Customer Ratings & Reviews

After some hoodlums broke into our cars parked right in our well lit driveway, I had had enough. I spent weeks researching our options and where to get it for the best price. If you are looking at wireless- beware- ire less just means how the camera image is sent to the dvr. All cameras are wired for power. And wireless used your wifi internet connection. This could slow your other connections down or if you have trouble like we do, it could have intermittent gaps in recording do to poor connection. All that being said, the Swann product was the best one for us. The online monitoring has lead my husband to stalking me while he is at work (ie. Honey what was in the package on the front porch and what time did you get home, I didn't see your car in the driveway till after 10, where were you) But the images are clear, the coverage is fantastic in daylight and good at night. We are actually able with angling our 4 cameras to cover our property and the elder neighbors too. The set up was a breeze. Had a second of trouble with the resolution setting on the TV so we couldn't see on the big screen until an awesome customer service rep walked me thru how to resolve quickly and easily. Each camera has one "wire" that is 60 foot that has 2 connectors on either end (power and image). Super easy to tuck into siding and/or run next to existing cable TV lines. I set up 2 of the 4 cameras in minutes! Highly recommend, can't think of one negative!!!

Cameras look real good day or night. Goodnuf to ID a thief. The cameras will switch to black and white for night vision . Easy to link with iPhone app for remote viewing. Be prepared to drill some holes in walls and string cables; that's the hardest part. I output the VGA signal to an extra computer monitor and the HD signal to my 70 inch TV. My favorite camera is the one that shows me who's at the front door.

1.) Does not support saving to a cloud storage. (If your DVR gets stolen... then it is useless to you... but the crooks will have all your video files stored on the DVR) this is because this is an analogue system, not an IP system. *Tech support says their developers are trying to figure out a solution, but even if they do, current customers won't get an update to resolve it or anything of that sort.* 2.) Playback of recorded footage is only possible on a windows system with Internet explorer installed... Or Linux with windows running in a "Virtual Box" (This is because it requires Active-X). Same answer from tech support...*They say their developers are trying to figure out a solution, but even if they do, current customers won't get an update to resolve it or anything of that sort* 3.) Even with the mobile app, you can't use playback feature, so if you don't have Internet Explorer you won't be able to review the footage. Same answer from tech support...*They say their developers are trying to figure out a solution, but even if they do, current customers won't get an update to resolve it or anything of that sort* I am an experienced Linux user with employment background in IT, Devolepment and Low volt Alarm system instillation and service. All of these system limitations, can be confirmed by Swann's customer support at 1-800-627-2799. I strongly encourage anybody thinking about buying this system to call Swann directly and verify this for yourself, or just google these problems. The system itself is nice in looks, build quality, and resolution/Night vision... But even after settling on having no mobile app "playback" (Live view works great) and having to run windows inside a virtual box with Internet Explorer, to get full online access on Linux, the inability to save data to a cloud service makes this system utterly useless. Sure you can put the DVR inside a safe that is bolted to the floor to ensure thiefs don't take your data, but a much better idea is to get a hybrid DVR surveillance system that can be set to save data off-site or go with an IP surveillance system setup such as Foscam or D-Link. After spending $500 at best buy because they told me it was "There best system" and seeing nothing to the contrary on the box, and 15 hrs of install and configuration, I will cut my losses and just either run a usb cord from the DVR to a external hard drive that is somewhere super hard for crooks to get too (not really practical for the DVR itself as you need to have access to it to hook up a monitor for setup exe.) or add a dedicated computer somewhere off-site that then, screen captures the Live view from Internet Explorer on a rolling basis. Both solutions are somewhat "iffy" TRUST ME, DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I MADE.. There are better systems for the same price. If I could redo it, I would have bought 4 Foscam IP systems and used the extra money for power adapter extensions off Amazon, as even those have to be plugged into power and their cords looked pretty short. Removing my system now would take a long time and leave ugly holes from running cables and mounting the cameras with the supplied wall anchors. UUUhhh. DO YOUR REASEARCH. Even all 3rd party software only works on IP or hybrid systems (Including on Linux)(NOT analogue ones like this) Port forwarding is also useless as it wont achieve anything different using this type of system.

I rated this very highly solely on the support that was available. However there is much to like about the system. Installation is easy, however tasking. If you hate climbing ladders, rooting around in your attic, drilling holes and messing with software, get someone else to install it. However, if you like DIY projects, expect to spend the full day getting it installed. Fishing lines through walls and up and through eaves can be a major pain. However, why Swann? Well one convenient installation feature is the design of the base. My past unit needed to be mounted on a wall, this can be mounted on a wall or an eave with ease. The templates are adhesive, not a piece of paper you cut out and have to tape onto your wall or eave, however I found that the design of the mount was so good I could mount it without using the template. The cameras mounted quickly and easily, no headaches. Someone put an a lot of thought into the camera mount. The only deficiency I found was the two 720P camera's are plastic, while the 1080P's are cast aluminum. The cameras deliver crisp images, and are wide angle, so they cover just enough area for my satisfaction. 6 or 8 cameras would be nicer, and the next upgrade I will do will be two or 4 1080P cameras. he DVR is a notch above what other companies offer. I will see how long it lasts. Aesthetically it looks awesome, and has more than sufficient cooling so I expect it to last longer than my last unit from a competitor. They provide all the cables necessary, including an HDMI cable. The software is a little more advanced than what I have seen from other companies. If you want to see your cameras from your Android phone, Tablet, iPhone, iPad or Windows Computer, it will do it, and I suspect that you can at a minimum view your cameras from a Mac. Check to see if they have a Mac DVR Client, don't just trust my review. I did have a problem, the app referenced in the quickstart guide was the wrong app, you want to use the SwannView Plus app found on Google Play. I had to call support which was excellent, and my issue was resolved quickly on a Saturday Afternoon. Overall, I am very happy with the system. I would recommend it to anyone who is a do it yourselfer. If you have a professional install it, it is a good system for your home security.

I recently purchased the Swann camera system to replace my old, failing, system. My old cameras still worked perfectly, but my DVR was losing its functionality. Purchasing this Swann 8-channel, system that came with two 720p and two 1080p cameras was the best option for me. It allowed me to use my old cameras and add an additional four cameras. I also love the mobile access with this system. It provides smooth crisp images from anywhere. Although the app takes a sec or two to load, but that could just be my phone. The only complaint I have about the system is the length of the TVI cables provided in the kit. The cables are only 60ft, which makes installation of some of the cameras very difficult. I have only had the system a few days now, but so far so good.

I've been using the system for a month and a half with no problems. This is a hard wired system so some skill is needed to set it up. The picture quality is great so is the night vision and there is a zoom feature. I can view it from my phone, tablet, or my tv.

I wasn't expecting much when I put this in but I was pleasantly surprised based on past experiences with small kits. For the price, you get a pretty good picture. Overall I have no complaints. I was very pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get on the network. Paragraph

Setup of the cameras was easy. Downloading the mobile apps is easy and works well. Setup of software on a windows workstation was not so easy. Overall the system works great. Resolution and wide angles of cameras are very clear.

Camera set up was easy. Camera picture quality is good. DVR has been set to non-stop loop recording for 3 weeks now and it is working great. We actually have been trying it out from a window inside-out and the picture quality is great. We will be installing outside now that we know all is working well. We easily gained access via our computers but haven't tried the app access yet so I can't review that. This is a great alternative to spending a couple thousand dollars to go through a "professional" install.

We usually install expensive cameras but selected 2 different swan packages to meet a customer's budget. I was very impressed with picture quality and easy bring up. The only problem I had was related to remote access using Swanview Plus. It worked fine for this product but when tried on different Swan 2 camera package it did not work. I finally called and was told to use Swanview link and it worked. For remote access use UID and scan the bard code with both software just in case the first one did not work. The help was OK and I had to wait about 10 minutes. I received the link for the pc version of the software the next day.

Set up went great. 2 1080p cameras are great. 2 720P cameras look great too. Infrared nighttime view pretty good to 100 ft. Had to call cust. support for instructions on using the remote view app. There are several versions on the App Store. The new (9-15) one that works for Apple is Swannview Plus. Enjoy your added security.

does as promised works great no problems bought a 29 inch monitor networked system longest amount of time was spent on running cables I'm very picky at making system look good was well worth the effort these 1080 cameras have a very wide field of view great system

The picture quality is great. Had difficulties installing the SwannView Plus software but with the help of their support staff, the installation when quickly and now the system works fantastic.

Easy to install and set up! The picture quality of the cameras is very clear and the app is great! I can check out the cameras from anywhere on my iPhone.

Cameras work great clear picture and very easy to use

The hardware installation was not to bad. Took me almost 3 days, (working after work and on 1 day off. The hardest part was setting up the online part. every time I had to turn over my pc to their service personal. None of the setup would work. I spent 5 times as much time trying to set up the online part as I did installing it. Their web site has no videos on how to install or set any of it up. Finally after spending 3 hours on the phone with the tech rep to install it on my desktop it work about 20 mins. after she hung up and now doesn't work. The cameras are good, the recording is good the installation is not bad but the set up is terrible and their support is not very good. The tech reps are very nice and very patient and try to do the best they can. It is easy to tell that they are reading off of a help screen. I will select that I would recommend this to a friend because it is better than nothing and must cheaper than the "Cloud cameras" but I am not a sold customer yet.

I HAVE HAD MY CAMERAS A FEW MONTHS NOW AND THEY ARE WORKING GREAT I LOVE THE FACT THAT I CAN PULL UP VIDEO LIVE ANYTIME FROM MY SMART PHONE. GREAT PICTURE AND CLARITY. I REALLY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE A DETERRENT FOR UNWANTED ACTIVITY AS MY NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS HAVE ALL NOTICED THE CAMERAS. I JUST KNOW IF THEY ADD EVEN A LITTLE MORE SECURITY AND PIECE OF MIND IT'S WORTH IT TO ME.

Awesome security camera's, clear picture and so many features. Wasn't too hard to install either.

It Really Is A Very Excellent Security System. Once You Get It Hooked Up You Will Be Greatly Surprised At How Well It Really Performs Even At Night. Not To Mention Being Able To Check It On My Phone But Also On My Work Computer As Well. I Really Would Highly Recommend It To My Family & Friends. I Also Bought A Very Nice Size TV To Hook It Up To As Well.

This security system is perfect for budget minded installs. Easy to install with the right access and works fairly well. The hard drive is a little cheap and somewhat noisy but overall worth the money.