Customer Ratings & Reviews

Cameras looks ok but night owl app performance is poor. You can’t view or download videos or incidents.

This Night Owl system provides a great set of features that give you a lot of flexibility in how you use it. The cameras are easy to set up, though not as easy as wireless, and provide pretty solid quality, and this particular system comes with a ton of local storage, but I've found the software to be less than polished in certain aspects. Setup is fairly straightforward except for one particular issue; you NEED to ensure you've correctly updated the firmware for this. This is outlined in the literature that's included with the set, which begs the question of why this wasn't updated out of the box. It's honestly slightly annoying that the setup and upgrade process is such that you need to be careful to upgrade the firmware prior to using, but as long as you do, there shouldn't be any issues. Camera installation is as straightforward as you're going to get with wired cameras. They include the mounting hardware and 30 feet of ethernet cable for each camera. One huge benefit here is that the cameras are POE; they transmit data AND receive power over the same cable, which again makes this a convenient system to setup. Placement obviously isn't as flexible or convenient as wireless cameras, but you don't need to worry about your cameras dying or dropping connection. I prefer this method given the single cable installation. This system comes with 2TB of local storage, which is amazing. This ensures you'll have plenty of storage, even if you opt to mount all 6 cameras. In my scenario, I've opted to start with 3 cameras, which gives me solid coverage for my house. Plan to utilize additional cameras in the future, but for now, this suits me well. When considering security camera systems, there are generally two paths to take; you either opt for CCTV-style systems that afford a high level of security but a low level of usability, or you opt for a cloud connected system that affords a high level of usability but presents problems with not only security but also drop connection if your internet drops. The Night Owl gives you the best of both worlds. The app allows for remote viewing of your camera feed, but since it comes with built in storage, it'll continue to work locally if your internet drops out. After months of frustration with Nest cameras, this has been an incredibly useful change in mentality. Not only have I been able to drop the monthly cloud storage charge, I can continue to use my cameras regardless of my internet stability. To take it a step further, I've also hooked this system up via a battery backup unit to ensure I continue to get video recording with minor power outages. Features-wise, these cameras check all the boxes for me. They have very good video quality (both day and night), they have two-way audio, they feature motion detection (with spot lights if that's your thing), they allow you to set up activity zones so you're not triggering on every bit of movement in the scene, and you can also set the cameras for continuous recording or event triggered recording. The features are let down slightly by the app in my experience. During setup, I encountered a minor issue where the cameras wouldn't register in the app at first, and I've also experienced some drop outs/connection issues where the cameras wouldn't show up correctly unless I force closed. When it works, it works well enough, but there's room for growth in this area (at least on Android). Overall, this is a very good personal security system. It provides a ton of recording time, and gives a good amount of flexibility in regards to how you view the video feeds. There are some improvements that could be made to the software and setup process, but overall, this is a great option for anyone that desires to run their own security system.

I can’t believe that i have bought that camera system . I can not turn night vision off. I tried call the support team and I was terrible bad assisted. They tried to convince me that is not a good idea to turn it off. I paid to install it . So now I will have to pay to install it to return it

Geek squad installed it but we Still can’t use the system. Asked them to send someone out to check the system and they sent someone out who couldn’t do security cameras! They don’t know what they do!!!

This system is not as easy to set up as the previous one I had. Very difficult to add multiple users to have access. IF I didnt wait so long I would have returned it for a differerent system

Worst product ever and advertisers that it has microphones it does but it only says one thing you can't hear anybody else and the description it says one way microphone

Night Owl is my number 1 choice out of all home local storage systems, period, and the main reason why, their Android phone app works and works 500% better than any other home system I have owned or reviewed. I cannot express how much the app is the best part of this entire setup, using many other top tier companies, Night Owl is the only one that works and works properly. The Night Owl app is a secure way to see your live video, no hoops to jump, just get in and look. You can setup 2 step authentication and I tried it as I use it for other apps and work, but, I have to say, it is one app I am not worried about using it full time. Now, more on the app is the notifications work and work very well. To finally have a company in this market that does not leave their customers begging on the Play Store for a better app is just amazing to me, I cannot express this enough. I have had 4 other systems by "top tier" companies and not one of their apps work, you can read the reviews yourself and I express to do so when looking at other brands. When you open the app, you can see live views of each camera, select one, sow on the entire screen and see why your notification bell went off. At night time, the built in spot lights make for easier vision on the intruder, or animal wondering through your yard. You can also go back through recorded times on the app and even share them. The next best thing, NO FEES coming out of your bank account every month, once you buy the system, it is yours and ready to use. Yes, again, the app is great but at some point, it wont be for this system, companies do not have to support old systems forever. So, having local storage and a cheap monitor or TV, this system will be yours to use for many years to come. I will say and I hope Night Owl is reading this, please leave support for these systems for at least 7 years, that is the normal upgrade window anyways for most consumers. The unit for your home is not large by any means, it is the size of a DVD player and can be hidden just about anywhere, just make sure for ample ventilation so the unit does not over heat at any point. Having up to 8 powered outputs, yes powered, through the same line as your camera's info is traveling is my favorite physical feature. I used this to replace another brand and only having to run one line instead of two is much easier and time saving. The feature is called PoE, or Power over Ethernet, and this is why it makes for an easier install. Yes, Wireless is great, and you can add up to 4 wireless cameras as well, I ordered the doorbell and a garage camera to add, but, you cannot depend on WiFi all the time for perfect recordings like you can with wired. I setup mine to run through my battery backup in case of a power outage. The battery backup will give my Night Owl system between 30 and 45 minutes of no power situations, and especially if the communications lines were taken out via a storm or intentional, my system is still recording. The Night Owl system also has human detection software built in along with facial recognition. This is CIA type stuff in my opinion and it works. When you receive a notification, you can get a photo of the person's face as well, my mail lady thought it was hilarious that her face was on my phone. Now, it does not work perfect every time, especially at night and just how angles line up. To combat this, make sure your cameras are pointed in the main direction of how people approach your home and it will work 97 out of 100 times. The kit came with all the wiring, 6 cameras, the main unit loaded with a 2TB hard drive, mounting hardware and all paperwork. I honestly did not read the paperwork, the install is straight foward just like you should expect. through the bluetooth functions of the Night Owl app. The included 60ft cables are nice but I had to run to Best Buy and get two 100 foot cables to reach 2 of the 6 cameras, my house is not the best layout so I had to do some major wire running for the back yard cameras. Once I receive my doorbell and Wifi Camera for the garage, I can finally throw out this old Arlo setup and have all local recording, no fees and an app that works flawlessly. Yes, the Arlo app is not my favorite, especially when the notifications stop every 3 days and I have to reset the app and start all over again, just not quality for the money in my opinion. I am 8 days in on my Night Owl system and so far, they gained a customer for life. The 4K cameras look amazing and is fun to look at through my 4K 70" TV. I honestly did not expect 4K to look so good from these cameras but guess what, they do. It seems like they record at 30 FPS which is plenty for a security camera system, just cant make slo mo videos from the recordings. I know I am missing some stuff in my review as a whole so here is a quick Pros and Cons list for a summary look. Pros: Wired System for 100% all the time recording and no batteries to change 2TB hard drive 4K cameras Built in spot lights and are bright especially for PoE Included 60 ft cables Easy install THE APP! Bluetooth Install Function and Security from your phone or tablet Add 2 more wired cameras and up to 4 WiFi add ons. Weather Resistant Cameras Works with Google Home Supposedly great customer service but I did not use them, their system works Easy camera mounting Night Time Recordings look great Works with iSpy camera - I share my camera feed to local police due to our bad intersection Cons: Wired - not as easy setup as wireless White color stands out too easy but is the norm for the industry If you are looking for a home camera system that works and has a free app that works like it should, Night Owl is your only system on a home consumer level I can honestly say is hands down the best over any other system Best Buy sells. I highly recommend the Night Owl family of products and I really hope they keep this business model with keeping on the leading edge of this market.

Ok, so don’t judge us…but we really wanted a nice security system to keep an eye on our…chickens. Ya, well we love our girls and have the best eggs in town! Though I can’t quit mount my new cameras to their final spots to watch the birds just yet as we have some painting to finish up, I have been testing and playing around with our new system and I am quite impressed. First thing that caught our attention is the beautiful video quality. The videos are crisp and bright and oh so colorful. During the day I can tell the individual chickens apart as good as I can when I’m out tending to them. The quality of the night vision is impressive as well. The cameras are equipped with a spot light that can be activated upon motion detection. These videos come out really clear. I could tell a fox from a raccoon easily if needed….or I suppose maybe identify a potential prowler if that’s what you use your security cameras for. If some sort of predator starts poking around our chicken run, the spotlight and audio warning should scare them away. Speaking of that audio warning, I have a camera set up in our mudroom where we also store a lot of supplies. There is no door to the room and even though we live in a great rural neighborhood, it’s nice to have a camera in there that will light up and announce “you are being recorded” should anyone wander in there. Also with the app allowing us to utilize 2 way communications thru the camera, should we be out and one of those nice neighbors shows up looking for us, we can let them know what’s up by talking directly with them. The cameras are great, but how about the storage you may ask? Well, the drive is huge for a security system at 2TB. That’s more storage than my gaming PC has. The software that organizes and allows access to your files is solid. Not super impressed so far with its ability to discern the difference between people and vehicles, far from 100% accurate on that one. The android app is solid though I haven’t really been using it much. I had a spare computer monitor and just hooked the system directly up to that for a little “security station” by our main entertainment setup. This will be the permanent home for our recorder. If there is one thing that really requires some forethought, it’s the location of the recorder seeing that the cameras are wired. All in all we are very impressed with this system. Beautiful videos combined with all the other features really make this system versatile, easy to set up and easy to use. My only thought now is my girl friend going to try to put future chicken security footage up on youtube? She seems to think that is a grand idea right now, but I guess time will tell. If someone were looking for a security system in this price range, I would absolutely recommend this to a friend.

