Customer Ratings & Reviews

I was looking for a security system beyond a simple doorbell camera and this one caught my attention. I liked the number of cameras, the amount of storage space on the harddrive, and the fact that installation didn't seem like it would be too tough. When I opened the box, there was a ton of stuff and I kind of wondered what I had gotten myself into, but once it was all out, it was easy to make make a plan and put it all in place. There is a fair amount of cable provided, but folks with longer runs may need to shop for a bit more. With a drill, a screwdriver and some expanding foam it was easy to get the cameras into place around the outside of my house to monitor the four main entry points. I haven't tried to watch the images on the TV, which is certainly and option, I'm happy enough to simply use the app to keep tabs on things. The spotlights are good, but out of consideration for my neighbors I haven't tested the alarm feature as it seems like it would be pretty loud. The DVR box isn't much bigger than a standard cable box and should blend in anywhere if it's sitting out like mine is. TLDR: Overall, I am very happy happy with this product. Installation is easy enough for anyone with some basic tools and the quality of the image is great!

This product was extremely easy for me to install. The one wire per camera makes install very simple. The wires in my box were very tangled and took quite a while to unwind. Once I straightened that out it was a breeze. The only hard part on my end was crawling around in the attic. This is not completely necessary thanks to the long cat5 cable. I just preferred a clean no visible wire install. The dvr setup was even easier than the camera install. I plugged everything in and hooked it to my modem. After a quick firmware update I created an account and was looking at my brand new cameras on my tv. I don’t have a 4K tv but the quality of the cameras were much better than expected. The optional light and siren is a great feature. They are a bit sensitive but I’ve tinkered with the settings enough that I think I have them to a reasonable setting. Overall I am very satisfied with this product and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a home camera system

I have this camera set up in a window on the second floor. It is not sensing any motion in my front yard. The only time it records is if I initiate the recording, or if something moves directly in front of the camera (very close). Attached is a picture of the camera view. Any suggestions as to why it isn't picking up motion in my yard or at the mailboxes?

The cameras and NVR seem to be high quality. I found that the installation instruction in all areas are lacking. There isn't good information on how to use the waterproof connectors to attach the ethernet cables. There isn't advise on what to do if provided cables are not long enough. There isn't any advice on best locations for mounting cameras. There isn't any information or easy to find links on how to use the system when installed. The downloadable android app also could use better instructions. More and better instructions for the average homeowner installer would help a lot.

Love the picture quality and sound quality of these cameras.

All cameras had condensation... Installed cameras in dry environment. As soon as the IR lights came on at night, the cameras actually beaded up with water on the inside!!!!! The pictures are from inside an attached garage after less than 6 hours of use.

I decided to set up a security system at my business simply to give me comfort when I am not here at the office and to monitor the entries and exists all the time. My business was broken into before and while insurance covered it, I would have loved video evidence. Now since the pandemic hit I am not here as often so I wanted to upgrade to a newer, more reliable system I could self-monitor that did not have the large monthly expense of some traditional monitored systems. I did a lot of research, read a lot of reviews and I am really happy deciding on Swann Security System. When I started to unpack I felt like the cameras and recorder were very professional, the cameras have metal casings and solidly built. With the help of a handyman friend, the set-up was straightforward and I love that it only needed one cable for video and power. The app setup was really easy. I have to say I was super excited to see all 4 cameras on my phone. What was amazing was how sharp the cameras are. Last thing, I set 2 cameras to record 24/7 so I always have a recording of those areas by my entry points, and two inside are set to recordings during motion, I love having that option. Very happy with the purchase, and I highly recommend this system.

This was the camera system I've been waiting for since it's PoE. I researched camera systems for the last couple years before buying this one. I purchased CAT 6 wiring instead of using the included CAT 5E since most of the runs from the cameras to the NVR was over 60' and I read multiple articles that it was worth upgrading the wiring with longer runs. I'll do this Pros vs Cons: Pros: Excellent picture and video. You can really zoom in and get great detail, especially through the NVR. The audio it's capable of is amazing. I was able to hear a neighbors conversation from a good 50' away no problem. Motion sensors are very sensitive. There are so many ways to tweak settings that it really lets you customize your experience. Cameras are made of sturdy construction and make it so you can really get any angle you want once installed. Installation was easy. Cons: That customizable experience I talked about takes hours to tweak. There are a lot of settings that you can only adjust on the cameras 1 by 1 rather than using the same settings for all. Gets very tedious. Motion sensors are very sensitive. I know I listed this as a pro as well since you won't miss anything, but boy these sure catch everything. I have 3 off the front of my house and have played with so many different settings but still these will record when car lights illuminate the grass at night. Then there's a domino effect since I have them set up to fire the LEDs when motion is detected at night. 1 camera will pick up lights from a car going by which triggers it's LEDs. When those LEDs fire, the next camera "sees" those lights and fires up it's own. You can only do a limited number of things on the mobile app vs the what seems to be infinite number of things you can do when going through the NVR. Once connected the NVR needed to do an update but would not connect. Over an hour waiting for customer service the solution was to skip the update at first. Basically I had to turn the NVR back off and disconnect the ethernet. Then turn it on and set it up. I haven't had a problem since then and everything updates weekly. My last gripe is that you cannot delete any single files from the NVR. Your options are to either format it to scratch or let it fill and overwrite. That seems like a lot of cons compared to pros for a 4 star rating but at the end of the day it's everything I wanted it to be. Hard wired with excellent picture.

I loved the camaras system for the first 2 years. Recently 2 of 4 camaras stop working for know reason. Have to take them back to where I purchased to use the woranty

It took some time to get the wire ran to each camera. Since they were not wifi cameras. I liked the idea that they didn’t really on wifi. My wifi throughout the house is not that good. After Power up the NVR recorder., I could not use the Swann App. I had to connect to a TV to get a picture. From that point, it wanted to do an Update. The update went fine. So you need a TV connected to get it setup up. All the cameras were detected. I checked out the camera features. With motion I had it turn on the spotlight. I liked that feature. It is a great deterrent for intruders. The camera resolution was great as long as you didn’t zoom in. I also tried the speaker and microphone from afar. It was ok. Night vision was ok, I have one camera in the back yard and it was hard to see the back wall. Some of the NVR features face recognition, Line crossing, would not work with the cameras that came in this package. what a bummer. For the most part, it is a great system. With an App that works well also.

Upgraded from a 1080p Swann system to this 4k and loving the picture quality! Setting up online was easy, but the app (Swann Security) could be improved. NVR is also a little noisy. Overall, I'm happy with the quality of the product. Camera's are not cheap plastic like some of the other cameras out there. It's heavy metal!

Wtheck people! Every morning more than half the cameras are full with water bubbles and or foggy. A hair dryer doesnt always work. Down from 10 cameras to 7 so far that are actually still in working working condition. Shameful. So shameful. And the App… why doesnt it work anymore?

These cameras get moisture in them and go bad. I had 3 placed factory warranty and 6 bad now requiring me to rent scissor lift to remove 10 cameras to turn in unit for warranty. If you buy them make sure you get some sort of cover to protect them.

Consider these advanced cameras. The facial recognition is great. I am not aware of any geofence mode which is a big deal for some. You can arm and disarm with your phone but easier if it was automatic. It is annoying you have to program it through the NVR with an external monitor and no way to remote into the NVR via phone or external link. I understand why which is because the NVR has so many options that the app would be overloaded. the 4K cameras are pretty good. Again, dont buy these if you plan to run the cables yourself and dont know what you are doing. it is somewhat hard to run cat 5 long distances through a home if you dont have training. Otherwise very nice cameras. Also nice that you can upgrade to additional cameras separate from the system, and I plan to purchase a couple 12MP cameras to go with this system to top it off.

I really like these cameras. They have great clarity and everything you need is ready to go in the box. I would however upgrade the mouse to a wireless, the one that comes in the box is not as precise as I wanted it to be. The hardest part of the base installation so far has been untangling the cables to the camera. They are sprinkled wrapped and I wanted to be careful as not to strain them. Other than that it's really plug and play. These are 4K cameras but the manual only talked about resolutions of 1080 and 720. I wonder if this is just because the manuals are reused. All and All I recommend this for anyone that wants a reliable camera with excellent definition .

this replace an older system of a different make, i didn't want a wireless system the poe cameras work flawlessly, it came with 4 cameras and can increase to 8, easy to go back into history to check on a situation, 2TB recorder

Arrived as promised, product as described, essy to install if you know what your doing. I had a professional do the wiring, because the house is shaped funny. Does the job, nice clear video, even at night. Would recommend

Excellent security system. Cameras are high definition and you can clearly see what is going on day or night. Cameras are low profile and blend quite easy. System is easy to operate and since it’s wired, live stream it’s almost instantaneous. Have not have any issues with app either. Quite satisfied with my purchase.

i opened the box and the product had already been installed and put back in the box, im sure this was a customer install and return. regardless there was electrical tape on the connection wires and the outside of the camera housing, the system looks good but i never got to use it because it has to be cleaned or returned. i wouldn't recommend buying online with this company.

Good clarity of picture. The new Swann Security Cameras are a definite improvement over the one we purchased several years ago. Previous unit had been working for 10 years at least. We wanted to update our system with four cameras. Our previous purchase had two cameras & one was no longer working. Therefore, we purchased the new system. It has been installed for viewing on my cell phone. I have a monitor to view & replay events. I would also like to be able to view it on my PC but it did not come with an installation disk like my previous Swann Security Cameras did that I purchased several years ago. I have contacted Swann support to see if it is possible to connect & view on my PC. I am awaiting assistance from them. I would not however, recommend the use of Best Buy for installation. They utilize a third party payor, Mastec to install their security cameras. After no show on the first two appointments, third appointment the tech stated he had never installed security cameras, on the fourth appointment he returned with his supervisor & the cameras were installed. The supervisor, Stacey did the technical set up & the tech placed the cameras. Stacey told me that they were hoping that I would become frustrated with their no shows & hire someone privately. He stated that Best Buy does not pay them enough for the installations.