very close to being complaint free for me. Easy configuration, great video and audio quality go a long way. For a smaller house, this would be perfect. As it is, using Wi-Fi to deal with placement issues may be sufficient even for my layout. Not needing to locate the DVR with display/TV access, no matter how infrequent is a major plus. Not needing to pay an ongoing service fee to access my own data or use the system is always a feature I look for. Just work on the AI detection and this will be golden.
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
I would recommend this to a friend Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Returned Item
||Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.Item was returned. Due to amount of holes in the wallet. To install
This review is from Night Owl - 12 Channel 8 Camera Wired 2K 1TB DVR Security System with 2-way Audio - White
No, I would not recommend this to a friendBrand response from Night Owl
Posted .Sorry to hear of that you decided to return the system. Welcome any feedback if you would like to provide more info on your rating.
Thanks,
Night Owl SP Digital Support
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
00ps
||Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.Wrong system for my needs. Wanted a wired system, not a wireless one.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend








