Customer Reviews

Astak CM-818W Wired Security and Surveillance Camera for Interference-Free Monitoring

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We decided to buy a surveillance camera after my mom's car kept getting vandalized and flat tires. We didn't have much money. and after looking here on Amazon. This camera seemed like the best choice..

The package came with the camera, an 100 foot cable,and manual..The picture quality is very very good for a $40 camera. The picture is very clear during the day. and still pretty good during nighttime. You just need to angle the camera right. We took the spring off of our window and left the window open a crack so we can point the camera facing outside towards our car. With the spring in the way nothing was visible. which was a disappointment

Another disappointment was that the camera isn't very discreet. I thought,yeah it looks a little big,but we can probably hide it pretty well. We can hide it pretty well,but red little lights shine off of it(they're on the lens). This can be kind of obvious especially at night time.

The good this is you can connect the camera into any TV with RCA inputs. Or you can do it the way I do and plug it into a capture card and record onto your computer.The cheapest capture card your can get is $9 off of ebay. I recommend this setup for anyone low on cash & looking for a surveillance camera.

Easy cap comes with recording software for your computer.First install the easy cap on to your computer. After, plug the camera's output cables into the easy cap and record. We do this over night. you can set the video quality to be good or a lower resolution (to save up computer space since the files are big). We then look through the videos the next day and delete them off of our computer.

The mic on the cam works good. But I can't really say much else about it. Easy cap doesn't capture the sound well. that seems to be the worst down side to it.

Decent camera for 40 dollars.

If I ever get a chance to. I will upload video quality of the camera so you all can get a look.

4 out 5 stars

This security camera does a good job for the money. I actually mounted it indoors to monitor the main living space of our home with a digital DVR programed in motion detection mode. The picture quality is okay for what I need it to do, easy to recognize people, but the colors are washed out, and I would be a lot happier if this unit had a better wide angle view. The night vision works really well with my application, probably due to the limitation of the indoor space, but the microphone is really weak, have to turn the system volume almost all the way to hear. All in all I'm happy with this product (you get what you pay for). I'm thinking about getting another one for the patio area, the unit is pretty well built, I believe it would work well outdoors. As always Amazons price and service is great, gotta like that free shipping.

This is a good cam for the price. The only down fall is it only has about 60 degrees of veiw. If you plan on putting this somewhere and you want to see up close do not get it. five feet infront of my truck and all you can see is the windshield. If i point it at the house next door( about 200ft) you can see there whole house and yard.

WORKS FINE INSIDE AND OUT, CLOSE-UP OR TO VIEW A WALK WAY OR A YARD, SUPER. FOR WHAT IT COST I AM SUPER PLEASED ALL AROUND, NIGHT VISION FINE. SOUND AND QUALITY OK FOR ME. I THINK PEOPLE EXPECT MILITARY GRADE EQUIPMENT BUT NEED TO BE REASONABLE FOR THE AMOUNT OF COST OF THIS UNIT. PRICE FOR VALUE IS THERE AND AM BUYING THREE MORE, I AM THAT HAPPY. THANK YOU!!!

I never buy a product without reviews however this camera was reviewed on another website at 4 stars. I came here as the price was [...]better.

First let me say I am a complete noob at CCTV and I simply got this out of more curiosity than security hence the lowest price camera I could find.

Let me say this little camera is worth its weight in gold. Of course it could be due to the fact that I wasn't expecting much "you get what you pay for" not so with this little gem. It's a great picture!

It's certainly works best during the day but the night vision isn't worthless. The day picture is clear and though the colors are a bit off green looks more like baby blue, you can certain see what's going on. It also gets a great angle view as I have mine set up in the hallway and can see half of my kitchen and all of my living room, front door and entrance to my office. All in all about 16 x 20 area.

The night vision is grainy at best but eh "you get what you pay for" in this category lol. You can still make out images but just imagine it with snow.

I have bought 2 and I will certainly grab two more as my DVR card holds up to four. Of course this isn't a Vegas eye in the sky but I believe you will be pleased. I will update a few pictures once I get them all up and running.

Happy Buying

This camera is inexpensive and won't break the bank for a replacement on your security system. I use them outside, and inside for a total of 9. I keep an extra on hand for a replacement for the occasional cleaning of the front glass. The O ringed front unscrews for cleaning inside and outside of the glass.

The image on the website made me interpret the camera to look larger than the camera actually is. It's quite small which I actually preferred. It's light. A little bigger than a can of soda. The power cable has a good length to it, from the front of my house wired to the back. I hang it outside underneath an awning, no problems in the rain. It has outlets for various video modes. With a converter I can connect it to the PC and save videos to my harddrive. I can connect it to my TV and record on VHS or DVD.

The video quality is not so great. But hey the price is right. It makes a good camera to see who or what's outside. The video color is distorted, meaning my red shirt shows yellow. As for licenses plates, you won't make them out clearly or capture them clearly. As for a super clear shot of someone's face, it's a little grainy even from under 10 yards. You will recognize neighbors and friends but not strangers. It's a basic camera. From my house window and five more feet out you can catch the side walk and a little bit of the street. The sound quality is not so great. At night you cannot see anything except glowing eyes, shadows and only a little detail if someone is infront of a light source. If you're looking for a low priced and basic camera go for it, if you're looking for high tech security, I suggest spending a little more money elsewhere.

There were numerous times I had to mess with the settings and reinstall the drivers to get the video going again because it stops. Overall I give this a 1.9 out of 5 stars.

This camera is great for the price - my problem is with the length of cable from the back of the camera to where is separates into audio, video and power jacks. IF they had this cable a few inches longer before it splits (the small think black cable) it would be a lot easier to fit into the corners of doors. As is, the jacks are where the door and jamb meet, meaning the two RCA jacks, and power jack interfere with the door. A few inches longer, and there would be no problem routing the small single thin cable before it splits. I contacted the mfr before purchasing, and they said the cable is 6". True, but mount takes about an inch of that. If you go through a wall, you need to have a hole large enough to fit the RCA jacks (1 at a time + cable) as the cable to the back of the camera is not removable. Overall, a good price for the weatherproof camera, 100 ft cable and power supply.

I was so happy with the 1st one i purchased that I bought a 2nd and a 3rd. Picture quality isnt perfect but it does work great. Audio comes in well and the night vision is good too. Cant beat the price and its so easy to install. My 5yr old could do it. Highly recommend if your looking for an affordable camera that does a good job.

i will really recommend this cam to others because of its good quality...Clear pictures and you can clearly hear the voices talking outside...and this can help you to monitor the surroundings..and you can widely capture everything..And once you order it now you can recieved it with-in 3-5 days no delay..