Love the abundance of cameras included, very necessary for around the house security. I even have spare cameras to use inside the house. It's a pain to install yourself so I recommend hiring a professional. I tested out each camera before installation to make sure the connection was secure and I was happy with the results. Needed a computer monitor to connect to the DVR; very clear picture for each camera, day and night, but I can't record sound, although there is a siren to playback with motion detection which is nice. There are also pre-recorded messages to use instead of a siren if you want a more personal touch. Connection to the companion app via WiFi was a simple task and the interface of the app itself is better than from the DVR. The app allows you to add 4 wifi cameras without having to shut it down. There couldv'e been more memory than the built in 1 TB, but I'm probably asking too much, especially given the retail price. Hopefully there's a way to store it to a external device when full or a notification to let me know when it's close to full. Either way this is a decent and convenient solution to my security needs.

I can't connect old sys door bell, I thought that changing the hd system to a 4k would be better Night owl tremendous crap

DVR didn’t work, per Night Owl needs replacement. Best Buy no help. Night Owl warranty service not good.

Terrible and absolutely worthless. Do not buy. Waste of money.

Lots of issues with the camera and most of the features did not work.

The Night Owl – 8 Channel Bluetooth NVR with 6 wired IP 4K HD Spotlight Cameras with 2-way Audio is a complete system to have visual and audio security in my home. The process to set the Night Owl – 8 Channel Bluetooth NVR with 6 wired IP 4K HD Spotlight Cameras with 2-way Audio up and running was not difficult though it was a little tedious. I had two methods to connect my Night Owl – 8 Channel Bluetooth NVR with 6 wired IP 4K HD Spotlight Cameras with 2-way Audio. I could use a TV monitor or my phone’s Bluetooth to connect the system. With my phone I can view live real time activity or I can watch past recorded events in 20 second intervals. Events can be downloaded on my phone. I am able to use the separate spotlight function on each camera to see more easily who is approaching my home. I can use the separate siren function to warn off any unwanted intrusions. There is also a combination spotlight and siren function that turns on both at the same time. There are five commands on the camera page that gives access to record video, take a snapshot, talk to someone near my camera, pausing the live surveillance and listen to audio from outside. The Night Owl – 8 Channel Bluetooth NVR with 6 wired IP 4K HD Spotlight Cameras with 2-way Audio gives me peace of mind that my home is well protected with 24 hour security.

Just put a new RV barn on my property and wanted a way to keep my investment safe so when the Night Owl 8 channel, 8 cameral indoor/outdoor system came along I couldn't pass it up. Having 8 camera would insure that all sides and entrances of my building would be covered. Installation of this system was extremely simple due to the open space of the area. I found a centralized location for the DVR and began running my wiring from there. In a few locations I had to buy extensions to ensure proper wire length. Installing the camera's was straight forward and took minimal tools in my case it was handy to have a drill and electric screwdriver to make installation much quicker. I set up internet in my space to finish off the install. All in all the process took me less than 2 hours. Setup was as simple as it could be. Just make sure to mark your camera wires so that when connect them to the DVR you know what position each camera is in. I used my cell phone to set up the system and it went extremely smooth. I have my system hooked up to a small 24" TV that allows me to monitor my surroundings while working. The resolution of the Night Owl system top notch. During the daylight the view that is shown on screen is vivid bright and highly detailed. It's not grainy like some of pass camera systems. I'm able to zoom in on a view and quickly switch between cameras quickly. At night, the black and white view gives me a sense of security that I don't think I've had with other systems. I can actually make out faces pretty clearly on this system during low light. All in all, I would definitely recommend the Night Owl 8 channel, 8 camera system. It's easy to install, has great video day and night and give you the ability to monitor remotely. This is one outstanding system.

