Customer Ratings & Reviews

Camera Quality: 7 out of 10; fairly well-made, except for 'cowlings' and wiring. It's fairly necessary to detach from base when installing; again, earbud-thin wires look entirely inadequate for long-term, reliable, outdoor use. Cameras seem fairly 'hardy', so far, at least—enduring sleet, freezing rain, 50+MPH winds, and even snow, in only 1st month of use. Image Quality: 8 out of 10; decent, fair color (for CCTV cameras, anyway), but lacking resolution expected at highest setting (1440x900). Night vision 'ok', possibly less than advertised in complete darkness (with no ambient pre-existing lighting within about 30-40 ft.). DVR Unit: 6 out of 10 for any model, 8 out of 10 in this price range; messy, often-unnecessary DVR pop-up menu settings, not-too-user-friendly interface, poor-quality wired USB laser mouse (had to replace with one on-hand, which worked well, was completely compatible). PC Software (NVMS5, used with Windows 7 64-bit and Windows XP Home): 5 out of 10; clunky, extremely 'user-unfriendly' configuration and layout. Zmodo Smartphone app ('Zviewer', Android version 1.0.4): 0 of 10; dangerously unusable, due to extreme overheating issues it caused my quad-core smartphone; doesn't even keep view settings if screen goes to sleep. Workaround: I recommend the free app 'IP Cam Viewer (Basic)'. Works great (with some 'tolerable' caching issues). Zmodo tech support: Overall 'friendly' and patient, but also completely useless (in helping set up remote access to this unit, citing common issues, neglecting to mention Zmodo's dysfunctional remote DNS setup process was the cause of all remote viewing issues. Workaround: I used 'no-ip.com' to set up a free DNS to associate with my DVR to remotely access it. If this model stays under $200, especially if IN STOCK, FREE SHIPPING, and/or available for FREE PICKUP at your local Best Buy, it's still a good option for a Christmas gift for anyone with the tech skills and interest to make use of it! PLEASE NOTE: when I took the screenshot of the IP Cam Viewer smartphone app being used with this DVR, I was still considering where to put my 4th camera--it's not attached, hence the 'No Signal' message on that 4th cam view. This app works perfectly with this DVR model.