I love that each camera has its own settings, instead of simply having settings for all of the cameras together. This means that some of my cameras can be set to notify me of any motion or anything else going on. The quality of the cameras is amazing, and I think this is a great option for you. Regardless of if you are using these for a business, your personal home, or a cabin, farm, vacation, home, or barn. Barn. Regardless, the uses are many, the quality is huge, and I am just in general. Very impressed. I love the abilityto communicate with anyone you may see on the other end of the camera, definitely useful for many reasons, from dealing with an intruder to dealing with a customer. The 2 TB of storage will be more than adequate for your average, and probably even your high-end user. These units do have the ability to connect via Bluetooth, but I found that to be something that I did not need. I'm always thankful for extra options though, and that does not mean I won't use it in the future. FYI, my unit needed a firmware update right out of the box. Be sure to check your unit for updates as well, to ensure proper functionality.

We replaced our old security cameras with these night owl units and are very impressed. The installation was simple just run the wires from the DVR to the cameras only bad thing is you need a power source for the cameras and for the DVR so you have a split cable with two power modules other than that little issue it’s easy. The cameras have plenty of features we expected in 2022 and have spot lights and microphones. There are some pre set voice warnings that can be triggered by the app on your phone to let intruders know to get away from your property. The canisters feel heavy duty and I feel like these should last a while. Make sure to hide the DVR in a weird spot so it’s not easy to find and remove. For the cost of these cameras I will recommend to anyone looking for a reliable security system and it’s a great deterrent having 6 of these outside covering all angles. Overall I’m happy with them. Not sure if they come in different colors but the outside is aluminum can maybe add a coating to it if you wanted. The spot light feature is cool and triggered by movement and the light is bright enough to give a potential intruder second thoughts. Hope this helps anyone on the edge.. I know I talking these sucks but they are much better than the battery operated systems we’ve had in the past and the clarity is really really good. At my tire shop I have a higher end system and I think these have a much clearer image than those.

Today I am reviewing the Night Owl - 8-Channel, 8-camera Indoor/Outdoor Wired 4K Ultra HD 2TB DVR Spotlight Surveillance System. Having owned both wired and wireless security systems, you first have to ask yourself if this product is right for you, since it is wired you’re going to have to take some time to run the wires from the included DVR and all around the house, which means going up through the attic and through walls etc. The benefit to a wired system is that you don’t have to keep charging batteries, The cameras are always powered ip and always ready to record. The huge 2TB DVR means that you have plenty of memory to be able to record video from said cameras. You can connect the DVR to a monitor for viewing, or you can just download the app and view the camera through your smart device. Pretty simple and straightforward set up. You get notifications on you’re a smart device if something triggers one or more cameras. At 4K resolution, the image is super sharp, you’ll be able to recognize faces, license plates, and overall just more details. Very affordable for everything that you’re getting, everything you need is included in the box, everything from the DVR to the cameras themselves, The wiring, power supplies, and even a mouse to be able to view and set up options on the DVR, works just like a computer would, move the mouse and click. definitely a good deal.

After installing and using the camera system I can accurately give you all the pros and cons of the Night Owl Camera System. Pros: sleek design, easy setup, bright lights, picture quality is okay (not the best), and the cameras accurately record even the slightest objects. Cons: hard wired Ethernet only, camera feed is kind of sluggish, quality of video could really be improved, and better functionality all around. In my opinion Night Owl done a decent job on this system but could stand for more improvements. The system itself was an easy set up because a QR code is displayed that you scan and a step-by-step guide helps you establish the system. If this system had wireless capabilities instead of a hard wired ethernet cord, I believe would be a better selling point. However, the system is amazing when it comes to tracking moving objects. Being in a rural area we do not have a lot of neighbors this night owl system gives peace of mind. For a beginner I would recommend this system. It is affective, easy to use, and will get the job done. One last thing I would like to point out the ability to position the camera the way you want it compared to other systems is phenomenal!

Looking for a new camera setup to monitor your business or home? The Night Owl 8 Channel Bluetooth NVR with 6 Wired IP 4K HD Spotlight Cameras with 2-Way Audio and 2TB Hard Drive brings everything you need in one complete package. Upon opening the box the pieces are all neatly packed and organized. The Cameras felt solid and secure while pulling them out. Once everything was out I was able to quickly run the cords from the spots I wanted to on my house. Some hole drilling was needed to poke the cables out to hook up to cameras. The Cameras were easy to secure to the house in wood. Easily adjustable. Once all lines were ran I was able to hook it up to the Hard drive and get it installed and another line ran to monitor. Using the App was a simple breeze to get all 6 images on display. The app was very simple to use to scroll through and choose which camera wanted to use. The clarity was amazing during the day and at night the spotlight was really bright! The ability to select the areas for movement was nice touch as well. I really did enjoy two way audio that allowed quick communication while I was away. Overall great system for a small business owner or a home owner looking to get full coverage!